So Close

Calvin Harris is one of dance music’s rising meteors.

Responsible for tracks like ‘Ready for The Weekend’ and ‘You Used To Hold Me’ while working with massive pop names like Rihanna, Dizzee Rascal and Kylie, Adam Richard Wiles knows how to keep the ‘Calvin Harris’ name in lights.

With an amazing arsenal of musical powers as a singer/ songwriter and instrumentalist, in today’s day and age of throwing a stone and hitting a DJ, jumping behind the decks was merely a natural progression. “I was into dance music at 14. I used to buy all my favourite house music on vinyl. And I got a Gemini XL-400 and a little mixer and I used to bedroom DJ for a while. Then I started making music – and that took over and I didn’t really give a shit about DJing for years.

“Then I had a record out and people talked about doing DJ sets. I reconsidered it. I was shit at first, learning about what it was I wanted to play. That’s how it started off for me.” It was a move that certainly agreed with him with favourable responses aplenty since his DJ debut at the 2010 Stereosonic Australia. Harris has since become a standard addition to the festival circuit.

So, what makes a great DJ? “Reading the crowd is the most important thing. Playing the right record at the right time is a pretty difficult act. Not many people can do it. That’s the most important thing: to drop the perfect tune at the right point. You know when you’ve done it. And it’s amazing.”

What is most evident, however, is that Calvin has allowed for plenty of opportunities. With as many successes under his belt are the chances that were never meant to be. From public showdowns with Katy Perry and Roisin Murphy to the songs that were cut from some records yet made it with others, it’s clear that while Harris may often speak off-the-cuff, his achievements are a result of always pushing the envelope.

“I want my music to be good. I don’t want to make shit music. I’ve always got one eye on what people like. People come to a rave and dance to music they like. So I keep an eye on what people are listening to and what they like.”

Calvin Harris plays Summafieldayze Monday January 2. summafieldayze.com

Magic In The Blues

He remains one of the greatest musicians of the late twentieth century. ‘Sweet Dreams’ still brings dancefloors to life, but while Eurythmics were certainly significant in the pop world during the 1980s, there is more to David A Stewart than one killer tune.

Top selling singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and music entrepreneur: Dave Stewart has lived many lives. And with his first solo album in 14 years due for release, ‘The Blackbird Diaries’ features Stewart coming full circle in his musical life, returning to his blues roots. “Great music has to be real music coming from a genuine soulful place,” Stewart states. “And that’s how I make my own music and sing my own songs.”

From his home town of Sunderland, Stewart was first inspired by the blues during the 1960s.“I was about 13,” Dave recalls, “and my cousin sent me these blues records from Memphis. I learnt guitar listening to these records - the blues were speaking to me.”

Thus began an enduring relationship, where the structure, sound and texture of blues infuse Dave Stewart’s signature sound. “Everything I do has the blues in it,” Dave states. “Like ‘Sweet Dreams’ — while 30 percent electronic - is still blues. There’s magic in the blues.”

Dave first cut his teeth in the industry with folk-rock band Longdancer, securing a record deal when still a teenager. In 1976, he was introduced to Annie Lennox, where they teamed with Peet Combes as The Tourists, enjoying some success towards the ends of the ‘70s. The next decade saw a huge shift for Stewart, as the Eurythmics gained global success with their unique electronic pop-rock sound. After the success of Eurythmics, Dave has remained a heavyweight in the industry, working with other leading names from Mick Jagger to Stevie Nicks and Joss Stone.

However, it was fate involving an Icelandic volcano that led Dave from London’s Denmark Street to Nashville’s Blackbird Studios and thus to the album, ‘The Blackbird Diaries’. So named for the studio it was created in, ‘The Blackbird Diaries’ was recorded in only five days. But the story starts in May last year where, stuck in London and unable to reach home, Dave wandered down Denmark Street and into a vintage guitar shop. The sight of a guitar once belonging to alternative country singer Red River Dave forcibly struck Stewart, and he was suddenly inspired, to not only own the guitar and find out more about Red River Dave, but to also travel to Nashville.

This new adventure led Stewart to Blackbird Studios and a host of incredible musicians. Drummer Chad Cromwell, bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Mike Rojas, lapsteel guitarist Dan Dugmore and guitarist Tom Bukovac all feature — the result is similar to Dylan’s timbre, Neil Young’s country rock and the depth and raw complexity of The Rolling Stones.

Stewart calls it: “a little Dylanesque meets Leonard Cohen meets Tom Petty meets Lou Reed meets Johnny Cash sounding. When I work with other people, we try and combine the skill and emotion we’re trying to express when we come together. It’s very much a therapy session in a way. We write about things that are very personal, but do it in such a way that other people can relate.”

From ‘Magic In The Blues’ to redolent country track ‘Cheaper Than Free’ and ‘Country Wine’ featuring The Secret Sisters, ‘The Blackbird Diaries’ portrays a very unique journey. “I don’t like writing about things that don’t matter to me,” Stewart muses. “It has to be personal. There’s magic in the blues. I write about things that happened in my life and things that affected me. It’s all about truth.”

Dave Stewart supports Stevie Nicks at the Brisbane Riverstage December 3. ‘The Blackbird Diaries’ is out now.

Larger Than Life

New York has long been the world’s epicenter, wielding substantial influence upon global finance, media, art, fashion, entertainment and music. As the centre of jazz with Tin Pan Alley during the 1940s, New York has also spawned disco in the 1970s and hip hop in the 1980s. Rich in society and customs and a melting pot of ethnicity, New York is also the centre of the modern gay rights movement, with Stonewall Inn the site of the infamous riots of 1969. The Big Apple is home to a rich texture of humanity and it is no wonder that a band would seek out to represent all that New York personifies: that outrageous glamour, a sassy wit that shocks and doesn’t hold back, and a bopping strut that takes disco, pop and rock to a whole new level. That band is Scissor Sisters.

Glam pop icons, lyrically sassy and at times downright tacky while accepting of all creeds and colour, the five-piece ban have created quite the stir. Since 2001, when powerhouse vocalist Jake Shears and Babydaddy chose to work together, enlisting the efforts of comedic songbird Ana Matronic, Del Marquis on lead guitar/ bass and Randy Real on drums, Scissor Sisters have taken over the world.

The Scissor Sisters’ story starts out as The Fibrillating Scissor Sisters, with Shears and Babydaddy joining musical forces. Initially meeting in their home town of Lexington, Kentucky, the two southern gentlemen moved to The Big Apple to be inspired by the melting pot and gay philosophy of New York. With Babydaddy composing the songs, Shears supplying the lyrics and their onstage performances including a variety of inappropriate characters, the duo would gain quite the reputation.

“We did come together with some basic ideas about what we wanted it to be,” Babydaddy reminisces. “We wanted to play some great music to our friends in the beginning. We were trying to perform and to entertain our friends – that’s what it was all about in the beginning. We wanted to do something that was larger than life. We wanted to make something that was bigger than the tiny clubs we were playing in. The message was all around us at that time. It was a very gay, freaky, weird, interesting crowd we were around. And we wanted to speak to those people.”

It was a chance encounter at Disneyland that saw the Fibrillating Scissor Sisters find their sassy soul. Shears and Babydaddy were immediately captured by the presence of Ana Matronic. As the promoter for the saucy cabaret event ‘Knock Off’ at The Slipper Room on the Lower East Side, Ana invited Scissor Sisters to perform where she also joined them onstage. A remnant from Shears’ days as a stripper, Del Marquis came onboard with lead guitar and bass, eventually followed by Paddy Boom on drums. Fibrillating was dropped, and Scissor Sisters – named for the sexual position of tribadism between two women – was in full swing.

In 2002, Scissor Sisters were signed to NY label A Touch of Class for a two single deal. Side A featured ‘Electrobix’, while Side B featured a cover version of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’. Surprisingly, it was Side B that would propel Scissor Sisters to success, with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour sealing their approval of the song. UK label Polydor signed the band to a contract with the success of the single, which propelled the release of their self-titled 2004 debut studio album. The record hit the mark as the best selling album of 2004 in The UK and won Best International Album at the 2005 Brit Awards. In 2006, their second album, ‘Ta-Dah’, was released; Elton John was welcomed onboard to collaborate on a few tracks, particularly ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ which reached the number one spot in The UK, Canada and Australia.

Of their live performances, Babydaddy comments that: “live music for us is all about the energy. I’m spoiled - I get to be lazy and let the two front people do most of the work. I’ve seen and felt the power and the energy that connecting to an audience can do – Ana and Jake cover that really well. That connection is there with us, no matter what size venue we’re playing. Not many bands have anyone like Jake  - the way he sings and runs around the stage like he does. But fewer bands have someone like Ana who is there to please the crowd with her wit. She’s a comedian and just a great all round performer.”

In 2007, the band returned to the studio, though they made the decision to shelve the material while drummer Paddy Boom made way for Randy Real. More studio time was invested over the ensuring years, with their third album, ‘Night Work’, finally released last year. Produced in conjunction with Stuart Price – famed producer for Madonna – ‘Night Work’ was an opus of hedonism and sleaze, precisely what Scissor Sisters have come to symbolise so well.

“Inspiration comes from a lot of places,” Babydaddy muses. “I think a lot of time it comes from the energy of having someone in the room, whether it’s Ana that we’re working with, a new producer or a friend of ours writing music. A lot of those things inspire us. Inspiration could mean anything from a track we hear to a line in a book we read or a moment in a film we want to catch the vibe of.
“I don’t know if any band feels if they’ve accomplished or reached the point where they don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Even someone like Elton John — you think he’s lived the richest career of any musician that’s alive — and he still fights to have an album that means something; still fights to have the biggest shows ever.

“We want to be a band comfortable with the size venues we play all over the world. Great venues in Australia, England, a lot of Europe – America is a small audience for us strangely enough; and there are countries we’ve never been to before. Those are our goals — to expand our fan base. We want to make it accessible. We want a legacy. Right now we have a few albums we’re really proud of. But a few albums is not a full band history. To some people, it’s an inconsequential dance act — and that’s my worst nightmare for people to think about us that way; that we’re just a gay band. My legacy would be someone who made music and connected with people. I want people to know we’ve gone through a whole evolution.”
The evolution of Scissor Sisters will reach Australia for Summafieldayze in January.

“We’re overdue for a trip,” Babydaddy claims. “It’s been way too long. I love the people. We’re just going to have a good time. We’re coming close to releasing a new record — but I have no idea if we’re going to be ready with new music. It’s going to be a goal,” Babydaddy promises, “but we’re going to come forward with a lot of energy.”

Scissor Sisters, alongside Justice, Pendulum and Snoop Dogg, headline Summafieldayze, at The Spit, Gold Coast, January 2. summafieldayze.com

Giving back

The name Markus Schulz inspires awe and wonderment.

The intense melodies he produces in his studio highlights his incredible talent, while his chaotic gig schedule highlights him as one of the most in-demand DJs across the world. And in the lead up to Summafieldayze, the name Markus Schulz is sure to bring the fans out in force.

Where Markus stands out is in his unique sound and unique style. “It helps if you are recognised for a certain sound that you produce,” Markus says. “And you have to be totally in tune with the audience. I’ve never been a traditional trance DJ. I’ve always looked for the sexy groove and then looked for the melody on top of those grooves.

I have something in my head and then carve out that sound - whether it’s a synth or a melody. Then I develop it with percussion or counter melodies. From there, I go into DJ mode, where I’m trying to figure out the direction of where this track eventually goes to take people on a journey. That’s my train of thought; first as a musician, then as a DJ.”

Markus’ journey is as intense as his music. Born in Germany, Markus emigrated to the US in 1988, just as EDM was first hitting the country. Inspired by the new electronic sounds, he would take a stand behind the wheels of steel throughout the 1990s, perfecting his craft and breaking into the global electronic music scene. But after so much toil and success, what path does Markus follow now?
“I think you get to a certain point where you are content with your standing in the scene. You have to be someone who paves the way for the next generation. I don’t plan on retiring any time soon, but as the next stage of my career, I want to leave a legacy. I want to be looked as someone who not only took from the scene, but also gave back.”

And what will he be giving his fans when he ventures out for Summafieldayze? “Every time I’ve been to Australia, I’ve had an amazing experience. I’ll be coming with some new and exclusive tracks. I’m in the studio right now, and I’m working on my new artist album, so I’ll be testing the tracks on the tour.”

Markus Schulz plays Summafieldayze, on the Gold Coast, Saturday January 2. summafieldayze.com

A Good Journey   

The year 2000 in Brisbane: pre-3am lockout, pre-5am shutdown, pre-911, prepubescent. The new millennium had seen Y2K concerns come and go with the GST and Olympics fever to follow. We drank Subzeros, texted from our Nokia 8210 and smoked on the dancefloor.

1st Birthday

There are two churches nestled together in the middle of Warner Street, Fortitude Valley, that hold a solemn air during the day. Come Friday and Saturday night, though, is the revelation that these are houses of worship to a totally different kind of religion: the devotion to music.

Located in the heart of Queensland’s largest entertainment district, Electric Playground and The Church are vibrant hubs of activity every weekend. The proprietor of these clubs is like the buildings he presides over: solid and firm in physique as in manner, worshiped in the scene for his steadfast resolve and eternally cheery disposition, an arbiter of Queensland’s music scene as he mixes big basslines to anthems with fists pumping from behind the decks - it is DJ Wahoo of Warner Street.

For Wahoo, being a good DJ means knowing how to read a crowd. “I can always tell I’m on the right track when I look to the bar,” he says, “and they’re standing there, bopping away to the beat.”

But before there was a DJ Wahoo there was Wayne Wakefield, a Brisbane kid growing up in the suburb of Hendra. Music was in Wayne’s blood, particularly with parents willing to throw a party most Saturday nights. He would hang out at Toombul Music trying to find the latest tracks and then on Saturday night, be delegated to sitting beside the twin tape decks and record player, dropping Michael Jackson and Donna Summer, while flicking the switch between phono and tape.

Then at 17, Wayne discovered cars. He was rebellious, saying no to following in his father’s footsteps in the timber business at Caboolture; determined instead to be a racing car driver. Wayne was racing at Bathurst, once qualifying for pole position against Marcos Ambrose. This immense dedication remains an integral aspect to Wayne’s character.

While racing, his love for music still held. Religiously each Thursday, he and his mate Macca would head to Central Station Records to grab the latest record from Harry K or Murray Brown.

“We were vinyl thieves,” Wayne reminisces. “We even knew what time the records would arrive.” After pilfering Central Station, they would then head to Sanity, and hit up Tim Stanton aka Karma for new arrivals. By 2002, Wayne would be hanging out at The Beat listening to Jen-E.

“It was impossible to get gigs anywhere back then,” Wayne notes. On Sunday afternoons, Wayne and the lads would be playing on Technic 1200s with an old Pioneer mixer. “We’d be talking shit,” Wayne claims. “And Karma told me ‘You’re good at this’.”

With Morning Glory already a fixture on Ann Street, Wayne, Karma and Macca thought about owning their own day club. There was The Gig playing R&B and Top 40s, Monastery at the top of Ann Street playing house and Technomadiscotech was into indie. For Wayne, hard dance was king – and he wanted a venue to play it in.

“In those days, a day club was affordable,” Wayne states. “You didn’t have the issues with buying a license. We just needed a venue.”

The venue presented itself at the right time: now the Thirsty Camel, Macca, Karma and Wayne took over the space and made it into Boom. With black plastic on the windows, and hard dance on the system, it was the place for everyone to go once the clubs had closed. Any interstate or international DJs passing through, including Nik Fish, Fergie and UK’s Tin Tin, would end up behind the decks at Boom. But the good times at Boom on Wickham St soon saw the arrival of a letter of warning, giving Boom six months to vacate.

“I made it my mission to find a new place,” Wayne declares. It seemed an impossible dream, but everything that makes Wayne the person he is – his resolve, his manner in being hands-on, and his constant question to ask why not? – turned the impossible into reality. He probed, until the news emerged that blues and jazz club The Healer was up for sale. Wayne approached the owner, who believed in Wayne enough to give him the chance: Boom moved from Wickham St to Warner. Baby Gee and Karma were residents, with newcomer DJs tyDi and Syke cutting their teeth on the Boom decks. But then in 2005, government legislation imposing a 3am lockout tolled Boom’s death knell.

“The 3am lockout was the demise of the day club,” Wayne confirms. “We were in dire straits. I burnt every favour I ever had with people in getting Planet off the ground. It was a leap of faith.”

And so Planet rose with a raw, warehouse feel. A plaque proclaiming ‘It’s All About The Music’ oversaw partygoers as they entered into a front room with side openings leading to the main part of the club itself. From out the front hung a massive disco ball, proclaiming to all and sundry the building’s real purpose. Wayne laughs that Planet was a training ground for them all.

“We knew how the music side of things went, we knew how to set up the atmosphere, with lasers, smoke machines and lights. But we were new to the nightclub business – we had to learn everything.”

Planet boomed. And then in 2008, the opportunity to take on The Church landed neatly in Wayne’s lap. Having undergone so many different names including Heaven, Revolver and Mass, Wayne accepted the challenge, and The Church’s Magic City (a name synonymous to hard house) took off as an R&B club. With The Church established, Wayne - with Hollie Paterson onboard as partner - took a good look at Planet, and decided it was time for a rebrand. And so the stallion pierced by a streak of lighting replaced the massive disco ball, heralding the way for Electric Playground.

“We loved the festival vibe and thought we’d make something of it with EP,” Wayne says. “Our music policy is similar to London’s Fabric while keeping to that festival vibe.”

Electric Playground remains committed to their music policy, with dubstep, trance, prog or drum & bass found on any given Friday night, electro on Saturdays and a massive after party with each festival.

“There’s no better experience than going to a festival, and watching a DJ playing to thousands of people going off,” Wayne says. “But the after party keeps that festival vibe going. It’s just as amazing when a big name DJ can make eye contact with everyone in the room.”

It has been a year since the doors opened to reveal the new, shiny nightclub, with a dancefloor overseeing a raised DJ box engulfed by an enormous LED screen. And come this Saturday, Electric Playground will celebrate the year by bringing Mobin Master, Ryan Riback and Baby Gee to the party, with residents Murray Brown, Karma and Wahoo also in attendance.

“It’s definitely going to be a good night,” Wayne promises. “We’ll have the tent out the back and it will be going off! We grew up in front of the Valley,” Wayne proclaims. “We tripped, stumbled and fell here. Planet was our apprenticeship, and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved with Electric Playground. It’s all for the love of music.”

Electric Playground’s 1st Birthday celebrations hapens this Saturday, July 2.

Natural High

What any artist would like to achieve is for their soul to live forever through the power of their music.

UK producer, remixer and electronic artist Michael Woods says he’s no exception. For at least a decade, he has been leaving his distinctive mark upon the dance world, with original tracks like ’Natural High’ and ‘Dynamik’ smashing dancefloors.

Many artists, including John Callaghan, Way Out West, Kylie Minogue, Underworld, Martin Solveig and Lady Gaga have vied for his remix talents while his formidable production and performance skills bought him to the attention of the notoriously demanding Joel Zimmerman. â€œIt all blew up from there,” Michael recalls, leading to an invite as support for the Deadmau5 2010 UK tour, followed by a summer residency for Cream at Ibiza’s Amnesia. A steady stream of winning tracks and remixes have left an incredible legacy, though Woods’ star has been rising all his life.

From London with a music teacher for a father, Woods has always lived with music. Classically trained in piano, guitar, drums and trumpet from a young age, it was more natural for Michael to recreate the contemporary sounds of his time. â€œI didn’t seek out to do dance music,” Michael recalls, “it simply made sense. What I can do from a laptop, I can’t do on just any one instrument – though I enjoy the piano for the same reasons.” With skills attuned to Liszt and Beethoven - he currently orchestrates for the percussion section of the London Symphony - Michael’s heart was more regulated to the beats and basslines of dance. “I kind of fell into it,” Michael admits. “I was just hanging out with Matt Darey in his studio. I was playing on his keyboards and he loved what I was doing.”

Inspired, Michael would seek to establish his signature sound of waving thundering basslines and pert hooklines, working towards an armload of successful remixes and productions. With a victorious 2010 tour supporting Deadmau5 now under his belt, 2011 sees Michael touring down under. “Music is my life, my love. It’s amazing to produce in the studio and then go out and see the kids go crazy,” he reveals. “So I’m looking forward to people digging the tunes, and seeing how the kids will like it.”

Michael Woods plays Platinum, on the Gold Coast, Saturday April 2 and Barsoma Sunday April 10.

Towards The Future

As house music prepares for its thirtieth birthday, international house trailblazers Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia and Masters at Work wear esteemed badges for 20 years in the industry. But it is Roger Sanchez who emerges in 2011 not only with an overwhelming 20-year career, but the ‘Release Yourself’ brand - and its annual odyssey to Ibiza - reaching a ten-year pinnacle.

The S Man’s celebration is one he is keen to share with his fans across the world, announcing a special global anniversary tour of the Release Yourself series throughout 2011. As his Australian tour kicks off, Roger says to expect “sexy house, lots of energy, and music that gets people to throw their hands in the air!”

While facing this milestone, Roger declares that he finds himself falling in love with house music all over again. “House is the sexiest club music out there,” he maintains. “I always change the look and vibe of ‘Release Yourself’ every year, but the core idea remains to give the very best club experience at every event and to immerse the clubber into another world. People still want to enjoy the best night out possible. House music, in all its forms, still rocks around the world! The 10th Anniversary is a reflection of my continuing love affair with house music and its explosive effect on my dancefloor.”

While the S Man maintains the brand’s influence has had an explosive effect on dancefloors worldwide, this influence must also extend to podcasts, airwaves and sound systems across the globe. Primarily the vehicle for Roger’s musical creations, the Release Yourself model was innovative for clubbing when it first emerged in 2002. Above all, there was a distinctive symmetry in its origins where the lyrics from one of his tracks supplied the winning blueprint.

In 1996, on the Deconstruction Label under his Transatlantic Soul alias and featuring the vocal talents of Tonya Wynne, Sanchez presented the track ‘Release Yo Self’. With lyrics promoting musical liberation, the Release Yourself concept would manifest into a CD mix series, land Sanchez an annual Ibiza residency and be broadcast in both English and Spanish as a radio show before naturally progressing into the digital age with a podcast featuring over two million listeners.

“I do allow it to grow organically,” Roger says. “RY,” he divulges, “was born out of my frustration with the lack of club nights at the time that were dedicated to the music and where people could release themselves on the dancefloor. Then, as now, I have always striven to give my dancefloor 100 percent of what drives me - music!”

Roger’s path in music has been immensely rich and varied. With immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, the wild rhythm of the Dominican ‘merengue’ was already in his blood. The merengue hit the US during the 1980s, featuring tempos from 120 to 160 BPMs and includes the Dominican drum tambora, bass, accordion and brass instruments set to lively melodies and Latin rhythms.

Born in the diversely, ethnic neighbourhood of Queens, New York, Roger flourished within a melting pot of rock, funk, soul, disco and Latin during the 1970s. It was around 1981 as graffiti, breakdancing, rapping and hip hop were hitting the streets that Roger was inspired by a local DJ.

Entering a climate harbouring David Mancuso, Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Derrick May and the edgy vibe of New York’s Paradise Garage, Roger would jump behind the decks, facing a world on the edge of a musical breakthrough. He learnt to play drums alongside the turntables, honing those rhythmic skills to a fine point. He continued with his music while graduating from New York’s City’s High School of Art and Design to prepare for an architectural degree. Surprisingly however, he was encouraged by his father to drop out and pursue his DJing aspirations. 1989 saw him moving through the New York club circuit while he focussed his love for building structures into mixing and writing music.

His father’s advice was a winner. The Strictly Rhythm label contacted Roger about production, and in 1990, his first hit, ‘Luv Dancin’, was released under his Underground Solution alias. A mass of albums, compilations, singles and remixes from Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’ to the Grammy-award winning ‘Hella Good’ by No Doubt, churned out from his studio around a hectic gig schedule for the next five years. Roger would sample parts from American rock legends Toto’s 1982 ballad ‘I Won’t Hold You Back’ to release ‘Another Chance’ in 2001 on First Contact, his first production album with a major label; the result was incredible, with international success landing at The S Man’s feet. The following year, the first compilation of Release Yourself was synchronised with an Ibiza performance at KU, setting the scene for the Release Yourself brand over the next decade.

Since 1998, when Headfunk first welcomed Roger Sanchez to Brisbane, the trips down under have grown in frequency, with Queensland now regularly featuring on his annual gig calendar. During his Australian tour, Sanchez will playing be five-hour sets, something that goes against the grain of the modern club DJ, where two-hour sets are seemingly set in stone. In preparation, Roger says: “I listen to tons of music and I tend to organise my set by what time I'll be playing, rather than what the biggest hits are. I tend to incorporate different sounds.”

As a self-proclaimed ‘tech head’, Roger embraces different sounds, technology and equipment to produce his shows. Accounts from his recent Las Vegas gig report Roger using an iPad application to activate visuals and sound effects from behind the DJ booth. In the studio, Roger composes much of his music using Logic, Macs and Protools, while he plays many of the instruments, supplying back-up vocals as well as keys and beats, then inviting vocalists and other musicians onboard for the remaining parts. He uses the time in his studio to delve into his inner-most thoughts and his time in the booth to see if his tracks translate to the dancefloor, where he is likewise inspired by the crowds to write further. It forms a symmetrical never-ending loop.

“The places I have travelled – from South America, Ibiza, Japan to Europe - tend to give me a vibe and a sound,” he declares. “Checking out different scenes gives me other approaches to my sound for Release Yourself, allowing me to develop.” While he has achieved so much, Roger acknowledges there is “loads” more for him to do. “I want to score a film,” he reveals, “and I still want to produce many different types of artists.”

While he looks at the years behind him wearing his customary dark shades as bling adorns his ears, neck and sometimes even his headphones, Roger Sanchez can only be satisfied with a flawless design. An electronic pioneer responsible for shaping a contemporary musical field, there is only one direction Roger Sanchez can traverse – the same one he has all along: towards the future.

Catch Roger Sanchez at Electric Playground on Friday, January 28.