Here's an archived interview that we did with Sinden around this time last year. If you didn't catch this guy when he played at Pogo, then you is in for a night of serious booty shakin' good times. Enjoy! JS: First of all let’s talk a bit about that pretty sweet residency you scored down in Brixton at Inside Out, can you tell us how that came about for you? GS: That started when I was working in a shop about two years ago and one of our clients was Felix from Basement Jaxx, and he would come in and we’d always talk about music and just chat. He kept coming back and we got to talking about stuff and then I got this call out of the blue from him to say do you wanna come down and DJ at the club, for this new club night that we’ve started. And I said yeah of course! It was a massive honour and then I ended up being a resident there and the only person who played with them on a monthly basis. JS: Pretty cool! GS: Yeah it was very cool! JS: So had Felix heard you DJ before? GS: No, no I just had an ipod and I was playing tunes and it was music that he was really into. I was introducing him to new stuff and that’s how the Balkan album came about, of like gypsy music that they released in the summer, because I was playing gypsy tunes and dancehall records and house tunes. The night actually ended when they went on tour in the spring, it ended this May. JS: So how long was it running for? GS: It ran for a year and a half. The nights were crazy they were just off the hook. There’d just be like 500 or 600 people cos it’s a smallish club but it was always rammed to the gills and it was like a sweat box. The Jaxx were there, they were like the main attraction, all kinds of music, a mad mash up of different stuff. JS: So has anything led from that in terms of residencies elsewhere? GS: Yeah, actually me and Switch have just started a residency at Fabric. JS: Yeah I remember him talking about that the last time he was in Dublin GS: Yeah we’ve been really excited about this, not only are we playing bi-monthly but we’re also programming, so we get to get our own people in and come up with a hot list of people we want to book. JS: So that’s kicking off in January isn’t it? GS: Yeah January, we’ve got Crooklyn Klan and Switch and myself and Radioclit which are a London duo, so it’s gonna be pretty cool JS: Excellent. That’s kind of been in the pipeline for a while for you guys hasn’t it? GS: It has been yeah, we’ve been talking about it and trying to lock it down for a while now and we’ve had several meetings cos we always wanted to be involved in Fabric, it’s THE ONLY club! Not mentioning any other big clubs! JS: Well Dave has nothing but good things to say about you, he was singing your praises when I spoke with him after one of his first gigs for us. GS: Cool! JS: Yep, bigging you up all the way, so tell us a bit about what he’s like to work with, how does the partnership work for you both? GS: The dynamic started when I was working at a PR company and he was doing some stuff for the label and he kind of pulled me in. He knew I was into music and that I knew about records and it started off that I didn’t really know much about production. He knew loads of stuff about production and I was just feeding him samples and eventually he just taught me the ropes basically. I would just watch him and look over his shoulder and see what he was doing and now… yeah…well I’m not quite up to his level. At all (laughs). He’s still the master JS: Well he was saying to us you’ve really got to check out this guy Graeme he’s wicked! He also mentioned that you were working on getting a radio slot. And now you’ve got a slot with Radio 1 so good work there no? GS: Yeah that’s something we were talking about a long time ago and eventually it happened off the back of a gig I was doing at Basement Jaxx. JS: That’s pretty cool, it’s once a week isn’t it? GS: Once a week yeah on Wednesday nights. JS: So you’re free to just do your own thing with that GS: Do whatever I want yeah! They give me free reign to just play weird world music. JS: Tell us a bit about Counterfeet and where you’d like to go with the label? GS: Well it started off as kind of a Bootleg label and now we’ve taken it a bit more seriously and are putting out a lot more original productions, trying to sign artists and nurture new artists. We’ve got these guys called Radioclit who are bringing some stuff out for us and we’re going to sign them up for two more EPs. So we’re always trying to sign new stuff. It’s not like Dubsided, Dave’s label which is more house led, it’s going to be a little bit more eclectic. Still quite house music based but with hip-hop and grime and dance hall, a good mix up. JS: So is there something you’re looking for that will make you go YES that’s right for Counterfeet? GS: God there are so many things that I’d love to sign but it’s just timing and getting the right people involved. I’m sure next year we’re going to try and step up the releases and get a lot more stuff out. JS: Good stuff. In terms of music that really broke big last year, world music had a huge effect on the sound of the ‘06 GS: Yeah definitely JS: How do you see the next twelve months going, is that going to continue or is there anything new and exciting coming through? GS: Yeah actually I was in Lisbon a couple of days ago and I was playing alongside these guys called Baracca who are Portuguese but like taking their sound from Africa and doing their own thing with it. I mean I don’t know if I can see it being commercially successful it’s more like an underground thing but it’s really exciting and hopefully they’re gonna do big things JS: Cool, so a similar kind of trend for the next twelve months? GS: Yeah, and these guys are definitely ones to watch. I don’t know whether it’ll take off but it’s good stuff. JS: In terms of your DJ sets, you definitely like to mix it up! GS: Yeah I do, anything goes! JS: Technically speaking how does that work, how do you keep everything so smooth? GS: By being really anal about my choice of music and BPMing everything! Everything I play I know exactly what tempo it is so if I want to mix a rock record into I don’t know whatever else I know exactly where I am with it. It just takes a lot of time and you need to know your tunes. So definitely do your homework! JS: Do you think a good DJ should be showcasing all kinds of music? GS: Not necessarily I think play to your strengths. If you like mixing it up then mix it up but I’ve got a lot of time for DJs who just play one style of music. Like, I love listening to a house set or a hip-hop set or any DJ on top of their game just playing good tunes. It gets a bit boring if it’s a bit monotonous after a while so it’s cool to mix it up a bit as well so a lot of people are getting into the eclectic mash up kind of thing, it’s just whether they can pull it off or not cos sometimes it gets a little bit…… JS: F**ked up???!! GS: Basically yeah! JS: There was a debate on our forum recently about certain DJs who have been round the block and been on the go for the last ten or fifteen years and a lot of people are getting a bit fed up with hearing them trot out the same old stuff when we’re paying twenty quid a gig to see them, so do you think there comes a time when a DJ should hang up his headphones and retire gracefully? GS: Yeah, I know what you mean. I think there comes a stage when you’ve got to consider it. But the thing is though, these guys are still making a lot of good money out of it so for them that’s what it boils down to, that’s their motivation. I don’t know if they still get excited about music and by what they do. But there’s certain people that I really look up to who haven’t kept up with the trends they just keep playing their kind of thing. Which is cool from a nostalgic point of view but they don’t really step it up. At the same time I’ve always been a big fan of theirs you know? JS: And it’s hard to let that go when they were rockin’ your world musically for such a long time. GS: Exactly, it can get a bit DJ by numbers for them that’s the problem I think. You can almost guess the next record. JS: So who would be the guys that are really pushing the boundaries for you? GS: DJwise I like Diplo I like Erol Alkan a lot, Annie Mac’s really cool, Dave obviously, I’m sure there’s more I can’t think off the top of my head there’s so many. JS: Finally, Dublin has a really buzzing young DJ and producer scene, there are so many people who would love to make a living in this game so what would be the biggest tip or piece of advice you could offer? GS: Tough question. Ehhhhhh. Stay really focussed on it. I think you either have to do it or you don’t, it takes a lot of time and dedication. Also consider producing records, get into the production side cos that will really help you book gigs. If you want to get booked up as a DJ then you need to get into the studio and make a name off your tracks. The best DJs are the ones that have got a lot of exclusives and are bringing their own signature sound to the club, where you can’t actually go and hear those records anywhere else. Take the time to put your own stamp on your DJing. Sound advice from a thoroughly sound chap!

Here's an archived interview that we did with Sinden around this time last year. If you didn't catch this guy when he played at Pogo, then you is in for a night of serious booty shakin' good times. Enjoy!

JS: First of all let’s talk a bit about that pretty sweet residency you scored down in Brixton at Inside Out, can you tell us how that came about for you?

GS: That started when I was working in a shop about two years ago and one of our clients was Felix from Basement Jaxx, and he would come in and we’d always talk about music and just chat. He kept coming back and we got to talking about stuff and then I got this call out of the blue from him to say do you wanna come down and DJ at the club, for this new club night that we’ve started. And I said yeah of course! It was a massive honour and then I ended up being a resident there and the only person who played with them on a monthly basis.

JS: Pretty cool!

GS: Yeah it was very cool!

JS: So had Felix heard you DJ before?

GS: No, no I just had an ipod and I was playing tunes and it was music that he was really into. I was introducing him to new stuff and that’s how the Balkan album came about, of like gypsy music that they released in the summer, because I was playing gypsy tunes and dancehall records and house tunes. The night actually ended when they went on tour in the spring, it ended this May.

JS: So how long was it running for?

GS: It ran for a year and a half. The nights were crazy they were just off the hook. There’d just be like 500 or 600 people cos it’s a smallish club but it was always rammed to the gills and it was like a sweat box. The Jaxx were there, they were like the main attraction, all kinds of music, a mad mash up of different stuff.

JS: So has anything led from that in terms of residencies elsewhere?

GS: Yeah, actually me and Switch have just started a residency at Fabric.

JS: Yeah I remember him talking about that the last time he was in Dublin

GS: Yeah we’ve been really excited about this, not only are we playing bi-monthly but we’re also programming, so we get to get our own people in and come up with a hot list of people we want to book.

JS: So that’s kicking off in January isn’t it?

GS: Yeah January, we’ve got Crooklyn Klan and Switch and myself and Radioclit which are a London duo, so it’s gonna be pretty cool

JS: Excellent. That’s kind of been in the pipeline for a while for you guys hasn’t it?

GS: It has been yeah, we’ve been talking about it and trying to lock it down for a while now and we’ve had several meetings cos we always wanted to be involved in Fabric, it’s THE ONLY club! Not mentioning any other big clubs!

JS: Well Dave has nothing but good things to say about you, he was singing your praises when I spoke with him after one of his first gigs for us.

GS: Cool!

JS: Yep, bigging you up all the way, so tell us a bit about what he’s like to work with, how does the partnership work for you both?

GS: The dynamic started when I was working at a PR company and he was doing some stuff for the label and he kind of pulled me in. He knew I was into music and that I knew about records and it started off that I didn’t really know much about production. He knew loads of stuff about production and I was just feeding him samples and eventually he just taught me the ropes basically. I would just watch him and look over his shoulder and see what he was doing and now… yeah…well I’m not quite up to his level. At all (laughs). He’s still the master

JS: Well he was saying to us you’ve really got to check out this guy Graeme he’s wicked! He also mentioned that you were working on getting a radio slot. And now you’ve got a slot with Radio 1 so good work there no?

GS: Yeah that’s something we were talking about a long time ago and eventually it happened off the back of a gig I was doing at Basement Jaxx.

JS: That’s pretty cool, it’s once a week isn’t it?

GS: Once a week yeah on Wednesday nights.

JS: So you’re free to just do your own thing with that

GS: Do whatever I want yeah! They give me free reign to just play weird world music.

JS: Tell us a bit about Counterfeet and where you’d like to go with the label?

GS: Well it started off as kind of a Bootleg label and now we’ve taken it a bit more seriously and are putting out a lot more original productions, trying to sign artists and nurture new artists. We’ve got these guys called Radioclit who are bringing some stuff out for us and we’re going to sign them up for two more EPs. So we’re always trying to sign new stuff. It’s not like Dubsided, Dave’s label which is more house led, it’s going to be a little bit more eclectic. Still quite house music based but with hip-hop and grime and dance hall, a good mix up.

JS: So is there something you’re looking for that will make you go YES that’s right for Counterfeet?

GS: God there are so many things that I’d love to sign but it’s just timing and getting the right people involved. I’m sure next year we’re going to try and step up the releases and get a lot more stuff out.

JS: Good stuff. In terms of music that really broke big last year, world music had a huge effect on the sound of the ‘06

GS: Yeah definitely

JS: How do you see the next twelve months going, is that going to continue or is there anything new and exciting coming through?

GS: Yeah actually I was in Lisbon a couple of days ago and I was playing alongside these guys called Baracca who are Portuguese but like taking their sound from Africa and doing their own thing with it. I mean I don’t know if I can see it being commercially successful it’s more like an underground thing but it’s really exciting and hopefully they’re gonna do big things

JS: Cool, so a similar kind of trend for the next twelve months?

GS: Yeah, and these guys are definitely ones to watch. I don’t know whether it’ll take off but it’s good stuff.

JS: In terms of your DJ sets, you definitely like to mix it up!

GS: Yeah I do, anything goes!

JS: Technically speaking how does that work, how do you keep everything so smooth?

GS: By being really anal about my choice of music and BPMing everything! Everything I play I know exactly what tempo it is so if I want to mix a rock record into I don’t know whatever else I know exactly where I am with it. It just takes a lot of time and you need to know your tunes. So definitely do your homework!

JS: Do you think a good DJ should be showcasing all kinds of music?

GS: Not necessarily I think play to your strengths. If you like mixing it up then mix it up but I’ve got a lot of time for DJs who just play one style of music. Like, I love listening to a house set or a hip-hop set or any DJ on top of their game just playing good tunes. It gets a bit boring if it’s a bit monotonous after a while so it’s cool to mix it up a bit as well so a lot of people are getting into the eclectic mash up kind of thing, it’s just whether they can pull it off or not cos sometimes it gets a little bit……

JS: Fked up???!!

GS: Basically yeah!

JS: There was a debate on our forum recently about certain DJs who have been round the block and been on the go for the last ten or fifteen years and a lot of people are getting a bit fed up with hearing them trot out the same old stuff when we’re paying twenty quid a gig to see them, so do you think there comes a time when a DJ should hang up his headphones and retire gracefully?

GS: Yeah, I know what you mean. I think there comes a stage when you’ve got to consider it. But the thing is though, these guys are still making a lot of good money out of it so for them that’s what it boils down to, that’s their motivation. I don’t know if they still get excited about music and by what they do. But there’s certain people that I really look up to who haven’t kept up with the trends they just keep playing their kind of thing. Which is cool from a nostalgic point of view but they don’t really step it up. At the same time I’ve always been a big fan of theirs you know?

JS: And it’s hard to let that go when they were rockin’ your world musically for such a long time.

GS: Exactly, it can get a bit DJ by numbers for them that’s the problem I think. You can almost guess the next record.

JS: So who would be the guys that are really pushing the boundaries for you?

GS: DJwise I like Diplo I like Erol Alkan a lot, Annie Mac’s really cool, Dave obviously, I’m sure there’s more I can’t think off the top of my head there’s so many.

JS: Finally, Dublin has a really buzzing young DJ and producer scene, there are so many people who would love to make a living in this game so what would be the biggest tip or piece of advice you could offer?

GS: Tough question. Ehhhhhh. Stay really focussed on it. I think you either have to do it or you don’t, it takes a lot of time and dedication. Also consider producing records, get into the production side cos that will really help you book gigs. If you want to get booked up as a DJ then you need to get into the studio and make a name off your tracks. The best DJs are the ones that have got a lot of exclusives and are bringing their own signature sound to the club, where you can’t actually go and hear those records anywhere else. Take the time to put your own stamp on your DJing.

Sound advice from a thoroughly sound chap!

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