INTERVIEW WITH SERGIO FLORES

[kedondong_vibes]

01 - Hi Sergio, first question is simple, who is Sergio Flores and where are you from ?
Well, I am a completely addicted music junkie, DJ, producer and songwriter out of Vienna, Austria.

02 - You are an excellent producer and DJ too, do you feel yourself more producer/musician or DJ ?
I am glad I don't have to choose. I started of as a musician, because making music is a basic urge that I felt ever since I was a small child. But you tend to get crazy locked up in the studio, without having any feedback from anybody. I interact with the crowd and I need to feel their love, but then again I can't be without those lonely moments in the studio, so I can focus on my music. To cut a long story short, one complements the other.

03 - How did you get into music ? And what were your early musical influences?
Both of my parents are classically trained musicians. They are pianists and my father is actually a renowned professor here at the University of Music in Vienna. So I grew up with both, classical music and Brazilian rhythms, as my mother hails from Brazil. I guess when you are surrounded by so much musicality every day, the real question has to be, if I ever had a chance of actually NOT becoming a musician!! Apart from listening to classical music and samba, my parents made sure that I got in to the "better" side of popular music.So they made me listen to anything from Soul to Jazz and I am hooked on so called Black Music ever since.

04 - How did you begin producing music ?
I already noted earlier, that I come from a musical background and I remember making up tunes in my head ever since primary school. So the next step was only logical, I got myself some equipment, a computer (Commodore Amiga) and a synthesizer and started putting these ideas down. At first they were only sketches, but then I started refining them and I slowly got the hang of it, simply learning by doing.

05 - You done a lot of records and remixes, which is your favourite one ?
Puuuuhh.....you got me there! All of them have had their justification ad the time. But you make me feel like having to pick one of my children, while leaving the others behind. I guess Hana Hais "Rosa Nova" is one of the tunes that I owe a lot to. So there you have it.......I feel like a bad parent now.

06 - Let's speak of your last release "Hold on", how is the idea born ?
The basic idea came from Tokoto. He is a very successful DJ/producer in Japan and had a basic version of the tune (called "That Piano Track"), that I really liked. I then came up with the chanted hook-line and used some new instruments, while tweaking the piano a bit and adding my trademark beats. The instrumental did pretty well and I decided to write a whole song over it. So I wrote "Hold On".

07 - Any other relaese coming soon ?
A few remixes are coming up soon for Defected, Positiva and Hardsoul Pressings. I am also working on a lot of original material and collaborations with Danny Marquez, David Penn and Oliver Lang.

08 - You played in several clubs around the world. When did you get into Djing ?
I started DJing about10 years ago. I was already producing at the time and wanted to get out there with my music and see the reaction of the people. And I was hoping for some groupies as well, off course.......!

09 - Your best gig ?
That is another one of those questions I can't really answer. I had great gigs all over Europe, Japan, Dubai, etc. I had so many great parties, I can't just pick one. But wait......off course I can pick one: my birthday bash of 2006! I threw a playboy-themed private party and played along-side Danny Marquez.

10 - What kind of music do you like to play in your dj sets ?
I play various styles, as long as it has got that special something. I go from soulful to latin and deep to tribal and electronic. But I guess you can say I love anything that has got a percussive flava to it.

11 - The 5 hottest records in your box now ?
DJ Pippi & Danny Marquez "God Is Love" (KOKI and DM Mix),
Todd Terry Allstars "Get Down" (Kenny Dope)
Quazimodo "Give In" (Hardsoul)
Jamie Lewis "Unity" (Purple)
Martin Solveig "Cabo Prano" (Claude Monet)

12 - Where do you think house music is going ?
It is always hard to predict things like "what will be the next big thing in House", or, "will it continue to cross over into the charts". It is a vibrant and moving musical scene, so any moment things can change. As for styles: now it is summer, so everything is very percussive, just the way I like it. But I believe that soulful House well see a revival, if it hasn't already started. Electro will definitely keep strong this year, but I guess it has probably left its peak behind.

13 - What music do you listen at home or in your car ?
I listen to a lot of Jazz, Soul & Bossa Nova records. But I also have a few Rock, Hip-Hop and Rn'B records I love to listen to.

14 - Final famous question :-) Vinyl or digital ? And why ?
Concerning personal taste, I would always opt for vinyl, as it just sounds warmer (given that it's a good pressing) and it gives you something to relate to physically. But I have to admit, that lately I am only using CDs, merely for practical reasons. I get most of the stuff I play on digital media, long before it is even pressed on vinyl. But I don't see this as a black or white kind of question. I go for grey on this one.....!

Thank you Sergio, all the best ! 



 

[BlackBolt]

 

[acid_drops]

10 - What kind of music do you like to play in your dj sets ?
I play various styles, as long as it has got that special something. I go from soulful to latin and deep to tribal and electronic. But I guess you can say I love anything that has got a percussive flava to it.

11 - The 5 hottest records in your box now ?
DJ Pippi & Danny Marquez "God Is Love" (KOKI and DM Mix),
Todd Terry Allstars "Get Down" (Kenny Dope)
Quazimodo "Give In" (Hardsoul)
Jamie Lewis "Unity" (Purple)
Martin Solveig "Cabo Prano" (Claude Monet)

12 - Where do you think house music is going ?
It is always hard to predict things like "what will be the next big thing in House", or, "will it continue to cross over into the charts". It is a vibrant and moving musical scene, so any moment things can change. As for styles: now it is summer, so everything is very percussive, just the way I like it. But I believe that soulful House well see a revival, if it hasn't already started. Electro will definitely keep strong this year, but I guess it has probably left its peak behind.




 

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