When German musician and producer, Johannes Brecht, shared he would be launching his own label, 0b16a9, there was never any doubt that it would be done with the same breath of fresh air he has brought to the music industry throughout his established career. He celebrates the launch with three EP releases on the label – the second of which, ‘O Mundo’ will be released on the 23rd of June, and we can’t wait! We satt down to learn more about his journey to this moment and what inspires him to create.

WWD: You recently started your own label, 0b16a9. How did the idea or desire to do that come about?

Yes, it’s actually nothing new that artists start their own label. I’ve always shied away from it because the organizational work, the whole shebang, is not so easy for me. But some of my colleagues and friends have also taken this step and I see it as a change also for my artistic work, to work faster and more directly. I’m very excited and curious to see where the journey will take me.

WWD: If you could have one artist (past or present) join the label, who would it be and why?

Well, at the moment the label is for my music. But of course, it could still develop. I’m still very fond of the early days of house music, so of course it would be a great honor to have someone like Larry Heard on the label. His tracks have so much soul, groove and a wonderful vibe. I’ve always been excited about that.

WWD: What are you most proud of and excited about from the label?

So far I’m not proud of anything, because we’ve only just had the first release and of course there are still many processes to learn and I have to take it slowly. It will be exciting for me to see how the possibilities offered by the label affect my artistic work. But I’m sure that will take a while for me to get a feel for it. The idea now for me is to be more in the moment and also to release music more in the moment.

WWD: To celebrate the launch of the label, you have three EPs coming out in May, June and July. ‘A New Day’ came out already in May and this month will see the release of ‘O Mundo’. Please could you tell us some more about ‘O Mundo’ – how would you describe it?

Yes, the first EP ‘A New Day’ just came out. Now comes an EP with the tracks ‘O Mundo’ and ‘Reverie’. ‘O Mundo’ I wrote with my friend Ju. He’s Portuguese, but he lived in Germany for a long time. He’s an icon of the German Hip-Hop scene. So our different genres merge on the track and I hope it’s a success. For him, writing a song in Portuguese was new. But it corresponds to the reality of his life since he has been living in Lisbon again for years and can also identify more with Portugal. ‘Reverie’, as the title suggests, is a more abstract, diffuse piece. Acoustic drums and more open beat structures invite you to dream

WWD: One of the things you highlight as being important to 0b16a9 is the ability to be fluid and release music when it’s ready. Please could you tell us about how this might impact the creative process and how it worked with ‘A New Day’

Yes, indeed the EP ‘A New Day’ is a good example. There are two tracks on the EP ‘We Love Our People’ with the band Seba Kaapstad, and ‘A New Day’. The track ‘We Love Our People’ is a bit older and I played it live last year and it didn’t really fit with the labels I had worked with until then so nothing happened with it at first. Then came the development with the label and then it was clear to me that the track has to be one of the first releases. Since I always wanted to release a B-side to it, I actually finished the track ‘A New Day’ very close to the release and that was the first time it happened that fast. Since I also do the mixing and mastering myself, it was then very direct.

WWD: What influences or inspires you to make music?

Oh, it’s very different. I think all of life is a source of inspiration, you just have to be out and about with your eyes and ears open. The other day I happened to pass by a gallery and there were great works on display that immediately inspired me visually. But then also to read something about the artist and to learn his attitude to his work and his life, I find wonderful, and these then become food for thought for yourself. In the same way, a walk with my dog in the forest can be a wonderful inspiration. The peace and quiet of nature is fantastic, the air, the smell of the forest I already love very much.