Santé, hailing from Berlin, is part of a new school of artists championing musicality, skillfulness and creativity over mindless loops and endless repetition. His productions, like those on his record label AVOTRE, ooze character, charisma & humour, feelings so often overlooked in the realms of house music. We check in with the boy wonder after a huge summer on the White Isle…
Words by Jack Docherty
Hello Santé, how are you?
I’m very good thank you, I’m just enjoying the wonderful island of Ibiza.
So, tell me about your first trip to the island and how long you’ve been coming.
The first time I came here was around about 2006. I was going out every night to places like Amnesia, DC10 and Space. I was so blown away by Carl Cox’s set at Space, and immediately thought I would love to play there one day. Since then, I visited Ibiza every year until eventually I started playing on the island myself. I became a resident at Sankeys where I met Steve Lawler. Steve and I then started our own thing at Privilege which was just amazing.
Tell me a favourite memory from your time on the island.
I remember one time when we went to an after party in a villa somewhere in the mountains. It was so cool, there were loads of people there. For some reason I fell asleep, and when I woke up suddenly I was completely alone, no one else was around. Even the landlord had left. I had no idea where I was. I then had to walk back home to Talamanca because I had spent all of my money on drinks in the club so wasn’t able to get a taxi. It was a very, very long walk home!
Where and when were you playing on the island this summer?
This summer I was playing mostly at Amnesia for elrow, which I was really excited about. It’s an awesome party, the vibe is incredible. The production is great, the people are great, there’s a really positive feeling all round. Music wise, it’s more about Groove and House. I also played DC10 for the first time this summer, which was amazing. I’ve been going for years, but never had the chance to play. We tore the roof off the club room!
Any off the beaten track beaches / bars / restaurants you can recommend?
In Talamanca, there is a little local restaurant in the middle of the bay called El Pulpo. They cook and serve meat grilled on charcoal for a really good price.
What artists / albums are you listening to right now?
When I’m not digging for new tracks I’m listening to loads of new music, especially anything that is inspiring. However, most of the time I enjoy listening to soundtracks. Soundtracks are a huge passion of mine, and I’ve produced many in the past. I love to relax to some really cool soundtracks, especially the soundtrack to the film ‘The Reverend’.
Your release this summer ‘Need’, out on your AVOTRE imprint is a bit of a banger. Can you tell us about the creative process behind the track?
I met Nick about three years ago in Berlin at an event, and we started talking and I suggested working on something together one day. So when I got some time in the studio I started working on this beat and sent it to Nick a few days later. Nick sent it back with this fantastic vocal on it which blew me away. I was always a huge fan of them and their music, so I was really happy to have them on the label, it’s just amazing. Including the remixes from Nicky Curly, Huxley and Tiger Stripes, it’s become one of my favourite packages.
Are there any other Santé or AVOTRE releases on the horizon we should know about?
We’ll soon be reaching our 50th release on the label. This is a special one for me and for the label as well, because we’ve had the opportunity to release a track from DJ Pierre’s project Phuture. A rework of an old classic including many new versions and remixes!
Beyond the vortex of Ibiza, where else have you been playing this summer?
I’ve actually been playing all over Europe, and I’m going back to the USA and South America after the summer is finished. I’ve also got a huge Australian tour lined up too. This weekend I’m playing The Social Festival in Kent, UK, thenflying straight to Rotterdam to close the Elrow show there in the same night!
Tell us something about you not many people know?
I started learning guitar at the age of 15, and became immediately obsessed with music. When I began DJ’ing, I combined my music skills with my production skills, and now I never want to spend a day without it. Also, when I moved to Berlin I worked in a huge studio and spent a lot of time writing music for TV and film.
What was the first record you bought?
My dad took me to a flee market when I was younger which is where I bought my first record. I think it was The Cure’s first album.
If you weren’t a superstar DJ, where and what would you be?
I would run a surf camp, or still work as a film composer, which I did many years ago. Unfortunately with such an intense touring schedule it’s nearly impossible to write any scores.
