Known for his sublime releases on the venerable Kompakt label, Cologne’s DJ Shumi has been championing soulful, deep house productions and blissful DJ sets since the ’90s. Before making his U.S. debut this week in New York City on a pair of shows presented by The Duchess Of Brooklyn English — Bossa Nova on November 7 with Ital and Nooka Jones and Kinfolk Studios on Movember 8 with Sexy Lazer (Reykjavik and Copenhagen — we talked to the German house hero about playing the Big Apple for the first time, the launch of his new label, Low Hanging Fruit, and National Geographic EP.
Tell us a bit about your U.S. jaunt. What are your experiences like playing in NYC and America?
DJ Shumi: This is the first time I will play in the U.S. so I am really excited. It’s always a great challenge to play for new people with different musical culture backgrounds.
You’ve launched your own label, Low Hanging Fruit. What led you to start this endeavor?
I started the label with a good friend from Cologne and another friend from Chicago. It’s a dance music Label with a little twist. The influence comes from Cologne Krautrock, Chicago house, and Detroit techno. We just felt that it was a gap on the the market for this kind of music label. And our distributer, Kompakt, was very helpful.
Will the label focus on a particular genre/sound?
Fresh and new dance music from arround the world.
Any new releases in the works?
I will release some tracks under the name Truffle Shuffle together with my good friend and great DJ, Marc Lansley. The tracks will be released next year on Low Hanging Fruit.
What else are you up to this year?
I will have my third anniversary with my resident party Risky in Cologne at end of the year. I had guests like Simian Mobile Disco, Michael Mayer, Axel Boman, Trentemöller, etc. I am also DJing around in Europe quite a lot and, of course, I have to take care of the label [smiles].
Consolidation in the U.S. music festival circuit continues as SFX Entertainment announced today that it had acquired Electric Zoo, the three-day EDM festival founded in 2009 which takes place annually on Labor Day weekend on Randall’s Island, New York.
“The acquisition of Made is strategically important for SFX, as it establishes a strong foothold for us in the New York City region,” said SFX Chairman and CEO Robert F.X. Sillerman. “Co-founders Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma are the ultimate industry professionals, and our management team will benefit greatly from their years of experience. We plan to develop the Electric Zoo brand internationally and have the opportunity to build other SFX brands in the U.S. with the support of Mike, Laura and the team at Made.”
According to a press release, SFX acquired all of Made in the transaction, after previously agreeing to acquire 70% of the company.
“After years of independence, we couldn’t be happier about our venture with SFX,” said festival co-founder Mike Bindra. “To date, SFX has brought together the top companies and individuals in the electronic dance music industry.”
The third day of Electric Zoo 2013 was cancelled when two festival attendees, Jeffrey Russ, 23, of Rochester, and Olivia Rotondo, 20, of Providence, R.I., died from drug overdoses.
French DJ/producer Joakim Bouaziz is a musical jack of all trades, initially working in classical music before bringing his talent to rock, jazz and electronic music. Bouaziz’s musical eclecticism shines brightly through Tigersushi, the Paris-based indie label he runs which counts diverse releases from Maurice Fulton, Metro Area, Ivan Smagghe and John Tejada to its credit. While working in the studio has been an important part of Bouaziz’s career, his live bands has been winning over fans for some time — except for in America. In advance of his band’s U.S. debut at Terminal 5 in New York City, opening for Holy Ghost!, we caught up with the venerable artist and talked to him about his live show, playing Afrika Bambaataa‘s records earlier in the year and why his music videos are so damn good.
You’re playing your first-ever live U.S. show in New York on Halloween. What should those who haven’t seen you live yet expect?
Three people on stage: drums, bass, synths, pedals/FXs and vocals. We’ll play some tracks from the previous albums and a new one. It’s always a bit different from the records, because I like when a live show doesn’t sound exactly like the record [and has] surprises. Don’t expect a “I press play, I’m pretending I’m turning knobs but I’m actually reading my e-mails” type of live show [laughs]. It’s actual live playing and there’s always room for improvization in the live tracks because otherwise I would get bored on stage and I know one thing: I hate doing boring things. Males and females are welcome to dance to it.
“It was almost emotional touching those records, especially the ones that were used by Bambaataa in his DJ mixes (the records with two copies inside the sleeve and a Zulu Nation sticker). It’s like touching an important piece of history.”
Will Halloween influence what you wear on stage for this show?
I actually just realized I didn’t think about a costume. In France, Halloween is not a huge deal so I usually don’t do anything unless I’m playing at a specifically Halloween themed party. So right now, I’m open to any suggestion.
What have your experiences DJing or visiting NYC been like?
Very varied, just like the millions of different faces you see in this town. From MoMA PS1 Warm Up to underground barely legal Brooklyn parties, from fancy hotel clubs to BAM on a Saturday night, it’s all so different that I can’t really say there’s one specific thing about playing in NYC.
Speaking of New York, you got to play some of NYC hip-hop/electro legend Afrika Bambaataa’s record collection at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise a few months ago. What was that experience like for you?
It was almost emotional touching those records, especially the ones that were used by Bambaataa in his DJ mixes (the records with two copies inside the sleeve and a Zulu Nation sticker). It’s like touching an important piece of history. Afrika Bambaataa made the connection between funk, white electronic music (Kraftwerk) and what was to become hip-hop. You could understand that browsing the collection that included classic funk records as well as weird early electronic music, new wave, jazz, early techno music… No boundaries.
One of the things I’ve found most interesting is that you put a lot of care into your videos. “In the Cave,” “Forever Young” and “Find a Way” are just a few of many great clips. Why are videos so important to what you do?
I’ve always been very attached to visuals. Artworks, for instance, are such an important part of the musical experience. Today, videos became almost more important than artworks because quite often it’s the first and sometimes only visual aspect of the music you see. A lot of people even listen to music mostly on YouTube, so the importance of a good video that reflects the music is more important than ever. I was also lucky that a lot of talented people around me proposed to make videos.
“Heartbeats” has proved to be another big single for you. The video is especially interesting as you edited it yourself based upon footage you shot from all over the world. Knowing that you’ve also created your own artwork, what prompted you to put on the director’s hat for this video?
I wanted to do something with those images for a long time. I still have a lot of unused footage. And after messing around with some of those footage in a video editing software, I realized it actually worked on that song, and that I could do another similar video for the B-side “Another Light.” So why not do it? I’ve always been a big DIY believer. It’s the basis of the Tigersushi aesthetics too. I also feel like editing moving images is very similar to the way you edit music, except it’s somehow simpler because you only have one layer most of the time when you edit video, it’s more linear.
What else is in the works in terms of releases and tours for 2013? Any plans yet for 2014?!
A new single before the end of 2013 and an album coming out early 2014. I also made a cover of William Onyeabor for Luaka Bop, a track for Phonica’s 10-year anniversary and an edit of a friend’s band Limousine. All of those should be out before the end of the year.
Obligatory final question: when is your next album coming out?! Ssssoooon.
OK, I lied. Any final thoughts? Grievances? Shout-outs?
If someone reading this has a great Halloween costume for a tall guy like me, please contact the magazine.
When David Vincent’s Manchester, England based clubbing institution Sankeys announced in 2010 it was expanding to the West Side of Manhattan, the news was met with enthusiasm from the city’s dance music community. Clubs come and go in NYC, so the addition of one with as global reputation was considered a much needed shot in the arm. But after the excitement died down, the Manhattan club never materialized, leaving many to speculate about why it never came to fruition. Three years later, Sankeys announced in October that it had secured a new location — the former District 36 space in Midtown sporting a Void incubus sound system, designed and installed by Anthem SSL, featuring the world’s first hydraulic LED Grid Matrix system — and would open its doors on Halloween with a themed night billed as The British Are Coming featuring with (non Brits) Reboot, No Regular Play, My Favorite Robot and Dave Rosario. (Friday’s lineup includes live performances by Amirali and Slow Hands as well as DJ sets from Fur Coat and Tanner Ross. Saturday’s bill features DJ Sneak, Julian Perez and Deep and Disco presents JKRIV).
In an exclusive interview with Sankeys New York co-owner Antonio Piacquadio (an accomplished tech-house DJ/producer in his own right) who is joined in the venture with Carlo Seneca, Robert Toma, Paolo Angelo and Dirk van Stockum, he explains what caused the club’s long delayed opening, how the two-room nightspot will fit into currently expanding Big Apple club scene and where Sankeys might expand to next.
Sankeys has a worldwide reputation courtesy of its successful club in Manchester and events in Ibiza. What prompted you to expand to New York City, a notoriously competitive city?
Antonio Piacquadio (pictured, below right): My passion for the business as well as the underground music scene. I have been a DJ and producer of forward-thinking music before the house music explosion in NYC (late ’80s). I’ve always been based in New York and have been active in the nightclub business as a DJ and operator/promo director for the past 25 years. I felt the time was right for me to open a venue I believed in and the brand was right to bring to NYC.
In 2010, Sankeys announced it was opening an outpost on the west side of Manhattan. There was a lot of buzz and excitement, but the venue never opened. What happened? Did you at any point give up on the dream of opening a club in New York?
I’ve never given up on the dream ever. I am a very strategic thinker. As we were developing the NYC project, Sankeys Ibiza got into some financial trouble. There has never been a successful large scale American operator in Ibiza. The way it works is it usually takes three years to build a brand there if you are accepted. Sankeys Ibiza opened in spring of 2011 and had some hard times. They called upon me, and I had to make a decision. Continue on with the New York project and see Sankeys Ibiza fail, or step up to the plate. Get Sankeys Ibiza Back on track and put New York on hold until Ibiza was stable? The decision was obvious. Our team stepped in and worked side by side with David Vincent to make Ibiza the success it is today. By the time we were able to restart NYC, we realized that the west side outpost may not be the right fit for Sankeys and the 36th St. location became available so we pounced on it. Between that and licensing and dealing with NYC, etc…you can now see why it took us three years. You know what I always say? Perfection takes time and better late than never. (Although it actually is the absolute perfect timing for Sankeys to hit NYC).
“For Sankeys it’s not about the names of the artists, it’s about the music that is played.”
There are several new clubs opening in New York City How will Sankeys fix into the mix, and what will it need to do in order to be successful?
Sankeys will be a club that is very different musically and architecturally than most. Great sound, futuristic lighting and forward-thinking music will set us apart. For Sankeys it’s not about the names of the artists, it’s about the music that is played. That is the significant difference between Sankeys and the other New York City nightclubs.
Sankeys has taken over the former District 36 space. What have you done in terms of décor? Tell us a bit about the sound system and DJ booth.
You will have to come see for yourself. I will say this, it will certainly has a ‘wow’ factor. I can assure you.
“Let me tell you, hitting an opening deadline for a major venue in NYC is no easy task. A hundred things can go wrong to delay our opening. We have corrected 99.”
Bottle service is a contentious issue for a lot of clubbers in America. Some feel priced out of seeing their favorite DJs because they can’t afford to spend a few hundred dollars on bottles of alcohol. Understanding that clubs need to make money in order to stay in business, what sort of balance do you have in mind between catering to both ends of the spectrum.
This has been a very sticky subject in our world. Main problem is that a club in NYC just cannot exist without it. It’s very simple how we are approaching this. No one is expected to purchase bottles. We won’t hold up the door in efforts to force people to do this. However, we will offer it once you get past the door. If you’re the right fit for our venue and there for the music, welcome aboard. It is your option to buy bottles if that’s what you like to do at that point. We will not offer bottle service on the main dance floor, there will be a designated area for that far away from the DJ on the mezzanine. This is our way of solving the problem and making everyone happy. If you want to dance and be with the DJ, great (that’s what we love). If you want to sip your bottles, we have a place for you to do that also. It’s entirely up to the customer.
Let’s talk about opening night! Halloween seems like as good a night as any to open. Did that happen by chance, or was it planned well in advance?
We planned it way in advance. Let me tell you, hitting an opening deadline for a major venue in NYC is no easy task. A hundred things can go wrong to delay our opening. We have corrected 99 [laughs]. We have pushed through and have done the unthinkable. A club in NYC that opens as planned is a harder proposition than it seems. Whew, we made it!
The opening weekend features No Regular Play, DJ Sneak, Reboot and others. What will be the club’s music programming? How will it compare to the bills you present in Manchester?
Actually, we will be following more of the Ibiza Sankeys format. That is our mothership now so the lineups will look a lot like those and will feature most of the Sankeys Ibiza artists.
Danny Tenaglia has played a lot at Sankeys in the UK. Do you see him as a potential resident? Will the club be naming residents in the future?
We love Danny and welcome him with open arms. Hopefully he will love our space too. The rest is entirely up to him! As far as other residents, we will announce them in the coming months but the answer is yes. We do plan on having certain residents. Stay tuned.
Now that the club is finally a reality, what’s the most important lesson you learned about opening a club in New York?
Cross your T’s and dot your I’s. This certainly ain’t Kansas Dorothy!
Obligatory final question: Which city will Sankeys expand to next?
This is a question that has been plaguing the Sankeys family for a while. If I had to guess, Miami may be the next stop but we also have London in the works. It’s a race but either way Sankeys is expanding and will continue to as long as the fans embrace our concept.
