December 2002 Interview:

Noel Sanger

In the early part of October 2002, I had the opportunity to meet with progressive pioneer Noel Sanger regarding his upcoming tour dates with DJ Tiësto, his impending release Summerbreeze 2 on Nettwerk America, and a few other areas of interest. I then met with Noel a second time following the dates with Tiësto to gain a little more information, below you’ll find the combination of both meetings with Noel Sanger. (Just a note, it’s a bit lengthy!!)

Residencies?

None right now. The last year has mainly been devoted to writing and producing the Summerbreeze release and taking care of his 2-year old son, Aidan, and newborn son, Nevin.

What was your first big break?

When Noel was younger he and several of his friends worked as interns at a local radio station in Naples, Florida. While there, Noel began hosting two radio programs that led to influencing the local scene with a shows devoted to bringing in guest DJs and an alternative show that focused on mainly gothic, industrial sounding releases. While Sanger is quick to point out that he wasn’t yet a “DJ”, it was at this point that he began to hear a trend in the music being played that drew his interest more toward the electronic realm.

How much of your day do you spend listening/playing music?

Noel explains how he listens to music all day while going about his normal day-to-day business. Noel goes into detail about how he continually has music playing in his house in an effort to become more familiar with the music for when he is playing out.

Do you prefer to play first or are you strictly about the peak hour?

Noel laughs and replies, “I’d like to play five hours!” Sanger adds, “There are so many things that I want to do with a crowd that can be done over time.”

You have done a slew of remixes the years, how do you determine what tracks to work with?

Normally, I am approached by labels to do work for them. It’s this kind respect for his abilities as a remixer/producer that has kept Noel in-demand for over a decade.

Do you know Tiesto or have you played out with Tiesto before?

“Yes, I have played with Tiesto a couple of times.” Noel then informed me how he “feels honored to have known Tiesto since before he has gained all of the attention this last year. He is definitely the most in-demand DJ in the world right now”. Sanger goes on to speak with admiration as he points out that Tiesto has “kept a very level head” in the midst of his popularity with the media and dance music press as his career “has grown tremendously” this year.

Have you had a chance to hear Tiesto’s “In Search Of Sunrise 3” and Andy Hunter’s upcoming “Exodus” releases? What are your thoughts?

Noel relays that he hasn’t had an opportunity to hear either of their new releases in full, but adds that he has heard Andy Hunter’s track “Amazing”, which he says is “”good music to listen to!”

Your playing with Tiesto at The Roxy (NYC), Club Space (Miami), and Quest (Minneapolis), have you played any of these venues before?

Noel mentioned that, ironically, he hasn’t played at any of the venues on this tour in the past. Sanger adds that the last time he played in New York, was coincidentally also opening for DJ Tiesto. Sanger then smiles and stated that he has only played in New York a handful of times and seems to be amused as he adds that “each time was with Tiesto.” Noel then tells of how he would like to have been able to play more times in New York in the past and added that he was in negotiations to play at the legendary superclub Twilo the weekend that the club was closed by New York City officials.

When you are putting together an original track, where do you start?

Noel pointed out that he normally will start with the kick drum and the track may take several directions from there

“Trapped” is a great tune, what was the inspiration behind this track?

Noel explains how “Trapped”, his vocal debut, was somewhat of a happy accident. “ I had the track done, the instrumental part, before the Winter Music Conference”. Sanger adds that while in his home studio, he recorded what was to have served as a “dummy” vocal to try out some lyrics he had written over the track. When his wife came home and heard the vocal she asked who was the singer thinking that Noel was working on yet another remix. Noel then told her it was his voice and she immediately exclaimed, “You have to use that!” The rest as they say is history….

What do you think sets the track listing on the “breaks” disc apart from past Florida breakbeat discs?

Noel feels that when he plays his brand of breaks in a location where breakbeat is popular (such as Florida), it “disintegrates” his dancefloor. Sanger gives an example of where he noticed a definite change in the crowd in Tampa, a city where breakbeats are traditionally very popular, when he put on his brand of breaks. Sanger quickly realized that the people who were coming to hear him spin weren’t there for the breaks, they were there to hear Noel Sanger.

This year several DJs known for their mix CDs have put out artist albums, will you ever put out an album of all-original work?

Sanger tells me that it is all a matter of time. Right now, his main focus is the upcoming dates with Tiesto and promoting his Summerbreeze II release on Nettwerk America due out in November.

Anyone you would like to work with in the future?

Noel tells of a project in the works with his wife, Dauby, which he assures will “definitely happen”. Sanger adds that he and the duo of J. Scott Giaquinta and Jason Blum, the electronic production duo known as Deepsky, have discussed working together, but getting everyone in the same city at the same time has been a challenge. Noel also added that a future collaboration between himself and Stryke would have a good chance of occurring since both artists reside only a couple of hours form one another. Another interesting collaboration possibility Sanger mentioned was with Dave Ralph. Noel said that he and Dave had discussed writing some music together since they are both “guitar guys” and added that the tracks would not necessarily be for the dancefloor.

What’s in your CD player right now?

On the way to the interview, Noel shows how his dance music successes haven’t squashed his love of rock music by admitting that he was listening to Queensryche’s “Rage For Order” and Depeche Mode’s “Exciter, which goes to serve as a sampling of the varied interests of this multi-faceted musician.

Let’s try an experiment, in numbers only, define a night from you by bpm.

Noel explains how depending on the crowd his set may start at around 125 to 130 bpm and can easily climb to around 135 bpm smoothly over the next two or three hours. Sanger goes on to add that the level of what he plays may also depend on the venue, for example, “If I am playing a venue that only holds about 200 people, then I may not played something as banging as somewhere else with more space.”

Comments from Bill Hamel (DJ/Sunkissed Records founder) regarding Noel:

Noel Sanger has played a massive role in the Florida house scene for some 6 plus years now. I've been playing Noel's records and remixes since around 1997. I realized back then that he was going to be a major part of the future force of quality American house music producers. Noel was going to be part of the first wave of American producers that actually got some respect from the UK press and DJ's. Noel along w/other American house forerunners like; Dekkard, FADE, BT, Deepdish, & Edgefactor finally made an impact globally in 1998. That was the first year I finally got to meet Noel, we DJed together in Charlotte, NC. I was really impressed; it is all too often that good producers are not very good DJ's. Noel was an exception. We've remained good friends ever since. Noel and I were asked to remix Delerium's "Innocente" in 2001 for Nettwerk Records. Noel's expertise in the studio was apparent from the get go. Noel's track record speaks for itself. His CD's have sold 100's of thousands of copies. Just this year alone, my label Sunkissed Records, has hired him on remix duties, and we've signed an original track of his. Noel's obviously doing something right!

What has been the key to your longevity in the industry?

No choice! I quit my record label job in mid-1996 to do studio work full-time. It was probably a bit premature, but it put me in a sink or swim position that persists to this day. I mean, I have to put out records, and I have to get out and play, because this is how I support my family. I make tunes, and I don't know how to do much else, you know?

What do you think have been some of the top tracks released during 2002? And why?

Vocals started coming back this year, thank god! Some really great ones came out this year- one that comes to mind instantly is "Walking on Fire" by Evolution, and I'm still playing it like crazy, the Stryke remix. Which reminds me of another great vocal, "If You Fall" by Stryke's side project, Ad Finem. I still like to play the M.A.S. Collective vocal mix. I am, and always have been, very into vocals. I'll do a proper year end top 20 sometime in December.

Touring:

How did the shows go with Tiesto? You had mentioned that the show at The Roxy went particularly well.

I had a great time on every show! In the middle of the tour Tiesto clinched the number one DJ in the world spot and it got even crazier after that. (DJ Tiësto was voted the #1 DJ In The World in the DJ MAG 2002 Readers Poll). Nobody deserves that more than him. Above all, he brought the party back to the dance floor. Enough with the boring, dark, sound effects tracks, I haven't seen that many smiles in a club since probably the old Aahz days with Kimball. And what I get, when I open for him, is the chance to do what I do for a crowd that is totally up for it. Ready to go. And surprisingly open minded!

I know you are racking up some frequent flyer mileage over the next few weeks. Where and with whom else will you be playing while promoting Summerbreeze?

It's all solo dates from here. I know in the next few weeks, I'll hit North Carolina, Nashville, some Florida dates, Chicago, Milwaukee, L.A., and more. The label wants me to keep touring to support the CD well into 2003, so there won't be too many cities we don't hit. And there may be some more touring with Nettwerk label-mates, too, but nothing is confirmed yet.

How do you think the crowds reacted to your set while opening for Tiesto?

Awesome! Every promoter on the tour has asked me back, so that's a good indication! I mean, my sound is a little deeper, a little slower than his, but I try to have the same accessibility he has. I don't want to play records all night that you have to be off your tits to enjoy. The first time i opened for him was in LA back in April 2001, and I wasn't sure if I should bang it out or play my deeper stuff. I started at about 125 bpm's and built it from there, and like I said, the crowd was totally open-minded. I was afraid that they might be expecting stuff like his Delerium remix all night but they totally went off.

Do you play a lot of stuff from the Summerbreeze release in your set while touring? Or do you only drop a few tracks from the album?

Just a few. It depends on the situation. more than half of the tracks on there are still unreleased, so a lot of it is still really fresh, but I've been playing them for a year or more, so I'm often predisposed to the newer tracks that I'm still excited about.

Summerbreeze:

In your own words, how would you describe the overall sound of the Summerbreeze release? (i.e. How would describe the music on the album for the uninitiated?)

It's progressive to be sure. Tech-house, breaks, trance, and vocals scattered throughout. Starts deep and builds. Most of it is pretty musical.

How quickly did you get the track list together for Summerbreeze? When you started putting it together, did you have a general idea of what >tracks you wanted to use? If not, where did the music come from?

I got about 200 or 250 CD-R's sent my way for consideration. Man, there were literally tons of great tracks in there. The ones that made it on are the ones that fit together the way I wanted, but there were some beautiful pieces of music that I wished I could use. There were some delays with the label, so it took a little longer than expected.

You have tracks from a couple of fellow-Floridians on the disc, including Mike Hiratzka (“Homage”) and Stryke (“All That Remains (Noel Sanger’s Ritual Object Mix)”). How did you come to bring these tracks on board?

I just love the tracks. I played the original of "All That Remains" a LOT, before I ever remixed it. My mix is a better fit into my sound, though. Greg and Mike are both incredible talents that deserve to be heard by more people. It feels good to give them a little extra exposure on my CD.

Were there any surprises that came up (good or bad) while putting the album together?

Just the usual major label red tape. It's all good though. It's the price you pay for having a company with such vast resources pushing you, backing you, believing in you.

Orlando:

Where was the first place you played in Orlando (when/where)? Any thoughts about that first show?

Heaven '97, on Church St. downtown. I never actually played though, because I got arrested! The only time in my whole life I ever got arrested too! I was living in Miami then, and had been sleeping in the back of the mini van the whole way up. When we got out, I had to pee like I had never peed before, and I opted to do it in a little alleyway just outside the party, way out of the way of anyone's sight I thought, but the next thing I knew there were four officers of the law surrounding me, shining lights on my junk. "Put that thing away!" one said, and they proceeded to cuff me, merandize me, and haul me off to jail. I was very remorseful and humble before the judge, so the charge of "public urination" is off my record now permanently. Sure makes a funny story, though! Six months later I did my first ever live PA with vocalist Nicole Henry at Firestone, one of the last late nights ever there. So I went from being jailed for peeing to playing live in front of 3000 amped up kids.

How long did your Ritual night at The Groove run? Why did it end?

It ran about 9 or ten months, but the last couple months were done as monthlies, not weeklies. It was great while it lasted, but it was inevitable that some corporate nonsense would be it's undoing.

What originally motivated you to move to Orlando? How long have you lived here?

I moved here in 1998 because i was sick of Miami. The pace of life was too hectic, and frankly I am enchanted by the natural beauty of Central Florida. All my best friends from childhood were (and many still are) living here, and i always felt good when I was here. The once glorious club/rave scene had already waned but I wasn't looking for that, I mean, I was leaving South Beach! It's funny, when friends or family come to visit I give them these tours around town, and they're like, searching my car for pay stubs from the chamber of commerce!

What would you say is the prevailing musical trend in Orlando right now? On a broader scale, what has been the prevailing sound of the year in your opinion, not just in Orlando?

The most popular thing in the clubs in Orlando right now is whatever's on the radio. Our radio is a little more cutting edge than a lot of places, but the big, popular clubs sort of cling to that format of breaks and pop-trance.

Your thoughts regarding:

1) the current state of the Orlando scene

In terms of great DJ's and producers Orlando is disproportionately blessed. It's just that most of them, er, us, have to get on an airplane to get a gig. As far as the house/progressive fans here, it seems like they only come out if the DJ has done a Global Underground. And for the most part, if you just randomly go out downtown, you'll hear music like what's on the radio, nothing too underground or innovative.

2) the growth and impact of the Orlando scene over the past few years locally

3) the impact of local DJs/musicians on the industry as a whole. Any standouts you admire in particular? and why?

Early on, Orlando was THE place for this new sound coming back at us from across the pond. In the early 90's the most amazing DJ's were making their US debut's right here in Central Florida. I was a radio DJ in Ft Myers at the time, and I used to drive up here as much as I could, just to hear these amazing guys play. And the locals of the day, Kimball, Icey, Cannalte, Robbie Clark, these guys get credit for helping set the fire that eventually consumed the whole continent! Like Icey, that guy invented a sound a decade ago that wannabe's are still biting today, and he taught everybody else here how to start a DIY record label. Much respect! And i have to mention guys like Chris Fortier and Jimmy Van Mallegham, for having a very forward vision. I think Chris has worked harder than anyone in America to promote the progressive sound on this continent. I'm so glad to see him crack the top 100 DJ's poll this year. It's kind of a silly poll, but at least it's a little fraction of the props he so richly deserves.

What do you think have been some of the highs and lows of the Orlando dance scene and community over the years?

It was a hotbed of innovation and progress for the first half of the 90's. Maybe even past that. But our over zealous moralist local government has fought hard to keep people from dancing at "inappropriate" hours, in the name of the ineffective and outrageously expensive "War on Drugs". And they've made the drug problems worse, but they've at least removed it from public view, swept it under the rug. Which is all any elected "leader" ever tried to anyway, just look like you are doing something so you can brag it up on your next campaign. Even if you have to invent the problem, or exaggerate it, so you look like you have really saved your constituents some grief. I, for one, feel much safer knowing that nobody's having fun at 4AM.

Where do you see the Orlando dance scene going in the future?

I can't say. I know that the dance scene in general has gone quite mainstream, so you have these super-clubs and festivals on one end and a new crop of smaller, more intimate clubs on the other. I think these small clubs are the way forward for the real underground, the way to bring back the environment of fearless innovation. Going back underground means making less money, so a lot of the big established DJs will continue to move in a more mainstream direction, and so will the big clubs. I'm down for whatever happens in both directions, because somewhere in the middle (where I hope to be) will arise something that is new, exciting, innovative AND accessible at the same time.

In the liner notes you dedicated this release to your sons, Aidan and Neven. How do they react to living in a musical household? When they grow up, what do you think they will have to say about the music that you and Dauby have put out into the world?

They are both very musical. before he was two Aidan would sing along with things and carry the melody pretty closely. When Neven was 7 months, he crawled over to a pair of his brother's kid's bongo's, sat them up, and started drumming. But like, properly. And we had never shown him that! He just knew, you know? I think it's his Cuban heritage or something. And I hope they'll be proud of us, that we always tried to write positive, uplifting messages into our music, that we had a driving desire to inspire people to goodness. I do know that right now they love it! When they hear the music and the beats coming out of the studio, the both get huge smiles and dance like crazy! And I guess that's all any of us are after, isn't it?

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