1. The year is 1999 and ‘Zoe’ by Paganini Traxx becomes the No. 1 hit in the UK club charts. Tell us the story here, Sam: How did this track come about in the first place and what made ‘Zoe’ reach the heights of #1?
After the collaboration with Media Studios I was able to run my own studio Cellar Rock for experimenting with sounds and to seek a new route for my music: My dance music vision is instrumental. The Minimoog expresses more than words! I think ‘Zoe’ was deep and hypnotic and the evolution of the song is a really progression of various synths. It was made in one night… ‘Zoe’ was championed by the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold and many others… fortunately! Then the press and the radios did the rest.
2. What have you been up to over the past 10 years?
Music is my life; I express my passion in a wide variety of music-related activities and I play many instruments, though percussion and drums are my real love. I played for local rock bands… Ten years ago there was a crazy time in my life – in just one night I was able to playing at a gig with my Ludwig drums and then run to a club to play my records. In 2000 I released another club hit called ‘Reaching Out’, then some remixes for Peplab, Lou Reed, David Morales… some label collaborations later, and we are in 2010 with Android Muziq!
3. What is your current studio setup and has it changed much since the days of Paganini Traxx?
Zoe’ was made with an Akai sampler, Cubase sequencer, Korg Ex Wavestation, SY22 Yamaha, Juno 106 Roland, Juno2 Roland, and was mixed on a Mackie desk. Now the heart of the studio is a PC-running Cubase 5 and Logic on Apple Macbook Pro (for pre-production). Inside are a lot of virtual instruments like FM8, ABSynth, Massive, Uad and of course a lot of hardware like Clavia Nordwave and many vintage keyboards like Minimoog, Fender Rhodes etcetera.
For recording hardware I use my old mixing desk Mackie 32/8 with MOTU 12/96.
4. You have a very distinctive clarity in your productions with some very juicy basslines. How do you master your tracks?
Thanks, wow… I’m looking for balance always, and an initial idea.
5. How did you get involved with Elektrax Music and the Sydney label Android Muziq, run by DJ Hi-Shock?
It was via Beatport and I was struck by their great releases’ quality! When I heard Android Muziq I thought deep techno!”
6. How different is your music on Android Muziq compared to what you release on other labels?
Android Muziq’s sound is deep – I think it has a great personality, and my vision of techno is exactly Android Muziq; when I made tracks on the tech-house tip I go to other labels.
7. ‘Shibuya’s Cosplayer’ from the upcoming release on Android Muziq, is really an incredible track. It mixes the best of uplifting old-school vibes with current sound. How did you produce this track? What were your influences?
Shibuya’s Cosplayer’ was made from a bassline and an idea, an old-school feeling within the current sound; I think it was influenced by some of Bonzai’s records from the ’90s, who I still played in clubs!
8. Why don’t we hear music like this anymore? Don’t people enjoy music full of funk, grove and emotions?
We are more than people thinking!
9.Which other artists/DJs do you currently enjoy working with or remix, and what’s the attraction of these particular people?
Richie Hawtin and some rock artists like Radiohead, or producers like William Orbit and Manuel Göttsching …they are the true pioneers!
10. What are your thoughts on the digital download phenomenon – both positives and negatives?
Digital download is simple – in the past we’d spend one day a week checking new music in a specialiality store; today every day is OK on a music portal like Beatport. But vinyl’s feeling is like another planet!
11. Do you think digital download and digital files will eventually replace vinyl for DJs?
Half and half.
12. Where do you buy music today?
Dance music on Beatport or another online portal, rock in a shop or at i-Tunes.
13. Name some of your favorite producers of 2010?
Par Grindvik, Dubfire, Alan Fitzpatrick, Pan-Pot, Adam Beyer, Paul Ritch, Dustin Zahn, Len Faki, all Android’s artists…
14. A lot of techno producers refer to music released back in the ’90s. What do you think about those days and what labels did you like back then?
Every decade has some good music. From the ’90s my favorite labels was Plus 8, Attack, Soma, and the like.
15. Techno artists like to say that they produce for the love of music, not for money and that these days digital releases are really more of a tool to promote their name in order to score gigs, because that’s where the real cash is anyway. So… why do YOU still make techno music?
Because techno is like rock… it never dies!
