Over Dosem: Techno From Catalonia at Lantern This Saturday
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The highly rated Dosem is one of the leaders of Spain’s crop of emerging techno talents. The young Catalan arrives in Beijing this weekend to head up the latest in local DJ/VJ collective Science of Sounds’ never-ending experiment into the limits of pure pleasure and passion at Lantern. Here’s what he had to say as he packed his bags for the trip.
You’ve produced and released a steady number of tracks in just a short period of time. Where does your inspiration and drive come from?
I consider myself an information sponge – I'm really sensitive about everything around me, and that's a really good resource for inspiration. In my opinion, if you're a musician or an artist, it's because you have something to explain; whatever it comes from, it should be a dynamic translation between your external influences and your soul. That magical process is what makes your signature something special.
You also seem to maintain a regular number of appearances at clubs and festivals simultaneous to your production schedule.
I've been really busy this last year. After my releases on Sino ("Silent Drop") and Green ("Beach Kisses"), I worked on some remixes and collaborations, to leave some space in my brain for new inspiration. I also focused on the technical issues of my live performances, which I’ve tried to make more modular and interesting. I also improved my sound, to make it powerful yet elegant at the same time, and I'm happy with the results.
It can be a bit stressful because I'm trying to manage the balance between my production time and my gig travels, but I consider myself fortunate to live for my passion, which is music. I'm not somebody that likes to release stuff all the time. I think it's better to make very well-thought out projects and release only music that really says something, that expresses a real message. So I just do music when I feel myself inspired to do it. The problem is that when I'm inspired I can’t leave the studio, which means not sleeping
sometimes or social isolation.
What's the method to your creative madness?
The process usually starts with a little concept I have in my head. Like a sound's image, moving, like a movie. Then I take the computer, the keyboard, and everything suddenly comes out. I’ve had a computer since I was really young, so for me software is my natural environment.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m finishing my next remix for the classic single "Force" by Technasia. It's a big responsibility, because this track is probably the best-known of his career. But I really like the pressure!
I'm also doing a remix for Alexander Kowaslki, one of the most inspiring artists in my life, which will make this EP even more special. At the same time, I'm working on a remix for Uner&Coyu, who rocked Beatport this last year with "El Baile Alemán." It's much more house-driven, but when they assigned me to do a remix for the label I thought it could be a nice opportunity to do something different.
How did you start the label Soundfate? Who was involved? What's happened since and what's on the horizon?
Everything started five years ago, when I was already DJing and playing some live performances in my hometown. I met two very special friends in my life then: Mike Ross and Bension. Both were already great artists and music lovers, we decided to do something together and the label came out.
The main concept of the label was to concentrate all our efforts to do a perfect mixture between image and sound. For us, the artwork and the visual concept were essential elements for the project. In the end, we released around six EPs in one year, but my professional situation pushed me to stop the label and focus only on Sino.
After some time, Technasia proposed I restart Soundfate with a new image, new sound and new artist – something much more professional and with more exposure. So I decided to take my team back again and start from scratch. The first releases will be out before summer – you’ll realize instantly what kind of sound and concept we're trying to focus on. Our idea is to create futuristic and hypnotic music coming from different genres: techno, house, dubstep, IDM or even ambient. Like an imaginary soundtrack from Akira or Blade Runner but translated to the dance floor.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not producing or DJing?
Movies, I love watching movies. Especially sci-fi movies. I also have loads of "dead" time in my traveling to read books and watch TV series. My other secret passion is graphic design. Before I was making music, I worked as a graphic designer and creative director at several advertising agencies, so I always like to do all the design stuff for my own projects.
I saw somewhere that you played at a party last year at a festival which raised money for hunger and social work, and were subsequently billed as a "DJ with a heart." How did that turn out and what drew you to the cause in the first place?
The promoters of the festival asked me to do a special live act under my Sendo project, which is much more ambient/dub oriented. They told me it was for collecting money for world hunger, so I was really fine with that. I think it's always good to do projects that are just for helping others. It's like a direct line between the music artist and a final outcome, and sharing my music for a positive charity cause makes the process more meaningful and deeply magical. It was on a beautiful summer night in Barcelona, and it was a great experience. I would do it again, for sure.
Beyond serving charitable causes, do you think music can help people?
Definitely. Especially with electronic music, it's something based on a loop, like a heart beat, like a constant rhythm that you've been hearing since birth. It's an instant connection with our DNA, and makes people disconnect from their problems. An essential goal for me is to use my music as a therapy for people that come not only to dance, but also to disconnect their brain filter for a moment and just enjoy the sonic voyage. My music is not just techno loops – it has a lot of substance inside, melodies, voices. This is the kind of music I've always wanted to listen to in a club, but it never came at all, so I just decided to do it myself. I'm very happy because I'm realizing that many people understand the three messages that I'm trying to express with my music all the time – energy, hope and futurism. Basically it’s “Soul Techno.”
How do you usually express your artistic vision in your DJ performances? Are you more inclined to play live sets?
I consider myself a producer. My DJ acts are extra performances I use for singular situations. But I think I’m best when I play live, basically because I'm playing my own music, and I feel really free to express myself. I'm really looking forward to the Chinese crowd's reaction to my sounds!
You know China has a long tradition of being a gift-giving culture. What kind of presents will you give Beijing's electronic music fans?
Chinese culture has been always related to hard-work and passion for everything they do. That's exactly the kind of things that make projects go further in life. I consider myself hard-working and passionate as well, so my best present is to give a live performance based on my whole life dedicated to my passion. I like to create unique live sets for every place, so expect something completely spontaneous and new – like a special Dosem Kung Fu live act!
Dosem plays Lantern on Saturday, May 29, capably supported by M.Ross, Lupen and Shen Yue. RMB 50. 10pm.
For more info:
http://dosem.net/press/
http://www.myspace.com/dosemlive
