Roger Shah

DMC World Magazine·
Features

Listen to the crashing waves, the swirling Spanish guitar, and let beautiful vocals caress your eardrums

Interview : Dan Prince

Roger Shah has made a name for himself catering to the needs and desires of Balearic-minded people everywhere. Forever capturing the essence of Ibiza, Shah created the alias ‘Sunlounger’ to take his beach vibes one step further. To play this album is to engage in a unique experience — it’s to take a trip to the Spanish islands in your mind, or if you are lucky enough to already be somewhere coastal, to help you escape the drudgeries of reality and enjoy the present moment. With tunes like ‘White Sand’, ‘The Beach Side of Life’, ‘Mojito’, and ‘Lost Together’, it’s crystal clear – like ‘Aguas Blancas’, what kind of vision Sunlounger wanted to paint with this album.
 

Roger, a big welcome back to DMCWORLD – where on planet dance are you today?

“Hi, it’s a great pleasure to talk with you guys. I’m at home in Germany, I took 4 weeks off to enjoy the whole World Cup with my friends at home. It was the best decision I could have done, still celebrating…”

A stunning new Armada album out this week, ‘Sunlounger’…21 blissed out tunes perfect for lazy days in Ibiza. Please give us a few words to describe each out of your blissed our babies…

“It’s always hard to talk or describe my own music but some tracks are some kind of special for me for sure…


I Just Wanna Dance With You

“I always wanted to do a reggae influenced track because I love that genre, so I used a singer coming from this genre to create this track.”

Hierbas Ibicencas

“Typical Sunlounger trademark guitar track…”

The Beach Side Of Life

“Has been the opening track of the Beach side of the Life album and world tour, just the best memories…”

Lost Together (Armin van Buuren Mash Up Edit)

“Amazing mashup that Armin created…”

Finca

“Wrote this tune with my friend Rocking.”

Try To Be Love

“Another hit tune with the goddess Zara Taylor.’

Crawling (Chill Edit)

“I think one of the most beloved tracks from my first Sunlounger album…”

Another Day On The Terrace

“The theme song of my first Sunlounger album which made it to #1 on iTunes and still in some countries charts after so many years…”

White Sand

“That’s the track which started the whole Sunlounger thing, became a classic and people still request it at shows. Got picked as a theme for the World Cup 2006…”

Found
“Continued the story of Lost…”

I’ll Be Fine

“Has been the first single from my last album Balearic Beauty featuring Alexandra Badoi.”

Lost

“ASOT Tune Of The Year 2008, that says it all…”

How long did the album take to create?

“This album is a special collection of tracks taken from all my Sunlounger albums, so you find music created between 2006 till now.”

It’s obvious you know the island of Ibiza well, and understand many of the essentials associated with the white isle! So let’s see where you are digging…

Your favourite spot in Ibiza to enjoy a Mojito?

“There are so many beautiful spots such as Kanya or in Dalt Vila…”

Why is the northern beach of Aguas Blancas so important to you?

“It’s not that important as you might think, it’s just a cool name and fits the track perfect. When you write an instrumental song you always have to find a cool name, so sometimes I’m searching in my Ibiza pics or travel guide or internet about such things to find a name.”


Why is a glass of Hierbas the perfect way to end a dinner in Ibiza?

Actually it is really good for your stomach and kind of healthy if you have just one glass after the dinner, especially since some Spanish meals are very heavy and as we all know in Ibiza we go to dinner very late.”


‘A Balearic Dinner’ – your favourite restaurant on the island and why?

“There are so many good restaurants, there is one I always go, it’s in Calla Jondal but I even don’t know the name…

‘I Just Wanna Dance With You’ – the best night clubbing you have ever had in Ibiza?

“When I played at Amnesia together with Armin in 2008 when we just had our hit ‘Going Wrong’ together, but also my residency for Gatecrasher in 2011 at Privilege is something I will never forget.

‘Crawling’ – the craziest night you ever had in Ibiza?

“Isn’t every night in Ibiza a bit crazy?”


‘Found’ – your favourite place on the island to chill?

“Even it’s very crowded, for me Salinas is still the best beach to go to chill all days long.”


Cool! Well Mr Shah, tell us about your summer, where are some of the places we can find you this season…

“To be honest, as there are a lot of politics and also everybody is going for the mainstream EDM sound, there is not really a space for Sunlounger or Mr Shah right now, so I am doing just a couple of shows right now, playing for FSOE in EL Salvador and Poland and will spend the most time at home in my studio working on some big and exciting projects as well working on orchestral cues, movie trailers and scores.”


Where have some of the stand out gigs been for you recently?

“As every year, to play at Zouk in SIngapore is always amazing.”


What is the record that…

…reminds you of your childhood?

“Baltimora –  ‘Tarzan Boy’.”


…always get you dancing?

“Paul Oakenfold – ‘Southern Sun’ (Tiesto Remix)


…you wish you would have made?

“U2 – With Or Without You’.”


And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?

“Actually I just released my new ‘Magic Island’ Vol 5 album which made it into the iTunes Dance Album charts all around the world. It is partly a mix album but also kind of an artist album because I produced 50% of the tracks myself to have that special ‘Magic Island’ vibe which I can’t find out there at the moment. I also have a lot of collaborations coming, for example with Aly & Fila I did the official anthem for the Future Sound of Egypt tour, I also did an amazing tune with Sied van Riel & Jennifer Rene and I’m also working on a track with Paul van Dyk at the moment, so it’s a lot in the making.”


Thank you Roger! 

“You’re welcome, my pleasure Dan. If your readers want to find out more about me and my work they can check out www.rogershah.netfor further information. Thank you.”