After reading so much about his accomplishments and time spent in the industry- the descriptions I heard were all positive. His intense level of creativity…his tenacity for music and his jet-setting Tribe crew….I had questions about what started it all and what keeps the whole thing going…
I hit up the TRIBE website and was graced with some new and current tunes from an awesome podcast and as I scrolled around I saw the growing list of label artists who hands down seem to be one of the hardest working artists collective in house music…I smiled at my fave-Kristel (props), Peven Everett, Tim Regisford, Djeff Afrozila (see July interview) Nathan Adams….the list is growing. As I met up with Zepherin ‘Dean’ Saint last weekend, I understood that he had been travelling extensively…..the kitchen corridor at the new Ricky Ricardo’s became our interview space and I fired away….
I asked him about the artists and why he signed them…. he answered straight with no chaser ‘it’s all soul music, with depth’…..I liked his answer this set me up to understand the way he perceived music……I asked him ‘why house music?’ He had grown up playing a wide variety of instruments (drums and piano) and he adds ‘house music is one of the only genres to encompass all styles sounds under one umbrella’ For what house music represents this is a very unifying answer. What’s the one trend changing the UK house scene today? The new generation is embracing the sound of the 90s and re-working it to suit the modern taste and style.
What do you think of the South African music scene? Simply put ‘I’ve been visiting SA since the 90s…from then until now they stay hungry (about the music) South Africa had a bourgeoning scene in the 90s they’ve now been able to create something tangible and lasting, they’ve nurtured something that is uniquely their own.’ Similarly he argues that the South African House is differentiated by the drive and hunger of the people who make up that scene. From dance floors to studios it’s all authentic…… Very candid and well thought out!
I asked him how he feels the Miami Winter Music Conference (WMC) had changed in the last 15 years and one of the most interesting answers I’ve heard…He believes that ‘it hasn’t translated into a new audience, numbers haven’t grown or expanded which mean they haven’t connected with audiences’….Could Zepherin ‘Dean’ Saint be onto somethin’?
If things haven’t changed too much in the industry and you have trailblazers carving out their paths where does all his energy come from? How does he keep going artistically? It comes from the various musical genres he can draw from to make good music-no matter what it is. Disco, Latin, African, Caribbean, Tech….. pretty much anything. His comments veer into production styles he says that these genres can allow him to play with musical tempos and make use of some great production software. (He’s a techie)
With all this travelling the team’s been doing where has TRIBE been well received? He lists first and foremost France (See DJOON podcasts), New York, Atlanta, Montreal and Greece (Kefalonia) The energy in those cities is on a completely different level. You can see that the TRIBE family often promote and travel to these places together! They support one another-this seems to be the formula!
With TRIBE making so many waves this year, what should we look out for with TRIBE in 2014? New music from Miranda Nicole and Stephanie Cooke and a string of singles he’s working on!
Advice he offers to those trying to get ahead and make waves with their music, projects, talent, production, promotion: Believe in yourself, stay focused, keep your passions alive!
Thanks for reading people!
-shine
From I <3 NY to TORONTO and Everything In Between..... 