Christian Smith South West Four 2010
 
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The VMM is pleased to speak to Swedish born International DJ Producer Christian Smith and label owner of Tronic one of the first tech-house labels, as we approach the build up towards South West Four the UK’s biggest Dance Music festival 2010.                                                                     Â
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Q: Hello Christian so off the back of an amazing 2009, can you tell the VMM how has 2010 been so far for you?
Christian Smith: 2010 has been incredible so far. It started out in January with me having a #1 on the Beatport overall sales charts. Then had releases on Tronic and Size. I became a father in March!!! This was followed by my debut album release “director’s cut” in April, and lots of time in the studio working on remixes for Carl Craig, Umek, Fergie etc. All this while being on the road all the time. So far the best gig of the year was Sensation White in Chile. Incredible amount of energy. Now I’m getting ready to move to Europe for the summer as all my gigs will be there for the next 3 months.
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Q: According to your MySpace you have relocated to Sao Paulo, Brazil, so can you tell the VMM why did you move there and what are the pros and cons for living there?
Christian Smith: I moved there because I have always loved the country and the lifestyle there. The obvious pros are the people here. They are happy and very positive. Sure this country is far from perfect, but people have a very positive outlook on life that is very inspiring. The biggest disadvantage of living here is that I have to constantly take long haul flights to Europe and North America for the majority of my gigs. Taking 12 hour flights every 2 weeks is rough! But overall I am really happy living in South America and find it’s worth it suffering a little to get to live in such an amazing country.
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Q: The VMM would like to ask what is the dance scene like in Sao Paolo / Brazil?
Christian Smith: It’s huge! But big does not always mean good. There are some amazing clubs in Brazil and people like to party! But sadly, the level of taste in the clubbers is rather shameful. They think that David Guetta is “cool” and “underground” music. So it’s not out of the ordinary that I get booked to play at some big club and the warm-up DJ finishes with Guetta’s “When Love Takes Over”. Not exactly perfect warm-up music…. lol! Having said that, there are some cool clubs in Brazil as well and things are getting better musically. Chile and Argentina for example have great scenes. I’m sure that soon things will get better in Brazil as well.
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Q: You are making your debut at this year’s South West Four Weekender in London so the VMM would like to know what have you heard about the festival already?
Christian Smith: I have played at all the major clubs in London such as MOS, Fabric, Matter (rip) etc, but this will be my debut open air festival in London. I love playing in London because it’s such a cosmopolitan city and crowd and it’s always a pleasure to visit this cultural melting pot. Of course I have heard of South West Four, and now I am honored to play at it! 
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Q: You will be playing the Bedrock Arena, so the VMM would like to ask what are the Bedrock parties normally like and how do you think this will transfer into a festival setting?
Christian Smith: John Digweed has done an amazing job with his Bedrock label. He’s managed to mix varies styles together and make it one of the leading labels again. I really respect Diggers a lot, because he is not about the glamour, champagne etc, but he is 100% fully devoted to the music. The Bedrock Arena’s at the festivals are a testament to that. I played last year in the Bedrock arena at another festival and it was fantastic. Great artists and great music. I am humbled that John is including me at some of his Bedrock events and cannot wait for this years South West Four.
Q: Can you tell the VMM what are your festival survival tips?
Christian Smith: Gore Tex shoes and friends!
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Q: What are the key components of creating the perfect club track?
Christian Smith: This depends on what your taste is. To some people a perfect club track will be horrible to other people. To me a perfect club track is a tune that grabs your attention, makes you go crazy, but is not cheesy!
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Q: Your sound has been known to cross genres, from techno to house. So the VMM would like to ask how would you describe your current sound and how has this evolved to where you are musically now?
Christian Smith: I am not a purist and for me it’s all about party music! People go to parties to get rocked, and not to get bored. So when I make my club tracks I do not think of house or techno. I just try to make a track that will make a difference on the floor. I love house to techno and everything in between, so I am not afraid to play a melodic track if this is how I feel at the moment. Right now I’m really into chunky tech house with some musical elements. I call it house music with balls!
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Q: Apparently a very important conversation with Dubfire had an influence on your music. So the VMM would like to ask what was this conversation about, and how well do you know Dubfire who will also be playing at South West Four this summer?
 Christian Smith: Yes this is very true. Dubfire and I played together at Creamfields in Buenos Aires a few years back and he really inspired me. He is a person that has already made his money, and had global fame with “Deep Dish” etc. To hear him tell me how he tries to top every release he makes, and set goals for every 6 months were really inspiring to me. I met Ali “Dubfire” when I was a university student in Washington DC in 1992, so I have known this guy for quite a while. After this dinner I decided that I had it too easy in my career and that I would step it up a notch. I have done this and things have been amazing ever since.
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Q: The VMM would like to know how much do you enjoy coming over to Britain and playing and have you any lasting memories from a show you have played over here before?
Christian Smith: Oh there are a lot of memories. I specifically remember the first time I played in Belfast in 2001. It was a small club with shit sound and it was rammed packed. It was one of the most passionate gigs I have had in my life. I was drenched in sweat from top to bottom, and the people were screaming as if there was no tomorrow. I really enjoy coming to the UK as the English have a great history in music and are always up to date as well.
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Q: Can you tell the VMM is there a certain amount of preparation that goes into playing such big arena sets, and do you prefer playing to the larger crowds than say a club event?
Christian Smith: It’s really a combination. I like the smaller venues for their intimacy and being able to connect eye to eye with the crowd, but festivals are also amazing. To me it’s like comparing apples and oranges, they are two different things. In regards to preparation, I spend about 15-20 hours a week going through new music and getting organized. With over 2000 new releases every week, a DJ really has to do his homework these days. The music I play at big events is not very different from small events. It’s all about party music in the end!
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Q: The VMM would like to ask you out of the other artists on the South West Four bill, who would you like to see play?
Christian Smith: I will walk around all arenas and check out the DJs, but I’m really looking forward to listening to Andy C. I like to get my D&B fix from time to time
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Q: Finally the VMM would like to ask what can we expect from Christian Smith in the future?
Christian Smith: Lots of releases and albums on Tronic, many world tours, and no nonsense party music!
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Q: Do you have a messages to the South West Four revelers coming down to see you play?
Christian Smith: Let’s rock the house!!!!
10 Sep 2010, 11:14 am
Great Post. Thanks for sahring!!
15 Sep 2010, 9:11 am
Thanks for that, very interesting on the subject. I will do some more googleing for Christian Smith South West Four 2010 | VMM