Santé is Equal Parts Producer, DJ, World Traveler and Party Connoisseur

Santé and I had a discussion about whether he considers himself a producer or DJ and the importance of adaptation in the scene today. Let me just take the quick liberty of telling you that the man is one of the most versatile producers in the industry and his label AVOTRE has become a platform where everything is possible—from music, art, fashion to skateboarding.

He has a lot to say, and I'm not going to keep you any longer from him than I have to.

THUMP: So I know you taught yourself to play the guitar when you were younger. Then at 16 you bought an Akai MPC-2000 and did the same. Kind of a different ballgame there, no?
Santé: The real difference is that learning to play guitar takes much more practice to be good. It took me three years and I'm working at it almost every day to be able to play the guitar well. In comparison, the sampler was fairly easy to find success with. Every time I was bored or tired of guitar, I switched on the MPC and sampled something, then looped and cut it. With a lot of trial and error I had some very nice results.

Those results led you to Berlin as a 21-year old, where you were soon working side-by-side with Ali and Basti of Tiefschwarz. Stop me if I have my facts wrong.
You got it and it was a great time. I used to work for an advertising company as a producer. I was making jingles and TV ads. So when I got offered the job as Tiefschwarz's engineer, I was super stoked. We were in the studio together every day and we did many remixes and singles. I also produced their last album and took care of the entire live set-up, as well as planning the tour, which the three of us did together.

That raises the question of whether you consider yourself a producer or a DJ first?
I see myself as both.

But is one more important to you than the other?
It is very, very important these days to be a good producer and to likewise be a good DJ. It's almost impossible to have longevity in your career otherwise. On one hand, you need to produce some bangers for the public to take notice of you and for the clubs to get interested in booking you. On the other, if you are solely a good producer but not a good DJ, you will not get any shows after your first three gigs because you played horribly! So I'm definitely both.

It's settled then. Let the record officially state that Santé is equal parts producer and DJ.
I love when I play in a club or at a festival that's going off. And yet there is no better feeling than dropping some of your own productions and seeing the reactions from the crowd.

Let's talk about some of those productions. Which of them would you best say defines the Santé sound? I've personally long considered it to be your remix of Massimo Girardi's "Settebello." True party track.
Glad you've mentioned that one! It is one of those gems that still rocks the floor today, even though I would say my sound has changed a bit in the past four years. With all my latest remixes and productions for Desolat, Cocoon, Defected, Objektivity or my own label AVOTRE, I always try to evolve and adapt.

Go on…
Like now producing my first artist album, I recorded with a lot of vocalists and worked in different studios in New York City, Los Angeles and London to get inspired and learn more while working with all these people. Overall I would say my sound is constantly growing but it will always be a mixture of house and techno, with a lot of groove and dance floor energy.

Between those destinations you just mentioned and more, describe life on the road. Some artists live for it, others loathe it. Where do you stand?
I like traveling and getting to see so many places that other people only dream of. It is such a great opportunity in my life to tour all over the world. You get to meet a lot of cool people and hang out in amazing cities like New York, LA and Barcelona. Or you get to experience true adventures when you go to faraway places like Curitiba in Brazil. Or even exotic destinations such as Bali, which is where my album tour will take me this fall. All that travel is very inspiring for my productions because I am interested in a lot of different styles of music.

Well said but that's still a lot of time in transit.
To be honest, the airplane has become somewhat of a second studio for me where I can work undisturbed on beats while I am in the air!

Do you have a favourite stop? This is a question I love to ask touring DJs. Your job allows you to visit every city on every continent… amongst them all, what stands out?
I am a big fan of Mexico City. For some reason, I really feel at home there. In fact, I have always loved Mexico and the Mexican culture. Many of my private travels have taken me there for holiday in the past years. I would love to finally play BPM sometime in the future.

As we continue to talk about different parts of the world, how do you feel the North American house scene compares with the European one?
At the moment I believe that the scene is starting to change a lot for the better. It seems like EDM has brought more and more people to listen to dance music in general. The last parties I played in the States were at super cool underground warehouse locations that you were only given directions to a few days before the actual show. There was a nice vibe to them.

Like the 'good old days,' I imagine.
Yes! It somehow reminded me of the early rave days in Germany in the '90s. Even though it still is a small underground house music scene, you can feel and see it spreading to the smaller towns and cities. Thus the movement is getting bigger and bigger.

Would you say Germany—Berlin specifically—is still ground zero for the industry?
It's still a very nice and inspiring place to live and work in. Clubs like Berghain/Panorama Bar, Watergate and Katerholzig definitely define and helped shape club culture. They are places everybody wants to visit and party at. The studios are still comparatively cheap as well, as are the rent and cost of living in general. But at the moment for me, London is the city that is getting ahead again.

Why do you say that? Appears to me that Barcelona has become a very vibrant dance capital where so many of your peers are relocating to.
They throw huge warehouse parties in the east of London and things like the Sankeys Pop Up are just amazing to play at. The crowd is totally up for it and the English love to party! It also seems a bit more open-minded there. It´s amazing how the radio culture and club culture stick together in the UK.

Speaking of club culture, what do you think a place like Ibiza currently represents for dance music? Is there a positive movement happening there or a negative one?
Interesting question. With the opening of the new Hard Rock Hotel this summer, it seems like the island is pushing for more and more of the Las Vegas-style glitz and glam.

And don't forget how VIP and bottle service is taking over too.
But yet the island still has all these magical, untouched and unspoiled places. There is still a hippy feel in the north and the secluded bays tucked away from the party hordes.

Any big plans there for you this summer?
Oh It's a great and exciting summer ahead for me on the isle. We will start our own first AVOTRE label event and I have a residency at Steve Lawler's Viva Warriors, as well as a few shows with Magna Carta at Sankeys.

It just feels natural at this point to ask you what you think is the best party in the world. Is it an established, exposed brand like a Circoloco? Or is it an alternative, lesser known jam?
I think it always depends on the people and the moment as well. Obviously Circoloco at DC-10 is off the hook. But sometimes it can be the small intimate venues that you get a kick from. We just had a wild party and crowd in a 300-person capacity venue in Newcastle called LOOP at theCUT. It was insane.

All this talk about partying, geez, when are we finally going to get to see you back in Canada?
Hopefully soon!

Santé, Sidney Charles and Anna Wall's "Talking House" is an overly bottom ended track that purveys a Chicago born groove at every opportunity. It sticks and moves, launching subtle well-placed flurries of delayed synth stabs. Watch our exclusive video premiere above.

Follow Christopher on Twitter: @theCMprogram