This month sees house music’s acclaimed imprint Snatch! Records celebrate its landmark 100th release with the label’s esteemed head honcho Riva Starr teaming up with Chicago’s most unconventional house hero Green Velvet to deliver an EP well worthy of its billing. Since its 2010 conception Snatch! has prided itself on releasing music from a diverse array of talented artists, boasting releases from the likes of Carl Cox, Groove Armada, Matthias Tanzmann, Skream, Andrea Oliva, Davide Squillace, Santos, Romanthony, Dennis Cruz, wAFF, Richy Ahmed, Darius Syrossian, Francisco Allendes, Adam Port, &ME, Butch and Paolo Martini. So who better to grab five minutes with than the main man himself…
Interview by Dan Prince
Riva a huge welcome back to DMCWORLD, where on this crazy planet are you today?
Hi Dan, I’m just about to leave again for America and South America for a couple of weeks!
The best piece of new music you have heard since rolling out of your pit?
I must say that I’m totally in love with all of KiNK’s latest productions. His new album ‘Playground’ on Running Back following his ’Perth’ single is just plain amazing. He’s a super nice chap too!
So incredibly exciting times for you at the moment thanks to your label Snatch! Records chalking up it’s landmark 100th release. What was the initial idea behind the label and has it fulfilled your wildest dreams?
Wow man, I’m so happy about all of this, the initial idea was just to have an independent outlet where I could release my stuff whenever I wanted and also to make a new platform available for the people I thought could rock the club. And we actually did this and hopefully still do nowdaays…we always try and keep it fresh and always look for the odd tune that makes the difference!
Who are some of the young producers you have been especially proud to help break?
We’ve had a few from Pirupa to Dennis Cruz, Emanuel Satie, Astin and Ruben Mandolini and many more. The 100th release is another Snatch! banger, this time in the form of a EP collab with Green Velvet titled ‘Keep Pushin (Harder)’.
Give us the low down on the music…
Well, it was a dream for me to be able to celebrate this milestone with Caj, he is amazing and always supportive even when I do my stuff on his labels (I recently did a whole album on Cajual and I’m going to release a new EP on Relief in December. I just asked him if he fancied a collab on Snatch! and a few weeks later…there you go, this double tracker for you!
Pre order here…
https://www.beatport.com/release/keep-pushin-harder/2135652
To celebrate the release you are holding a wee party at EGG where you will be joined by Denis Cruz, Gene Farris and Knowhat. A superb line up may I add! This party will kick right?
Yeah, we’re look forward to this too! Egg has one of my favourite rooms and soundsystems in the UK and it’s gonna be good to celebrate this with my fellow producer/DJs (we did a track together on Snatch! called PLAY that topped Beatport for more than a month last year!).
I interviewed Bob Sinclar last week after another mad summer at Pacha and I asked him for some tips of people to watch out for in 2018. And cor blimey he named you! Lotta love coming from Paris for you sir…
Chris is a lovely person and a legendary figure in the business, gotta thank him next time I meet him!
What are the 3 big tunes in your box this weekend…
Hyperloop – Resilience
This is my side project which has just been released on Adam Beyer’s Truesoul, it’s gaining massive support from all the key jocks and also lot of love from the people!
Kink – Perth
As mentioned before, this track is one of my favourites of 2017, the energy and fresh take is second to none. Amazing.
Bicep – Glue
Big fan of these guys, coming from a d’n’b/breakbeat background I couldn’t but love all their recent productions!
Toss a few summer highlights our way…
Touring pretty much all over the place, making lots of new friends and getting to know lots of new places like Beirut for example which I really loved!
And finally, what is coming out next from the label…
We have the end of the year BEST OF and some interesting EPs from some super talented kids, both on SNATCH! and our sister label BROCK WILD!
Riva Starr & Green Velvet ‘Keep Pushin’ (Harder)’ EP is available exclusively via Beatport on 17th November and everywhere else two weeks later…
https://soundcloud.com/rivastarr
