The Visionquest main man rolling up his sleeves for a bit of SXMUSIC fun in the Caribbean
The last few years have been a wild ride for Ryan Crosson. In a short space of time, the Detroit-born DJ and producer shot to the top of the world pile when it comes to headline making techno stars. Having already established himself as a solo artist, his Visionquest collective then took him into the stratosphere with gigs, releases, Fabric CDs and world tours all coming in just a couple of years. Recently he remixes Wareika and continues to put out fascinating EPs of his own, as well as via the Visionquest label run with Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss. Here we catch up with him to talk about where he finds music to play in his many sets, about the direction of the label and what he plans to play at the forthcoming SXMusic Festival in St. Martin in March…
How was 2015 for you now you look back – what was good, what was bad?
Was probably my busiest year to date so in that respect it was fantastic. Gigs were up, I got married, went on 5 week honeymoon, celebrated 10 years of my party with Seth & Lee called “Need I Say More” at the Old Miami in Detroit and also moved to Brooklyn, NY. Busy. I like busy. The downside to last year was that I couldn’t release much music but I now have a stock pile that’s coming out over the entire course of 2016, so it’s back to a good things again and this year we’re celebrating 5 years of Visionquest.
Musically what is most exciting you right now? What turns you on, what is sounding fresh and new to your ears?
There’s a label called Home Normal out of Japan I’ve been listening to a lot as well. Great ambient stuff. If we’re talking dance music S.A.M. has been quite dependable the past 18 months. New French label HOSTOM has a pair of nice releases to start. No Regular Play has an album in the works so I’m curious to hear what they’ve done.
How long do you spend looking for new music and where do you look? Online, in stores, what?
For dance music / electronic I do most of the stuff online because there is a serious delay in when new music hits shelf in Europe as opposed to the US. First I start at Decks.de and Juno and comb through the vinyl only stuff, then I look at their other stock It’s a bit of a game with decks and juno. Juno’s shipping is less expensive but decks normally gets most of the stuff I like before Juno. If I’m looking for old house stuff I go to A1 in Manhattan. After all vinyl shops are exhausted I’ll see what’s on Juno download and then finally beatport. If it’s non dance music I’ll hit the street immediately. I have a great shop around the corner from my house. It’s a bit pricey but it’s quality is very high.
Do you mainly play new or old stuff in your sets? Does it mater to you? Is there a big difference in styli or quality in terms of sound between the two?
I try to have new stuff all the time but I don’t see a problem playing old tunes. Everyone has their go-to tracks and their older favourites. As long as it’s not insanely obvious you can go back at any point. Like maybe you get to put on “Decompression” once every 5 years now, but that’s just me. All the older after hours stuff I played 5,7,10 years ago, I will still play because it still works and for the heads that know it, it’s nice to hear again. If it still works, and you enjoy it, why not play it?
You just remixed Wareika – how did you approach that and why did you sign the album?
We signed the album because we support the boys and their music. We find their music extremely unique unlike anything else out there and we want to stand behind what they do. I approached the remix just like I approach every other, I listened to the parts they gave me and tried to find a way to incorporate some key elements into my mix. The parts they provided were exceptional and it helped me move a lot quicker than usual.
Do you hope to do more albums on the label, how do they differ from singles, is one more rewarding than the other?
Yes we’re gonna have more albums this year. We’re speaking to a few artists at the moment who have sent album demos and Cesar and I are almost finished with our second album. Albums are much different in my opinion because I think they should display more range than an EP and try to establish a unified mood or theme throughout. I don’t think an album should just be a collection of tracks. I like albums to have some sort of concept or idea behind them where an artist isn’t doing the same thing they do on EPs. Albums should help broaden the scope of an artists overall take on what they do, the music they care about, what mood they are in at the time and the direction they are headed.
What do you make of the news that Technics are bringing back a new deck – will you buy one? Do you still play or collect vinyl?
I still collect and play vinyl. I have three 1200’s at home so I’m set on decks for a while. I guess if they can produce the same feel/quality as the old 1200’s AND the company isn’t gouging people price wise, it’s a good thing. I guess retailers could still mark them up a bit but that’s out of the manufacturers control.
What’s it like/will it be like playing in a paradise like St Martin for X Music compared with a dark club – do you play much differently?
Not really sure. Is it all open air events? Will it be a big stage situation or will it be a more intimate setting? These will factor into what I prepare to play.
Will you try and stretch your legs and step outside the usual sonic sphere?
It depends on what time of day I play and then venue. Always. If I’m on a beach in the Caribbean, i’ll definitely keep that in mind.
What else have you got coming up/are you excited about?
Release wise, Shaun, Lee and I are finally putting out an EP as Visionquest, so that’s pretty cool. I have some music coming on Three’s Hallucination and Hallucination Limited imprints and I’m also putting out the first EP on a new label called MDRNTY out of Switzerland. Then there’s the second album with Cesar. Other than releases and studio stuff, I’m excited for our Cityfox party in NYC June 4th. I’ve known Billy for a long time and he always does an amazing job. He has the best sound systems in the world.
