Oliver Lang is gearing up for a big year on the island, and on our covermount CD he showcases the sound of his new Dojo label…
B
y the looks of things, 2010 is going to be a big year for ever-likable, savvy Bora Bora resident Oliver Lang. This summer, he is revving up to unleash the Dojo
sound on the island, mixing our covermount CD in prequel to his main compilation release, with a series of EPs to follow.
Naturally, highlighting his own DJing and production career comes hand-in-hand with launching a label, but that’s not the ultimate reason why he decided to set it up. The main motivation is to specifically promote and give airings to the talents of burgeoning producers — a group which he has been gathering up over the past few years.
Showcasing others is something Oliver is passionate about — that, and his love for music and Ibiza. “It’s a great place to be. I’ve played in amazing places across the world, but they haven’t quite got the same sort of cosmopolitan crowd,” he explains.
We caught up with him in a moment of calm before he took his daily trip to Playa D’en Bossa…
Tell us about the philosophy behind Dojo… “I’ve had lots of tracks released on different labels, and I’ve found myself tailoring the tracks I was making towards certain labels and trying sometimes to fit into a niche sound, and it was stopping me writing tracks that I really wanted to write. I spoke to a lot of up-and-coming producers and everyone has the same problem. You’ve got your main 20 labels that you want to be releasing on and if your track doesn’t go out on one of those labels, it’s just sat there, so what I’m trying to do is to have an outlet for people who are making different kinds of music to progress their careers and also to release my own things that might not necessarily fit into the category of another label.”
How do you set a criteria for what comes out on your label? “It’s basically anything that sounds good. When I’m producing tracks and when I’m signing tracks, my one rule is ‘Will I play this?’ And if I’d play it, then I’m interested in it. That’s the acid test really, because when I get sent a track I don’t reply until I’ve played it in a club to see how it goes.”
Who are you working with at the moment? “Production-wise I work with Rob Blazye, I produce all my tracks with him. I work with him on the music side of things, he masters all the tracks as well. He’s what you’d call my secret weapon production-wise, he was a famous drum & bass producer.”
Which producers are you excited about at the moment? “On my label I’ve got Richard Dinsdale, I’ve got a few tracks from him. I’ve got three tracks from Elio Riso, I’m excited to have him onboard — he’s a Space
036
resident now. There’s a new person called Dirty Harris, there’s two tracks from him on the start of the CD, he’s making some brilliant stuff week in, week out. I’ve had remixes from Alex Blanco and Seb Fontaine, and I’ve also got an in-house remixer called Digital Narcotics.”
How do you find new producers? “Basically, it’s me looking around and speaking to people. The first thing you do is put out an email and ask if they’ve got any tracks and then gradually you meet them. The actual idea for the label came about four years ago, but I didn’t want to start it until I had enough ammunition and good tracks. “The main thing I do is look to see who’s doing good remixes and who’s coming up through the ranks. I contact them through Soundcloud and Facebook and it all goes from there.”
Does producing change the way you think about DJing?
“It does in terms of the way you listen to music. One of the things I’ve learnt is to test something in a club before you brush it off, because a lot of tracks come alive in a club.”
What about Dojo parties? “I’m gonna do two or three parties in Ibiza over the summer. In the UK the plan within the next few years is to take myself and the other artists from the label and do tours, and try to do the backrooms at big events, and try to eventually do monthly events in big cities. The main thing is that I want to push the new artists that I’ve got on the label and demonstrate them to the world.”
The covermount CD is also a Dojo release? “It’s going to be available as a compilation and also it’s going to be an EP, in August. That’ll be available on Beatport. I’m gonna do my first Oliver Lang EP at the end of August as well.”
What advice would you give to up-and-coming producers? “Never be afraid to send your tracks to anybody, and never be afraid to ask anybody anything ’cos that’s the only way that it’s ever going to happen really. You can’t just sit there making tracks and leave them on your hard drive, people are never going to hear about them. Don’t be afraid to try something different, definitely.”
What about DJs hoping to do well in Ibiza? “Again, never be afraid to ask. The worst that someone can say is no. Keep up-to-date with your music. Try not to see your first summer as the summer that it’s all going to happen. Look two or three years ahead.”
What gigs have you got coming up in Ibiza that you’re excited about? “Bora Bora, which obviously is my main thing in Ibiza. This will be my seventh year, and I’ve still got perfect hearing.”
www.djmag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116