Fertile Times: An Interview with Caribou

The man behind the moniker Caribou is Dan Snaith. As you're no doubt aware by now, he's DJing with us this weekend as Mister Saturday Night returns after a longer than planned break.

We've been chatting with him on email for the past week or so in anticipation of the party. It was a pleasure to hear that he knew all about us and what we do, and he's clearly enthused and looking forward to the gig.

He kindly agreed to answer a few questions to help whet your appetite for this coming Saturday.

Kyle Hall Chats with Justin Carter

Last week, Justin called Kyle Hall in advance of New Year's Eve. They talked Detroit, getting older, cassette tapes, and making new music. The conversation begins (abruptly, due to a snafu with Justin's recorder) with Kyle explaining a new project he's working Ben Christianson, a gent from a band called Lord Scrummage. Below is the full chat.

 

[photo by David Ferino via Resident Advisor]

Talking About A New Year: DJ Qu

A couple weeks ago, when we were putting the final touches on our New Year's Eve party, we realized that we had an open slot to fill. We thought for a few seconds... and very quickly Eamon and I agreed that DJ Qu was the perfect person to do it. Part of the crop of producers and jocks who've popped up alongside Jus-Ed in the recent past (count among that group Levon Vincent, Fred P and Anthony Parasole), Qu is probably our favorite of the bunch, releasing music that has a certain... how do you say... well, we'll let him explain it.

Here is a mix he's given us to get you in the mood and a few questions and answers that we passed back and forth yesterday.

Justin Carter: Much of the attention you've received for your label, Strength Music, and as a producer has been connected to Levon Vincent, Jus-Ed and Fred P. While there are many things that give you common ground, what do you think are the things that make you unique within that circle?

DJ Qu: I must say that I haven't really given it much thought. The only thing I can say is that no one in the crew sounds alike. Each of us have our own unique sound, and I think that's what makes each of us unique. The way I approach my music is totally different from Ed, Levon or Fred and vice-versa.  

JC: This brings up a couple questions for me. First, I wasn't sure whether the connection between you guys was just a convenient angle that writers piled onto or if it was something that you guys actually feel exits between you. Can you tell me how it is that you guys are connected, in practical ways and musically?

The Perfect Party: Resident Advisor Talks To Us

A few months ago, I got an email from Lee Smith, a writer for Resident Advisor, asking me about the ins and outs of throwing parties. The resulting article is up on RA now. It's a good read, and you should definitely check it out. I thought it'd be interesting to post all the questions and answers that we exchanged as a supplement to the article. The Q&A is below the jump.

System By Shorty

That, up there, is one fourth of the soundsystem we're using at the party this weekend. Organized for us by production and DJ duo Bad Decision, the system was designed by a gent named Shorty, who designed and installed the sound rig at a place called Stereo in Montreal (a system that Francois K is rumored to have said is the best he's played on since the Paradise Garage).

Shorty put in time at the original Sound Factory and maintained the system at Twilo – a club with a now legendary system – for years. We caught up with him a little bit to talk about back then and right now. This is what he had to say...

The Hustler

This Saturday we have Keith Worthy bringing his deep, hypnotic and distinctly Detroit vibes to Mister Saturday Night. We've told you a lot about the new space already, so now it's time to take a moment to get to know our talented guest a little more. We fired a few questions at him earlier this week. Here's what he had to say.

Mister Saturday Night: You've been busy recently. Traveling, taking in a lot gigs & reaping well-deserved success it would seem. How do you feel about this particular time for you?

Keith Worthy: It’s always feels good when people are interested and appreciate what you are doing, and it’s cool to visit other parts of the world and meet and play for people who get down the way that you do… but I stay away from using the word ‘success’… it’s relative depending on what your goal really is.

Efdemin On The Way To Chicago and a Giveaway

This weekend we get back into the swing of things after our trip to London, hosting a Mister Saturday Night Loft Party in a secret space in Brooklyn.

Our special guest is a Berliner named Phillip Sollmann, who releases records on the Dial imprint under the name Efdemin. His most recent album is called Chicago, and it just so happens that he sent us the answers to the questions below in the Berlin airport, waiting to board a plane to the Windy City for the very first time.

Before we get to that, though, it's time for a freebie. We're giving away a pair of tickets for this weekend's MSN Loft Party! All you have to do to get them is drop a line with the subject 'Loft Party Giveaway' to ask -at- mistersaturdaynight -dot- com. You'll be signed up for our email list and entered into the drawing. We'll randomly choose someone tomorrow morning, so you've got time to hip your friends to it – just make sure they bring you if they win.

Now on with the interview.

Mister Saturday Night: Based on some mixes we've heard, and from other interviews we've read with you, it's clear that you are interested in music that spans much farther than house and techno. You even have a history with the cello and have worked in live bands where you're singing, but what you are known for is dance music. It's a predicament that a lot of creative people find themselves in: their interests and outputs are vast, but they're known for one subset of those things. How do you feel about how you're defined? How does it affect what you do?

BXI: The Secrets of Rock

BXI is the union of Japanese rockers Boris and Ian Astbury of the Cult. An unlikely pairing that makes more sense with each listen, the band melds its heavy squall with Astbury's wizened baritone to create something simultaneously familiar and new.

Boris' drummer/vocalist Atsuo and Mr. Astbury himself were kind enough to spend nearly an hour with us last week, just a day before the collaborative project made its debut at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. In a conversation that threw small talk out the window, Atsuo and Astbury shared their eloquent perspectives on the creative process, the ritual of live music, the wisdom of age – and the awesome power of the sun.

Mister Saturday Night: Ian, you once said of [labelmates] Sunn O))) that there is "no language to explain the experience." Can a musical experience ever be captured in language?

Ian Astbury: It's a cul-de-sac. I think the cultural language available is very limited. Pop is easier to talk about – we all understand the sentiment. But once you cross over into something so emotive, layered and diverse – that textured spectrum of light and shade – that's a very difficult thing to articulate, especially in print. I just point and say: "Listen to it."

Geoff Barrow Offers a Beak> Sneak Peek

Portishead producer Geoff Barrow brings his new band Beak> to American shores for the first time tonight. A notorious studio tweaker, Barrow is making the most of this chance to rock off the cuff: after an 11-year wait for the most recent Portishead album, the Beak> debut was written and recorded in just 12 days. When we had a word with him, Barrow explained, "In a world of absolute computer-based shit-sounding commercial music... It's nice to take a wrong turn."

This welcome "wrong turn" is nevertheless temporary: Barrow assures us that "Portishead and Beak> [will both] hopefully... be very productive in the near future." Which suggests that Portishead's Fourth may be only a decade away. For now, we'll very happily focus on the current project. We've already got our tickets.

Beak> perform tonight with People of the North at Bowery Ballroom (6 Delancey St, Manhattan) / 9p / $20 / more info / directions 

[photo by John Minton]

New Opportunities

Optimo play alongside Eamon & Justin this weekend at Sunday Best not long after our latest loft party at 12-Turn-13 with Theo Parrish the night before. We've told you all about it already so we won't repeat ourselves. Instead here's a few words we shared with Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch earlier last week.

A Word with Tevo Howard

Another interview here for you, this time from a guest from just over a week back, Tevo Howard. We tried to squeeze this one in before the party, but alas Tevo is a busy man these days, and his schedule couldn't allow for it. But here he is talking about Chicago, literature, Traxx, Resident Advisor and more.

Mister Saturday Night: Your recent RA podcast was a beautiful piece of work. Congratulations! Getting an RA podcast these days seems to a real milestone in an artist's career. Have you noticed an effect yet, or is it too soon to say?

Tevo Howard: Thank you for the kind words. I did take good time doing the RA Podcast, and it was great to work with them. I have seen some trickle from the podcast, and am excited looking forward.

A Last Minute Chat

We just got this interview between Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys, our guest tomorrow night, and Mister Steve Rogenstein, aka the Art Corp and the man behind 12 Turn 13, into our mail box, just in time to share with you ahead of tomorrow night's party.

Have a read...

Steve Rogenstein: You're primarily known for your studio work and live performances, yet the Body Language CD from a couple years ago cast you as a DJ. What was your DJ experience before then?

Jeremy Greenspan: We [Jeremy and Matthew Didemus, his partner in Junior Boys] both started as DJs. Matt and I used to DJ at parties when we were teenagers. We had a radio show, which at first was mainly drum and bass, but fairly quickly turned into garage and house. Then we had a residency at a club in Hamilton [in Ontario, Canada, their hometown] at some point in the late 90s. All that stuff was long long before we had even thought of Junior Boys.

Ivan The Terrible

The Mister returns for its second excursion outdoors at the charming Brooklyn Fire Proof courtyard. Last time round worked out really nicely (keep an eye out for live mixes from the night coming soon) so we're doing it all again but this time rolling a little later to 2am. We'll have Tacos on the menu again courtesy of Taccolada so you can take in dinner early and ease into the party with a drink from the well selected bar.

Eamon and Justin may take it upon themselves to push the musical boundaries a little harder as they welcome a French man who is no stranger to the weirder and more wonderful sounds of dance floor. Ivan Smagghe is a DJ we've admired for some time now. He's an intriguing character so we grabbed a few words with him today in an attempt to learn what makes the him tick. Have a read..

Mister Saturday Night: You hail from a Parisian scene which seemed to be equal parts indie and underground techno. Are those two aesthetics still important to you today?

Ivan Smagghe: Today more than ever for many reasons. I was born in '71, so [I] was into underground music before house and techno existed, so when it appeared, it was for me and others just another type of 'indie music'. It was as raw and underground as a Sonic Youth EP. The barrier between 'dance' and 'not dance' never meant anything to me, rock 'n' roll being dance music anyway.

MSN: What indie sensibilities do you still look for in the dance music you play?

IS: Hmmmm... Good but tricky questions. I like the combination of pop and electronics when it's done with taste (but it can also make me puke), the lo-fi/quirkyness, not being afraid of the colder/darker side of things (you can be cold/dark and groovy)... but there are also things inherent to dance music that are fundamental for me: the repetition, a certain anonymity... and of course, indie things I do not like: the whining, the run for money from majors...

MSN: You travel a lot, playing lots of gigs in different countries. How do you make sure the process remains enjoyable and vital vs. tired and jaded?

IS: The main thing always has been the records. If I have good tracks to play, I will not get bored. I think there is a lot of good stuff around at the moment (compared to a year or two ago), [you've] just got to look for it. That and my girlfriend coming often with me. And good books.

MSN: How do you see the next 5 years unfolding for Ivan Smagghe?

IS: Being forty next year. Expanding our London studio. Maybe producing more bands... hard to say and not sure I wanna know in advance...

Making Laptops Fun: Henrik Schwarz

Most of the time, we don't like laptops making their way into Mister Saturday Night. But there are exceptions to any rule, and this weekend's guest set by Henrik Schwarz is definitely one of them. We caught up with the excellent producer and laptop freaker in advance of his set alongside Justin and Eamon this weekend. This is how the chat went down.

Mister Saturday Night: Many artists making dance music have chosen the computer as their medium for live performance, yet you're one of the few that are notably exciting because of the way you play from one. What do you think is different about your approach to playing from a laptop? When you look at it, do you see an instrument?

Henrik Schwarz: I definitely see it as an instrument–and as a fellow musician. The problems with computers might be that they don't make mistakes: they don't groove, they don't sweat, they don't dance. But we do. The computer is in a way the opposite of what we are. It is a machine that does only one thing at a time. It is very structured. On the other hand it is a universal machine–you can turn it into anything you like. So as a computer musician you have the choice if you want to follow the structure that the computer gives you (many people do that), or you can try and work against a very structured, predictable behaviour towards a more open, free, human way of interacting with the machine.

Better Late Than Never

We asked Greg Wilson a few questions ahead of joining us behind the plates at the party last Saturday. Unfortunately his answers disappeared into the mysterious ether that is the Internet until just this morning.

Strange... but anyway, it was another fantastic night; and here, better late than never, is some interesting insight.

The Voice of Larry Heard

It's becoming an enjoyable habit for us to share a few words with the guests who we invite to come play with us at Mister Saturday Night, and for our next very special guest we have a special format for the typically text-based interview.

Not only is Larry Heard a musical pioneer, a man who crafted arguably the most original and timeless sounds from the golden age of Chicago house, but he is also one of the most gentle and gracious men we've ever had the pleasure to work with. So it was with great excitement when we learned that he decided to forgo email in preference to a recording of his own voice to answer our questions.

Have a listen right here..

Snow Day Questions For Floating Points

Baby, it's cold outside. But that hasn't cut off our internet connection yet, and we were very happy to see that we had some answers to interview questions from Mister Saturday Night's weekend guest, Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points, in our inbox this morning. The young producer and DJ is packing his records and bags for his first ever trip to New York right now.

Keep warm, enjoy the interview, and cross your fingers that the blizzard will clear out in time for a safe and timely entry into our fair city (but still leave enough for a nice white blanket and some sledding).

Traxx Tackles Some Big Questions

Before anything else, let's just take a moment to say, "WOW." This past Saturday night was just insane. To paint a little picture, we opened the window behind the DJ booth at 7:45am, and there was a subway worker dancing on the tracks of the JMZ. We hope you enjoyed yourself. And if you didn't make it down, well, you've got another opportunity to come out this Saturday.

Our guest will be Traxx, a Chicago music maker and record player, whose recent LP, Faith, has gotten a good bit of well deserved attention, and whose DJ sets are said to be inspired. We had the opportunity to toss him some questions in the lead-up to the party, which we were very excited to do: He's a man with a lot to say, as you'll see below.

We're looking forward to seeing you this weekend. Grab your advance tickets here, or RSVP to mister@mistersaturdaynight.com to get in for $10 before midnight. Now on with the show...

Talking with Tejada

Two summers ago we hosted John Tejada at Sunday Best. It was rainy, and so we decided that we should set the system up under the shed. As the day moved forward, it got darker and stormier, and as he stepped up to the table for his live set, people were tight under the makeshift tents and carports we'd strung together.

He worked everyone into a frenzy, expertly playing on the mood that hung in the air -- dipping into melodies familiar to his fans and keeping the attention to folks who'd never heard him with perfect dynamics. Needless to say, we've been itching to have him back in the city for a long time, and so we're excited to have him here at Mister Saturday Night this weekend.

We caught up with him earlier today, just before he headed into the garage to pick out some vinyl. Here's how it went...

Catching Up With Ewan Pearson

We love Ewan Pearson. There we said it. Why? Well, first of all he's one of our favorite DJs on the planet, never failing to be totally on point with his sets, whether it's a small intimate loft jam (like Mister Saturday Night this weekend) or a summer festival in Europe. But he's also a thoroughly nice bloke, a friend and undoubtedly one of the most intelligent men in dance music, with something insightful and inspiring to say each time we talk to him. So we had to pin him down again to get his thoughts on a couple of topics on our mind ahead of the next installment of Mister Saturday Night...