Making a name for yourself in electronic music isn't the easiest task, especially when it's a genre that's flooded with one hit wonders. How do you do it? Well, while there's no formula, there are certain aspects that help, and where you're from certainly gets you more attention. A DJ-producer out of
New York City is likely to get more of a listen than one from Hoboken, NJ. On a global level, Spain produces some of the biggest names in dance music, and we recently caught up with one that's made a name for himself, but isn't satisfied with where he's got to thus far.
Henry Saiz believes that the sky's the limit for him, and so do we.
Clubplanet recently caught up with Henry Saiz and found out how he got into
electronic music, his summer tour, and how his culture influences his work.
Clubplanet: What initially brought you to a career in electronic music? How did you discover it, or how did it discover you?
Henry Saiz: Well, my first contact with electronic music was my father’s cassettes of Jean Michelle Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Vangelis, etc. I totally fell in love with that kind of sound although I always listen to lot of different styles. After that I started listening to more experimental artists and then more dance friendly styles.
Clubplanet: People have said that some of your tracks have an almost “haunting” sound to them. Is there a specific style you lean towards or do you go with whatever you feel at the moment?
Henry Saiz: That's such a compliment, and actually the goal I want to achieve with my music. I don’t usually think in “styles” when I make music, or when I choose the music I will play in a
DJ set. I just search for emotive and honest stuff, no matter which style.
Clubplanet: Your just kicking off your summer world tour. Is there any place in particular that you are most looking forward to visiting? Why?
Henry Saiz: I’m very much looking forward to the US tour. Never been to San Francisco or LA before, so it’s gonna be great to visit, to play for a new crowd in such great cities.
Clubplanet: Your music transcends the limitations of just strictly “club” music. What influences you to create music that can be listened to both on and off the dance floor?
Henry Saiz: As an artist, I think every single thing that happens in your life matters and is an influence. Regarding musical influences, there are too many to mention, but for sure 70´s synthesizer pioneers: Kraut Rock, 80´s disco music, house, techno...
Clubplanet: How do you go about creating a sound that has that evocative power to bring you back to a place in time?
Henry Saiz: That’s an extremely complicated question. For me, it’s still something magical, sometimes that just happens for some reason that’s beyond us. When a song takes someone to a particular time or place within their memory, it’s a co-creation between them and the song. This is not something I necessarily create when I’m writing the song, it's a product of my creation, and each listener will have his or her own co-creation.
Clubplanet: You recently were chosen to produce Balance 019. What do you feel you bring new to the table after past artists such as James Holden, Agoria, and Joris Voorn?
Henry Saiz: It’s such an honor. I’m a big fan of the series and it’s definitely one that always brings quality and innovation to the scene.
Clubplanet: Being from Spain, do you bring any type of Spanish influence to your work?
Henry Saiz: Mmm, not sure... To be honest I’m very obsessed with tropical-tribal sounds, not tribal like tribal-house but everything that
sounds ancestral. As a musician I feel very connected to those ancient ways of expression, like African tribal music, etc. But yeah, some of my tracks probably have some kind of Spanish flavor in the melodies and the kind of scales I use, like "Lady In The Mirror" or "We Are All."
Clubplanet: Back in 2008 you started your own label, Natura Sonoris. What do you look for when recruiting new talent to represent your label?
Henry Saiz: Originality, honesty, humility and genius. One basic rule in the label is we have to like the artist as a person, only nice people allowed! This is why the label works; we are all friends, like a little big worldwide family.
Clubplanet: To a lot of DJ’s and Producers, the beat is the most important aspect of a track. You’ve managed to incorporate vocals into a lot of your work. How important do you think vocals are to a track?
Henry Saiz: Yeah I’m playing with vocals a lot lately. Vocals are such a great way to put something unique and special on a track, and it’s also a strong form of communication because obviously the message reaches the listener faster and more straight than an abstract sound.
