Ministry of Sound Blog

Dutch DJ and producer Sebastian Davidson likes to get deep. Sometimes he like to get deep and techy, but mostly he just likes to get deep. Scooting around the outskirts of the underground prog/deep house scene, he has picked up many big name supporters over the years, such as John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo and even Paul van Dyk, yet has never really conquered the mainstream, despite making a small splash in the scene with last year’s Kinky Vinyl release ‘Bondi’ (which was incidently the last ever vinyl release release on the label).

As one of the hardest working producers out there, it was difficult to nail him down for a chat, but Gavin Leversuch managed to do just that in today’s 5pm Interview…

So Seb, what have you been up to lately?

“Things are really busy after my Bondi and Nightbird releases in 2007, but all really great! I have just joined a new agency for my DJ bookings; Epiqurus Agency, based in Amsterdam. I’m in good company there with other DJ’s and producers like Eelke Kleijn, Medway, Kosmas Epsilon, Oliver Moldan and Ricky Ryan on their roster. Hopefully this will lead to me playing out as much as possible around the globe! I’ve also got a lot of new stuff coming up on labels like Global Underground, Kinky Digital, Deepology and Outside The Box Music. Did some remixes for Rogue Audio, Seva K, Yvel & Tristan, Scope etc. as well, now I’m focusing on new original material.”

You’ve been putting out a huge amount of records on a huge amount of labels lately. Why do you think you never seem to settle on one label for long?

“Hmmm, I dunno. It has nothing to do with settling. It’s just that I like to produce house music from vocal deep house to tech house and even a touch of progressive. This is not all suitable to one label in my opinion. Plus, it creates diversity in my profile, which I think is not bad.”

“No doubt: producing them! Everything that can go wrong with the pressing of an album has happened to the Club Pepper CD. Wrong artwork, pressing faults on the CD, and so on, but now it’s ok and a really nice finished product! Collecting tracks and blending them into 70 minutes for an album is really cool to do, but producing is much more personal.”

What do you see as your main strengths as a producer?

“Strengths?!? Hmmm, I can tell you my weaknesses, but my strengths? Haha! I hope it’s a consistency in creating moody atmospheres in my tracks, but there is still a lot to improve on my skills. I have been producing music since November 2006 and I am learning every day. Not so much a personal strength, but a major asset is that I am good friends with producers like Olav Basoski and Eelke Kleijn who teach me tips & tricks or give me advice when I ask them. There is so much to discover, this boy has still a long road to go!”

When you begin work on a new track, how much of an idea do you have already? Is it just a spark, or do you have something closer to the full picture in your mind?

“Yeah, it starts with a spark. I like browsing audio plugins in search of new moody sounds. From there I start to play with melodies and build a tune. Most of my tracks have been created that way. I’ve tried working in a way of ‘OK, now I’ll make this and that, with a sound like this, and a break down like that blah blah blah’, but that doesn’t work out very well for me.”

“I’ve been toying with several ideas and themes for my next single. Sometimes I have to be alone and thinking about what I like to hear; what holds my attention and moves me. I also like driving my car listening to rare disco classics to get inspiration. I don’t like continuing producing the same sounds and style that has proven successful. I like to move to something different.”

(Interview: Gavin LeversuchI)

Seb’s Current Top 5:

1. Solomun - Deadman (Original) - Four:Twenty
2. Jinkzilla ft. Zodiac - Man Up (Tiger Stripes Remix) - Jinks Inc
3. Chymera - Wish (Original) - NRK

We may be back from our little trip to Miami, but that doesn’t mean we’ve used up all of our WMC coverage! Gavin Leversuch took some time out to get together with trance superstar Ferry Corsten to find out what he’s been up to on his visit to the States, what he thinks of the Miami Winter Music Conference and of course to get the lowdown on his new Gatecrasher Sheffield mix album…

How’s Miami treating you? What have you been up to so far?

“I always have mixed feelings when I go to Miami. It’s a great city and I always love playing there, but it can be an absolute nightmare during conference. Loads of parties, people, meetings, interviews, and sometimes the madness of the streets as well. It can be pretty crazy sometimes. I’m here to play a couple of parties; A party in Space on Thursday, The Ultra Festival, and the official Ultrafest after-party as well.”

“It’s pretty much a work trip. I’ve already been in the U.S. for a week promoting my radio show ‘Corsten’s Countdown’ on XM radio and have been to a number of cities. I think I’ve got one day off from all the meetings and work I have to do during the conference and after that I’ll be flying out for other gigs.”

You’ve just released the Gatecrasher Sheffield mix album, have you been getting lots of promotion done since you’ve been there?

“I tried to get most of the album promotion done before I left for the U.S. but every once in a while, some interviews come along, so the promotion continues.”

How have you tailored your sets to suit the Miami crowd? Is it very different?

“Not really, the Miami crowd is very up to date with the latest tracks. During the conference season, the Miami crowd is also a lot more diverse. You get a huge melting pot of cultures and scenes; people from South America, Asia, Europe, and of course the Americans come over to party for a week.”

You remixed Public Enemy’s ‘Bring the Noise’ last year to great acclaim. What was it like to work with, and get the seal of approval from, a legend like Chuck D? Do you have plans to work with anyone else of a similar stature soon?

“Chuck D and Public Enemy have always been icons for me. I have been into hip hop since back in the day and they were always on the top of my list. It was a great and honour to work with Chuck D, for a guy that has had so much success it’s great to see how down to earth he is and just a really good guy. I’m currently working on my new artist album, so you will find out what artists I’m working with soon enough!”

(Interview: Gavin Leversuch)

Ferry’s Current Top 5:

1. Embrace – Embrace (Ferry Fix) - Flashover Recordings
2. Activa – Remember – Vandit
3. Georgia - Ode To ‘99 - Levare Recordings
4. Seth Hutton Ft Judie Tzuke - Don’t Look Behind You (Mike Shiver Remix) - Captured Music
5. Shadowrider - Blue Horizon (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix) - Red Force Recordings

From his early roots as resident at Leeds long-running Back to Basics night, Paul Woolford has slowly but surely become one of the most in-demand and exciting DJ/producers in the world today.

His uncompromising aproach to both making music and DJing has seen him unleash quirky classics like Erotic Discourse on unsuspecting dancefloors, while consistently delivering on the decks.

His brand new LP, The Truth, is probably his most honest and personal music to date, so we grabbed a few moments of his time for a deeper insight…

You’ve returned to the Bobby Peru moniker for this LP - how do Paul and Bobby differ in the head?

“The Bobby Peru pseudonym came about from a time when I wasn’t quite 100% about what I was creating, so I kind of hid behind it, and nowadays I’m completely the other way, where I want it to be known that it’s me, so I guess it was a convenient foil for some time. People know it’s all me though, so it’s almost irrelevant in some ways. There’s certainly no outwardly obvious stylistic difference, although some would have you think that.”

Each of the tracks on the LP possesses a particularly vital energy which feels very personal. What sentiments of yours are we feeling here?

“A multitude. But they are for the audience to feel and interpret as they wish. I can explain away through all the emotions I have gone through when making certain tracks, but ultimately it’s going to sound and probably feel different to every single other person in the world in ways in which nobody else but that person can ever know. It always intrigues me, the idea of being able to listen to music the way another person hears it for a day, imagine that… and now imagine going back to your own way, but with that knowledge. How you would be able to mould the sound would be incredible. Fucking incredible.”

You’ve worked with your natural dad on some music now too - how has that process of discovering your heritage effected your work?

“It’s made me far more confident in my own voice, and here let me point out clearly I’m not meaning physically from my own voicebox, I mean figuratively. This links to my reasons for using pseudonyms earlier. Finding out the pieces of the jigsaw helped me feel complete enough to truly believe in my creativity, rather than blindly going in the dark through a basic instinct. This in turn means I’m now, by default, better equipped to harness it all, at the risk of sounding completely wanky. I’m less inclined to carry on with tribute-style tracks that are made from positions of reverence for other artists, although it should be made clear that I still hold, and will never depart from my sense of awe at others achievements with certain pieces of music. It’s just that I’m no longer interested in following and replicating their ideals, formulas and templates. I’m finding my own, which is more inspiring than ever. And this in turn in combination with a few other things has unlocked my creativity like never before. I’ve written 13 tracks since January this year which is quite staggering when you consider how long it took to get The Truth done.”

Interesting to hear more unusual sounds on the LP (like a harp on Shibboleth) Are you purposefully trying to stretch the musicality of ‘dance’ tracks or these are just the right sounds for the job?

“A bit of both. Something that made me laugh earlier this year was the fuss over that Samim track with the accordion. I actually read on some websites “accordions are just not house” time and time again. Like you know that for a fact? There’s no fucking rules! The cool kids like to play the taste arbiters, but it’s sometimes funny seeing how people can chase their tails and worry about if things are trendy or not, and, not even that, but HOW trendy things are. There is only opinion, stacked on opinion. And we all hear things differently. it’s all relative. I sound pretty reasonable here, don’t I?!”

What attitude to DJing did your early experience of Back to Basics provide?

“They informed it in the right context completely. I had so many records at home that I heard there, those first few times I went to the Music Factory, but I’d not heard them out. Murk High Up & Liberty City If You Really Love Someone, Red Planet Stardancer, Clementine Cosmopolitan For The Cosmos and tons more remind me of that time, and it all clicked into place and the lightbulbs went on. Key moments.”

Paul’s Top 5 Download Chart

1. Matt John - Olga Dancekowski (Audion’s Paradise Cafe mix) - Bar25

2. Zed Bias - Bareknuckle - Sick Trumpet

3. James Mowbray & D. Ramirez - Time Fades Away - FourTwenty Recordings

4. 51 Days - Tracktion - Touche

5. Paul Woolford - Black Orchid - Intamacy

(Interview: Tom Kihl)

With the launch of the debut Yesking album ‘Rock This World’ earlier in March, it seemed like a good time for Gavin Leversuch to hook up with Rhys and Mark get the lowdown on their latest musical journey…

You were both involved in the experimental ‘Two Culture Clash’ project on Wall of Sound. What did you take from that experience, and was it responsible for the birth of Yesking?

Mark: “It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, very humbling beat-wise, and of course, culturally too. The people were great, and there was more music than anywhere else on the planet. It was a factor in the development of Yesking, but Rhys and I had already been making music for the project before this.”

Rhys: “The trip to Jamaica was inspiration enough to make numerous albums. We saw music at its base level; a celebration of life, but at the same time a diversion from the realities of a beautiful but fundamentally poor country. Music is integral to life over there and is embedded in their culture. If there’s anything we took away from the experience, it was a desire to make more music and a reaffirmation that we were lucky to be involved in it. This trip gave birth to the term “Yesking“ and gave a purpose to the project, but the people we work with in London, as well as Jamaica, are both responsible for the birth of Yesking as it is today.”

What was it like to hook up with the legendary Dawn Penn on this project? Who has been your all-time favorite vocalist or musician to work with over the years?

Rhys: “Hooking up with Dawn Penn was great, she’s a character with lots of stories to tell. She came to the studio and wrote “Rock This World” with us, which I feel is the track that best defines the album. It encapsulates all of our musical influences and sets the tone for the album lyrically. However, my favorite vocalist that I’ve worked with would have to be Ayak. Although at the time she was only 22 years old, there were no bounds to her creativity, and she has a lot to give, which is the most exciting thing you can get from any artist.”

Mark: “I have no favourites. I like to learn from each artist and observe their craft and individual strengths.”

How much freedom do you give your musicians when working on your productions? Do you have a very specific vision, or just give them a guide and let them get on with it?

Mark: “Rhys and I did the music, and we guided the subject matter with the artists. They did tend to write the melody and lyrics, although both Rhys and I wrote some melodies, and in my case, lyrics too.”

Rhys: “It varied a lot, to be honest. For some tracks we had specific visions like on “Style Come Different” featuring Sweetie Irie. We had been playing the rhythm out for a while with a Vybz Cartel acapella on it and wanted something similar. However, sometimes we would just run a rhythm, get artists to freestyle over it and construct the hooks together, but other times we would just leave the artist to it. You never know what’s going to happen in the studio, so you’ve always got to be flexible and prepared to move on if something’s not working.”

How do you think each other’s production styles complement each other? What are your relative strengths and weaknesses?

Rhys: “Our production styles are defined by the music that we love, and we share a similar taste so we are always striving to make our music sound as good as the classic records we love from all genres. I guess I’m more of the technical, hands-on, knobs-and-instruments person although Mark is fast becoming Mark Knopfler on acid, with an A-level in Logic! However, we both write and are involved in all the creative processes. Mark’s depth of knowledge of records is a great asset when you’re stuck on something. Things can quickly turn around with the injection of good sample, and then of course, we replace it!”

Mark: “Rhys is great with instruments and creating a vibe, as well as putting down the overall finishing touches with synths, et cetera. I’m more of a hip-hop beat writer, as well as A&R.”

One of Yesking’s greatest strengths is the fusion of the global with the local, drawing influence from all over the place whilst still maintaining a strong ‘London feel’. Is this a conscious part of the ‘plan’, or does it just occur naturally?

Mark: “It was a natural London thing, the whole world is in the city!”

Rhys: “We knew we had a varied palette of music for this album and that it might be problematic making it all fit together, but it all came together very naturally in the end because we were lucky enough to work with people who were prepared to go the extra mile with their writing. Artists like Mystro saw it as opportunity to step up and do something different and show people a different side of their personality and intellect. All the artists involved pushed themselves and ended up on tracks you wouldn’t normally expect them to and that’s what has blessed us with a truly unique album, something I don’t think you can plan.”

Lastly, it was pretty difficult to classify what genre the album actually belongs to when I ripped to iTunes. It’s not quite hip-hop, not quite reggae, not quite disco… Now’s your chance to invent a genre so I can sleep at night. Go…

Rhys: “Yeah it s a tricky one that and can limit people’s access to the album unfortunately. What about Reppcoae?”

Mark: “Chappaquidic!”

(Interview: Gavin Leversuch)

Yesking’s Current Top 5:

1. The Nextmen – Something Got You (Yesking Remix) - Universal
2. M.I.A – Paper Planes (Diplo Street Remix) – XL Recordings
3. Ursula 1000 – Step Back (Deekline and Ed Solo Remix) – ESL Music
4. Black Grass – Bass Man – (Original Mix) - Catskills
5. Secret Stealth – Gwaan’in (Original Mix) - Kosmica

Gui Boratto is the much heralded Brazilian producer behind the huge Beautiful Life single and Chromophobia LP. His spaced out joyfully trancy sounds have been much in demand across the globe of late, making him the current darling of ultra cool German label Kompakt.

He plays live at Thursday’s Kompakt Vs RA party, headlining a bill that also includes Dominik Eulberg’s exclusive Miami gig, and the SOS DJ tag-team Desyn Masiello, Omid 16B and Demi launching their wicked new Balance mix in the room next door.

We’ll definitely try and check it out with our mobile phone camera and blogging tools. Meanwhile, we caught up with Gui by email to hear what he’s looking forward to about his hotly anticipated WMC appearance…

How are you looking forward to playing live in Miami?

“I’m super excited, not just for the shows, but I will see many friends at the same location It will be really funny.”

What can people expect from your live show?

“I’ll be playing some tracks of my album Chromophobia, some new and unsigned releases that I’m working on, plus a lot of improvisation.”

Who else are you looking forward to hearing play out there?

“I really want to see Dominik Eulberg at our Kompakt vs. RA party. I never saw him play before.”

How is the dance scene in Brazil at the moment?

“Well, as you might know, we have amazing clubs and parties from Monday to Monday. We have a really strong scene here and receiving big name international DJs/artists from many different styles too.”

What’s coming up next from you this year?

“Mainly my new album coming up on Kompakt, to be released on September 2008. I’m also touring extensively throughout the summer…”

Gui Boratto Top 5 Downloads

1. Gui Boratto - Tipologia - Gastspiel Recordings
2. Gui Boratto & Martin Eyerer - The Island - Audiomatique Recordings

3. Gui Boratto - Beautiful Life - Pieces Of Eight Records

4. Gui Boratto - Mr Decay - Circle Music

5. Marc Romboy vs Gui Boratto - Eurasia - Systematic

(Interview: Tom Kihl)

As star of Berlin’s sweatiest afterhours clubs and a stalwart of DC-10 Monday afternoon madness in Ibiza, Loco Dice is at the controls of some of the most twistedly fabulous parties in the world.

As a result he’s much in demand, so is naturally a very busy man this week in Miami, and he’s got his brand new album to drop on unsuspecting partygoers too.

We grabbed him on the phone just before he set off for Florida (he was shopping at Phonica Records in London’s Soho to be exact) and he told us his thoughts on the week ahead, culminating in his massive gig alongside Marco Carola on Saturday night.

What are you getting up to in Miami?

“Well, I suddenly worked out last week that I’ll actually be playing every day. I had all these friends doing parties calling and inviting me to play for them, and you just keep on saying yes, yes until suddenly you find out you’re spending the whole week only in clubs!

“We finish off on Sunday where there’s a mega marathon between Marco Carola and me at Pawn Shop from the night before and we’re playing right through to the Sunday School party the next morning. So people can listen to us all night in the back room before they enter the terrace all day.
I love Miami as I’ve been constantly going there since my hip hop days so I’m going to try and give my best at all the parties.”

So how long have you been going to WMC?

“I used to play hip hop back in 99-2000. Then in 2001 I came but just a guest and in 2002 I started DJing again as an electronic artist nad I’ve been playing various locations every year since from Crobar to Pawn Shop, to B.E.D, everywhere.”

Do you have a favourite year so far?

“No, there is no best year. Two years ago we thought is was the peak when there was this legendary afterhours that I did with Luciano and Richie, but it just gets better. I’ve got my new album with me so will be playing a lot of tracks from that in my sets. The Americans are getting closer to the music I play now so I think that’s really good.”

What tracks do you think are going to go down particularly well?

“Well, taste is different from DJ to DJ and listener to listener, but this year feels so exciting for me because, as you know, the US boys are really starting to follow the sound we are doing here in Europe. So I’m expecting a huge crowd who are educated and up for the music and I think it’s going to be like that in every party.

I’m hoping that some of my album is going to be the tracks of Miami, and also Andomat’s BND2, signed to Four:Twenty my old label, with this Kiki remix that is is going to be really big.”

Who else has a hot promo copy of your LP then?

“Well we haven’t even started the full promotion yet, but Luciano has some tracks and he’s already been playing them for a few weeks. I gave a copy to Sven (Vath) too, so a few of the right people have it. I think all my boys will be playing something…”

(Interview: Tom Kihl)

Loco Dice’s Current Top 5:

1. Andomat 3000 - BND2 (Kiki remix) - Four:Twenty Recordings
2. Loco Dice - 7 Dunham Place - Desolat
3. The Regisford Harris Project - Astral (Shelter Dub) - Objektivity
4. Sebbo Title - Watamu Beach - (Moritz von Oswald Rework) - Desolat
5. My My - SouthBound - Ostgut Ton

The Winter Music Conference and Danny Tenaglia go hand in hand. A winning combination, like strawberries and cream or gin and tonic. With the WMC essentially a non-stop party, Danny’s epic events – stretching on as long as 18 hours straight on occasion – have traditionally been one of the hottest tickets in town. These days there are plenty of other DJs and monster parties vying for attention, but Tenaglia’s bash is still possibly the best place in the world to lose yourself to the sounds of a classic DJ journey. It’s a real Miami experience.

This year he’s joining the Made Event crew where he’ll be turning Wednesday night into Thursday lunchtime with the aid of some devastating tunes at the mighty Pawn Shop, downtown. For those not able to be there, there’s much anticipation of his return to a residency in Ibiza this summer after a couple of triumphant appearances at the end of last season. “We’ll be telling you about the Ibiza plans any day now,” Danny tells us. “I will undoubtedly be at Space in Ibiza, so check out DannyTenaglia.com for more details in the coming weeks.”

Meanwhile there’s the matter of his latest WMC marathon to contend with, something he spends months preparing his tunes for…

How many years have you played your epic gigs at WMC now?

“I only missed the first one in 1985, so this year will be my 22nd year participating. The marathon gigs started at Groovejet around ‘94 in which they started going through until like 10 or 11 in the morning.”

How have things changed over the years?

“Many familiar faces are absent. Sadly too many record labels have folded and record stores have closed and this has changed the attendance of the WMC, however it has still worked greatly in my favor due to my consistency. I’ve embraced the future and things are better than ever from where I’m standing.”

What remains special about conference week in Miami?

“I’ve always enjoyed watching younger generations appreciate dance music as an art form. Plus the fact that all the different genres are gathering together for one week of musical mayhem, that is still a very big part of conference week today.”

Who else are you looking forward to seeing play?

“ Not because I’m a part of it, but I’m really looking forward to Mike and Laura and Made Event’s lineup due to the diversity of acts and the commitment to bringing quality sound to their events by using Integral Sound. Also looking forward to the honor of playing alongside Carl Cox in his tent at Ultra fest once again.”

Can you give us a heads up on any big tunes DT you are going to be backing in Miami?

“There’s always too many to mention especially lately with the 1000s of releases that come out every month! The one I’m most excited about is the as yet untitled collaboration with my 2 studio associates Antranig and Burchan…”

(Interview: Tom Kihl)

There’s so much going on in Miami next week it takes something really special to stand out from the crowd. Luckily Canada’s live techno ensemble Cobblestone Jazz can be found at the Hallucination Limited party on Tuesday and their improvised performances are guaranteed to be unique.

Techno hero and Wagon Repair head honcho Mathew Jonson is responsible for the bass and drum programming, Danuel Tate plays the keys and supplies the vocals while Tyger Dhula takes care of the live looping and sampling.

Such on point live jamming is always a tasty prospect. Throw in the hedonistic vibe of Downtown Miami on a Tuesday night and it looks like a great place to start WMC the way it should be done. Proper! We grabbed a few moments of Tyger Dhula’s pre-Miami time to pose today’s big 5 questions at 5pm…

What can we expect from your live show in Miami?

“Some tunes from the new album, 23 Seconds, some fresh jams and hopefully lots of fun for all!”

Tell us how you go about improvising electronica when you take to the stage?

“Basically it starts with a fresh bassline, or a Rhodes lick that Dan lays down, then we all follow the lead and layer parts until we hit the pocket.”

Who/what are particularly influencing you at the moment?

“I would have to say each other when we are up on stage. I don’t think there are too many outside influences when we are in the zone…”

Who else are you looking forward to hearing play out in Miami?

Well, personally I would love to check François K when he plays the Pawn Shop on Tuesday. The Hallucination Party where we’re playing is taking place down there too, and tickets include admission to François Wave Music Party with Radio Slave playing too, so hopefully I’ll get that chance…”

What’s coming up next from you and the band this year?

“We’ve got some remix work on the cards and another Cobblestone Jazz 12” or 2, I should think.”

Wagon Repair Top 5 Download Chart

1. Cobblestone Jazaz - Dump Truck - Wagon Repair

2. Luca Bacchetti - Rolling Brooklyn - Wagon Repair

3. Minilogue Elephants - Parade - Wagon Repair

4. Luca Bacchetti - Like A Sadhu - Wagon Repair

5. Mathew Jonson - Stop - Wagon Repair

With his new Renaissance Masters mix out now, the conference couldn’t have come at a better time for Mr Seaman to fly out there and do a bit of shameless-self promotion whilst catching a few rays. Dave has had a strong association with the seminal Renaissance brand for some time, releasing no less than 10 albums with them since the mid-90s. Gavin Leversuch catches up with him to get the lowdown on his involvement in the conference and his new mix album.

Have you got any specific plans for your Miami trip this year, or are you just gonna soak up the atmosphere?

I’m going specifically to do a party with Nick Warren for Shine at The Shelbourne Hotel on the Saturday (29th). 16 Bit Lolitas, Hybrid, Stel and Jody Wisternoff are also on the bill so it should be a cracker, but I will be soaking up the atmosphere too. I’m only going to be there for the Friday and Saturday but I’m hoping to see Zabiela and Fanciulli at Studio A and Deep Dish and Sander at Space, as well as the Radio 1 pool party and Ultrafest.

It’s my tenth album for Renaissance, and my 24th mix compilation altogether. I’m starting to get the hang of it now, haha. I’m really pleased with how this one came out, although it was a bitch to do. Sometimes you just end up with a load a tracks that don’t fit together naturally so it takes blood, sweat and tears to make them work. The end result is all that matters though. My favourites over the years are probably Back To Mine, my last Therapy Sessions (Vol. 4) and the first mixed Renaissance comp I ever did - Renaissance 4, the one with the leaves on the front.

Well Audio Therapy, the label, continues to develop. We had a sticky moment or two as so many labels did at the end of last year when our distributor, Amato, went bust. But I’m pleased to say that we’ve weathered the storm and this year is more exciting than ever. We’re really starting to make progress with the digital side of things so the future looks bright.

Using your enormous back catalogue of previous experience, what direction do you think dance music is likely to take over the next few years?

Oh, I don’t bother thinking about such things anymore. Trying to predict the future is for clairvoyants or journalists. I just play whatever feels right and go where the music takes me. You guys are the ornithologists. I’m the bird! Haha

You’ve been involved in songwriting, production, remixing, broadcasting, publishing, performing and more. Is there anything left for Dave Seaman to do?

(Interview: Gavin Leversuch)

Dave’s Current Top 5:

1. MOS - Emotional Distortion (Original Mix) Audio Therapy
2. Funkagenda - What The Fuck (Original Club Mix) Toolroom Trax
3. Guy J - Skin (Original) Turbo Recordings
4. Flip & Def Jaguar - This Sound (Joachim Speith mix) Brut! Records
5. Pig & Dan - Sly Detector (Cocoon Recordings)

To kick start our exciting Miami 2008 coverage, warming things up nicely in the lead up to next week, today’s 5pm Interview meets Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma, the prolific promoters behind no less than 15 major parties during this year’s WMC week.

Starting out promoting nights at the New York venue shared by Danny Tenaglia’s Be Yourself parties and the legendary Body & Soul, their business has grown in recent years to see them as one of the most important party promoters in the USA today.

Consistently booking interesting DJs and artist across all genres for their sold-out events, whether that be bringing Berlin’s finest to Cielo or throwing a huge open air gig for Underworld in Central Park, Miami looks set to be their biggest challenge to date…

Tell us the history of Made Event, and how the brand has got to be in such a strong position in the US market?

“Made Event grew out of a club we had in NYC called Arc. We did Saturday nights called ‘Made at Arc’ and some bigger events outside of the venue. Once the club closed we kept the nights going at venues around NYC and at the Winter Music Conference in Miami and it grew from there.
In terms of position in the market, that comes with hard work and continuing to strive to be innovative. We are always looking to top ourselves, and thankfully it translates.”

This year’s Miami line-up looks like your best yet, what’s it like promoting virtually back-to-back parties for a week?!

“It most definitely takes good organization and a great staff, we like to think of it is as Extreme Promoting.”

Which of the parties are you particularly looking forward to this year and why?

“Sunday School is always a fun one as we (and everyone else) is beyond crazy at that point, but we’ve got a lot of new events this year that we are really excited about, all the events at B.E.D. are new for us at WMC. The AM Only party will be a good one, we are doing that in collaboration with Pacha NYC.”

The promotional ‘supermarket’ artwork is cool, tell us about that concept?

“For this campaign we referenced the ‘generic’ products that were big in the US in the 80’s. On those products the labels were always white with black text and no other branding. The visuals of those labels were so strong that they in effect became branded. We like the idea behind ‘generic’ – our focus has always been on delivering the best product, and the best value. In terms of WMC, everyone is trying to market their brand, promoters, labels, clubs, etc. so it’s kind of an in-your-face on that. But as with those 80s labels, the catch is, we will have a strong visual presence at WMC.”

What do you have planned after Miami?

“Sasha and John Digweed the weekend after we get back to NYC (April 4th @ Webster Hall). We also have a lot of great techno artists coming in May, and focusing on our big outdoor summer events with Armin van Buuren, and Paul van Dyk…”

Mike & Laura’s Download Chart

(& where to hear the artists at WMC!)

1. Gui Boratto - Beautiful Life - Kompakt
March 27 Kompakt vs RA
Gui Boratto (Live), Ewan Pearson, Dominik Eulberg @ The Pawn Shop

2. Radio Slave - Bell Clap Dance (Sebo K Remix) - Rekids
March 25 Wave Music Party
François K , Radio Slave + Special Guests @ The Pawn Shop
3. Dominik Eulberg - Kriechender Günsel (Ajuga Reptans) -Traum Schallplatten
March 27 Kompakt vs RA
Gui Boratto (Live), Ewan Pearson, Dominik Eulberg @ The Pawn Shop

4. Josh Gabriel – Summit (Dusty Kid’s Pseudotek Remix) -Organized Nature
March 28 Organized Nature
Gabriel & Dresden @ The Pawn Shop
5. Adam Freeland – Hate - Marine Parade
March 27 Marine Parade
Adam Freeland, Z-Trip, Alex Metric, Sta @ B.E.D.

For more info and WMC events: www.made-event.com

(Interview: Tom Kihl / Photo: Peter Drier)