Interview d'Henry Saiz juste avant sa tournée en australie (en anglais désolé..)

You were introduced to the electronic scene in Madrid in 2006, and you’re now seen as a rapidly rising name on the list of progressive and techno leaders. How does this make you feel?

Of course it’s always great to feel people recognise your work, and even more so when your work is also your passion. This enhances my creativity, instead of making me lazy. It’s a challenge to try to excel and improve with every new release.

It must be a huge deal to sign with Renaissance in 2008. it grabbed the attention of John Digweed, and you’ve since remixed tracks from him, as well as Tiesto and Way Out West. In the words of Digweed himself, you turned Guy J’s Lamur into an “absolute monster”. What inspires you to make music on a regular basis?

It’s great to hear those words coming from someone like John, and it’s so fun and interesting to remix music from acts like Way Out West or talented producers like Guy… Regarding inspiration, for me music is really a need. I just can’t imagine life without making music. Inspiration comes from everything around me, it’s always hard to explain how it works!

Alongside your production work you also tour extensively. When you are at a club or event, do you try to play what the crowd is eager to hear, or do you chose to play something more along the lines of what Saiz wants to play?

For me it’s all about to creating a balance between what you want to show to the audience and what they want to hear. You have to kind of “teach” the crowd, and the real challenge is to show people your own state of mind and reach that point together. I always try to create a really intense club experience by using melody, complex sounds and arrangements, psychedelic textures and twisted sound shapes. Sometimes you achieve it, sometimes it’s hard to get to, it depends on many factors. I think that if you have something to show to the audience you have to go for it. For me music – electronic music in this case – is much more than loops and beats. It’s a really powerful language and every musician and DJ should have their own ‘speech’ to use in performances.

You host your own online radio show, The Labyrinth, and you also run your own label Natura Sonoris. Do you get much of a chance to take a breather, relax and have holidays?

Haha not really. I’m doing this interview on a the bullet train on my way to Nagano from Tokyo. I use all these “dead” hours while I’m on tour travelling to pick tracks for my DJ sets and The Labyrinth. I’m always busy with my music, whether I’m in the studio or working on the label. It’s nice though, it’s what I love to do so I try to relax in the hotel and hang out with friends along the way.

What’s your view on the majority of DJs opting to move away from traditional methods like vinyl? Do you use any analogue equipment in your studio?

I think I’m one of the DJs that’s moving away to new techniques, such as Ableton and Final Scratch… For me the format isn’t that important, and techno music is about technology, so why not to use these new techniques to create new ways of playing music? I use Ableton for my DJ sets because it means I can do things that just aren’t possible with vinyl and CDs, like playing six tracks at the same time, loops and all kinds of effects, or even play synth over tracks. These kind of things make a DJ set special, although you don’t need it to make a set great. It’s just a personal choice.

Most artists grow up with a musical background, either inherited from family or through personal discovery. Growing up, all that I heard in my family was classical Middle Eastern music and contemporary jazz. How was it in the Saiz household; did you grow up playing any instruments?

I started playing instruments at 15, so not that young. It was kind of a personal choice, although my parents and my brother – he was also a DJ and is one of my greatest supporters – were always listening to music. My love for classical music comes from my mother, and my love for 70s synth pioneers and prog rock music comes from my father and my uncle.

What artists have you got playing on your iPod at the moment?

I’m a music lover and I find inspiration from almost all kind of styles. Every style has its right moment, so you can find in my iPod everything from the cheesiest pop music to the most extreme black metal. I’m looking at it right now on random mode: Abba, Moloko, Infected Mushroom, King Crimson, Dredg, The Temper Trap, Britney Spears, Muse, Bach, Iron Maiden…

What will we be seeing from Saiz in 2010? More time on the road touring, late sessions in the studio, or a mixture of both?

Definitely a mixture of both. I have a new Renaissance EP in April, some new remixes, and some exciting projects I’m working on. The next new thing is a remix single of my last track on Natura Sonoris, They Came From The Light. It has amazing remixes from Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile, Guy J and Jesse Somfay.

You were last here back in mid 2009, and now you’re back to play with some other huge acts along the way, including Steve Lawler and James Lavelle in Melbourne and Gui Boratto in Sydney. How is it playing with such talented people?

I can’t wait to come back to Australia, I can only say good things about my first experience there, it was just amazing. The parties coming up sound huge! I’ve never played with Lawler or Lavelle, so I’m sure it will be a great night. I’m also looking forward to the party with Gui Boratto in Sydney. My last show in Sydney was amazing and I hear that the courtyard parties they have been doing there have been even better. Can’t wait!

Henry Saiz Pacific tours this month:

Feb 19 – Brown Alley, Melbourne
Feb 20 – Habitat, Perth
Feb 24 – Noumea, New Caledonia
Feb 26 – Empire, Brisbane
Feb 27 – Chinese Laundry, Sydney

super hier henry saiz ca envoyé du lourd