DJ Profiles S Sebastian Ingrosso (SWE) | Sebastian Ingrosso (SWE) |
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| Thursday, 18 October 2007 | |
 Sebastian Ingrosso and studio partner Steve Angello have just finished remixing the brand new single from the biggest solo star on the planet. A deep, emotive remix of the soon-to-be classic Justin/Timbaland single My Love, it's a master-class of low-slung bass, haunting vocoders and thundering drums that Jacques Lu Cont would be proud of. In short, it's perfect for Pacha, Space and Fabric floors alike. Particularly at four in the morning. Cool and deadly, it's almost certainly their smartest remix to date. "The original idea was boring," reasons Seb. "The idea was a straight-up house mix of an r'n'b track but I wanted to do something epic and mystical. You can feel the vibe in the track and the lyrics so we vocodered Justin's voice. We just wanted to do something different. The remix features a bass by a guy called Andreas who plays in rock bands: it's a live remix." It sounds like a remix should: rearranged, re-worked and restructured to bring out the best in the original. If only more artists did this. "I played the strings on a Emiltron synthesiser," adds Seb with a smile."When it comes to remixes, Ingrosso is adamant that the best work comes when you go the extra mile. "When I'm satisfied, I'm satisfied but I'm quite tough on myself," he says. "Of course, I want the label to be satisfied too but I also want us to surprise ourselves as producers. No-one can believe we've made a rock/dance track... but we did it!" This year has been a busy one for Seb. As well as Justin, there have been killer re-rubs for Felix and P Diddy (the searing Jack U remix), a glorious, glistening house mix of 'Swimming Places' and an uber-cool mix of new outfit The Modern. "Pete Tong requested 'Swimming Places' for a mix CD he was doing. I just added the tweak it needed. I did it for myself in the beginning and I sent it to Pete and a few friends. Then Defected boss Simon Dunmore rang and said "we need to buy this remix from you!" But what qualities does Seb look for in a song, we wonder? "I always look for great harmonies! I want the vibe to be cool, I love eighties disco when it's made in a forward-thinking way. I don't want to remix cheesy trance, so don't look at me for a Cascade remix! With all due respect, that's not my vibe." 2006 is all about stepping up to the plate for Seb, particularly in the studio. "I want to take my productions to another level. I want to make new, forward thinking music now. I just did three tracks with Salem El Fakyr who's coming out with an album on Virgin soon. I'm open for everything. We did really good with the dance stuff but I want to work with other artists too. Just as long as it's cool. I listen to everything from John Legend to Britney and Jacques Lu Cont - I'm a music lover. Stuart price, he says, is an artist to aspire to. From Madonna to New Order And The Scissor Sisters, his house stamp is all over the charts AND the clubs. And Seb is not a little jealous. "He must be number one!" he shrugs. "His things are too good to play almost! His musical sides are amazing, he takes the records to whole new levels - he's very inspiring." Stuart Price aside, he also rates Harry Choo Choo Romero ("he's done some great stuff") Sebastian Leger, Eric Prydz, Axwell and of course Steve Angello. "But my musical hero must be Quincy Jones. He's so versatile. When you listen to 'Thriller' today, the bass-lines and beats could have been made today, it still sounds so up to date." The key thread to Seb's sound, however, is one thing: soul. "Yes, there needs to be something to grab me. I did a lot of hard electro stuff but you need soul in the music, it can be hard, twisted and distorted too but it needs something that makes you laugh, dance or cry. That's the thing with music. You want a reaction." In two years time, Seb says he wants to concentrate more on studio work. "I love DJing but in two years time, I want to produce artists, develop myself and my sound. I'm so excited. This is the best thing that ever happened in my life. This keeps my alive. It would be cool to work with the Ret Hot Chilli Peppers, Kylie or Madonna and develop their new sound and image." Which is, of course, what Stuart Price did so well before him. Does he want to be the Timbaland of dance, then? "I hope so! I would be very honoured if someone said that." Anything else you like to say before we leave? "Yes! I want people to know that I'm very hungry. I'm still learning every day but I'm at a level where I can do everything. I just want people to hear what I'm doing." Web: www.refune.com |
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