Interview withe Desyn Masiello (sound revolt)

[soul_selekta]

Desyn Masiello Interview    


Desyn Masiello is undoubtedly one of the DJs you have to go out and see. His career has been exploding in the last few months, and according to the music he plays many people has changed their opinion on house.

We met in Warsaw to talk about his compilation for Bedrock, partying together with John Digweed, about Internet and... Luke Fair's girlfriend.


Sound Revolt: There's a story in your biography about one hundred CDs that made you famous...
Desyn Masiello: I did a demo CD just to promote my name, because nobody knew me anywhere in the world, not even in my home town London where I lived. The CD gave me a few international gigs. It was a one small stepping stone.

Sound Revolt: Is there a way to get it?
Desyn Masiello: I'm going to find it and I'll put it on my website soon. Yes, definitely. But it wasn't like the thing made me. There's been so many little things, different steps of the ladder. I was slowly, slowly, slowly climbing and the demo was just the first step.

Sound Revolt: What kind of music did you start from? Was it closer to "In House We Trust" or maybe to "Original Series"?
Desyn Masiello: On "In House We Trust" was all Yoshitoshi music, so I can't say it's a CD of my sound. But I did like all those tracks. The promo was more Bedrock. More housey, melodic stuff, quite hard at the end.

Sound Revolt: So you must felt happy receiving proposal to do "Original Series"?
Desyn Masiello: Yes, "happy" is a very good word. But I didn't go out to celebrate that thing.
Sound Revolt: Did you know the title before you started working on it? Did it influence you in a way? What does it mean to you?


Sound Revolt: Has it influenced you in a way? What does the title mean to you?
Desyn Masiello: It meant nothing to me. I just took a chance to put an hour of music that I love onto CD. I could choose anything I wanted.
Sound Revolt: So it was different from what you could do for Yoshitoshi.
Desyn Masiello: Yeah! But with Bedrock I had a lot of problems with licensing. I put forward 20 tracks, and to 7 of them the labels said "no". Every time it was a different reason. One French label said "our music is never out on compilations, we save it for ourselves". This is a French way of promoting. Another label in Germany, Compose, they said "we want to use the track first on our compilation". I did go for some very non progressive music so there was another reason, that some labels didn't want their music on Bedrock, I think. Also some of the tracks, or maybe samples in them, were not cleared, so the labels got nervous and they didn't licensed.


Sound Revolt: What did you feel then? You wanted to promote some tracks on such label like Bedrock and they refused.
Desyn Masiello: Hurts for about 15 minutes. It didn't matter, because when I did my Essential Mix in October, a month after the Bedrock came out, I used all those tracks on there. So in the end people got to hear it.
Sound Revolt: Are you fully satisfied with the album, or would you change something now?
Desyn Masiello: I was only given three weeks by John to do the album. He came to my house and said "I want you to do a CD and in three weeks it has to be ready. Have you got enough music to do it?" So I had no chance to phone people and ask to send tracks. But I wasn't going to say "no" anyway.

Sound Revolt: What was the rush for?
Desyn Masiello: Because I was the first one to do it, and they had already the schedule. From the time you hand the mix in it's still another two months for pressing CDs, promotion, and so on.
Sound Revolt: For me it sounds like they had a whole plan but they didn't have the name to do it. Maybe they just decided to pick you up too late?
Desyn Masiello: No, no, no. They wanted me to start the series, but they also wanted to start it soon. They already had a plan: me, Jonathan Lisle and Luke Fair. And John told me that the first day. It was in June and the CD came out in September. The label had three months to do it, so I had only three weeks for mixing. So if I could probably go back, I would spend some more time on some of the mixes. There are some I'm not happy with, but I'm not the best mixer in the world anyway. I can't mix like James Zabiela or Danny Howells. These people are like computers! So the CD is the reflection of me – I'm not perfect!
Sound Revolt: I was just about to say that. The track selection is amazing, but the mixing itself isn't that good. In some parts you mix melodies which in result give the total mess.
Desyn Masiello: Yes, some of them were a little bit hard on the ear. This was because of the rush. If I had more time I would probably reduce some mixes, or even change the order of the tracks. But it sounds good if you're fucked on drugs.


Sound Revolt: Can't deny! [laughs]
Desyn Masiello: I also make little mistakes when I play live, you'll hear it. But when I did the CD, I listened to it, and I thought "That's how I mix!".

Sound Revolt: So the strong point of Desyn Masiello is track selection, not the mixing, right?
Desyn Masiello: No, wait. I can mix good the whole night. But doing a compilation, choosing your favourite 12 tracks (and you have to use those), it's like jigsaw puzzles and sometimes they simply don't fit. You have to force them together. When you've got three hours it's much easier, as you can spread them out more. With one hour it's tough.


Sound Revolt: With the music you play, how was it like warming up for John Digweed?
Desyn Masiello: I found it difficult. He's a top DJ, one of the best in the world, so I looked up to him and felt like I couldn't be myself. Because if I want to be myself I want to make people go really crazy and I thought that'd be disrespectful. So I had to hold back a little bit before John. I like warming up but I don't do it often.

Sound Revolt: Did he ever complain?
Desyn Masiello: Yeah, once [laughs]. It was in New York and I . played too hard too early. He didn't complain, he just came and said "can you bring it down?". He is very polite at most of the time. And very funny.

Sound Revolt: Is he? Did you ever see him smiling during his sets?
Desyn Masiello: Not during his sets. He concentrates on what he's doing so much.
Sound Revolt: So you the entertainer against John the Statue. I still can't imagine how could this work.
Desyn Masiello: He actually once told me that I confused him with my DJing, because every gig I played completely differently. But I was constantly trying to find the right way to play before him. And I'm doubting I did. But he's a great guy, very nice, still making jokes.
Sound Revolt: Sell us a story.
Desyn Masiello: I'd get in troubles [laughs].
Sound Revolt: Do you know how he introduced your mix in Kiss 100? He said you never sleep and that you're constantly looking for music.
Desyn Masiello: Yes, that's what he thinks. Sometimes he asks me "where do you get all your music?!"

[bonsaikitty]

halo soul selekta, ada rencana buat nonton desyn di double-six bali tgl 11 mei nanti ga? 

[seno]

Desyn Masiello Interview    


Desyn Masiello is undoubtedly one of the DJs you have to go out and see. His career has been exploding in the last few months, and according to the music he plays many people has changed their opinion on house.

We met in Warsaw to talk about his compilation for Bedrock, partying together with John Digweed, about Internet and... Luke Fair's girlfriend.


Sound Revolt: There's a story in your biography about one hundred CDs that made you famous...
Desyn Masiello: I did a demo CD just to promote my name, because nobody knew me anywhere in the world, not even in my home town London where I lived. The CD gave me a few international gigs. It was a one small stepping stone.

Sound Revolt: Is there a way to get it?
Desyn Masiello: I'm going to find it and I'll put it on my website soon. Yes, definitely. But it wasn't like the thing made me. There's been so many little things, different steps of the ladder. I was slowly, slowly, slowly climbing and the demo was just the first step.

Sound Revolt: What kind of music did you start from? Was it closer to "In House We Trust" or maybe to "Original Series"?
Desyn Masiello: On "In House We Trust" was all Yoshitoshi music, so I can't say it's a CD of my sound. But I did like all those tracks. The promo was more Bedrock. More housey, melodic stuff, quite hard at the end.

Sound Revolt: So you must felt happy receiving proposal to do "Original Series"?
Desyn Masiello: Yes, "happy" is a very good word. But I didn't go out to celebrate that thing.
Sound Revolt: Did you know the title before you started working on it? Did it influence you in a way? What does it mean to you?


Sound Revolt: Has it influenced you in a way? What does the title mean to you?
Desyn Masiello: It meant nothing to me. I just took a chance to put an hour of music that I love onto CD. I could choose anything I wanted.
Sound Revolt: So it was different from what you could do for Yoshitoshi.
Desyn Masiello: Yeah! But with Bedrock I had a lot of problems with licensing. I put forward 20 tracks, and to 7 of them the labels said "no". Every time it was a different reason. One French label said "our music is never out on compilations, we save it for ourselves". This is a French way of promoting. Another label in Germany, Compose, they said "we want to use the track first on our compilation". I did go for some very non progressive music so there was another reason, that some labels didn't want their music on Bedrock, I think. Also some of the tracks, or maybe samples in them, were not cleared, so the labels got nervous and they didn't licensed.


Sound Revolt: What did you feel then? You wanted to promote some tracks on such label like Bedrock and they refused.
Desyn Masiello: Hurts for about 15 minutes. It didn't matter, because when I did my Essential Mix in October, a month after the Bedrock came out, I used all those tracks on there. So in the end people got to hear it.
Sound Revolt: Are you fully satisfied with the album, or would you change something now?
Desyn Masiello: I was only given three weeks by John to do the album. He came to my house and said "I want you to do a CD and in three weeks it has to be ready. Have you got enough music to do it?" So I had no chance to phone people and ask to send tracks. But I wasn't going to say "no" anyway.

Sound Revolt: What was the rush for?
Desyn Masiello: Because I was the first one to do it, and they had already the schedule. From the time you hand the mix in it's still another two months for pressing CDs, promotion, and so on.
Sound Revolt: For me it sounds like they had a whole plan but they didn't have the name to do it. Maybe they just decided to pick you up too late?
Desyn Masiello: No, no, no. They wanted me to start the series, but they also wanted to start it soon. They already had a plan: me, Jonathan Lisle and Luke Fair. And John told me that the first day. It was in June and the CD came out in September. The label had three months to do it, so I had only three weeks for mixing. So if I could probably go back, I would spend some more time on some of the mixes. There are some I'm not happy with, but I'm not the best mixer in the world anyway. I can't mix like James Zabiela or Danny Howells. These people are like computers! So the CD is the reflection of me – I'm not perfect!
Sound Revolt: I was just about to say that. The track selection is amazing, but the mixing itself isn't that good. In some parts you mix melodies which in result give the total mess.
Desyn Masiello: Yes, some of them were a little bit hard on the ear. This was because of the rush. If I had more time I would probably reduce some mixes, or even change the order of the tracks. But it sounds good if you're FCUKed on drugs.


Sound Revolt: Can't deny! [laughs]
Desyn Masiello: I also make little mistakes when I play live, you'll hear it. But when I did the CD, I listened to it, and I thought "That's how I mix!".

Sound Revolt: So the strong point of Desyn Masiello is track selection, not the mixing, right?
Desyn Masiello: No, wait. I can mix good the whole night. But doing a compilation, choosing your favourite 12 tracks (and you have to use those), it's like jigsaw puzzles and sometimes they simply don't fit. You have to force them together. When you've got three hours it's much easier, as you can spread them out more. With one hour it's tough.


Sound Revolt: With the music you play, how was it like warming up for John Digweed?
Desyn Masiello: I found it difficult. He's a top DJ, one of the best in the world, so I looked up to him and felt like I couldn't be myself. Because if I want to be myself I want to make people go really crazy and I thought that'd be disrespectful. So I had to hold back a little bit before John. I like warming up but I don't do it often.

Sound Revolt: Did he ever complain?
Desyn Masiello: Yeah, once [laughs]. It was in New York and I . played too hard too early. He didn't complain, he just came and said "can you bring it down?". He is very polite at most of the time. And very funny.

Sound Revolt: Is he? Did you ever see him smiling during his sets?
Desyn Masiello: Not during his sets. He concentrates on what he's doing so much.
Sound Revolt: So you the entertainer against John the Statue. I still can't imagine how could this work.
Desyn Masiello: He actually once told me that I confused him with my DJing, because every gig I played completely differently. But I was constantly trying to find the right way to play before him. And I'm doubting I did. But he's a great guy, very nice, still making jokes.
Sound Revolt: Sell us a story.
Desyn Masiello: I'd get in troubles [laughs].
Sound Revolt: Do you know how he introduced your mix in Kiss 100? He said you never sleep and that you're constantly looking for music.
Desyn Masiello: Yes, that's what he thinks. Sometimes he asks me "where do you get all your music?!"

jadi tour ke china nggak kemarin?