Artist Interviews

Q&A: Dekata Project

By | Published on Wednesday 21 October 2009

Dekata Project

London-based Dekata Project is the brainchild of producer, songwriter and sax player Sam Sharp. Teaming up with pioneering UK garage/dubstep producer Zed Bias, Dekata Project deliver a mixture of futuristic disco, soulful house and nu soul, drawing on influences from the likes of Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada and Daft Punk. Having already created something of a stir on the underground house and broken beat scene with their four track debut ‘Viral EP’, they are now releasing it on vinyl, and will celebrate that release with a free gig at the Vibe Bar’s Sunday Joint on Brick Lane in London this coming weekend. We spoke to Sam to find out more.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I first picked up a recorder aged four, then clarinet and piano at eight, sax at eleven, on which I got my grade 8 aged thirteen. My early musical experiences came from performing in classical and jazz ensembles at my schools and music service. I was lucky here, we toured all over Europe and played on TV and the radio. All the while I would be making tunes at home on my Casio keyboard and basic midi sequencer, with my fast sampler arriving aged eighteen. I remember it taking ages just to get going, using floppy discs to load samples: it could be an hour before I’d even started. It makes me very grateful for the technological advances in my studio today.

Q2 What inspired your latest single?
‘At Least We Can Dance’ is all about going back to the basic tribal instinct of finding your little space on the dance floor and shaking your ass. Whilst writing it I thought a lot about the best clubbing experiences I’ve had, the ones where there’s no pretence, just a real connection between you, the music, and the people around you. I also have a quest to make girls dance, I’ve been to too many club nights of late where blokes just stand around admiring each other’s DJ technique, there’s not enough actual dancing going on.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
My writing style differs from track to track, but when I’m working on Dekata Project I will normally start using beats and synths to get the basic chords, bass line and groove established. Then I’ll work on the lyrics and vocal melody, often using my sax to find the right lines. I have a pretty good work ethic and normally will have the crux of a tune done in a few hours. Then I call up my band who pop in one by one to add more layers, then it’s up to Manchester to see Zed Bias and finish the production off.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
On this project my influences would include Moloko, Basement Jaxx, Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies and other less obvious things like Steely Dan, songwriter James Taylor and Level 42. I’m trying to pick up where acid jazz left off, and although some of that stuff sounds horribly dated now, there was a great spirit and some classic tunes that I still drop when DJing. Zed has also been a massive influence on our sound, he made my stuff sound hip and fresh. I also work with Kwame Kwaten from ATC Management, originally from D’Influence, who gives me top advice and helps me make tough decisions about my music and where it’s all going.

Q5 What would you say to someone listening to your music for the first time?
Like most artists, I would say keep an open mind: even if the genre/stylings aren’t immediately your cup of tea. I have worked really hard on the underlying songs and arrangements; it just so happens that it turned out to be soulful house music this time round. I’d like to think that my background in jazz and live music (vs coming via the DJ route) means my music is unique and interesting, and not just the same as other dance music out there. I would also encourage people to strip down to their pants, turn the lights off and make some shapes, this is the whole point of what I do.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your album, and for the future?
At the moment I’m just enjoying running my label, Doshiwa Records, and knocking out the tunes. We have an album pretty much done, but the aim is very much to build the label and group one step at a time. We’ve had some airplay on Radio 1, been featured in iDJ magazine, and are charting well on the dance music websites. As for the future, I’m up for all the usual stuff: remixes, doing horns and live sessions for people, producing and finding new acts, and collaborating with as many top singers and producers as I can. When it comes to other labels and publishers, I’m always open to people coming in on my team to help me get to where I want to be in terms of exposure, releases and live gigs. It’s all good, I’m in no hurry, I just want to make sure the music is the best it can possibly be.

MORE>> www.dekataproject.com



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