Rainer Trüby’s Root Down has always been more than a club night. It is a spirit, a community, and a long running conversation between dancers, DJs, and the deep musical roots that shaped three decades of sound. 

As ‘Root Down 30’ arrives, the story behind it reveals not only where the night came from, but how it kept evolving without losing its soul. We caught up with Rainer Trüby to trace that journey through memories, friendships, rediscoveries, and the open minded ethos that has carried Root Down from 1996 to today.

 

WWD: What was the first memory or feeling you wanted ‘Root Down 30’ to capture?

 

It was all about the current sound of Root Down without forgetting its roots. Most of the befriended acts featured have played for us and their tunes stand for the sound we love to play.

 

WWD: What made a track feel Root Down enough to earn a place on the compilation? 

 

First of all it needs to be soulful. An average cold linear tech house track most likely would not have made it. I personally love chords and Fender Rhodes. I guess that fact hopefully comes across in the selection.

 

WWD: Did you notice any surprising shifts in the Root Down sound or spirit when revisiting thirty years of music? 

 

Not really, we love our musical roots and old funk, soul, boogie, afro, jazz and latin still play a big part in our sound. But rather than just being nostalgic we always love to incorporate fresh sounds and movements that mix with our roots. That is why you always got a mix of styles over one night back then and now.

 

WWD: How did you balance classics, rarities, lost tapes and new productions in the final selection? 

 

Most of the chosen tunes are current favourites, a couple of exclusives, some are first time on vinyl, a couple of remixes from my back catalogue and an old favourite from Fred Everything from Canada that I recently rediscovered which goes under his pseudonym Afro Love Project.

WWD: What do you hope today’s DJs and dancers hear in ‘Root Down 30’ that maybe wasn’t obvious in 1996? 

 

I really hope they will appreciate the soulful harmonic spirit of the compilation. In 1996 we were probably less house focused but as deep house got more and more lively with afro, latin and brazilian influences it plays a major part in our musical love.

 

WWD: What pushed you to break genre boundaries so early with Root Down? 

 

The boredom of Freiburg nightlife back then, where each and every club night was just focusing on only one genre plus the commercial student nights that did not quite provide joy for me when going out.

 

WWD: Why do you think Root Down flourished in Freiburg rather than a major city? 

 

I think we were there at the right time in an open minded city with a lot of international movement due to the university students. We are also very close to France and Switzerland and attracted a lot of clubbers from nearby Alsace and Basel.

 

WWD: Which moments or nights at Root Down still feel vivid to you? 

 

We had quite a few good memorable nights there to be honest. A few highlights were certainly Theo Parrish, Peter Kruder, Gilles Peterson, Axel Boman, Jazzanova, Osunlade, Jimpster and many more.

 

WWD: Which guests changed the trajectory of the night? 

 

We had some pure Drum and Bass DJs guesting as well such as DJ Die or Peshay but even that luckily worked to a great response from the crowd.

 

WWD: What do you think Root Down gave dancers that they couldn’t find anywhere else? 

The open mindedness of a freestyle night with a soulful spirit, different grooves and tempos getting played over a whole night without losing the musical path.

 

WWD: What connects jazz, Brazilian music, broken beat, soulful house and Afro Latin rhythms for you? 

 

I see it as my aim to connect them in the best possible way for the clubbers and dancers. The harmonies and the grooves play an important role.

 

WWD: What does open minded and soulful and rooted in discovery mean when you are behind the decks? 

 

To be able to play what I feel like and surely to try out new tunes that I have never played before.

WWD: How do you keep your ear fresh after three decades of digging? 

 

Sometimes I need a break from modern beats and just listen to old jazz and Bossa Nova records but then again some fresh and surprisingly good promos come up and I am back again with the modern sound, mainly shortly before a gig, on a Thursday or Friday before the weekend.

 

WWD: Do you see parallels between selecting music and selecting wine? 

 

In my extended sets I usually start slowly and organic. I love the warm up. With wine I usually start with light crisp and dry Riesling and maybe later dive into a deep red wine. Musically I see white wine rather matching with light and airy Bossa Nova or jazz fusion sounds, whereas a full bodied red I see in deep slow soul or even blues territories.

 

WWD: How does ‘Root Down 30’ fit into the wider narrative that DAYBREAKERS is building? 

 

I love Compost Records, which has been my musical home since I initially started producing and making compilations in 1994. With Miche I found a new friend with whom I share a lot of common ground in music and life. I love what he does with Daybreakers, the deep house sound that Root Down 30 kind of matches very well with.

 

WWD: What was it like working with Miche on this project? 

 

It was perfect. A dream label boss. I chose a few tunes, he agreed and got it going. No discussions, no musical compromises.

 

WWD: How did it feel hearing ‘Schoko Bolla’ and ‘Hausmacher Latino’ finally pressed to vinyl? 

 

I have to thank Miche for that release also. Those two tracks were actually planned to be on my first artist album around 2010 and then a computer crash of my production partner led to a loss of the whole LP which was almost finished. These two tracks were the only ones we could save and thanks to some decent mastering I guess they sound pretty fine still.

 

WWD: What makes a great compilation in your eyes? 

 

A varied selection with a nice flow from one track to another on CD or digitally. On vinyl it is often the playtime on each side or the club play possibility which decides where a certain track will end up, A1 or B3.

 

WWD: Why do Brazilian influenced and future jazz sounds remain timeless? 

 

I have been in love with Brazilian music for more than 30 years now and I still love coming back to it. I think it is the sensuality of the harmonies again which got me hooked initially and this still remains. Future jazz sounds are still work in progress and there are still great creative surprises coming up.

 

WWD: What draws you to archival work and digging through DATs and forgotten catalogues?

 

I have not touched my DAT recorders in more than 25 years I guess. I used to be the sample source for a popular German hip hop band called Die Fantastischen Vier back in the early 90s. The DAT format back then was essential to guarantee the sound quality. We recorded lots of samples for them together on DAT.

 

WWD: How do you look back on the Trüby Trio era today? 

 

Great, we are still friends and never really officially split. There may be a reunion one day, you never know.

 

WWD: What did the Kruder and Dorfmeister rework of ‘Donaueschingen’ mean for you?

 

It was a Peter Kruder remix with possibly the longest remix name ever in remix history. He did a great job with that magic bossa and trip hop groove. Still love it and it surely brought us some new listeners back then and now. Thanks Peter.

 

WWD: What do you remember about putting together your DJ Kicks? 

 

It was a process of joy selecting the tunes for it. I just remember mixing it tightly together was not that easy back then. It was not simply a 124 bpm tech house mix CD. But we made it.

 

WWD: What environments bring out your best sets? 

 

The joy and comfort of lovely people surrounding me, whether it is an outside venue or a club. I do prefer night gigs or at least sunset gigs to early daytime situations.

 

WWD: What makes playing with Miche special? 

 

He delivers great friendly energy, his selections are on point, he can answer really well and also asks challenging questions musically when we play back to back. Always great joy.

 

WWD: How do festival crowds differ from the intimate Root Down dancefloor? 

The good thing is that I usually get booked to festivals that are familiar with our kind of music. For example when Miche and I played We Out Here festival as a Root Down stage we had a pretty huge crowd that were up for our sound so that did not feel different to a Root Down night in Freiburg. We also did not feel the need to compromise musically. That was a great moment twice when we played there.

 

WWD: What keeps you inspired after so many years in music? 

 

Sounds weird, but yes, music. And all the lovely friends I met in my musical journey. DJs, musicians, promoters, even winemakers.

 

WWD: What is the last track that genuinely surprised you? 

 

‘Deuter Alchemy,’ a bargain ambient record that I always overlooked in all my digging years.

WWD: What does happiness sound like to you today?

 

I feel blessed to be doing this for more than 35 years now. I never had to compromise musically. That really means a lot to me.

 

WWD: What do you hope Root Down 30’ communicates to the next generation of DJs and dancers? 

 

Be open minded, listen and play good tunes, build your own taste that you believe in. Take risks sometimes, do not force it and play too fast too early. Get the people into your groove and build it from there. Only when you as a DJ transmit that comfy feeling with your inner self you can transmit. A good night often starts slowly. Do not push it, do not force it.

 

WWD: What is still left to explore after thirty years of Root Down? 

 

Well, 40 years of Root Down, in the Guinness book of records for a long-established club night.

 

WWD: Congrats on 30 years and thanks for the chat 🙂 

 

‘Root Down 30’ is available here