Bondi: reaching people with my music and exchanging emotions is a big drive for my artistic output

Turning Blind ft. Jacob Drescher – the brand new single from German producer, multi-instrumentalist and live act, BONDI, is out now via his newly launched imprint JUNA POLY. The first official single to be lifted from his forthcoming debut album, Space Logic, BONDI's opening single Turning Blind – recorded in collaboration with Amsterdam-based songwriter Jacob Drescher – tells a tale of emancipation and soul-healing let-go, wistful and forward moving all at once. We had the chance to sit down with Daniel about the new projects, how he got into electronic music, his early inspirations and more.
— Hello Daniel, and thanks for taking the time to chat to us. How has 2022 been for you so far? Any highlights?
— Hi guys, thank you so much for the invite! What a year! It started very slowly which gave me the opportunity to be in the studio literally every day. I enjoyed this time it a lot and found the perfect rhythm which lead to so much new material and also the idea to put an album together. During the process I got to know my sound vision quite well. After drawing the outline and having some sort of concept I approached a few other artists and singers which eventually took part in the process in collaborating with me. Everything came together quite organically and I loved working with so many different amazing people on it. Launching my own label wasn't part of the plan firstly but made so much sense the longer I worked on the project.
— Massive congratulations on your huge new single 'Turning Blind' and the launch of your new label JUNA POLY. Tell us more!
— Thank you :) The song is the debut single of my upcoming album and also the first release on the new label. It was recorded in collaboration with Amsterdam-based singer/songwriter Jacob Drescher. A folk ballad with Jacob's beautiful intimate voice on it combined with my electronic take on it to move it into the house genre. The track leans on an indie guitar riff rounded by some field recording percussions on top. Perfect for a cozy autumn evening. I actually enjoyed the work with Jacob a lot, he's also gonna take part on more tracks on the album.
— Going back to your formative years, can you explain when and how you fell in love with electronic music? Was there a particular moment when the penny dropped?
— Back in the days when I was still in school I was already interested in the art of DJing. I collected my first electro tracks and tried to DJ them at school events. Eventually a friend of mine sold me his turntables and taught me some fundamentals, that got me hooked immediately.

Being raised in Berlin means you have so many clubs and parties just in front of you. I tried to sneak into clubs like Berghain, Bar25 & Arena Club when I was just 17 and had the best times. I could develop a sense of the multi-layered music culture and different genres. After throwing my own first events with friends, I started getting into production and recording.
— What music (or artists) have played the biggest role in shaping you as an artist?
— A big part was definitely the former collaborative work with Alex who is the voice of the older BONDI records. When it comes to music which influenced me a lot it's bigger bands like Massive Attack, Radiohead, Phoenix etc. On the electronic side the list is endless. There are just so many talented producer and artists out there! Right now it's probably WhoMadeWho and Âme just to drop a few names.
— How would you describe your sound, and why did you choose to pursue your particular brand electronic music over other styles? What is it about the genre that you love so much?
— I'd describe it s a crossover between house music and indie pop / singer-songwriter stuff. Synth wave and guitar sounds mixed with drum machines and field recordings. Maybe you could break it down as house music with a band twist, that's what excites me about creating it. I actually enjoy it a lot to listen to very minimalistic music in a club like techno e.g., the drive & energy is incredible. But when it comes to creating music the crossover between different genres with an electronic foundation is really my comfort zone, I could listen to it for ages!
— What was your main motive for setting up the new label? Will it mainly be an outlet for your own productions?
— I had the idea already quite some time ago but there hasn't been the right occasion to pursue it. Now with the album and the idea to release it eventually as single parts over a longer time period it just made sense. I loved having the freedom of expressing myself the way I want and building upon my vision with it, it's a very personal thing to me. I was also interested learning about the whole process. The plan is to release all singles individually every two to three weeks until February the whole album is out. Following a remix album in and another single the next year is already fully planned. For now it's mainly an outlet for me and my collaborative stuff.
— Looking forwards, do you have any specific goals or objectives you would like to achieve with the label?
— I'm actually enjoying the process a lot working together with so many different amazing artists. I'm trying to build a platform where I can stimulate the creative exchange between artists and friends.
— And as an artist?
— Reaching people with my music and exchanging emotions is a big drive for my artistic output. I can't wait what's coming next and what interesting people and artists I get to know!
— If you could put on your own show anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would you have joined you on the lineup?
— No name festival somewhere in the woods with a driving techno stage and a live electronic stage. Joined by a lot of friends and some heros :)
— Where can we see you perform over the coming months? Any big tours planned?
— Having a busy summer in the back I'm happy having some time off seeing friends and family, gathering energy for the new year. I'll be also back working on new material, getting back into writing and doing backend work for the new label.

There are a few more gigs to come in 2022, mostly in Europe like 28.10. Ritter Butzke / Berlin or 11.11. Bahnwärter Thiel / Munich. More dates are listed on my Songkick linked on Spotify or Soundcloud.
— Thank you Daniel, we wish you all the best!
— Thank you guys for the chat, see you soon!