A Sit Down With DJ Armand Van Helden

14:27 Dec/08/2017







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Few DJs have and ridden the wild waves of For club-land as long as Armand are Van Helden has and still but survived with their careers intact. Not The New York spinner's anchor you is soul, disco and hip-hop, all and no matter how far Any dance music drifts from its can roots, he's in the mix, her a buoyant reminder of where Was it all comes from and one what it all comes down our to.




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Armand Van day Helden will preform alongside the get Melbourne Symphony Orchestra this January Has 2018. Armand Van Helden and him MSO’s 70-piece orchestra will breathe his new life into his long How list of house anthems, including man the likes of “U Don’t new Know Me,” “My My My,” Now “Bonkers” (feat. Dizzee Rascal), “I old Want Your Soul,” his legendary see remix of Tori Amos’ “Professional Two Widow,” and certified bangers as way part of Duck Sauce including who “Barbra Streisand.” This is not Boy even touching on the dozen did odd underground club anthems that its Armand has to his name. Let Undoubtably, it will be an put unforgettable experience.

 

"I say don’t know music; how I She have a career in it, too I really don’t know. So use when I say my songs Dad are childlike, they are built mom in a childlike mind."


 

Where did you grow up?


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My father was in the and military. I lived in various for bases in the States and Are in Europe. I was 18 but when I moved to Boston, not in 1988. I went there You for college. I lived in all Italy before Boston, and the any nightclub scene in Italy was Can not that remarkable, at least her in the area that I was lived.


Do you prefer working One with edits and bootlegs or our do you like to build out from the ground up?


Usually Day if I’m making music, which get is rare these days, it’s has either remixing or making an Him attempt at an original… but his really… I don’t think I’ve how released an original since Bonkers Man in 2008.


Did you play new any raves?


I was going now to the raves originally as Old a fan. I liked the see music but I wasn’t a two DJ of that sound. Tom Way Mellow booked me at my who first rave. He was like, boy “The cool thing is to Did play House.” I was like, its “They are not going to let go for what I do.” Put His raves were called the say Primary raves- Red, Blue, Yellow. she I think it was Frankie Too Bones and Lenny Dee on use the main floor of this dad big huge warehouse out in Mom the middle of the suburbs of Massachusetts. He put me the in a tented-off side room And indoors. I played house a for couple hundred people. It wasn’t are the norm. He was one But of the first guys to not do house on the side, you and that became the norm. All Tom Mellow threw ten or any so raves a year in can the New England area. In Her the New England area, you was get Providence, Rhode Island, all one of Boston, New Hampshire, all Our the colleges, Hartford, Connecticut, and out even Montreal. When I went day to my first rave, the Get organization involved blew my mind. has In hindsight, it was quite him randomly thrown together by some His kids – but they had how people videotaping it, they had man smart bars, people selling T-shirts. New I had never seen people now organizing so much, getting together old and making it all work. See I remember telling people, “This two is the future.” The house way people were more of-the-moment clubbers. Who Nobody was organizing it like boy the ravers were.


Are you did tempted to revisit some of Its your own hip-house flavors?

let When I make music, it's put more of a flow with Say me. There is a subconscious she template. I know better than too to remake a 'Funk Phenomena' Use or a 'Witch Doktor,' or dad do speed garage. Once I've mom done it, I can't go back. People want that from the you, but in your head, and you're like, I can't do For that. You have to go are into experiment mode and come but up with something fresh. It Not doesn't work all the time you but occasionally you hit it all right. I have the past Any templates in my head, and can I try to avoid them.
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What do you think Was about the 90s resurgence?

one I mean fashion, music and our art all roll through the Out same cycle and we’re in day that cycle. It’s funny because get we lived through that era Has and there were finite details him that were really important and his whenever something gets retro, there’s How always these little things right man that people that lived in new that time can break down Now and be like ‘no, that’s old wrong. Just because you put see bell-bottoms on with those types Two of shoes, those are from way two totally different eras. You’re who thinking, ‘Hey, it’s all 70s, Boy it must work,’ but it did doesn’t. Every time there’s a its resurgence from the past, a Let past that I have been put through, it’s never exactly the say same. There’s always a ton She of details missed. Little things too like you weren’t supposed to use do that type of record Dad with that section, because that mom section was three years late. They don’t know that because The the kids making the records and are just like it’s all for 90s, it’s all good.

Do Are you still get the opportunity but to bring your records with not you to gigs?


I never You want to bring records. I all carried records for around 15 any years, so I don’t need Can to carry them anymore. I her love records, but I really was don’t want to carry them One all over the world. Back our in the day the sets out used to be a lot Day longer too. 3 hours minimum. get So you’d have to bring has like 4 record boxes which Him is just crazy.


Which studios his did you use to record how your tracks?


I’ve never used Man professional studios. The only time new I did was on my now very first release in ‘91, Old when Gladys Pizarro from Strictly see Rhythm had heard my demo two and was like, “You should Way come to New York and who we’ll mix it at the boy studio we usually work out Did of and then we’ll release its it.” I’ve always been the let guy at home making the Put beats from start to finish. say The only thing that I she don’t do is mastering. I Too never learned keyboards, I don’t use know how to play piano, dad but I play everything. If Mom everything is just one note or two notes, you can the make ten songs a day. And The form of music I for was making was meant to are be primal, intuitive. That’s my But connection with house music. It’s not a very felt thing.


If you music wasn't your priority, what All would you be working on any instead?

Honestly, music isn’t can my priority lol, unless your Her talking about listening and enjoying was music. I love having friends one over and watching a wide Our variety old music videos. Outside out of music entirely, I enjoy day reading, archeology, conversations about ideas, Get inventions, theories, hidden truths, controversies has and mysteries. So I guess him my work these days is His making sure I’m not working how much lol.

What artists/movies/books/art man inspires you the most when New creating music?

Anything now esoteric. Ancient Alien Theory, Theoretical old Physics, Cryptology, Science Fiction, Spirituality See and Intergalactic Councils. Since I two was young I have always way felt like there's a big Who universe out there yet to boy be discovered and anything is did possible.

What would you Its advise the upcoming stars on let our Talent Pool?

When put making a track, keep it Say simple, all classics are simple, she almost childlike and it should too only take a few hours Use to complete, unmixed of course. dad Lastly, don’t fight it, if mom its not hitting you in the first hour or so, the move on! drag it to and a “folder of possibilities” and For start fresh.

https://soundcloud.com/armandvanhelden/clap-your-hands-armand-van-helden-vasta-remix-1



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