Our next Mixed By comes from Toronto-based DJ, producer, and community organiser: Ciel. You might recognise the name Ciel via her Discwoman affiliation, or you might have read all about her on Resident Advisor’s Breaking Through. You might have listened to her record released on Shanti Celeste’s Peach Discs last year. You might have heard about her inclusivity and safer spaces work in Toronto through her projects Work In Progress and It’s Not U It’s Me. Or else, you might have simply just seen her name plastered on bills all across Europe and North America non-stop this summer.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixed-by-ciel” /]
The mix she kindly recorded for us, self-titled “My House Is Prog House”, is an hour or so of pleasantly tuneful yet decisively hard-hitting rave music. It’s an elated flurry of uplifting trancey keys, feel-good euro-dance vocals, shuffley breaks and hard-house basslines, all sandwiched between a dramatically poignant climax at open and close.

Listen to the mix whilst reading Ciel’s reflection on touring, promoting and producing over the past year… then dance, shed a singular tear doused in pure euphoria, and dance even harder.

INTERVIEW

Thanks for chatting and for sharing with us this mix, Cindy. What was your process behind putting it together? Is there a specific idea or feeling you were trying to communicate, are these tracks that you’ve been playing out a lot recently, record finds from digging whilst on tour etc. ?
I make a lot of mixes. Depending on how busy I am, some mixes are a reflection of things I’m playing out in clubs and on tour, and some are more of a love letter to a particular mood or genre. I had some time at home the past while so this mix fits more within the latter category. Growing up as a nerdy teen who didn’t drink and spent most of my time in the library or on music message boards, I very early on in my life built my identity around being a music snob. This intensified when I went to university and joined the campus radio station. Music snobs are very dismissive of entire musical genres, especially genres they’re told aren’t “cool” and they aren’t particularly familiar with. The past 5 years of being a DJ has involved a lot of active unlearning of this way of thinking, and learning to give every genre a chance. In dance music, there are so many styles that are especially hated, whether that’s trance, tech house, goa, dubstep, etc. It takes a lot of guts and confidence to proudly defend genres to people who don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. So I decided to make a mix of some of my favourite progressive house tracks, as a thank you to all the people who told me to give it a chance when I derided it without knowing much about it at all.

It seems you’ve been DJing away from home quite a bit this year! But the next few weeks you’re back in Toronto, putting your promoter hat on. How do you find balance between your life as a touring artist, and your personal commitment to being a community leader in your local scene? Do you feel there is at times conflict between these roles, or more that experiences in one would enhance and enrich your work in the other? In what ways?
There is absolutely a conflict between the two and I have a feeling it’s going to take me quite some time to figure this one out. Touring is a necessary part of my job as a DJ, but it’s also important for me to maintain my roots in Toronto and continue to bring artists here when I have time to throw events. The act of being a promoter is itself a social job, you have to know people in the scene, build relationships with local artists, attend other people’s parties, etc. Being on the road a lot means I can’t do a lot of the things that once made me a good promoter, even though the more I tour, the bigger my name gets, the easier it actually becomes to get people to come out to my events. I just end up missing a lot of things because I’m always away, and aside from being a promoter, it has been hard on me emotionally to miss out on so many important milestones & moments in my friends’ lives. I’m still figuring it out. Sure, sometimes I see really cool shit when I’m performing in some of the best European clubs, and I’ll take photos and send them back to my AV partner, but the positives don’t always outweigh the negatives. It’s just a matter of chatting with friends at home and finding out from them what’s new in the scene, showing up as often as I can when I’m home, and establishing firm boundaries with my agents so that I get plenty of time off in between tours.

This past year has brought along with it many milestone moments for you – from DJing Boiler Room Toronto, to being signed to Discwoman, to your Resident Advisor Breaking Through article. Apart from these obvious achievements, what have been some special moments for you personally in your development as an artist? And what are some goals or dreams that you are looking to work towards achieving for the next year?
For me, one of my fav moments of this past year was playing at Club Toilet during Movement Detroit. It’s consistently named the best Movement party, and being asked to perform at the time slot I did, performing before my friend Russell Butler, looking out into the crowd and seeing my personal hero Titonton Duvante cheering and dancing super hard, and hearing from countless people that I played their favourite set of the weekend really meant the world to me. Playing Saule in Berghain for the Discwoman showcase was of course also really special. In general, this past year I have played a lot of dream gigs and venues, places I never thought in my wildest dreams would be possible, and that has been super exciting. But touring can be extremely stressful for me, I’m hard on myself and anxious when I’m on long tours, and whether I am pleased with my performance often depends on so many factors that I can’t control such as crowd (and how male the crowd is) and familiarity with the local scene. As such it’s not always what I think about when I think about my fav moments. For me my proudest moments were receiving my first record in the mail with my name on it, signing my next EP, doing my first and second remixes, and getting my first advance for music I made. As an electronic artist, I will always think of myself as first and foremost a DJ, but most of my future goals and dreams centre around making music, playing live for the first time, signing my next releases. Making music feels more enduring than DJing, and the ego in me is really looking forward to making more music that leaves an impression on people, people who don’t always have the means to come see me play in some sick club in Europe.

I’ve read around that you have an EP coming out soon with Coastal Haze? This will be your second released record after last year’s Electrical Encounters on Peach Discs, which was premiered on Bolting Bits actually. How has your sound and production style evolved from the first record to this? Have you acquired any new gear? And have you found that your production sensibility has influence your take on DJing at all?
Actually two of the tracks on this EP were made not long after my first EP for Peach Discs, during the summer of 2017. They were made entirely in Ableton with built-in instruments, some samples from video games and records from my collection, and an axiom 49 midi keyboard. Most of my tunes are still made 70% in Ableton, with drums or synth parts recorded from gear I have started to incorporate in my production, namely a Waldorf Blofeld synth and a Korg Electribe ESX1. the third track on my new EP, the longest one, was made mostly using the Blofeld and arranged in Ableton. i bought a new drum machine in the past year as well, a Boss DR202, on the recommendation of my friend Umfang. but I haven’t had much time to play with it. I absolutely love my ESX1 and use it like a drum machine. I like to use it when I jam with my friend Wiretapping, we’ve recorded quite a few jams which were later arranged in Ableton, with additional parts added, and turned into more complete tracks. Two of them will appear on my next release, which I have signed with a respected American record label whose name I can’t divulge just yet. I think in that release, you will see a much more noticeable departure from my previous “sound”. Although to be fair, if you listen to all of my music, including the one-off tracks released on VA comps in the past year or two, I’ve made everything from electro to techno to stuff that sounds almost like dubstep. So much like my Djing, I eschew any kind of “sound”, but I understand if you only listen to my EPs, you would think I only made house / breaks.

Interview by Maria.

Cet article MIXED BY/ Ciel est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

A veteran producer and as versatile a DJ as they come, Stuart Li, better known as Basic Soul Unit, has been a steady name in house and techno circles alike for over a decade. He’s had releases on many big name labels over the years such as Dekmantel, Dolly, Mule Musiq and also runs his own imprint alongside friend and collaborator J-UL called Lab.our Music. The Toronto native’s flexibility behind the decks is one well noted and is a result of having been an avid record collector and DJ before moving into the world of production. On any given night you may catch Basic Soul Unit playing a variety of styles and genres whether it’s behind the decks or via his live set.

Last year, Stuart released his second album and contributed a mix for Resident Advisor’s long-running podcast series which only helped to raise his already respected status. Behind the scenes he’s also a full-time father and husband as well as a graphic designer. We were lucky enough to squeeze out a mix and interview from the busy dad, covering all aspects of his hectic lifestyle in this installment of our MIXED BY series.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixedby-basicsoulunit” /]

INTERVIEW

As someone who’s been producing for quite some time, you’ve had the chance to work with and remix some fantastic artists, as well as release music on some premiere labels. To date, do any past collaborations or remixes stand out for you and is there a label that you’d love to release on in the future?

Probably my favourite remix is the one I did for Jacob Korn on Dolly. I was honoured to be included on the inaugural release for Steffi’s label. I feel lucky and humbled to have released on so many of my favourite labels. I haven’t really thought about other labels I’d like to be on. Having released on so many labels, I’m now concentrating on running my own label (w partner Jason Ulrich aka J-UL) and working with the labels I’ve already established a relationship with.

You recently released your second full length album “Under The Same Sky”, this time on the acclaimed Dekmantel label. The overall feel of the album seemed to be a bit rawer and even harder hitting than some of your previous work. Can you give us a little insight into your creative process, whether anything has changed in your approach over the years and how you’ve managed to stay so successful in the ever-changing world that is dance music.
From the beginning I’ve never set out to make a track with a concept in mind. 90% of the time I am just messing around either the software (currently using Reason) or gear. Even if I do have a melody and a sound in mind, it always ends up sounding different then what I had pictured. For this album, I did have a vague idea that I wanted to strip it down a bit and play with sound design more but that was it.
As far as influences, I’ve always listened to and played a lot of different styles. I guess this and my exploratory approach to production helps keeps things fresh for me.

Resident Advisor’s highly coveted podcast series saw you as their guest for the 489^th installment back in October of 2015. How did that come about? Was it an exciting moment for you and did you approach this mix any differently than you normally would?
I was definitely excited to do this mix. It came about as a result of my album release around that time. I’m usually more known for house leaning sounds but in keeping with the feel of my album, I decided to record a techno oriented set. I tried my best to express a wide spectrum of sounds within the vocabulary of techno.

Running your own imprint Lab.our Music, it seems that you’ve been able to focus on pushing a lot of local Toronto talent. Was it always part of the plan to help promote artists that were closer to home and can you perhaps identify any that have popped up on your radar more recently?
It’s not a strict requirement but we did want to be able to give local artists a platform for exposure. There are some releases in the works by artists new to the label. “R” is one name who’s already had a release on Crème Organization’s sub level Jericho One, Benjamin Wood had a release recently on Canadian label (by way of Berlin) Carousel and also Jerry Riggs (one half of Hermans) doing a colab with Krizzli.

A family man and graphic designer by day, how do you manage to find the time to produce new material, run Lab.our Music as well as tour internationally?
Truth be told, I never expected I would still be doing this seriously at my age. I never had a plan for how things would work out and basically just went with the flow. Of course it gets hectic sometimes and money can get tight but we (as in my family) have figured out how to make it work for us (much gratitude to my wife for her patience). The thing is even though I travel and am away from home time to time, I probably spend more time with my daughter than if I was working a 9-5. Doing graphics from home gives me the flexibility to work my own hours and also if necessary while I’m on the road. As far as time to make music, that’s probably why I work a lot in the box. I fit it in whenever I have the chance: on a day when my workload is not busy, an hour or 2 late at night, while I’m on the plane on or on the road. You have to make concessions and be flexible but where there is a will there is a way.

Growing up in Toronto, specifically during the rave boom of the early to mid 90’s, you’ve seen the ups and downs of the scene here. It feels like there was something missing over the last couple of years, likely due to the heavy municipal restrictions we have on alcohol, lack of venues and the falling Canadian dollar. More recently though, there have been a number of parties popping up, often in more unconventional spaces with a younger demographic pushing a lot more local talent and left-field music. Have you also started to notice a bit of a resurgence lately?
Those laws have always been around but what has changed is that people are moving to and living in downtown. With gentrification of course comes complaints and enforcement of these laws. There has definitely been more momentum in the scene lately though. Part of it is that there is a younger and enthusiastic generation coming in. Also, the older promoters and the younger kids are both finding creative ways and sometimes working together to keep the scene going in spite of the legal restrictions. This tells me that there is still passion in the scene.

Here at Bolting Bits we like to talk about gear. You were mainly an in the box producer for quite some time and then expanded to hardware further down the road. Can you give us a small tour of your studio and talk about some of your favourite pieces?
I still work a lot in the box especially on the road as I mentioned earlier. However, I did start buying a few pieces here and there both because I wanted to get a sense of how the music I grew up on was made and also trying a more tactile and improvisational approach to producing. Having a mortgage and a family, I don’t have much of a budget and thus most of my pieces are affordable. As I mentioned before, I’ve been using Reason for the last few years. Sometimes I will try to incorporate elements from the gear with it (with Reason being slave and the gear also running through Live). Sometimes I just jam on the gear alone and record it in one take. For drums I have an MFB503 (909 clone), a 707, and a Korg Volca Beats. I love the layout and sequencer on the 707 for live drum programming. It’s not my favourite as far as drum sounds but having the faders are great. I also have a Korg Electribe EMX-1 which I can use for beats or some synth sounds. I’ve got a Korg Poly-800 as well as a Juno Alpha 2 (which needs repair). One of my favourite pieces is a home homemade tone generator I bought off E-bay from Japan. It’s about the size of a pedal and it’s percussive meaning it makes a tone when you tap it. It has a few knobs where you can control pitch, decay, etc. I hook this up to a Electro Harmonix looper which has 4 recordable channels and a Memory Man and then hours of fun noise and loop generation can be had.

You were a record collector and DJ before you started producing and your sets tend to reflect your expansive taste. We’d love to know what some of your favourites in your collection are from both past and present, any genre.
The ones that come to mind right away are:

– James Mason / Rhythm of Life LP
– Fingers / Distant Planet/Never Lonely No More EP
– Tenório Jr / Embalo LP
– 4 Hero / Two Pages LP
– Pharoah Sanders / Journey to the One LP

But definitely too many others to count.

Apart from being a choice selector behind the decks, your live show is also a treat. Are you booked to DJ more often than you are to play a live show or is it somewhat a mix of the two? Any notable upcoming gigs?
It’s a mix of the two with DJing a bit more often. I really enjoy doing live shows but I suppose DJing was my first love and passion since I was a kid! I’m off to Europe again in the fall late Sept to mid Oct, with dates TBA soon!

Finally, can we expect any new Basic Soul Unit material this year?
I’m finishing up another EP for Dolly at the moment. I’ve got a track coming soon on a Finale Sessions V.A. EP with an all-star cast including Luke Hess, Patrice Scott and Michael Zucker. Also, I have an EP with some material from my archive coming on a new Italian label called Ribbon. I played for them earlier this year and was really impressed with their scene in a small town near Rome. There are also some remixes coming soon as well.

Interview by Igor

Cet article MIXED BY/ Basic Soul Unit est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.