Features

If someone has yet to have heard your sound, how would you explain it?

Well, it’s sounds from all different parts the world with a very funky and percussive groove, and it’s meant to make you dance and, I don’t know (laughs), that’s about it. I guess you could say it has plenty of Latin, African, Middle-eastern influences.

Can you explain the term ‘Sun People’, which is obviously the name of your new album? Where did you come up with the idea for that name?

Sure, it’s just an ode to the sun, and all the people who get excited to see the sun coming out in all the different places around the world. Also I do a lot of outdoor events and I get to see a lot of people dancing in the sunshine, so I like to just kind of, you know, pay a little tribute to all the people.

So you've got the film clip for Sun Children out. I was wondering where it was filmed and what the process was behind that, it seems pretty fun, like a kind of lo-fi honest clip.

Yeah that’s what it was. I kind of like to do the videos very simple, very documentary style, where it’s like two cameras roll up on the spot, let the people know ‘hey we’re doing a video, and we got two takes, do whatever you want to do’. Originally the concept was everyone was going to use their phones, and then submit the footage and then we would edit it. But I couldn’t get the word out in time about the whole process so we just did it really on the spot in Philadelphia at a party that we were performing at called the Sundae Party and yeah we just hit it with two cameras, I ran through the tunes, original and then I played the remix so like that people wouldn’t get bored, I was trying to keep the dance party fresh and not feel like a video shoot. We did literally just two runs through the whole tune, and then a little creative editing with my friend Ron Schaffer and myself, and there it is.

So you were really hands-on in terms of editing and the direction from start to finish in that regard?

Yeah yeah, the filming, everything. It was kind of like a last minute project and we pulled it off (laughs)

With the name Sun People for the album, is it fair to say that you prefer summer over winter?

Oh it’s bad, I’m always trying to skip the winter. Yeah I really can’t take it, I have Mediterranean blood so I’m like I need the sunshine. I’ll do anything to try and book myself out of the winter in the Southern Hemisphere as I’m doing, this January and February. (laughs)

Well you are, you’ll be over here in Summer so mission accomplished. Speaking of videos I saw a short film where you compared some of your favourite producers to some of your fave NY pizzerias, and it was quite funny, you had everyone in there from Jazzanova to Dj Premier. Can you give us a rundown on what the core ingredients are that make a good pizza, and what makes a good producer?

Right on. (laughs) Best question yet. I love that because, you know, it seemed like a bit of a stretch when I had to do this quick video like 120 seconds and I had so much to talk about, but I’ll also try to narrow it down right now coz it’s going to be difficult but, fine ingredients and fine sound, like having the best tomatoes, you know, the tomato you really trust is like having, say the best kick drum, and like, you know the recording sound, if you get in a really good take, and you don’t have to do a lot with it to make it sound better, and you have a good musician with a good take with a good mic and a good recording, you don’t have to fluff it up and put all the effects on it and do too much to it. So the same is like with if say you have really good cheese, you don’t have to salt it or put too much oregano or any spices. So it’s really just sticking to really good ingredients, and using it sparingly, don’t over-do it. One of the things about production which I find the hardest to do is just use what you need, don’t overdo it, like most pizzas in the world overdo it, they throw too much crap on it. Like if you had the most simple, good ingredients and elements, you have yourself a good production and a good pizza.

Do you think, like an overcooked pizza, there is a lot of over-production going on currently? Do you think people need to strip it back a little bit?

Um…yeah, I mean, a lot of times I hear great songs but they’re over-produced. I try not to do that, I can’t say I’m the best chef yet (laughs) but I’m working on it, I’m definitely working on it. That’s why I gave respect to the people who I thought really do it perfectly like Dj Preimer, Jazzanova, you know they got that formula, you know it’s really amazing.

Moving on, this kind of relates back to you being in NY for winter, but as you mentioned you do everything you can to escape New York during the cooler months, which is a fair enough call. What would be your tips to someone like me as a non-New Yorker heading to that city during winter, what would you recommend we do that would be both fun and keep us warm?

Well, New York is dynamic any time of year. I mean, you can always make the best of your situation no matter where you are. When I say I need to escape, I’m happy anytime I’m in New York, but definitely if you wanted to go to New York, stay cosy, you pick a good neighbourhood with a good restaurant, a good bar, you know, like there’s so many options, there’s museums, there’s everything. But so much has been opening on the outskirts of New York, it takes you out of the New York element for a bit, you can’t believe, you know, you’ll be in a warehouse district in Brooklyn, you’ll have a fine gourmet pizzeria, and like, around the block is a huge loft party with all the freaks in the world. Some really good things happen in the winter, as people go more underground.   

One of your major accomplishments, speaking of NY nightlife, has been the running of Turntables on the Hudson, and that’s been going on for 11 years last time I checked. For those of us who have never been, what could we expect?

First of all the music really is a good mix of everything, from latin, soul, jazz, funk, house, afro beats, it’s a good mix of everything. A lot of new sounds, a lot of stuff you probably never heard, like you know, a lot of stuff that’s not on commercial radio, and you find a lot of cool people from all over the world, a lot of New York locals, people from all sides of the social spectrum, people just from every walk of life. That’s like kind of our policy, at a party, it’s that there is no policy, no dress code, you know unfortunately some clubs have their 21 and over rule which is the only thing we have to adhere by, but we like to keep it as free-spirited, have as little rules as possible, and we like to attract people who just really love music and who want to dance, and who also love to be outdoors, you know coz we always like to pick an outdoor spot in summer whenever we can.

How’s it sort of changed over the years? What’s one of your fondest memories from running that night? There must be some pretty amazing stories?

There are so many. I guess, you know, my fondest memory is that New York can be such a busy place, that the fondest memories are always when everybody comes together on that Friday when we do the event because you could be living next to somebody you’ve known your whole life and you don’t ever see them because New York is that busy everyone’s got something going on or everyone’s working, so the good thing is that collectively, all that good vibe shared and good spirit and friendship and smile and people just enjoying themselves, that’s always been the highlight of every single week. 

So we can see you out here for Days Like This in 2010. What can we expect from your set? Is it going to be a collection of your original recordings, or are you mixing it up with other people’s material? What are you going to bring to us?

It’s a mix of all my productions, and my family, and crew, it’s a mix of everything, it’s not just my music, it’s a mix of everybody’s music from all over the world, really. It’s going to be a mix that takes you from West Africa to Eastern Europe, to India, you know, right back to New York, one after the other. It’s a dynamic sound, things cut and move really quickly. I would just say to people, have an open mind and get ready to be hit up with all different sounds and speeds. I just try to shake it up.

Just by giving us that list there, it’s evident how broad your musical tastes are, where does that stem from? Was that something that was influenced by your parents, or was it something that you stumbled upon yourself, a real raw keen interest?

Yeah it comes a lot from searching and digging in records, you know, like everywhere I travel I just pick up records and sounds, and just finding you know, funky, dance qualities within all the music of all time, from like the 50s to now. There’s always that element that make people want to shake it, so it’s just a matter of finding all those elements in all types of music. Mostly I would say record collections and friends and travel and just being open to all different sounds, you know I’m not just ‘hard music’ or like things that are electronic, you know I like it all.

One last question: any final words for all the 'Sun People' out there?

(laughs) I don’t want to say some corny ass shit. I guess just pick up the album, have a listen, wait for Moon People, that’s coming out. Sun People is the summer vibes, Moon People is night-time, a little bit, it’s going to be a little bit more deeper, more abstract, so look out for the Moon People, coming soon, probably about April.

If you're in Sydney you'll be able to see the Nickodemus play the Days Like This Festival on Sunday January 10. For those not able to make it, the next best thing is to pick up his new album, Sun People, available now.