For the release of Volume 1 of ‘Signature Sounds Of DJ Sneak’ what better way to find out what it’s all about than straight from the main man himself…

“Back in the day this project would be considered a double pack vinyl, but since it’s only digital it becomes a fat EP! It’s a selection of 10 tracks I’ve had for a long time, these tracks are rare and direct from DAT tapes. Vault tracks. The concept is really to group old school tracks produced from 1993 to 2000. This is the original sound of Sneak, the signature sound, and since original tracks are in demand, I found it cool to make these available to true Sneak music lovers.”

‘Signature Sounds Of Sneak Vol. 1′ is available on Magnetic Recordings, exclusively from Beatport.

Originally released in 1996, Sneak’s classic track ‘Different Shapes & Sizes (In Da Clouds)’ is back fresh for 2012 with new remixes by Honey Dijon & Sebastian Manuel, and Ramon Tapia. Renamed ‘Different Shapes Of Clouds’ and released on Sneaks own DJ Sneak Classics imprint, the original track still sounds as fresh as ever. The remixers keep the Chicago jackin flavours in full effect, adding their own personal spin.

Available from:
Beatport
Traxsource

The title says it all! As one of the most in demand and prolific producers in the world, DJ Sneak drops an 8 track EP-meets-mini album on his own Magnetic Recordings. It’s classic Sneak from start to finish – slamming beats, relentless loopy grooves, disco flavors, vocal hooks and trademark stunning percussion.

Available from:
Beatport

“COMING WITH DA SOUNDS” sees Puerto Rico’s finest let rip. Clattering techno beats with an authentic trademark vibe power towards a (dare we say) 1991 rave break down. Big Synthy sounds make way for the straight up power house that our man is renowned for.

On the flip (literally, this is a vinyl release) Sneak slow’s the pace to 120bpm with “TIME TRAVEL.” A track so close to Sneak’s heart, he wouldn’t let anyone remix it. The groove is relentless and character warm, just like the great man himself.

On remix duties Circus main man Yousef steps up with a slamming remix of “Coming With Da Sounds,” backed by label mate Tom Flynn who takes the cut into a trackier stripped back groove with big drums and lively bass. Another great ep from Circus!

DJ Support:
ZDAR (Cassius): “Yo! Old school 91 forever! Lovin this!! Thanks Sneak.”
Kasper: “Time Travel is the big one for me! Killer DJ Sneak!!”
Robert Dietz: “Original of Coming With Tha Sounds and Tom Flynn’s remix are great for me. Supporting!”
Cirillo: “Yousef’s Chicago Beat is a BOMB!!! J”
Stacey Pullen: “Tom’s mix is my fav on the release. Sneak’s original is of course classic ‘Sneak’. Love it!!”
Wally Lopez: “The Original of Coming With Tha’ Sounds and its Tom Flynn remix are my favourites on the release. Gonna try them out.”
Ramon Tapia: “Time Travel for me please! Very nice! Going to play it LOUD.”
Reboot: “This is another great ep by Sneak!!! I will support, of course! J”

Available from:
Beatport
Traxsource
Juno Download
iTunes

Ahead of his Fabric mix CD, Sneak chatted to Dan Prince from the world renowned DMC World about growing up in Puerto Rico and his move to Chicago, getting into House Music, the selections on his Fabric mix and his prize vegetable patch!

Carlos, welcome back to the DMC World. Back with a vengeance with a mighty Fabric release, everyone is saying the best from the London super club in a long time, well done sir. So let’s go back to the early sunshine days of DJ Sneak on the island of Puerto Rico – playing on the beach amidst salsa bands and people dancing in the surf. Music was all around you from an early age. How was family life growing up?

“Family life was good, I had loving parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties and loads of cousins. We were all different but similar at the same time, we all loved Latin music and dancing was a daily thing around the house. My family didn’t have much but they always knew how to have a good time. Even though I came from a family that was not financially rich, we were very rich in love and affection.”

You first encountered a turntable and a piece of vinyl very early on in life at the mother of a friend’s house. There must have been loads of popular Puerto Rican musicians in the pile, but can you remember any of the commercial artists you saw there that day?

“Mostly FANIA All Stars, some Beatles, Elvis, Celia Cruz, Cortijo y su Combo, Ismael Rivera…”

You moved to Chicago with the family from there, swapping the beach for bricks, the waves for the wind, the sea for sirens and the coconuts for cold. But one thing you did discover that first summer of 84 in Chicago was music. Tell us about the sounds from back then, this was before MTV so how did a kid hear the beats?!?

“Everything in Chicago was new and BIG… Read the full interview on the DMC website here

Seminal Chicago house player, DJ Sneak is to mix the latest in the Fabric Live series.

The DJ, originally from Puerto Rico describes his signature sound to be a mash up of ‘funky filtered disco-influenced house and tough jacking beats.

His innovative style has long since demolished the protocol of house music and has gone onto redefine house as an ever evolving forum for avant garde beats.

True to form, DJ Sneak’s mix is said to be gushing with his love for house, both new and old, and impressively finds the vet showing off his 20-plus years of DJ experience with a mix crafted entirely live. Fabric 62will see a worldwide digital and European CD release on March 1, with a US CD release following a few weeks after on March 27.

For the last twenty years DJ Sneak’s sets have earned him notable recognition Worldwide with his music influencing the likes of Armand Van Helden, Daft Punk and Bassment Jaxx.

The Fabric 62 mix, which is released on March 1, will see Sneak stay true to the vivacious upbeat tempo and vocal heavy style that his music has become synonymous with.

You can check the full tracklist below.

Tracklist:
01 Strip Steve & Das Glow “Calcium”
02 Markus Homm & Philipp Gonzales “Got To Make It”
03 Basti Grub feat. Agent! “Walking In My Blues”
04 Yeshua Murillo “I’m Gonna Make You Mine (Joss Moog Mix)”
05 Arturo Garces “Light It Up”
06 Tripmastaz “No Turning Back”
07 Mike Jules “Crack Ass”
08 Hector Couto “Creampie (Darius Syrossian Remix)”
09 Mendo “Old School”
10 Alex Tepper “In, Out, Life”
11 DJ Sneak “My Love (Ramon Tapia Remix)”
12 Sir James “Special (Ramon Tapia Remix)”
13 Christian Burkhardt & Einzelkind “Cooper”
14 Luca M “Funk My Sax”
15 Muto “Wait A Minute”
16 DJ W!ld feat. Hector Moralez “Take a Trip”
17 Willie Graff & Tuccillo “To the Music (Tato Remix)”
18 Cause & Affect “Beware of the Swingers”

Guesthouse Music & DJ Sneak team up to bring you another hard hitting EP ‘What You Been Missing’, chalked full of bad ass bass-lines, nasty grooves and shuffling beats for tha feets.

Dropping another 4 tracks of pure House Music Sneak kicks things off with ‘What You Been Missing’ - paying homage to the glory days of the 90′s this jam will strike a chord with anyone who was raving ‘back in the day’. Next up, ‘Where we Wanna Go’ is a dirty, quirky little number laden with haunting vocal hooks and captivating acid lines that get the party rocking. Following up on the B-Side is ‘Studio Swing’ which has the trademark Sneak cuts and loops we have come to know and love from this disco loop master. Lastly ‘Who Has The Jazz’ is a catchy tune with a deep groove which again plays heavy to Sneak’s signature style and rounds off the EP with a little something for everybody.

Don’t miss this EP from a true legend of House Music on one of the best underground labels in the biz. 12″ available wherever fine house music is sold.

Support:
Derrick Carter – “Studio Swing makes me do bad things! Full support for the Don Dadio!”
DJ Booker T – “Wicked tracks, Big support!”
Ghost of Venice – “Who Has The Jazz’ is great. Full support”
Jask – “This whole package is fire!”
Honey Dijon – “Proper sneak joints!”
J Paul Getto – “Wicked tracks! Ill play these at my gig this weekend!”
Gramophonedzie – “Classic Sneak – Love this!”

Available from:
Beatport
Traxsource
Stompy
iTunes

]]> http://djsneak.com/archives/687/feed 0 http://djsneak.com/archives/657 http://djsneak.com/archives/657#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:56:44 +0000 djsneak http://djsneak.com/?p=657 Let’s start from the origin: we all know where you came from musically, but more generally, do you remember your first contacts with music, before the first beats, where your love for music come from?

SNEAK: I was born into music, particularly Latin music from the island of Puerto Rico, which is where I was born and spent most of my childhood. From the very first time I saw a salsa band playing on the beach, I knew I was a musical kid and that music was going to be a big part of my life. I remember the first time I touched a turntable and record, I was only a kid, I was visiting a friends house and his mom had an old turntable and some classic records – Elvis, the Beatles but mostly “Fania All Star” the best of Puerto Rican Musicians from the 1970s. I didn’t know at the time that this would be my calling, but when I ran into the turntable again when I hit Chicago, that was it, I discouvered what I was made to be doing.

When you left Puerto Rico moving to Chicago what was the most profound change you’ve noticed in the relationship between people/the city and music?

SNEAK: There were definetely some big changes and culture shock! I went from paradise with palm trees, sun & beaches to cold, bricks, & sirens. The one thing I did discover during my first summer in Chicago was the Music! House Music was being born around 1984 –1985, some of the best innovative music was being tested in the streets of Chicago before it hit the clubs.

And then, when and how did the skip to electronic music happen? How did you approach to it?

SNEAK: I started like most people did, listening to the radio stations. Before the MTV era, there were loads of great guys on the radio doing crazy mixes, even live sometimes. You didn’t have to walk far on a Chicago street before you found someone with beats bangin’ from a boombox or a car stereo. Sometimes you would find 3-6 cars parked all tuned into the same station, the music would be blasting, we would be dancing and this is how we enjoyed it in the (hood) ghetto.

Before you set up the chance to live in this way, what were your plans and objectives for your lifes and when did you understand that this way was your way?

SNEAK: I was just another Chicago kid listening to others and waiting for the chance to get to DJ anywhere. In the hood all you do is get in trouble, become an athlete or become a DJ. I chose to be a Graff Writer and DJ to stay out of trouble in the streets.

Among the various things you did during your life, you have worked at the “Gramophone Records”. What do you think this job has given to you, besides, of course, to broaden your musical culture?

SNEAK: Well, before I worked at Gramophone Records I had put in my time in several other record stores around Chicago. I was working really hard at the time to make a difference even then, I helped the Radio Djs get their music, I listened to peoples cassettes they would record from the radio mixes to figure out the tracks played the night before so that I could sell them to the regular DJS that would come into the shop. I did about 5 years at a store before quitting to do music and eventually working at Gramophone as a sales person so I could still be in the music scene. My years working in the record shops were some of my most favorite times, it taught me a lot about coming up and finally gettin into the business, I think it was better than a College Education. It was a hands-on experience, dealing with people and learning what they like and most of the times even convincing them they should buy certain records because they would come looking for it weeks later. I was the best at the shops, no DJS were left behind when I worked, I knew all the music and sold all music even if it wasn’t my taste.

In 1983 you moved to Chicago. We can everywhere read of the deep relationship that you had and you have with this city. I really want to deepen this relationship: what did you give to Chicago and what did she give to you?

SNEAK: Chicago was a great experience for me, it is a Big city with lots of things to learn. Chicago showed me to be hard but gentle, it showed me real house music, Graffitti life, it showed me that people respond to great tracks and really get down when they are played right. I learned about UNDERGROUND and the REAL meaning of that word, it’s a culture, a way of life, my life was changed by all of it. I am grateful that I had the chance to be schooled in Chicago.

And today, what do you think of its evolution in electronic music?

SNEAK: Personally I think Music has hit a sad stage, nothing new is good, nothing is innovative, it’s always frabricated and over cooked like a bad salmon steak left on the grill for way to long … DRY!  Electronic music has evolved but not really in the best way. I remember when there were real MUSIC PRODUCERs that used studios and every peice of work they did was created by putting in time so it was the best they could do. Now any idiot that gets themselves a computer thinks they can call themseves a DJ/Producer. I feel that there is no real care for the craft, there is no respect and it’s just become a joke in hopes of becoming famous. Most so-called producers are just slapping shit together, or better yet, paying people to slap it together, and then expecting some credit for stuff they do not even put any input into creating. I feel that it’s not really about the music or the content, it’s all about creating some POP shit track that gets played and supported even though it sounds like crap. I miss the old days simply because peopel cared about the QUALITY – Quality of Music, Quality of Events, Quality of club culture – all of this has been overshadowed by the mass bullshit that the industry is today.

What usually brings you into the studio? What kind of motivating force, what kind of desire? How do you feel when the track is finished?

SNEAK: I go to my studio because it’s my favorite place to be, it’s my passion to make music. There is no real motivating force, it’s just what I do.

Talking about your productions, which programs and hardwares accompanied and abandoned you over the years?

SNEAK: I miss the analog sound, I use to run everything Midi, I mostly miss my out board gear, sampler, drum machines, simple equipment that made magic when it was played with properly. I’m mostly using Mac and Cubase now but I still try to bring that old school analog sound, I still use my Akai S950 Sampler to ripp the sounds and samples from floppy disks that I’ve saved through the years. I’m sitting on a mountain of gold … analog rules.

Which are, in your productions, the ones you get along with most, the ones that really mean something to you and why? Imagine that the all productions have been fundamental to you, but which were the ones that most confered you strong feelings during your listenings?

SNEAK: I really love my first releases that were created back in 1995 ‘till 2000. The original sound of DJ Sneak is still on vinyl somewhere and most people feel the same way as me, them tracks I put out were not all the greatest or even th best but the message behind them will always be there, I made raw DJ tracks for DJ’s to play. I started as a DJ and have always given my real love to the people who went out and spent their cash on my records. I hope they still have them because they are more relevent today then ever.

We know you love cooking… What is your favorite recipe? 

SNEAK: My recipes are usually Puerto Rican cuisine, being born in Puerto Rico had a huge impact in my life and cultural ways – I love my people, my music and my Rice and Beans.

In 2001 you created the “Magnetic Recordings”. Why did you create the label, what is its guideline?

SNEAK: Magnetic was an outlet of releasing my own music on my own label, I just needed to create something that said DJ SNEAK and Magnetic has become that label. The guidelines are simple – good jackin House music a la DJ Sneak flavour.

Nowadays, electronic reality got complicated and manifold, it became a world where you are actually forced  to choose what to listen to and what not, just because listening everything is humanly and unfortunatly impossible. In this ocean of music, which are the artists who are catching your attention,that you’d really define some “artists” (we know the list is endless but what if you should make a selection?!)?

SNEAK: You know, I have tried to help many, even take them under my wing but the problem these days is that this new generation wants everything upfront without putting in the time, love and dedication. I will not mention any names, all I can say is that most of these new producers need help. I will always listen and try to guide some of them but they need to put in time and do real HOMEWORK if they want to make it, I believe the people on top were the last ones to make it. If you did not make it 10 years ago, it’s really not a good time to get into it, unless your mind and sound is AMAZING and you only do it for the love.

On September 20th, you will play at the Space of Ibiza for the Carl Cox 10th Anniversary closing party. There will be others great artists like Loco Dice and Tini, in short, an evening not to be missed! How about this party? What do you think of the combination of your sound to that of Carl Cox?

SNEAK: I have real respect for Carl Cox, he is a great DJ that has been in it for a long time. I’m sure the party will be great and I can’t wait to get on and show people what DJ Sneak has in store. I wish I was playing back to back with Carl cause it would be a crazy experience of real DJS that love the craft. None of this prerecorded ~ fabricated POP show that most DJS in Ibiza and around Europe represent.

Is there some rite, some lucky charm has always followed you before or during your set?

SNEAK: I’m always ready to go to work, I don’t fake it, I just come to do my best, show people why I am who I am. I have no gimmicks, I have no magical fairy dust. I just come prepared and focused to make people enjoy their night. Ocasionally you will see a cloud of smoke and that is just me smoking the greatest herb in the world.

How do you feel the set? Do you Usually follow a more systematic approach or would you rather do all at the time seeing how the audience reacts?

SNEAK: I don’t pre think my sets, I know what music I have with me and I just jump in and do mine, I am very unpredictible but the people know that i will rock it for them, in any situation.

Before leave, tell us what you love most about your job, what does it make you shiver when music, audience and you become only one thing?

 SNEAK: I love DJing, I figured out a long time ago that I had “IT”, that I was put here to do this music thing and be the person that I am. I’m a force that you will feel when you see me, I represent the Real, I am like everybody else but I have the ability to make people feel happy when they see me or hear me. I feel lucky that I am one out of the many thousends of DJs that has survived even through the shittiest times in Music and DJ Culture. I will always represent what I love, I am House Music, always will be. A House Gangster for life!

Electronic music fads come and go, but quality house has weathered all those gusts of hype and fickle ears. Among its most fervent prophets (and purists!) is Carlos Sosa aka DJ Sneak, a veteran of the Chicago house sound, who stormed onto the scene as part of that second Chicago talent wave, alongside hometown brethren Derrick Carter, Cajmere/Green Velvet and Paul Johnson, to name a few.

Sneak, a heavy hitter on the international club front, has always been an outspoken advocate for real, unfettered, underground house music, launching his “I’m a house gangster” campaign a few years ago to get house music’s groove back after countless dalliances with industry glamour. His Puerto Rican lineage infuses some of his output with a distinctly tribal, Latin feel, while infectious disco filtered house beats make up the bulk of his magnum opus. This funky don shared his five favourite things with Societe Perrier.

1. Cooking: I love to cook. When I get the chance to spend time in the kitchen, I take full advantage. I’m often on the road, so when I’m traveling I like to taste different foods and then come home and try and make my favorites. During the summer, it’s grillin’ time where ever I go, it doesn’t matter where I land, I can usually find a place to grill up some heavy cuts.

2. Making music: Making beats is what I do. Ever since I landed in Chicago in 1983, house music has been a major part of me; it’s my journey in life. As a pupil from the Windy City, I crafted a signature sound in the 1990s and have been relentlessly making music ever since. I spend many hours in my studio making beats for DJs to play out.

3. Cottage life: I love cottage life. There is nothing like unplugging from the wild world and breathing fresh crisp air while sitting by the water or chilling by a campfire, checking out the northern lights. In the summer time we get together at my in-laws’ summer cottage in Timmins, Ontario and this is where I loose all electronics and become a true bushwhacker – fishing, hunting, boating, but mostly relaxing my mind & ears from all loud sounds.

4. DJing: I’ve been a DJ since 1986; it’s a huge part of me. It was in my early days in Chicago when I picked up on the craft that I love to this day. There is nothing more exciting and relaxing to me than DJing while entertaining people around the world. I feel like I was put on this earth to do exactly what I am doing. I figured out this was my life calling and I still love it like the first day I got to get on the turntables.

5. Gardening: This is an odd one, but yes, I like gardening. Ever since my wife started building a garden oasis in our backyard, I have picked up on the hobby and we now have a summer tradition of growing our own vegetables plus keeping our oasis looking great. I make beats in the studio then take breaks in my garden. Life is good.