“What I try to always remember is that I never will and never want to jump on the latest fad, everything comes from HOUSE and TECHNO“
– Darius Syrossian 2016
[Rewind 2016]
Darius Syrossian himself said: ‘It’s all House and Techno & and I’m not interested fads’ . This quote does not only define the style and sound of Darius, but also represent the principles by which he has successfully made his name as a DJ, Producer, Label boss and Radio host at a global level. As a true workaholic, Darius Syrossian has been living and breathing, playing and producing house music for all of his adult life.
Having served 14 years in a record shop, he has the grass roots knowledge and understanding that has helped him rise to the very top of the global pile. Having played gigs at every major club and festival in every continent, he has also produced & released music on a whole host of the biggest record labels out there.
We caught up with Darius to chat about what he’s been up to, where he’s venturing next, and asked a few other cheeky questions too…
Hi Darius, how’s it going?
Great, I’m just typing my answers to your interview on my flight back from Copenhagen, Denmark where I played last night, I haven’t been home since Thursday when I played Leeds (Mint Club), then Modena Italy on Saturday and last night Denmark. But the sun is shining through the airplane window and it’s the first day of spring so I’m feeling fresh and excited for the coming months. 🙂
How was the DO NOT SLEEP party at Studio 338 in London the other week?
It was great, you could tell nearly everyone that came, had come for the music, and Do Not Sleep and the line up, it was the week after Studio 338 had 2 huge parties on the Saturday and Sunday, the massive Elrow party on the Saturday & the abode 2016 welcome back party, also it was Mothers day the next morning too, but we still had a great loyal crowd come and it was fantastic to go back2back with Nick Curly. I’ve admired his music for years and released on 8 bit his label back in 2011, so it was nice to hook up again. We’re going to be doing a lot more stuff together as it worked so well, his music has a lot of depth and it isn’t just your typical tech house which seems to be all over the place at the moment.
Are you a fan of Studio 338?
I’ve had some great gigs there, the terrace, the inside room and even done a vinyl only set in the courtyard outside in summer. I’ve seen the place go from being very basic to the amazing venue it is now, but sometimes with lots of renovating, a place can lose its underground character but Dan Perrin from Studio 338 has done a great job as this hasn’t been the case with 338, I’m looking fwd to playing there again.
Going back to Ibiza for a moment, we hear you are at Space Ibiza this summer? can you give us some clues about who is this years Do Not Sleep crew?
Well I can’t say much yet, but I can say for sure you will see 3 or 4 artists that I have musically worked with in the past with productions and releases and label wise, who we didn’t have a chance to have on last summer. Last summer, with Sidney & Sante, was fantastic and we did that one summer together as we had all parted ways with Sankeys at the same time, so it made sense for us to do that season together, the lads were amazing. They will go back to focussing on their own brand AVOTRE and other collaborations they had before Do Not Sleep began, and it allows us to bring in the names that I cannot announce yet, but I’m super excited and all will be revealed soon. It’s not easy keeping it to yourself but we have to wait for the official announcement.
And we hear this summer we are going to see it mixed up a bit with special guests as well as the new handful of regular guests on rotation and solo slots as well as the odd back2back?
Yes correct, you are good at getting inside info, hahah. Well, the ORIGINAL back2back2back thing I introduced at Sankeys, Manchester which was great for the odd occasion, we would do it with whichever DJ was billed. But, as I already mentioned, with the three of us all parting from Sankeys last summer at the same time, and with it being so late on, doing DO NOT SLEEP as a three way thing made sense for last summer. But, we were aware after that, overdoing it could come across as a bit of a gimmick, every artist has his or her own musical direction, you compromise this when you focus too much on back2back2back stuff, however this summer there will still be the odd one here and there and with 2 or 3 of the new DJs we are bringing in. There are also DJs who I have a history of playing with in the past and you will see who they are when we announce the lineups.
You’re in a position where you have earned the reputation that enables to play all around the world, where are your favourite places to play?
Outside the U.K I’ d have to say Italy is one of the best places, I have never really had a bad gig there, and I play in Italy a lot and I love it there, the crowds really let loose, a bit opposite to some places where they are too busy concentrating on being cool, you know, like the obvious hipster spots, but the Italians generally have an eye for style anyway, hahah. When you are djing the dance floor is always full of energy. I also know that Argentina is amazing, I’ve had some amazing shows there recently and I am excited to be going back twice in 2016 already, Buenos Aires & Rosario in May and also Cordoba and some other South American shows after the summer. Finally, I must not forget Dublin, I’ve got to give the Irish a shout, like Italy, I’ve never had a bad gig there.
When you get to play a new city/country, do you get to see much of the place? Or is it usually a case of straight back on the plane?
It all depends, if you are on tour, say in Australia or South America etc, you have a few days in each place, as you are on tour for a couple of weeks at least. If it’s weekends, it all depends on flight times, sometimes you have enough time to go out in the day for a stroll and also have a good dinner pre gig with the promoters in the city, and it is like this in most cases.
As an artist your influences must be constantly changing and evolving. How much does that affect your output? And what are some of the constants throughout your music?
Yes, its very true, for me what I try to always remember is that I never will and never want to jump on the latest fad, everything comes from HOUSE and TECHNO. These are the root of all other genres and subgenres, I never want to lose focus of that, this doesn’t mean your music doesn’t evolve. With my sound, the focus is heavily on the energy of the tracks and the groove, lots of heavy drums, that will always stay. Lately I’m making more tracks that have a bit more depth, are a bit harder, but this doesn’t mean there won’t be that signature sound that i’m best known for with my tracks. You defo wont see me making what I make now then jump onto another bandwagon and try make whatever is the latest thing that has appeared and everyone is copying, I believe it’s better to have YOUR OWN SOUND rather than follow fads.
I’ve read that you prefer using analog equipment more than for example, a Laptop. Do you think there is a stigma associated with too much use of tech or do you think it’s purely personal preference?
It’s absolutely personal preference there is no right or wrong, it’s just that I have always had and used some hardware in my tracks and don’t really use Ableton to make tracks and only use Ableton when it comes to the final mastering stages. Neither way is the correct way, whatever suits you and the main thing is the end result, which is the music!
So final question, we see Do Not Sleep is now not only a party but a record label too and a monthly radio show! How do you find time to do all of this?
Well this is my passion, I truly love everything I do, and for me it’s not just about turning up and djing and getting paid and doing nothing else. The radio show enables me to interact with fans of the music, also bring new music to people who may not have a chance to see me spin. The label also enables us to showcase artists whose music we like but not just established artists but upcoming ones too, I remember years ago on my last label breakoutaudio, I was the first to release Josh Butler, look at him flying now, it feels good to know you support other artists at the beginning and then they move on and smash it. I love all of it the same, the djing, the producing, the radio show, the record label.
Thanks for your time, appreciate it.
My pleasure, thanks for having me, and hope to see you guys in Ibiza over the summer on a Sunday or two 🙂
Balance Music proudly presents
Do Not Sleep: a new double-disc mix from UK hero, Darius Syrossian.
Darius Syrossian has risen up the ranks of the house/techno scene since first emerging on the global stage in the mid-noughties having earned his stripes working in record shops and playing the circuit across his native North of England for many years before. A run of releases on scene-leading labels like Area Remote, OFF Recordings, VIVa Music and Hot Creations firmly established him as one of the hottest properties around. A DJ Mag Best Of British Award followed, and the accolades and acclaim have kept on coming.
Fast-forward to 2016 and the Do Not Sleep label and party of which he is the resident and holds a weekly slot alongside Sundays at Space Ibiza: one of the world’s most hallowed clubs in its final year before the much publicised closure at the end of this summer. Once best known for his muscular, pumping house and techno stylings, Syrossian deftly displays the full gamut of his musical ethos across this engrossing two-part mix. Created using his no-frills setup of 3 CDJs, 2 Technics 1210s and a Pioneer mixer, Do Not Sleep is split into two distinct halves. Disc 1–a live club recording showcasing his spontaneity in his natural environment–and Disc 2–a carefully constructed and prepared studio mix.
Disc 1 was recorded live at The Bow in Buenos Aires, and is a master class in slow-building energy. “I wanted it to be a real mix–as in represent me as a DJ when I’m playing out. So I decided to make it a live recording. This was a big gamble as I had to do it in one take and there was no room at all for error.” Kicking off with jazzy cuts from Demarkus Lewis and Tim Deluxe, Syrossian’s own Andranik picks things up with some subtle tribal energy before the nagging synths and heady vocals of Dennis Ferrer’s The Red Room begin to weave some emotive tension into the proceedings. Heads-down grooving ensues via Apollonia and DJ T, the intensity and trippy undertones amassing bit by bit as Bas Ibellini’s rolling Changes pushes us towards an acidic departure from Burnski and Laurent Garnier’s gnarly 303 classic Crispy Bacon. Syrossian’s What You Say continues the warped theme with its wonky pitch-bent synths, before funk-fuelled rhythms from Ian Pooley and Matt Tolfrey & Heartthrob enter the fray. An update of 808 State’s classic Pacific State’ and Deetron’s thumping Photon deliver an anthemic crescendo.
Disc 2 delves into headier material with moodier and more atmospheric undertones. “It was a bit more planned and progresses from the deeper end of music with a strong groove to music towards the end of the mix which has a bit more emotion.” Francesco Tristano’s piano mastery kicks things off, with Smokin’ Jo and Two Armadillos on hand to set the rhythm rolling before Syrossian helps us to a triple-helping of new productions. The squelching synths and tense strings of Give It To Me recall classic acid, while the intricate percolations of Unicorn Zone brings to mind vintage tech house and minimal funk and show a producer very much in his element. Layers of techno pressure build in the mix’s machinistic mid-section, with Sleeper Thief pulling things back into a more stripped-back place. There are moody vocals from Kacob Korn & Break SL feat. Tabitha Xaiver’s You And Me, and mystical tribal drama from Silicone Soul, leading into a gem of a Larry Heard classic that gives a sublimely hushed let-up from the feisty energy that came before it. Syrossian enlists the help of Bwana and KiNK to reach the mix’s climax, both tracks achieving a real sense of power and grandeur without resorting to obvious tricks.
This is the sound of Darius Syrossian at his purest: a mean, lean DJ with an impressive arsenal of his own productions, flawless mixing and the experience needed to seamlessly weave together the DNA of house and techno music past, present and future. “I wanted the mix to represent me as a DJ. My music is aimed at the dance floor and when I produce music or DJ, the main focus is about the energy and the emotion of the music and the intensity of it.”
Tracklisting:
Disc 1
1. Intro
2. Demarkus Lewis – Electric Wiggle
3. Tim Deluxe – Tryin’ Find a way (Club mix)
4. Darius Syrossian – Andranik
5. Dennis Ferrer – The Red Room (OBJ Vocal Mix)
6. Darius Syrossian – Return of the Favela People
7. Apollonia – Visa Americain
8. DJ T. – Music is Therapy
9. Bas Ibellini – Thats right
10. Burnski – Changes (Dub Mix)
11. Laurent Garnier – Crispy Bacon
12. Darius Syrossian – What you Say
13. Mar-T & Luca Donzelli – Sunday Sampling
14. Ian Pooley – Roller skate Disco
15. Matt Tolfrey & Heartthrob – Can You Control It?
16. House of Virus – Pacific State – (Barber & Finn remix)
17. Deetron – Photon
Disc 2
1. Francesco Tristano – Idiosynkrasia
2. Smokin Jo – Now What
3. Two Armadillos – Jazz Falutin
4. Marc Faenger – Little Helper 224-2
5. Darius Syrossian – The Renegade
6. Darius Syrossian – Give It To Me
7. Darius Syrossian – Unicorn Zone
8. Makam – Girls Night
9. Darius Syrossian – Beetham Tower
10. Sleeper Thief – Full Of You
11. Jacob Korn & Break SL featuring Tabitha Xavier – You and Me
12. Prompt & Onuba – Zora (Silicone Soul’s Hypno House Dub)
13. Larry Heard presents Mr White – The Sun Can’t Compare (Long Version)
14. DrDr – Addicted (Bwana Remix)
15. Jimpster – Porchlight & Rocking Chairs (Kink remix)
[Fast Forward 2024]
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