There are many innovative start-ups in Tech City, working on cutting-edge projects across all aspect of software development and more. It’s rare, though, to find one whose core proposition is as unique as RJDJ’s, a company looking to do nothing less than redefine the way in which we experience music.

Following a hugely successful 12 months, which saw them reach a massive audience with their official app for the hit Christoper Nolan film ‘Inception’, we caught up with founder and CEO Michael Breidenbruecker, veteran of the startup scene and one of the minds behind Last.fm, to talk innovation, inspiration, and the benefits of Tech City:

Tech City UK: First things first, Michael – can you explain RJDJ to us?

Michael Breidenbruecker: You know, I am really bad at this…it’s one of those things that has very few points of reference because it’s so new. Everyone, as you know, can get whatever recorded music that they want these days– so there’s nothing unique to it…in the past I used to have to go to the local music shop, had to search for it, had to buy it… it created a degree of emotional value that has been removed by the digital space – the romance has been removed to an extent, and with a lot of music its emotional value has declined. On the flipside, the live music sector’s emotional value has increased – music made in the moment, in that space, for those people who are there, listening to the concert at that moment…So, what we’re doing is developing personal digital musical performances, which are tailored to smartphones. We see them as the walkmans of the 21^st century (we call them smart music players) – but they can do so much more than walkmen ever could. They can generate music in real-time, they are connected to the internet, they are packed with sensors – compass, microphone, motion sensors… So what we did with RJDJ is create a platform that gives musicians & producers access to all these new tools, and what they’re coming up with is crazy new music…so that’s what we do!

TCUK: How did the Inception app come about?

MB: It was the result of a chance meeting between the film’s composer Hans Zimmer and myself. Hans is a very intelligent man, as you’d expect, and is very heavily involved in music technology. We talked about a wide variety of topics, from music to philosophy to technology and back again. He was very taken by the RJDJ project and what we were trying to do, and a few days after our meeting he got in touch with me to suggest that we make something specifically for Inception. Christopher Nolan also loved it, which made the whole thing easier to get off the ground – and was great PR. It’s had 3.5million downloads to date, which is amazing.

TCUK: What new projects do you have in the pipeline?

MB: The second half of the year will be super-busy for us. We’re planning to release two further apps; one which will be a musical gaming experience, based on the same technology as used for ‘Inception: The App’. You will have to experience it to get the full picture. It’s like trying to describe drum’n’bass to someone who’s never heard drum’n’bass – you would say that there are drums…and bass! You could talk about rhythms and things, but it would be hard to explain more without them experiencing this, and our apps are the same. What I would say is that the feedback we’ve had from many people is that this is the first time that an app has delivered a totally new experience to them, which is a great thing. The second app…we can’t tell you, it’s a secret!

TCUK: This isn’t your first start-up, is it? How has the scene changed?

MB: No. I was one of the co-founders of Last.fm, way back in 2000 in Whitechapel. The scene then was much more underground and it was much harder to find support – not just from official sources, but the private sector. Now though, there’s much more awareness of the scene in London – there are many more kids getting involved, who see entrepreneurship as a real opportunity – running a start-up is (almost!) ‘cool’. The buzz around Tech City is helping shine a spotlight on the scene as a whole, and what companies here are trying to achieve.

TCUK: How long have you been in Tech City?

MB: We’ve been here for quite a while now…since 2009, in fact. We’ve been in our current offices since the beginning of this year, but were in other premises around here before that, including space in the Tea Building and White Bear Yard for a couple of months.

TCUK: What attracted you to this area?

MB: To me, it’s basically a big hub where a lot of things are happening. First of all, VC money is in London – it’s easy to hook up with all these people (and of course, it’s where I had my Last.fm connections). It’s also about the buzz of a big city, and the creative vibe around the area. If you compare it to where I live at the weekends, in the Austrian alps, there’s no comparison. Here I can meet with not just VCs but with musicians, artists, filmmakers…all sorts of people. Of course, the other big thing is the talent. Oh, and additionally I don’t think the cost – in terms of what you can get – is that expensive compared to other places.

TCUK: How do you find the pool of talent in the area?

MB: We operate within a very small community of people who are exploring the sort of technology that we are making, which made it tough at the start. What’s been amazing though is that since we started rolling out our products, we’ve had people calling US up asking to work at RJDJ. People found out about our work through word of mouth or reading about it and wanted to get involved! In terms of talent, the very best people you can have working for you are the ones who are genuinely passionate about your company.

TCUK: What’s the investment scene like?

MB: Compared to in 2000 with Last.fm, it is much easier! We just closed around spring time, so haven’t been looking at the funding scene that closely. One thing is that it’s almost like the investment scene has started to consolidate in Tech City. Wherever you go, if you tell people that you are part of the hub that’s developing around East London they will think “Oh, wow” and they immediately get the picture. When it comes to funding, we’re seeing more and more moving into the area which is a great thing – and it would be great to see more move in.

TCUKL: What’s the networking like in Tech City?

MB: There are lots of events at places like TechHub, and then you have things like Silicon Drinkabout…meetups happen all the time, often because people have similar investors who bring you all together. It’s a great place to meet like-minded companies – you’re directly connected to a lot of other start-ups, and so is your team; you know that your developers will be meeting people socially who are working on similar problems and with whom they can share solutions.

TCUK: Do you plan to stay in the area?

MB: Yes. I think we’re exactly where we need to be. Within Europe, I think this is the top spot.

There will be more from Michael later in the week…in the meantime, let us know any thoughts or comments below.