Photo by Maxence Granville
Znzl aka M’hamed Ouzahra is a Moroccan-born, Germany-based artist whose pseudonym of choice translates to “earthquake”. While his “Ancestraldatabreach” was one of the key releases of our 2023 lineup, “Reinstate” EP serves as a fitting conclusion to our Year-2 cycle and foreshadows the direction Void+1 is steering towards.
VOID+1: Hello M’hamed. Thank you for your awesome “Reinstate” EP and for participating in our interview series. A birdie told us you have some interesting stories about the creation of this release, or at least about the naming of the tracks. How about we start with you sharing some of them?
ZNZL: Thank you for hosting my Reinstate EP. I feel like my music has been evolving a lot, and this EP reflects better what I’m after lately. Void+1 feels like a welcoming home for this ongoing transformation. Reinstate stems from a desire to refocus my music on its essence-the very thing that made me fall in love with techno in the first place.
As for the tracks themselves, two of them were inspired by or even named after words that earned me glorious wins in Scrabble. I have a fascination with how the human brain works in these kind of games, particularly in this era when we’re essentially engineering intelligence.
Walk us through your production methods. How do you approach the creative process in your tracks?
For most of my tracks, it begins with experimentation and sound design. However, some tracks are born out of a deeper intention-to capture and share a personal understanding of life and existence. These moments often stem from profound experiences, breakthroughs, or simply love, which is the ultimate driving force behind everything I do.
What are your favorite tools for achieving the results you aim for?
I don’t always aim at a specific result, but when I do, I mainly use, among others, Phase Plant, Shaperbox and Infiltrator. I could go anywhere with this trio. Recently I also acquired Bloom and trying constantly some new tools. Keeping an eye on new ways to craft my music is a way to keep myself excited about producing!
Your productions almost always have a trailer-like touch. Since movies are such a big part of our lives, it feels like this question will show up in every interview we do: What are your favorite movies and genres?
Life is the movie that inspires me the most if I dare to say! Funnily enough, I’m not a big movie fan, but found resonance in some movies that match my perception of existence, such as Everything Everywhere All at Once or The Matrix.
You perform both as a DJ and live. Do you have a preference for one over the other, and why?
I enjoy both in what they bring to me. The ultimate performance for me would be when I will be able to merge them, and for now, they are both slowly converging towards this sonic utopia. Catch the listeners where they are and deliver the quality of something well crafted in shorter and shorter period of time.
A few years back, you moved to Berlin. Do you think that helped you grow as an artist, or is the overflowing club culture a distraction that you have to wrestle with?
Berlin is a transformative city for sure. It hasn’t been a distraction for me, nor has it had any negative impact. What fascinates me is how its unique microcosm interacts with music, which is so different from other cities like Paris, where I lived for over 12 years.
Being surrounded by so many music lovers here is a blessing. However, I do see this overflow as a byproduct of capitalism-an abundance of tracks, producers, and events. While Berlin’s techno is more coded and conforms in certain ways, it also offers interesting elements, such as a sense of unity. Tracks are often designed to fit into DJ sets rather than standing alone as musical pieces, which is a shift I’m still unpacking. I’m constantly seeking the best elements to take from this environment.
Photo by Louise Brault
Recently, you launched your Ingwerter project. Where does the name come from, how does it differ from Znzl, and what was your motivation for starting it?
Ingwerter began as a way to satisfy my curiosity about the “Berlin techno” I mentioned earlier. When I moved to Berlin, I felt like I was speaking an entirely different techno dialect, as I don’t naturally conform to its strict codes.
I created Ingwerter as a sandbox-a space for a more playful, laid-back, and carefree approach to techno, without compromising the integrity of what I want to convey as Znzl. The name? I simply opened the fridge, saw an ingwer shot (ginger shot), and thought, “You know what? Let’s explore this city by creating music instead of complaining that mine doesn’t fit.”
Who are your favorite artists currently, and would you mind sharing a current chart list?
Over time, I’ve come to appreciate music that arises from genuine connections between people. So I’m inspired by people I’ve been sharing the Demian adventure with so far: CVNSUMED, Öspiel, Catartsis, Ey.rah, CTSD… but also other close ones: Linn Elisabet my partner, D.E.S. my flatmate… Of course, there are also the legends who paved the way for me: Scalameriya, Ancient Methods, UVB… labels such as Arms, Audio Assault… Beyond them, I’m inspired by a mix of emerging and established artists, and I’m always on the lookout for new discoveries. Lately I’ve been appreciating a lot the work of: Sicion, Rill, Conntex, Kamen, Alberto Tolo, BXTR, Diazepin, JBILO, ASTWØ, Axeev, Kuss… to name only a few.
CVNSUMED
Öspiel
Catartsis
Ey.rah
CTSD
Linn Elisabet
D.E.S
Scalameriya
Ancient Methods
UVB
Sicion
Rill
Conntex
Kamen
Alberto Tolo
BXTR
Diazepin
JBILO
ASTWØ
Axeev
Kuss
While a lot of artists have nothing but bitter words for the scene in the last couple of years, we do not share the same sentiment and see patterns that point to a bright light at the end of the tunnel. What is your personal stance on this topic?
I try not to have expectations for things beyond my control, nor do I waste energy ranting about them. Sometimes I enjoy “playing the game” and find it fun; other times, I’d rather focus on other things. This is why I’ll often go through phases of intense communication, then disappear for a while before coming back with something new to share.
The algorithm doesn’t like that, but honestly, it can kiss my a*s.
I love making music and crafting sonic environments where people can resonate with it, but I can’t control whether that resonance will happen. If the scene focused more on cultivating this resonance instead of chasing profitability, we’d all be better off. Until then, we navigate capitalism and its urge to make art profitable.
Are there any announcements and future plans that you are allowed to share at this moment in time?
Not at the moment. After releasing two EPs in less than a month, I’m allowing myself a little break. Taking more time to go at my pace, and this, I’m excited about!
Znzl’s social media: