‘My tracks are like a journey, they’re not DJ tools… ‘
Seba‘s beautiful new release on his Secret Operations label sees him venture into rare territory, incorporating elements and moods of techno into his work.
Easier said than done.
‘Inside Yourself’ and ‘Berberian Sound’ are imbued with the vibe Seba himself likes to hear when he goes out, quite simply. It possibly does this wicked release a disservice by talking too much, so let’s simply go in…
Are you cold over there right now?
Winter time for me is the best time to sit in the studio. It gets dark outside and I become creative. Most people in Sweden dislikes winter, but I actually enjoy it.
Maybe because I live in the nature outside Stockholm and not in the city, and maybe because I become introvert and isolate myself in the studio.
I was immediately smitten by ‘Inside Yourself/Berberian Sound’ very much and really immersed myself in it when I heard the tunes. What kickstarted them?
I’ve been going out to techno clubs a lot lately. I’ve always been a fan of techno. I started ‘Inside Yourself’ after being inspired by a Robert Hood live set in Stockholm this summer.
Are there more tuns of this batch on the go?
There is definitely more tracks like this in the studio bakery.
I loved the use of techno sounds, the beautiful melding/shifting sounds… so can I ask what is some techno you may like? I see you mention Robert Hood.
One of my all time favorite techno producers is Kenny Larkin. I like the way his tracks progress. This is what I do in my D&B music also. My tracks are like a journey, they’re not DJ tools.
I like the raw feeling that you can get in techno. I think that element has gotten a bit lost in D&B, where you just place distorted basslines and a hard compressed beat. It’s hard but not raw in my opinion.
How would you sum it all up, regarding the release?
D&B is my music. I’ve been doing this since before it even had a name.
My goal is to keep this music alive by making it interesting. I do this by getting inspired by other types of music.
It was logical step to include techno in my productions. It’s not the first time. You can hear that in ‘What’s Your Fantasy’ and ‘Can’t Describe’ that came out on my album Identity in 2013.
Have you played it live, and if so, what’s it like to fuse this with your other styles of D&B?
I’ve played this out a few times, and it is deeper than most of my tracks. It works well but it keeps people in a hypnotic state instead of jumping up and down.
Can you explain that ace cover art?
It is actually a rip off of the movie poster for Berberian Sound Studio. I was working on the track when I saw this movie, and I remember liking the surrealism in it. I named the track after the movie and added some vocal samples from it.
The cover worked really well with the track title ‘Inside yourself’ too.
All this talk about mixing influences… do you like cooking?
I love cooking. I’d probably do that if I wasn’t making music. I like simple stuff like Club Snadwich or Boeuf Bourguignon. There is a Swedish dish called Beef Rydberg which is beef, potatoes, onions and a raw yellow of an egg. All cooked separately and mixed together with either horseradish or Dijon mustard.
Simple, but so good!
So what’s next for Seba?
I’m focusing on secret operations at the moment, but I have releases planned on Warm Communications and Soul:R. I also have a lot of bookings in the UK this year.
Among other dates, I’m at Rupture in London on February 27 and Launchdnb in London on March 28. I got a US tour planned for July, and hopefully I will be seeing all those familiar faces at SunAndBass in September.
