U:Move

KC’s Brent Tactic, recently spoke with the bass heavy, party music maestro DJ Sabo of Sol Selectas Records.  DJ Sabo will be DJing at Luna Friday September 30 as part of the Think2wice monthly party.  At the bottom of the page there is a new mix Sabo released for Mixpak Records. 

Brent Tactic:  Tell me a bit about your background in NYC and how enjoyable it’s been for you to be part of the whole moombahton experience coming from the east coast and now living out west in LA…

DJ Sabo:  I lived in NYC since 1999. I actually found out about Moombahton through Shawn at Bersa Discos after he heard Dave play some at SXSW in 2010. Then when Dave made his 1st “Intro to Moombahton” mix on XLR8R, he included 3 of my Bersa tunes. I couldn’t believe it, and had never met him, so I reached out and we became friends. Dave was in DC at the time, and invited me and Shawn and Gavin (Oro 11) to DJ his birthday party. I played mostly cumbia and tropical bass stuff that night, but Dave went in on a full set of Moombahton, and I was blown away. It sounded so F@#king good, and so fresh, on a big system, and I knew right then, this was gonna be my new direction for music. I started making edits like crazy and playing them as much as possible in NY, and everywhere i traveled to DJ.  The response was really good, and I actually couldn’t believe I was getting BLOG love now.  All of a sudden my name was being mentioned as the NY pioneer alongside Munchi, Heartbreak, and of course the God father Dave Nada.  It tripped me out because I had been making global inspired bass music for almost 7 years already, had a my own DIY label putting it out, and that’s really all I played, but i was still very under the radar.  This press I got via Dave’s co-sign and just from posting free edits on Soundcloud, got me so inspired and amped!  About 2 months later Dave and I threw the 1st Moombahton Massive in DC, and we flew in Munchi for his 1st ever gig in the USA. Heartbreak was there, A-Mac, Obeyah, Billy the Gent, Tittsworth, Uncle Jesse, Quincy, Ayres, so many heads came down.  I got to meet so many dudes for the first time and DJ with all of them.  I was nervous as hell, so humbled, but of course super stoked.  The party was absolutely insane.  Dave moved to LA with Matt (the other half of Nadastrom) right after, and he just kept telling me “Dawg, LA is POPPIN’ OFF right now, you gotta get out here”.  At the time in NYC I was kinda ready for a change, and didn’t wanna battle another depressing winter, nor go thru the hell that is finding a new apartment,  So I just said F@#k it, and packed all my shit and moved.  Best thing I ever did.

Brent Tactic:  In just a quick visit to your twitter @djsabonyc, you can quickly see you’re traveling all over the place.  What spots have been a first for you in 2011 and what have been some of your favorites?

DJ Sabo:  I did a 3 island tour of Hawaii that was incredible, all the parties rocked and of course Hawaii is paradise with some of the best seafood on the planet.  I played for the 1st time at SXSW this year which was awesome, shout out to Peligrosa crew in Austin!  I got to play Hi-Fi club in Calgary with Dave which was absolute insanity - i almost didn’t make it through customs on that one i was so faded haha…Montreal & Toronto were also 2 Canadian spots I’d never played and they went off.  Fusion Festival in Germany this summer was unbelievable, i got to rock with IsaGT, Maga Bo, and had to Dj right after Anibel Velasquez’s full cumbia orchestra - which was such an honor.  Gothenburg Sweden was so good too, those guys did it so proper and the crowd went ballistic for Moombahton there.  And of course, Colombia.  I played Bogota, Medellin, and Cali (for the 2nd time), and all 3 cities are just incredible.

Brent Tactic:  Moombahton has obviously become a big part of your dj ammo.  Why do you feel this movement has become so strong, so fast and where do you see it going in the next 6-12 months?

DJ Sabo:  It’s bass heavy party music, non-pretentious, totally accessible to so many different crowds, and fun as hell to do dance to.  You can mosh and bug out to it, or you can couple up and get sexy to it, there’s just so many influences and inspirations in the music, so I think it appeals to a wide variety of people.  And best of all…no one I know, who’s been down since the beginning, is taking anything too serious.  All the people in this who really believed in it from the get go, are some of the coolest most humble people I’ve met in the DJ/ Music business in 15 years.  This is so important!!!  We all get together and it’s just non stop jokes, nobody’s bitching cause they don’t have their own limo picking them up, we’re just having fun.  It sounds corny but we really are like a family, and look out for each other, send each other exclusive tracks, help each other on remixes, hook each other up with gigs, etc.  This kind of positivity is fueling the movement, and making people take notice.

Brent Tactic:  You are definitely someone championing the organic and latin vibes in moombahton.  Who are some of your favorite producers and tracks you’re rinsing the most these days?

DJ Sabo:  Thanks for saying that man!  Wow the truth is I love ALL the different sub-genres of Moombahton, it’s just when I go to make a tune or edit, I’m drawn to what i know, and thats the more worldly organic latin stuff.  There are so many people killing it right now.  The new Nadastrom stuff is seriously so amazing, it’s gonna up the bar tremendously when it drops.  Heartbreak & Munchi always killin it.  Melo & Pickster from AZ are making awesome tracks, many with that same latin vibe that I try to push.  So many others I’m just gonna list em: A-Mac, Billy the Gent, Cam Jus, Thomas Blondet, Obeyah, Cousin Cole, JWLS, Riot Earp, Le Doom, Smutlee, Boyfriend, Neki, Theory, Philadelphianz, Sazon Booya, Uproot Andy, Tittsworth, Ayres, Jon Kwest, Uncle Jesse, Quincy, Mike B, Orion, Torro Torro, Dillon Francis, Paul Devro, Euro II Bass, Toy Selectah, ...the list goes on and on…

Brent Tactic: You’re a talented producer and have your accomplished label Sol Selectas as well…tell us a bit about what you have been doing recently and what all you have coming on the upcoming horizon.

DJ Sabo:  Well lately I’ve been doing tons of remixes for people.  I have remixes for Gregor Salto, Joao Brasil (MAN Recordings), and Javier Estrada coming out soon.  I remixed my own tracks from 6 years ago into Moombahton and that’s the next release on Sol*Selectas coming in October, called “Jump NYC Moombahton.”  I also have a deep afro house EP coming out on the label later this year which is a Spanish cover a classic Strictly Rhythm tune.  I have incredible remixes for that by Lazaro Casanova, Joyce Muniz, and Tal M Klein.  I did a collaborative track with Nadastrom for their new EP coming out on SCION’s label which I’m super excited about.  It’s called “Dusted” and is a 9 and half minute long, super deep dubby Moombahton track that I feel is really different than what people are doing right now.  Beyond that I’m working on a bunch of original Moombahton tracks featuring different singers, and hope to have at least an 8 track EP done by the end of the year.  Of course I’m constantly still doing DJ edits too for the Moombahton Massive series I release every month on Soundcloud.com/SolSelectas in conjuction with the Moombahton Massive party.  Those are quick and fun to make and I love to be able to give away music and keep people stoked on the party.

Download the new DJ Sabo mixtape HERE.

DJ Sabo will be at the Think2wice Monthy part at Luna Friday September 30th.  Click HERE for more info.