Another quality release from the Swiss label Hive Audio – ‘Solaris’ is on fire
Interview by Stephen Flynn
When you send your tracks out and they’re immediately snapped up by Swiss label Hive Audio, it’s safe to say that you’re on the right path music-wise. Such is the situation that Hive’s Swiss compatriots, Sons of Aoide, found themselves in recently thanks to their brilliant ‘Solaris’ EP. A release that speaks volumes of Hive’s almost uncanny ability to releases bomb after bomb, it’s a dancefloor weapon that also showcases this emerging production outfit in a celebratory manner. So what makes them tick? We caught up with Dajan and Vincenzo recently to find out…
When was the last time you heard a truly amazing piece of music? And what made it amazing for you?
Vincenzo: “Nose Grows Some” from Thom Yorke. It brings me always to a very special place. Since the very first album I consider myself a Radiohead addict. I really like the solo projects Yorke is running and how he tries to find alternative music distribution channels that benefits the artists and the fans, not only majors.
Dajan: “I listen to a wide range of music and it’s hard to name a specific song. I really like “Bob Moses “Far from the Tree” or Christian Löffler’s “Roman” but also artists like Fink or the Arcane Roots…so, really a wide variety of music and artists.
As DJs, what do you see as your role? What do you love so much about DJing?
We see a DJ as an entertainer, with an educational role and a unique style that has to handle various situations during a gig. We love to play long sets because then we can interact better with the crowd, bring them wherever the journey takes them. The ultimate highs and other mixed emotions.
Are the tracks you play as DJs, generally ones you’d like to produce? Or are they ever very different?
We love what we play, but not essentially tracks we’d like to produce. Good music is just good music, the whole set must have some kind of balance. The tracks must fit together to create a story.
Do you play back-to-back and produce together too?
Vincenzo: Not yet. At the moment I’m more on the DJ side, while Dajan takes care of the studio. The next step will be to create my DJ performance mixed with live elements. Our goal is to be flexible, even when performing live to keep things exciting, upbeat and original. In the studio we have different approaches, we work a lot together; Dajan spends a lot of time writing songs, deciding and learning which instruments work well together and which are appropriate as he and I both care a lot about the fine details. I am always searching for new ideas and planning our next arrangements for our future.
So, the Solaris EP on Hive. Have you played that one out? Do you always play out your new productions?
We always play our music because we always want to see how it sounds in a club, does it fit the DJ set and venue? From doing this, we have realized that timing and the mood of the club is essential to our task.
So what was the inspiration behind it then?
Life; our past memories, our background in music and of course the milky way! Hehe…depends on the mood. This EP was produced in the winter, so maybe this was a strong influence during the whole process.
Is it a label with values like your own then? Is that something that’s important to you?
There are loads of labels around releasing loads of different music. Hive Audio feels like a family, like home. They care about us even if it’s our very first EP on this imprint. For us it’s important to share our values with the label and have the possibility to grow and develop our music.
And how do you know the Hive guys? Is it through a shared love of music?
We have known Hive Club for a long time and share many common friends with Sämy and Adrian. We met these guys a few months ago! Hell yeah, we love what they are doing with the label and in the studio, not mentioning the great parties they are running!
Both of you are Italians living in Switzerland. How do the country’s scenes differ at all? Which one do you think is better and why?
There was quite a big difference through the last few years. A lot has changed and maybe now it’s easier to compare. Both countries have very good clubs and massive Line Up’s. You just have to know where to go!
Where are you at now with your productions in terms of where you’d like to be? Is there room for improvement or are you fairly confident in your way of working?
This is just the beginning. Sons of Aoide is a new project that we keep evolving and we are more than certain, we will improve from track to track, release to release.
Do you generally make music and then send to labels or how does that work with you?
We don’t over-promote our music, we try to be as honest and accurate on our music as much as possible. We are really happy to release on Hive Audio and would love to work with other artists.
How long have you been producing? Is the Hive EP your proudest moment to date?
Solaris EP is in fact our proudest moment. We have also released other music on other labels with other projects in the past. Now, we can’t wait to share our new tracks with this project.
How do you help one another in the studio? Do you generally agree on most things?
This is a really good point. If one part doesn’t agree the other part, we genuinely find, we have to convince. Sometimes we just wait a few days and listen to the same thing with fresh ears to take a decision. Basically what we do is talk it through to get to the point and help each other understand why we like it and why we don’t.
Do you produce with DJs and dancefloors in mind? Or just go with the flow?
We focus on our capabilities and the music that we feel right about…Or just a little splinter in our minds, not always something dedicated to the dancefloor. When we start with a Track we try to think out of the box to get the very best of it. The rest is pure flow and patience.
If you could have produced one house music track what would it be?
Âme – Rej. Sounds still fresh and from another planet.
Is the best still yet to come for you? And what more can we look out for from you guys?
At the moment we are working very hard in the studio and are excited to share our brand new stuff with you! Stay tuned and watch this space!
Sons of Aoide’s Solaris is out soon on Swiss label, Hive Audio
