Stevo is a beat maker from Germany.  I ran across his beats a few months ago when i was digging for music to listen to while i paint.  His stuff is great.  As all producers i interview, his stuff stands out against the rest.  Check him out.  here is some words from him.

Who are you? What do you do? Where are you from?

My name is stefan marx and I’m 22 years old. I was born in potsdam, germany. Its in the near of berlin, the capital city of germany. At the moment I’m livin in Teltow, its like the suburb of berlin..so its really close to it. I’m doin a apprenticeship right now as an businessman in the public authority of berlin. So I go workin and to school for 3 years. Only one year left.

Is there a connection between you and the jack ass steve-o at all?

No, I used to watch all that jackass stuff, but it got no relation to my name or music.

You make instrumental music, do you have rappers on any of your songs?

Yeah! I’m doin a lot of collabos at the moment with a bunch of german mc’s but also with rappers from overseas. So there will be some things comin up this year.

I’m workin on my upcoming EP on 4lux records with many singers (male and female) for some dope tracks. Cant say much about that one, but u defiantly will recognize if sumthin is about to drop!!

Do you sell beats? If so, why? If not, why?

Yeah I sell beats sometimes. It depends on the request, if I feel the music I will do it mostly for free…if not..PAY ME BIAAATCCCHH!!! HAHAA

How do you feel about the recent rise in amount of beat makers?

I think its really kool to see how many people out there got the same vibes and influences like u and how many doin really interesting creative things. But u has to filter the “good” beat makers out, that pleasure your ears and it take some time. The time u spend is defiantly worth to check out these young hungry catz.

In Germany a lot of the beats I hear are very keyboard oriented and somewhat orchestra like. It seems that a lot of German beat makers make beats that are similar to techno besides the drum patterns. You music is not like other German music, why is this? Are you influenced by techno at all?

No. I like to listen to techno sometimes in the club, but not at home. And I think that in germany are many dudes who doin music like me. The good old boom bap sound of the 90’s or even soulfull synthesizer tunes. U will find everything in germany if u dig deeper…;)

Who are some good German beat makers people should check out?

Puuuhh…too much names. But to name a few: audioholik, naturtalent, merse, croup, dave def, duktus, frank of audiotreats, knowsum, lo, hubert daviz, flako,…….there are defiantly many more of dope beatheads in germany!!

u can find the most of them on my toplist @ www.myspace.com/beatzbystevo

If you had the choice to have any rapper on one of your tracks who would it be?

I think it would be a triple collabo between blu, sean price and me. I dig these dudes sooooo much!!

Do you have any rituals that you do when you sit down to make a beat?

In the beginning I used to smoke some greenery before doin beats. But I stopped smokin one year ago. I think I got no rituals at all. It isn’t necessary what time of the day, which mood or anything.

What equipment do you use?

I use FL Studio 7 (need to update to as my sequencer, a lot of plugins and samples (not from fruity loops), some vinyl crates, microkorg, korg x5D (keyboard), mpd24, beyerdynamics dt990pro (headphones), edirol ua-25ex audio interface and my krk rokit8 monitor speakers.

How do you feel about the fact that it is so easy to dig for records on line? Do you find samples online?

Yeah sometimes I’m too lazy to go diggin for samples. So I use these nice blogspots to get dope albums which are really expensive on vinyl. I like this online diggin, cuz many of these records will never see the daylight cuz they are lying in a dusty and dark basement of an old men…hahaa

What is your goal with your music?

To be satisfied with the music I’m doin and to see people enjoying my music and listen to it while feelin the same feelings I tried to put into the beat. Its also kool to get to know to a lot of tight people who doin music things or are just listeners.

How long does it take you to compose a song? Is there an average time?

No. sometimes it takes 10 minutes and the raw loop/ arrangement is done (without any mixing)…and some day I would like to throw my mpd outside and punch myself right in the face after tryin to find some nice chords or sumthin for about 3 hours.

I see you really like J Dilla, is he known well in Germany? What do you love/miss most about J Dilla?

Oh yes, I think dilla is known in every spot of the world!! Everybody who is into real hip hop and beat things knows dilla. He was really unique with his work with samples and these different synthesizer vibes. I really really dig his music. I think hes the main influence for me, cuz I also like to get down with synthesizers and samples or everything together.

I think the most thing I miss is his soulfull tracks he has done with dope artists like erykah badu and the whole soulquarians movement.

RIP DILLA!!

What are you listening to currently? Do you have any favorite records yet in 2009?

Yeah, I think my favorite record is jesse boykins III – the beauty created. Its an neosoul album with great vibes and atmospheres. I think it was already released in 2008 but this is one of the dopest albums I heard in the last time with the steve spacek – space shift album from 2005. Just name few other records I like to listen to: slakah the beatchild – soul movement, iisijii – inside (I think the best of 2009), erykah badu – new amerykah, flying lotus – LA, jay scarletts compilations like the whole beat dimension series, dwele, common, jay stays paid, blu & exile – below the heavens, and many more I cant remember right now.

How do you feel about corporate/main stream music?

Its really different, sometimes I like some rnb/pop tracks, but the mass of the mainstream music is bullshit. The soul in this music is missin and its soundin terrible for my ears/mind. I like many singers of these mainstream songs, but the production around is to cheesy and uncreative. So its like tracks of ne-yo (so sick) are good tracks, but the beat and the amount of plays in the radio and tv destroys the quality of that song and the will to hear this track somewhere, cuz u are really annoyed by this song u have to hear 1000000000 times a day. My man dave def did some remixes of tracks like ne-yo’s so sick song and the result is just beautifull!! The song got a whole different message and sounds “real”, cuz many of these singers are really good singers but they are forced by their management and label to do songs with certain producers.

Are you into anything other then making beats? Any other art form you practice?

I tried to rap and use to freestyle with friends, but I hate my own voice. Maybe I try some quasimoto or vocoder shit some day..hahahaa

What do you do for a living?

I get money from my apprenticeship.

What is your favorite food? Is there any German food that beats all the rest?

I like döner, pizza and steaks. So its not really german type but u should check out a good “schnitzel” or a “curry wurst”, specially in berlin..;)

Any last comments? Shout outs?

Thx for doin this interview, I hope u are satisfied with my comments.

Big up to my fellas from all across the globe, ubeat rec., 4lux rec., trad vibe rec., my myspace heads..

And the biggest big up to my homies from my hometown: maiki (my girlfriend), matic, olli, audioholik, patrick, fred, merse, fu, ali, rino, dazzle and everybody whos down with me!!!

Peeze!