Having previously released original productions with labels like We Are The Brave, Unrilis and Kraftek, Barcelona-based DJ and producer Dave Sinner is quickly becoming a commanding force amongst his peers.
Most recently he debuted on Eats Everything and Andres Campo’s EI8HT imprint, where artists such as Felix Da Housecat, Black Girl / White Girl and Avision have released in the past.
We caught up with Dave to ask him all about the new release, what we can expect to see from him in the future, and how he’s been staying positive throughout the current pandemic. Get the full discussion below.
You just released your Never Enough EP with Eats Everything and Andres Campo’s EI8HT imprint, talk us through the tracks on this one?
With these three tracks I just wanted to make powerful grooves with recognisable hooks, something that would work on the dancefloor, trying to keep things simple but cool enough. Even though every one of them has slightly different vibes, they’re all based on that same concept, which is just enjoying yourself and dancing in a sweaty club. Which ironically now that they’re released we can not do. So now, in a way, for me this EP is kind of a reminder that we will get together and dance again.
In the past you’ve also released on We Are The Brave, Unrilis and Kraftek, what do you look for in a label when considering them for a release?
First, that the label is releasing music I like and that my tracks fit into it’s catalogue. Then it’s really important for me that they’re not putting out a huge amount of music, but limited releases that they curate carefully, giving each one of them the importance they deserve.
And which labels can we expect to see you on in the near future?
I would definitely love to release on Kraftek again, We Are The Brave and EI8HT, since I feel connected to them musically and really like how they work. But honestly, there’s nothing in store for the next months since I haven’t been inspired to write club music during the pandemic, even though now I’m starting to make new beats and hopefully will have new stuff to release later in the year.
Do you have a bucket list label that you hope to work with before it’s all said and done?
Right now I’m experiencing a change in my musical direction when it comes to techno, so I don’t really know which label to tell you since I’m not sure what will come out of it, but there are certainly some labels that I love and are doing great work at the moment and that my music might fit into in the future: Truncate, Uncage, ARTS and Planet Rhythm.
You’re based in Barcelona, a city known for having a vibrant club scene, what are some of the biggest changes you’ve noticed amongst the local DJs since the pandemic began?
I reckon that here is like everywhere else, DJs are trying to stay relevant and connected to people through live streamed DJ sets and music releases, also in order to keep focus and sane I guess, these are tough times for almost everyone, but the workers of our scene and some other collectives have been hit particularly hard.
And how hopeful are you that we’ll be back on the dancefloor in 2021?
I’m quite positive that we’ll start to see the light at the end of the tunnel in a few months. Maybe first with social distanced events, and then slowly going back to our old normality. This madness can’t go on forever, it’ll end one way or another, and I really hope that at some point this year we will be dancing again.
On the topic of the pandemic, what are some of the ways you have been keeping productive over the past 12 months?
At first I felt utterly lost, I felt it was pointless to be making club music if it wasn’t going to be played at clubs, festivals, raves or whatever. I believe art needs context to survive, and this genre definitely needs the club environment.
So after some long weeks of not even trying, I started to work on different music, also studying music theory on my own, and other things I had never done before that gave me a different perspective, that’s how I got back at creating again.
This has been productive for me since I started a new path as a producer that got me working on new projects, but with time it has also given me back the joy and inspiration for writing dancefloor oriented stuff.
This will take some time though. As I said before, my sound as Dave Sinner is changing and I feel I won’t be releasing anything until I’m 100% happy with it.
And where do you find inspiration when clubs are off limits?
I’ve always found inspiration in a lot of stuff: other people’s music, techno or many other genres, but also in other forms of art and entertainment such movies, books, tv shows and even video games, and of course travelling, but the latter hasn’t happened this year with all the madness going on, so I had to take everything from the former.
I believe the best way to fuel your creativity, no matter what kind of stuff you make, is feeding it with new experiences, ideas, stories and people.
Dave Sinner’s Never Enough EP is out now on EI8HT.