Damir & Seymen

The ace Berlin duo smash it with their ‘Losing My Soul’ EP

Interview : Ian Fleming

If you’ve not unearthed the talents of Berlin live act Damir & Seymen yet, then prepare too be enthralled by their distinguished and refined sound. The Berlin duo keep a steadfast and vehemently underground approach to their way of making music, and it’s a way of working that’s stood them in good stead, as they’ve already lined out for a seminal crop of the scene’s most revered labels. Their latest EP is a fitting snapshot into their sound too. Released on Pantagonik, the ‘Losing My Soul’ EP also symbolises their love for the more considered and, ahem, soulful side of the spectrum, and to top matters off, it also comes with a dizzying remix from none other than the always prolific David Keno. We decided to check in with the guys to see what’s what…

You guys met at Tresor. What were the circumstances? Who was playing that night?

“That’s a good question. We don’t really remember who was playing. We met by accident as both of us were totally drunk and immediately got into a discussion about electronic music. However, what we remember is that it was quite a good party.”

Are you both from Berlin? What do you make of the scene there these days? Is it genuinely not as good as it used to be due to gentrification/tourism etc? Or does it still excite you like it used to?

“Neither of us are from Berlin but we moved here a long while ago. We definitely observed a big change during the last 10 years. But 10 years ago it was also not the same as 20 years ago. So it’s wrong to dip into the past. Some things are worse others are better. That’s part of progress. It would be boring without.”

Do you still get to go clubbing in Berlin when you’ve a weekend off then? Where are some of your favourite spots?

“Unfortunately it’s getting less as both of us have less time. We prefer to go to off location parties which are organized by various crews.”

And what’s the best thing about working as a duo? And the worst?

“The good side: you can go to the toilet without a hurry The bad side: you have to share everything. Jokes aside, playing with a partner helps getting to points in a set you alone would not have reached. It’s a continues inspiration from a second person. However, this requires some discipline and that both partners are used to each. Otherwise it’ll turn into bad as you start to destroy each others build up.”

Do you generally play back-to-back? Are you most comfortable doing so?

“Mostly yes. But in between we talk to each other saying where we wanna be the next half an hour. Our setup also includes a NI Maschine so while one is playing the other might also play with effects and fire in some loops.”

Were you both producers in your own right before you hooked up together?

“Short answer: yes.”

Who does what in the studio then? How do you bounce off one another?

“We both do the full stack during production. Most of the time one is controlling the other is advising. Sometimes we do sessions of 30 minutes. One is producing during that time while the other can take care of other tasks on a second computer as for example responding to mails and talk to labels. This can be very productive from a business as well as creative point of view.”

Do you agree on most things then? Are your musical tastes quite similar?

“We have quite a similar taste but not an identical one. That’s actually perfect as we are neither arguing all the time nor producing exactly the same.”

And music aside, what occupies your time?

I’m working at SoundCloud building artificial intelligence algorithms for search and recommendations thus helping others find good music.”

Can you talk us through your latest release on Pentagonik. How did it come about? Is the EP a good indication of your sound and style?

“We tend to produce a broad range of electronic styles from Deep House to Nu Disco over Tech House to Techno. Still this release is a bit unusual as it has a strong pop like build up with all the vocals in it. It’s more meant to be listened at home than many of our previous productions which are more suited for the club.”

And how did CCCAT end up on vocal duties? Have you wanted to work with her for a while?

“This is not our first cooperation with CCCat. We already produced two other tracks. Besides CCCat does vocals during our live set. We really enjoy working with her. I’ve rarely seen a singer who is able to adapt so fast to harmonics listening to the first time.”

What’s next in the Demir & Seymen story?

“The next EP is ready to go. Hopefully, many others will follow. We also have regular parties going on…come and see us!”

https://soundcloud.com/demirseymen
http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/demirseymen