The biggest DJ Spain has ever produced. Who else could own a house sized 400,000 square metres? Welcome to Sammy world…
Hi Sammy, a pleasure to speak to you, where are you right now?
“Hi Dan, I’m standing in the queue to board my plane in Ibiza back to Mallorca after my MyClubRoom event at Privilige last night which was immense with P Diddy. I usually sail my boat over but last night was so hectic I grabbed a flight.”
Cool. So let’s go back to your teenage years. You completed your training as a sound technician at the Mallorca Music College – was a career in music your aim from an early age?
“Yes, I always wanted to be a music prouducer. I didn’t have much choice, I come from a musical family. My father was a guitar player, he played the drums and other percussion. My sister was a piano teacher so we always had loads of kids in and out of the house being taught. There was no escape for me, it was an entertainment life for me from such an early age!”
You started your career back in 1984 around the clubs of Mallorca, was the scene on the island similar to the vibe in Ibiza at that time or was it more commercial than the hippy feel of your neighbouring white isle? What were you into?
“Well to be honest, back in 1984 I was already inspired by electronic music. I was working on my Atari 1024, getting excited by the likes of Kraftwerk and how they put their music together. But in answer to your questionabout Mallorca,, well it was fairly similar. It wasn’t underground at all, it was commercial in what I suppose you would call a Balearic soundtrack. It was Pop music like Earth Wind & Fire, Galaxy, Bob Marley, Maze, lots of Reggae. I would be playing this sort of mainstream stuff, Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson and Madonna and then maybe move into some U2 or Depeche Mode. It certainly wasn’t categorised into one certain genre.”
What artists were you listening to back as a child?
“Haha. I was into all sorts Spanish music. People like Tony Bravo and Los Bravos and then I got into sounds from George Benson, The Jackson 5 – the whole Motown vibe.”
Where is home now?
“I have a few homes. Every night it is a great decision where to sleep. I could be in my ranch in Palma which is 400,000 square metres, or by the sea or in a lovely penthouse where I like to spend the winter. I have a beautiful home in Ibiza too.”]
Your MyClubRoom conception is remarkable. Music Internet TV, club events and your radio station show which is Spain’s most listened to FM station nationally and has listeners all around the world via the internet. What is the concept of MyClubRoom?
“Well my radio show has over 500,000FM listeners. But we have such a huge Spanish listening audience around the world – Brazil, Guetemala, Venezalia, Paraguay, it is such an incredible fan base we have. So I thought, let’s do an event to make the radio show closer to our crowd, lots of visuals, big artists, it’s worked wonderfully.”
So last night P Diddy was the star of the show. What was he like?
“He was amazing, A complete superstar.”
But the show took some organising Sammy?
“You could say that.”
Well for those of you out there who didn’t know, last year Diddy promised never to return to Ibiza when he had to flee his luxury yacht when armed security guards burst on board after mistaking it for another cruiser. The millionaire rap star left the boat and reportedly ran through the streets wearing nothing but a pair of American flag boxer shorts and a fur coat. Diddy was just getting down to cocktails after witnessing another Ibiza sunset when they burst in and screamed “everybody down, this is a raid.” Puffy just freaked as he’s always worried that people are out to get him, so he just ran for it and flung a fur coat on. Red faced security guards were later forced to apologise to the star’s bodyguards after it emerged he was the mistaken victim of a drugs raid. But representatives for the generous star accepted their excuse and invited the squad to join the exclusive boat party. So Sammy, how did you manage to get him to your club?
“It was very very difficult to get him back Dan. I had a lot of conversations with him, but we did it in the end.”
What was his ryder like?
“Nothing like I have ever seen before. He had 100 supermodels behind him when he performed, all the fleet of cars had to be the same colour and model, it was an incredible night. It was one of those nights when everyone suddenly became a VIP. The VIP area had every magazine journalist in there you could imagine, Playboy, Vogue, FHM – it was madness.”
Why does BCM have no competiton in Mallorca, your Fridays always rock and they have the biggest DJs on the planet…?
“Basically because of the set up. It’s the best on the island. They have more money than anyone else, a great bunch of people working there,some cool young Commercial Directors, great artist bookers, they know what the crowd want – all these elements make BCM what it is.”
How do you get on with the crazy manager Gordon?
“We love Gordon. I have known him many, many years. There is no one like Gordon.”
What the Radio 1 event like there two weeks ago? It sounded massive.
I had my own party on the Friday so I didn’t see much. It was the talk of the island, all the big players like Westwood and Trevor Nelson rocked.”
Outside of The Balearics, which clubs are doing well in Spain?
“Fabrik in Madrid is unbelievable. Absolutely huge, massive events, it’s the place to be seen in the whole of Spain. But my residencies at Privilege and BCM are very close to my heart.”
You have conquered the charts all around Europe and America – what do you think has been you best ever release?
“Ha, well there is a certain track doing the rounds at the moment that all of the big DJs are playing and they don’t know it’s me. I can’t tell you what it is Dan, it’ll ruin the surprise. Obviously ‘Heaven’ changed my life, it is the biggest dance record of all time, if you will allow me to say that.”
What are the 10 massive tunes you are playing at the moment?
“Julian Vegas and Jordi Villalta ‘Ghost ‘n Paradise’- JV brothers mix
DJ Sammy ‘Animal Abel’ Ramos mix
Tom and Jerry ‘Take It To The Top – Marien Baker remix
Steve Angello vs Diddy Dirty Money ‘Knas Is Coming Home’ – Marco V Mash up
Cliff coenraad ‘Intensify’
Pressure Cooker ‘Funker Man’ remix
Muse DJ Sammy bootleg
Minor B ‘Till There Was You’ 2011
The Loops Of Fury ‘I Need’ – Julian Vegas bootleg
Rebot ‘Caminado’ – Jose Demara remix”
What are the big 10 Back To Mine tunes you would play for us back at your house after a club?
“P&H ‘Arabesque’ Original Mix
Ramasutra ‘Senor Coconut’
Natasha Bedingfield ‘Soul Made’
Cris Spheeris ‘Don Air’
Natasha Bedingfield ‘Put Your Hands Around Me’
Chambao ‘Caminando’
Siddharta ‘Emotion’
Nirvana ‘Lounge’
Hotel Costes ‘Quatre!
Buena Vista s’Social Club and more classics'”
What are your favourite cities around the world to spin in?
“There’s so many. Boston, Sydney, San Fran, Washington, Berlin and Los Angeles to name but a handful.”
What DJs do you admire out there?
“An interesting question. I don’t think there are a lot of amazing DJs out there at the moment. Sure there are the big names like Carl Cox and Paul Van Dyk who are still doing great stuff. But in my opinion, things have changed. Nowadays if you are a producer and make a big record, you immediately become a big DJ – look at people like Calvin Harris. A DJ of today is not a DJ of yesterday. They don’t know what a great set is or how to put it together. Look at the Swedish House Mafia, they are more producers than DJs but are still classed as incredible DJs.”
What’s coming next from the DJ Sammy studio?
Well next coming ‘animal’ dj sammy uk november me john baptiste. he is songwriter black eyed peas. meet me half way, kellis lot of records. like fresh young talent, not use people thousands nyah uk feamle beautioful
What’s the best record ever made?
“Easy, Underworld ‘Born Slippy’.
