Cave interview: Enter the Cave

It's fair to say that if you haven't heard of Inge Kjeilen, you will soon. Otherwise known as Cave, the Norwegian techno don is making waves the world over for his expressive sets of tribal-tinged rhythm. He first shot to fame in 2001 with his cut Street Carnival, impressing the pants off the likes of Carl Cox, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer and… ahem, Tiesto. At any rate, this is one DJ/producer who's not disappearing from view anytime soon. He's even created a new live approximation of his music, in order to add more depth to his sets.

You're best known for the track Street Carnival - did you ever expect the kind of success it managed-

'I always knew it was a good track. I really loved it myself and it was without doubt the best track I had made up to then, but I had no idea others would take to it so easily. That was a real surprise... a pleasant one no doubt.'

Do you find that you're typecast by the success of it- For example, do people keep asking you to play it-

'Yes people still expect me to play it and many times I still do. Of course after a while I get a bit tired of the track myself, but if I am at a new place where I have never played before I usually put on that track and the response is still good. I do a special live-version though... using both original and the Max Walder remix to spice it up a little and give it a new twist. Also in my live act I have a specially made version which is a bit different from the original.'

Where do you see techno going in the future-

'I think the borders between different techno styles will become more and more concealed. DJs will play more than just one style in their sets... you see already now you have DJs playing minimal, electro and normal techno in the same DJ set. I used to focus mostly around tribal techno before but have now expanded to include other styles as well to give my sets more variations.'

Do you find that tailor your productions for different labels- Which ones do you prefer to work with-

'I do normally make a track with a label in mind before I start... so I try to match the label's profile while still keeping my own style on the track. There are many labels which are good to work with... generally those who keep you updated on all news regarding your release and send the promos to you in time so you get them before it hits the stores. The Australian based WetMusik which I'm sure you know has been very good on all these points.'

You've been DJing for quite a few years now - in your opinion, how has technology changed the game-

'Final Scratch has changed the way a lot of DJs work... personally I haven't embraced this technology yet, I prefer good old fashioned vinyl. Even though I'm sure eventually I will have to switch to something different myself. Personally I love the feel of vinyl - it can never crash or have errors, like a laptop with Final Scratch can.'

What's one of the worst gigs you've ever played-

'I had a bad experience in Spain at the beginning of my international career… a small club with only five people or so and behind the DJ booth there was a red light and if it was turned on it meant the police were coming and I had to turn off the music and say I was not a DJ. Ha ha... crazy shit.'

What can punters expect from your Melbourne show-

'They can expect a genuine Cave set with lots of energy and funky/tribal techno, but also elements of electro and more minimal stuff... should be a good night. Personally I'm hoping to see someone do the Melbourne Shuffle... I've heard great things about that... it's even famous in Norway... but nobody there knows how to do it properly [laughs].'
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• MTC