In this next installment of our podcast series, we travel to Amsterdam to see what's new with one of the most colorful artists in the Dutch house and techno scenes.
San Proper has made quite a name for himself in a relatively short period of time. With highly acclaimed releases on labels such as Rush Hours, Ratio?music, Perlon, Dekmantel and Studio Soulrock under his belt, he is definitely one to watch in the coming weeks and months. That said, we asked the Amsterdam-based artists if he was willing to record an exclusive podcast for us. And he kindly agreed. Oh, and he also answered a few of our questions, so be sure to check out our interview with the former guitarist, and now promising techno known as San Proper.
As a kid you wanted to be a famous guitarist. And you actually did manage to achieve some commercial success. What specifically led you to electronic music? Were there any artists, records or events that made you become interested in electronic sound?
Well, at an early age i was sketching funk & ska tracks on my brother's set-up with Teac four track, using an Atari and a keyboard to simulate the bass & drums of my track. I've been enjoying funk & disco for as long as I can remember, but the real electronic fetish came in my teens. Of course, there are many artists from those days who still inspire me today. Lee Perry, George Clinton, The Stranglers, les Rita Mitsouko, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Bowie, Iggy, Mad Professor and many more.
You’ve been collecting musical instruments from different regions of the world for quite some time now. Could you tell us about your favorite ones and how often you use them in your own productions?
This varies a lot, and most of the gear is purchased here in Amsterdam, but sometimes it feels good to bring something back from an inspiring trip. I bought my bongos in Lisboa and use them for every liveshow I do as The Dirt Machine with Tom Trago. I used my soothing Sansula from Berlin on a track which is just out on Soulrock records entailed 'Berlin Afterlife'.
Hardware or software?
I'd say hardware, but I won't act like a purist, so I'll preach "every man has his own weapons" and combine the two.
We can also hear your own vocals in your productions. What is your approach to lyrics? And are you serious about “cutting your hair”?
"Cut Yo Hair" is about people telling me "Go get a haircut, get a real job, grow up, join the army, drink cola, go shopping, grow a family and take 'em to a corporate amusement-park". I've turned it into a bluesy mantra about the compulsive joy of partying. I do visit my barber, who is a close friend, often but he knows best when to practice his scissor-kung-fu on me. You usually hardly see the difference unless you're him or me.
Admit that you’re a born stage animal…
Sure, I'll admit it, but this animal loves to hibernate. In the studio, the clubs or in a kingsize waterbed with lots of female company.
Following your different projects with different music genres I always regarded it as some kind of a real and true effort to preserve all the legendary disco or house tunes before they are forgotten. I think it’s important in times when music trends and waves change so quickly and we just don’t care about our musical past or heritage...
History repeats, inspires and teaches us more about the news today...
For sure since “A’dam Family Series” another generation of Dutch DJs and producers have appeared... What’s going on in the underground Amsterdam scene now? Can you point to some Dutch DJs and producers that make the electronic music scene there?
Yes, a lot of good producers have emerged out here. Rush Hour recently released a compilation of the Amsterdam Allstars on November 7th. It features tracks by Awanto 3, Melon, Tom Trago, Boris Werner, Steve Rachmad, Simon Weiss and Dexter amongst others, and I've produced the first track "Caught on You".I'm still jamming & working with a lot of the artists of my A'dam Family Series, but also with great producers like Meikbar, C.E.T, Juju & Jordash, Cinnaman and Steven de Peven.
What’s next for you?
The release on Soulrock 'Groundfloor Afterlife' with two tracks entitled 'Berlin Afterlife' and '(Upfromdawall&on) Groundfloor' is out now. Right now, I'm working on my album for Rush Hour records. This summer I worked on remixes for Mossa on Complot, the Clover on Bosconi, Woman of Fragil and Dave Aju on Circus Company.
Can you tell us something about the mix you recorded for us?
Apart from the fact that the first track is a picture-disc with aerobics from the 80s produced by a company called Hema which enterprises a chain of malls here in Holland, I can tell you that one of the last tracks is one of the remixes I mentioned above. And I'll leave the rest for you to discover on your own and enjoy together...
Author: chomsk
Rashaun
#1 Thu 17 nov 2011 17:34:51
RTS.FM Poland Studio -
