Square 2 – album number 2 from the Brazilian dynamo
Welcome to DMCWORLD dude, very exciting time for you right now with the release of your new ‘Square Two’ artist album. 12 tunes that Stephan Bodzin described as…“it’s analogue, it’s loud, it’s funk, it’s groove, it’s today, it’s yesterday, it’s tomorrow, it’s ultra-phat basslines and beats, it’s simply driving me and my knees totally nuts!” So, please can you give us a few words on each of the tracks?
“Hey Dan, okay here we go…”
01.Glider
“A big arpeggio hook that came to me while taking a shower, a track based on melodic elements while driven by a phat groove.”
02.Attitude
“Straight up peak-time business, with lots of percussion tricks, phat bass and a strong speech from a punk rock legend.”
03.On You
“It’s all about tension building and acid elements around a hard-hitting bassline hook.”
04.Clockwork
“Breakbeat, garage bass, beautiful arpeggios and a melancholic lead full of analogue juices.”
05.Backlash
“Acid elements over a techno groove, with a big synth lead building some tension on the breakdown.”
06.Think Tank
“Moody and smooth techno, with a catchy synth hook and a lot of trippy elements on top.”
07.What We Do
“Another straight-up peaktime tune, with a phat groove and plenty of “ravey” sounds going around.”
08.Home
“Big snare over a breakbeat lays the foundation for numerous guitar parts and a dusty synth lead solo – one of the most intimate tracks of the album.”
09.Whatever
“Dreamy arpeggios and pads lead the way to a funky bassline driven deep house tune, full with dreamy sounds and a very uplifting short vocal sample.”
10.No Face No Problem
“The vocal idea was meant for those artists who wear masks to do what they wouldn’t without them. The groove is simple and effective, and the big wobbly synths make the statement in this one.”
11.Common Ground (Album Version)
“A more polished and fatter version of my successful single from 2012 of the same title, with a very recognisable vocal sample.”
12.Ruff Jam feat. Jon Dixon and D’Sean Jones
“An 80’s jam on Oberheim, Yamaha and Roland machines, topped up with musical magic from two amazing musicians from the D3 group from Detroit, what more can I say?”
How long has the album taken to create?
“It took me about 2 or 3 months overall, it was a very spread out process really.”
Your hugely acclaimed debut album lifted your career to a whole new level in 2010. Looking at the two albums, what are the main differences, how have you improved your production style?
“I think the main difference is that this second album is more objective and free. I was able to experiment a little more, since on my first album I had the challenge to present my sound to the world, and now that it’s already presented, I only needed to explore different aspects of it.”
We think it shows just how diverse your musical background is, there are elements of funk, breakbeat and even rock n’ roll in there. Where do those influences come from? Who were the big artists you were listening to when you were growing up?
“I’ve always been into music my whole life, from a very young age. My father is really into music as well and likes to listen to it loud! So I got in touch with rock ‘n’ roll from a very early age, and since I’m an 80’s child, I got exposed to a lot of synth-pop and techno-pop on the radio while growing up, so that has always influenced me as well – stuff like New Order, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Human League etc. And on the rock ‘n’ roll end – stuff like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many others.”
We love your life story. You moved to the Czech Republic for 4 years, became a dentist and also a Jiu Jitsu fighter for a while before the music took over. So I’ve got to ask, if I needed a tooth pulling out could you still do it and secondly, if we got into some trouble with a few guys in a bar, could I rely on you to get us out of there alive?
“Haha, I wouldn’t vouch for me on either, I’ve been off the Jiu Jitsu and dentist game for ages now!”
When you were starting your career your home city Sao Paolo’s nightlife was booming; clubs such as Lov.e, Manga Rossa, U-Turn and Overnight were all doing well. Did the decline in the music scene in the city have anything to do with your departure to Europe?
“Yes, it had everything to do with it. By the time I left, there were still some great clubs like D-Edge and Clash in São Paulo, but very limited options in general, and everywhere it was just commercial electro-house over and over. I don’t think São Paulo’s nightlife ever got its “mojo” back after that time.”
How different was life in the Czech Republic. What did you learn musically if anything?
“It was a major life change, I went from one of the biggest cities in the world to a 30,000 people town where nobody spoke any language I can speak. Also, the climate was totally different, with harsh winters and little sunlight. Musically speaking, I wasn’t influenced by much in the Czech Republic. It’s a lovely, beautiful country, but it’s not fully developed yet in regards to electronic music. I feel it’s generally focused on commercial music, and the rather small underground scene is still rooted to harder sounds, but the crowds are great and there is definitely room for a lot of developments over there.”
What is the current top 10 that you are spinning?
1 – Blondish -Voyeur Feat. Thomas Gandey_(Jay Shepheard & Martin Dawson Remix)
2 – Wehbba – On You
3 – Christian Smith – Within Myself
4 – Hobo – Incise
5 – Rosco Sledge – Frisson
6 – Supernova – Acidays
7 – Edu Imbernon & Coyu – Open Air
8 – Renato Cohen – Roly Poly
9 – Sam Paganini – Polyester
10 – Pleasurekraft & Format B – Sexus (DJ Anna Remix)
D.Edge celebrates its 13th Birthday this month and we continue to hear the good vibes about Warung. Where else in Brazil is doing well right now?
“There are many rocking places right now, one of my favourite spots is a party called Colours, there are also great clubs in Curitiba, Danghai and Vibe, Brasilia you have 5uinto, Lions Club in Sao Paulo, Nuun in Cuiaba, Anzu in Itu, Deputamadre in Belo Horizonte, there’s many more but these are the ones off the top of my head right now.”
Who are some of the up and coming producers from Brazil we should be keeping our eyes and ears out for in 2013?
“There’s a lot, but some of my favourites are DJ Anna, Talking Props, Dashdot, Gabe, Junior C., Flow & Zeo, Dubshape, Fabø, HNQO, Victor Ruiz, Alex Stein, Do Santos, apart from the usual suspects Gui Boratto, Renato Cohen and Digitaria.”
Where are some of the shows from around the world you are looking forward to this summer? You will be making your Ibiza debut at Sankeys in June – what are you expecting from that magical party?
“I’m going to be in Europe just in the very beginning of summer, and really looking forward to my debut on the island at Sankey’s – It’s going be an amazing night with me, Christian Smith, Ambivalent and Pig & Dan, I really can’t wait! I’m also going to do the very first album release party at The Egg in London, and I’ll be back in London in June for my second appearance at Ministry of Sound, right after playing at the Tronic party in Barcelona during Sonar. Anyway, there are some great parties ahead, definitely excited about all of them!”
What are you expecting from Ibiza – the crowds on the dance floors in Ibiza and Brazil have a lot in common?
“I have no idea! I’ve never even been to Ibiza, crazy as it sounds! I’ve seen better days for the Brazilian crowd to be honest, we still have amazing parties with amazing people, but not as often as, say, 10 years ago. And Ibiza might be as good as it gets, crowd-wise, so I wouldn’t say there’s a lot in common, apart from the beautiful people in both floors.”
And finally, what is coming next from you studio wise?
“I’ve finally done a few collaborations with Christian Smith, we’d only worked on remixes together up until now, so we decided to make a few original tracks, and to be honest, some of the best ones I’ve ever done. We even had the chance to make a track in collaboration with John Digweed and Nick Muir, two of my all time favourites, and I’m super proud of that. I’ve also created an alias for my house-oriented work, called Rosco Sledge, on 20:20Vision. The first record was out in April, and there are many more tunes to come over the next months.”
Wehbba’s artist album ‘Square Two’ is out now on Christian Smith’s Tronic label: www.beatport.com/label/tronic/12576
To get a taste you can listen a special album mini-mix by Wehbba here:
https://soundcloud.com/wehbba/wehbba-square-two-lp-tronic/s-ZuygD
On June 12th he’ll perform at the Tronic Showcase @ City Hall, Barcelona, off Sonar. He will also be making his Ibiza debut with Christian Smith and Pig&Dan at the Tronic Treatment Party at Sankeys on 25th June.
Get more info here:
