Magicangelisa caught up with the velvet-tongued S-Man himself, Roger Sanchez, while he was busy in his New Jersey studio putting the finishes touches on the party side of the “Release Yourself” compilation number 4, due out at the end of May. Sanchez describes the CD as a journey from “very chunky and funky, to dirty tribal and ending on an uplifting emotional vibe”. The pre-party side is still under construction, but promises to be “much sexier”.
So how does Roger Sanchez choose which tracks to use on his compilations? How does he go about predicting dance floor hits? ”It’s gotta have a certain kind of vibe to it, it’s gotta move you and hook you in. Sometimes I hear something and just know it will have a good impact and be popular”, he says.
The concept behind the “Release Yourself” CDs, party nights and website came as a result of an earlier album by that name and has grown to become a series of monthly and bi-monthly events held in his home town of New York, as well as Montreal and Ibiza. It’s also spawned a weekly radio show and popular website. Roger says these are “parties where people could really let themselves go and release themselves on the dance floor”. He describes his musical style as “emotional house, from deep to funky to tribal”.
We talked about the progression and development of house music over the years, from its underground beginnings with roots in soul, jazz and funk to its influences now on other forms of music. Sanchez admits that the level of production has “greatly improved over the years”, making the sound much more intricate than it once was and allowing for the blending of so many influences.
The S-man has also been busy working on an artist album due out around October, and he’s already been dropping the title track “Turn on the Music” regularly. The track features vocals by GTO, with Sanchez on backing vocals, and the response has always been massive. His sultry DJ voice also features in the track “Again” and can be heard on the phone to Lisa Pure at the beginning of the sexy track “Hot For You”. These tracks can be heard on his radio shows which boast 12 million listeners in Europe and the U.S. each week, and are also available to hear on his website at http://www.releaseyourself.com.
Sanchez attributes some of his success to the radio show saying; “the radio shows means I have been able to reach more listeners, which gets the music out there”. But he feels his popularity comes from the fact that he pays a lot of attention to his crowds. “I put 100% into what I do, and I make sure I keep the ladies happy ‘cause everything else flows from that”. I laugh saying that could be true in all cases, not just in the clubs!
Keeping the ladies happy is one thing, and as a result Sanchez has a huge female fan base. “Ladies love emotional music”, he says, “with lotsa vocals”. But how do the ladies get the attention of a world famous DJ? “Just be yourself”, he says, “If you’re nice, be nice, if you’re naughty, be naughty!” he quips. And the worst way to get his attention? “To run up to me in the middle of a set, pull of my headphones and ask for that amazing latest Britney Spears remix or something”, he laughs. “But oh, wait… you know what’s worse? Telling the DJ that if he doesn’t have that particular record, that he’s shit!”
In between productions, running his record company Stealth, and the radio show, he also has monthly nights at Spirit (N.Y.) and bi-monthly shows at Stereo (Montreal) as well as a 3-year long residency at Pacha (Ibiza) and touring. So Roger Sanchez is obviously no stranger to travel, but he says that the best thing about coming home is being able to sleep in his own bed.
From his humble beginnings making mix tapes for his buddies in Queens, New York, Roger attributes his success to “a lot of hard work” and a few lucky breaks including U.S. DJ Tony Humphries first playing the runaway hit “Another Chance” from Sanchez’ debut artist album “First Contact”, at one of his parties. The single then went to number 1 in the U.K. in July 2001.
When asked about where his favourite place in the world to play is, he explains that he has a few. “Pacha in Ibiza, for the vibe of the island, the magic of that place. Crobar in New York, because of the special vibe that New York has. Because I was born and raised there, it’s like playing in my backyard. New York has people from all over the world so it feels really international” he says.
Roger Sanchez has also often been heard waxing lyrical about the sound system at Stereo in Montreal, Canada. I ask him what makes it so good and he gives all the credit to the aptly named “Sound-Man Shorty” who was responsible for putting together what Sanchez describes as “the most amazing sound system out there, for the flexibility of equalization, and especially the clarity”.
As we chat about the various gigs and venues he has played, he tells me a funny story about a party he once played in a huge auditorium where they had stretched vinyl across the room to create a dividing wall. The illusion was so convincingly solid, that as he stepped back to lean on the wall he suddenly found himself hanging upside down from the scaffolding. “It looked like a wall! It acted like a wall! I didn’t realise I was auditioning for Spiderman!” he laughs. “Luckily, no one noticed! The show went on without a hitch with Sanchez managing to escape unscathed.
In 2004 Roger Sanchez was named DJ of the year at the House Music Awards in London. So are there any goals that the S-Man has yet to achieve in his musical career? “For me, right now, completing this album is a big deal, then I’d like to do some movie scores, develop more new artists and my record label Stealth. I’d also love to work with some other artists like Sade, Bjork”, he responds.
With an upcoming tour of Asia and Australia Sanchez says that he is looking forward to “chasing the sun” down under yet again. “I can’t wait to get out there and see you guys”, he says, “and remember, it’s all about the music!”
Roger Sanchez touches down in Australia on Sunday April 24th for Heineken Thirst at The Pavilion, Randwick Racecourse, in Sydney with Erick Morillo. For more info check out ITM Whatson or head to http://www.heinekenmusic.com.au.
