DJ Sun Interview: SXSW 2010

DJ Sun, a.k.a. Andre Sam-Sin, has his finger on the social pulse of indie and alternative music, earning him a reputation as a DJ's DJ. Spinner caught up with the music man before he heads off to SXSW.

How did you get started as a DJ?

I started as a DJ as a sort of fluke. Making a mix of music on cassette tapes for friends in 1993, I was recommended to the host of a Galveston beach party. Everything sort of started there. I've been a DJ since then, with a radio program at KPFT 90.1 (Pacifica) on Saturday (nights).

What are your musical influences?

I was born in Holland and grew up in Suriname. Living there, I was introduced to the music of people who've been there since the days of slavery, the Maroons. Growing up there exposed me to many styles of music and cultural experiences. Part of my heritage is African-American, part is Chinese. It was great to live there, to see such a broad range of cultures. It's a great humanistic lesson. I've been immersed in soul, jazz, disco, salsa, zouk, Caribbean and reggae music, as well as kaseko in Suriname.

What are you working on right now?

Right now, I am putting together a third album, called '100.' I am exploring what is essentially the pre-disco era, before Donna Summer or 'Saturday Night Fever.' '100' refers to the beats per minute. I'm putting together a mix of 14 songs, and then I will ask a few other DJs to interpret their own take by doing a continuous mix. DJs create their own signature on a mix by putting songs in their own order, and by adding their own elements and deciding the length of each song they use. By creating songs at one tempo range, I am ensuring great flow. But each DJ hears these songs differently. They use different elements, and they have different skills and signatures. There aren't actual pauses between the songs in the mix. That's why if I give these songs to J. Boogie or Chicken George. They will sound different and have unique signatures in putting their mixes together.

What are some of the songs from 100 that are coming with you to SXSW?

I pull from some familiar samples to start the Bus and Fun, for instance, just to give a sense of familiarity, while further layering other sounds and samples, and at times using the Korg Trinity (keyboard) and the '71 Wurlitzer electronic piano to mesh with the layers produced in the Akai MPC. I want to give a feel that puts one in the mood to go out as I referenced earlier, taking the metaphor of how my radio (show) at 9:30 p.m. has often been described as that show that folks listen to before going into high energy club or party situations. Whether they listen to the show while getting dressed or on the way in the car. Another metaphor which relates to that is the era between funk and the familiar disco, sort of that boogie, pre-disco era.

Are you a DJ's DJ?

I've heard that before! I am happy that people see me that way. I don't choose songs from the top 40 ... my goal is to really dig in and find great undiscovered music in the aesthetic I'm known for. Using my process, the music has a certain texture and flow, as well as unorthodox sequencing.

What's your unique style and signature (in production)?

I am consistently using a drum machine to sample from vinyl, and my own keyboard. I use a KORG trinity and a 1971 Wurlitzer, and I don't use any software to produce the music. By selecting 100 beats per minute, on this next release, the music is just fast enough to keep you relaxed, and energetic enough to get you ready to party. If hip-hop is about 90-95 beats per minute, and house songs are at about 128, 100 beats per minute is a good range. 100 is a reflection of the pre-disco, obscure era, because disco as we know it is so much faster. It's more of the time of boogie, after James Brown and funk.

DJs seem to have their finger on the social pulse. What do you think about that, and what can you tell us?

Within a certain range of the social pulse, that's true. I don't have a TV, and so I don't watch MTV. Somebody may comment that a song in the popular eye is really hot and I may not know much about that. I am someone who is focused on an exploration of the underground scene, and I am exploring and investigating styles, feels and vibes that stay true. I keep my ears fresh, and with '100,' I am pulling from familiarity, even a snippet of a familiar artist as a lead-in. I may chop it up and make a connection. For instance, in my DJ sets, I may use a sample source that Kanye West or Jay-Z used to draw in the listener and then take them further and deeper with something more obscure. And I really draw from vinyl only. I don't use Serato. Vinyl is analog, not going through the 0s and 1s of compression and the high-tech features of compression. With vinyl, there is still the actual tactile sense of also knowing where the groove is, where the song is.

What about vinyl? Are more musicians putting out at least some of their music this way?

Most music still isn't put out on vinyl, but there is a greater movement towards using vinyl, especially by indie and alternative musicians. Younger musicians are exploring the medium of vinyl and new generations are harkening back to vinyl. As a producer of music, I would like to release a vinyl record along with a permission card to download the digital version. Vinyl sales are increasing, and CDs will probably become obsolete before vinyl.

How do you manage your fan base? Do you travel a lot?

Before my daughter was born 14 years ago, I traveled a lot. These days, I travel more often. I'm in D.C. every two months, playing the 18th Street Lounge. From there, I get to Philadelphia and New York pretty regularly. I'm in San Francisco every three-four months. KEXP in Seattle plays my music. I'd like to do more touring in Seattle-Vancouver.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Water! I have been the last four or five years, and as you go through the umpteen events and parties, you have to stay hydrated. Next in the bag, promo CDs, stickers and cards to network properly. SXSW is a great grassroots festival to gain a network of like-minded folks with similar aspirations.

What are some of your specific musical influences?

Of course I go back to the '70s and refer back to the CTI catalog a lot: Bob James, Idris Muhammad. Herbie Hancock from that same era. Donald Byrd when he worked with the Mizeil Brothers. Brass Construction. I got a great dose of '70s reggae, growing up in Suriname: Dillinger, Big Youth, Yabby U, Jacob Miller, Bunny Waller, Peter Rosh, Bob (Marley) of course! Then '90s hip hop: A Tribe Called Quest and that whole era ... KRS-1, because he heavily influences his early works with reggae. Then moving into the era of Massive Attack (Blue Lines I played over and over), Portishead, Tricky ... Some later works that I can never get enough of: The Avalanches, J. Dilla's 'Donuts,' anything by DJ Krush, Shadow's 'Endtroducing' ...

What's next for DJ Sun?

Things look great for music. Horizons are opening up. Kids today get more exposure than I ever had. My 14-year-old is all about Drake and Lil Wayne, (but) surprised me with citing a Caetano Veloso song the other day. And she listens to Bollywood, and just recently noticed Nithin Sawhney on my iPod and said "I know him," meaning she had heard his music on a Bollywood soundtrack ... enough said!



Donna Rodgers is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.