Sergio Flores and Defected first bumped in the night way back in 2006 with Sergio's 'Need U Now'. It's a relationship that has been treasured by both parties, and now, nearly half a decade later, Sergio has produced what may be his best work yet on the label. We caught up with him to get the lowdown on the inspiration behind the new single and some of the techniques he used to bring it to life.
How’s the year been treating you so far?
The last few months have been a very creative period for me. I spent most of it locked away in various studios, mostly my own, working on many different projects. So I didn't see the sun much and didn't enjoy the usual Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle that we DJs supposedly live. I needed some time to focus on the process of songwriting and creating tracks. And I had to define my plans for the year to come. (World domination needs some planning, you know...?!)
What’s been the highlight of your career to date?
I feel blessed to have been involved in a few successful ventures. One of the highlights was definitely my work as a producer on Kylie Minogue’s ‘Spinning Around’, alongside my longtime production-partner Greg (Usek). The song’s success opened a lot of doors for us, once it had hit #1 of the charts in various countries. However, as a true House-head, finally seeing a mix of mine released on Defected in 2006 definitely marked a great moment in my career.
Tell us about the new track for Defected…what’s the idea behind it?
Most of us have been in a situation at some point or another, where we had the feeling that someone - our partner, a friend, or a lover - is draining our energy, wasting our time and isn't giving anything back in return. That's what the lyric is about: claiming back your emotional freedom from someone! As for the vibe of Give It Back, I wanted to make a tribute to the times when great divas performed soulful and anthemic songs on club tracks with that incredible energy that got me addicted to House in the first place. I tried to re-create this feeling in my music. And I always wanted to have an accapella of one of my own tunes, that would feel as if it was nicked of some bootleg vinyl from the mid 90s. Just a good classic House song. And Joy Malcolm did a brilliant job in bringing this feeling to the track.
How did you make the track? What hard/software did you use?
I work on Cubase 5. Steinberg did a good job with the new 5.5 update. However, I believe you can achieve good results with any software, given that you know where you want to go and how to get there on your DAW. On the original mix, I used an array of old hardware synths, like a Minimoog for the bass sound and a Korg M1, stacked with an EMU Proteus, for the Pianos (all courtesy of G. Luksch) just to get that retro feel. For the beats I used the NI Battery 3 with my own little sample library I put together over the years. I also experimented with the FXpansion GURU. It is a very powerful tool for beat-programming and I think I will make use of it more often in the future. On the Big Acid mix I used the Access Virus TI for the main synth sound and stacked it with another synth for more "body". Greg (Usek), who does the final mixdowns & the vocal production on all of my tracks, uses a lot of analog hardware equipment like Neve & SSL chanel strips, Tube-Tech EQs etc.
I have a part of those analog monsters in my pre-production studio too, so I can get a glimpse of how a track will sound after it's been mixed, while I'm still in the process of programming and arranging. I have the feeling that some analog machines are still superior to plug-ins when it comes to their response to transients; they are just faster, though the plugs are getting better and better. These machines are all tubes and transistors and boy can they get hot! Isn't it wonderful having extra heating in mid-summer?
What’s your opinion on the ease with which anyone can start producing records these days? Do you think it’s had a negative impact on the scene?
It's an ambiguous thing. On one side it is great that producing isn't such an elitist and aloof thing anymore, so that it has become easier for young talent to shine through. On the other hand, I think that most of the stuff being released today is poorly, or half-heartedly produced and would never have made it onto the market a few years ago, when physical media was still the main format. Having to master and press a record is quite expensive. If you do so, it means you are really serious about the product and you absolutely believe in it. So this was also kind of a pre-selectional process. A lot of people nowadays call themselves producers and just throw together some loops from sample-CDs (or even worse, other peoples records). Now don't get me wrong, samples and sample-CDs can be a great pool of inspiration, but you shouldn't rely only on pre-made beats and music to create your own track. If the way you use the samples is really creative, if you trigger them in a different way, or if you add another dimension by at least having your own hook-line, it can be a really cool thing. However, this is one of the reasons why nowadays a lot of stuff just sounds uniform.
What have you got going on for the rest of the year?
By now, my remix for Bob Sinclar’s new single ‘Rainbow Of Love’ should be out there. I have a track with my Dutch friends Hardsoul in the making and I started something with David Penn quite a long time ago and want to work on it over the next few weeks. I also still have a tune with Danny Marquez waiting to be completed. Parallel to this, I am working on a pop-project. But most importantly, I am already working on my follow-up single for the mighty Defected!
Anything else you’d like to tell us about
An enhanced version of my website will be re-launched soon under www.sergioflores.co.uk and will feature some new gadgets and up-to-date information. I will also start to tour a little more later this year, although I still want to keep the emphasis on creating new material, so check the site from time to time, if you want to know if I'm anywhere in your neighbourhood. I could also tell you about this strange itch I've got on my left toe, but I'd rather not........damned, too late!
Interview by Greg Sawyer
Give It Back is out 15th September - click to listen & pre-order
