In the labyrinthine expanse of contemporary music, where innovation thrives amidst a cacophony of phonic diversity, few figures emerge as luminaries of true artistic synthesis. In the vibrant tapestry of electronic soundscapes, Dawidu stands as a beacon of ingenuity and audacity, navigating the ever-shifting currents of musical evolution with finesse and flair. With an illustrious career spanning continents and genres, Dawidu’s odyssey through the realms of sound has been a testament to the boundless possibilities of creative exploration.
As the precipice of his latest endeavor, the enigmatic maestro prepares to unfurl the banner of his nascent label, Attention Spin!, we find ourselves at the cusp of a transformative juncture in the annals of electronic music. It is amidst this fervent anticipation that we embark on a transcendent odyssey—an odyssey that transcends mere auditory stimulation to delve into the very essence of artistic expression itself.
In this exclusive dialogue, Dawidu offers us an intimate glimpse into the labyrinthine corridors of his creative consciousness. From the ethereal realms of inspiration to the meticulous craftsmanship of studio alchemy, each inquiry serves as a thread, weaving together the intricate tapestry of his sound universe. Through his words, we are transported on a journey—a journey that traverses continents, transcends boundaries, and encapsulates the very essence of musical metamorphosis.
With each question, we peel back the layers of Dawidu’s artistic persona, unearthing the myriad influences, aspirations, and philosophies that animate his sonic tapestry. From the cosmopolitan sprawl of Paris to the gritty alleys of Berlin, from the pulsating rhythms of Hip Hop to the ethereal melodies of jazz, his journey is as eclectic as it is profound—a testament to the transformative power of music as a universal language of expression.
Join us as we embark on an odyssey through the aural cosmos—a voyage guided by the hand of a true visionary, where innovation knows no bounds, and creativity reigns supreme. In the ephemeral interstice between sound and silence, between rhythm and resonance, lies the essence of Dawidu’s art—a testament to the eternal quest for sonic transcendence in an ever-evolving world.
Each place I’ve lived in or even visited, every piece of music I’ve listened to since I can remember, all the clubs I’ve danced in, all the long nerdy music talks I’ve had with peers add up to how my musical universe sounds now, and it is constantly evolving.
Torture the Artist: Hello Dawidu, tell us something about your day. Where are we meeting you and what have you been doing?
Dawidu: Hi Holger. Well, I try for my days to not resemble one another. But today, as quite often, I’m answering your questions from a train. I had a weekend off and went to the seaside to relax.
Torture the Artist: Since the launch of your label Attention Spin! is near, is running an independent label the missing piece in your artistic being, the logical consequence of it, or simply the continuum of your life in and with music adding a new facet to it?
Dawidu: The first release is coming out on Record Store Day, and I’m very happy with the final outcome. People seem to react well to the art direction. It was indeed a missing piece in my involvement in the scene. I did start in 2011 by creating the label Te Iubesc Records, already promoting promising artists. I stopped after four releases when I opened the record shop with the same name because I had to dedicate most of my time to it. So I’m happy to be on this side of things once again. There’s so much potential out there which sometimes needs a little push to be unearthed, and by now I have quite a good sense of how to push things a little forward and bring a ‘fresh’ sound if I may.
Torture the Artist: The first release, a four tracker from various artists, features music from yourself and Hdv as well as Sweely, Nils, and Nuts and musically features influences from Hip Hop, Jazz/Funk, House, and Acid, merging those influences under the umbrella of electronic music. Even though those different genres, which are combined on the EP, do not necessarily scream for homogeneity, the EP draws a different picture though. Does the release depict your musical extravaganza from switching back and forth between genres and overcoming those boundaries?
Dawidu: It is definitely a good representation of my eclecticism as a DJ, which I really wanted to point out through this first various artists release, although there’s definitely a theme I tried to thread amongst all of the tracks. The idea was to blend dance music with some elements of the Hip Hop-culture, which I think are two worlds that can really collide and fuse in an interesting manner if it’s well done. But each release will have its own theme, its own graphic chart, and thus will explore different sides of the spectrum and combine many of my own influences as the goal is to create an osmosis between each artist’s universe and my own.
Torture the Artist: Following the question before, you seem to overcome musical boundaries as smoothly as geographical boundaries having lived in several cities like Paris, Bucharest, London, Berlin. Does the music you produce and release reflect the lifestyle you live and is basically the showcased stage of your life?
Dawidu: Each place I’ve lived in or even visited, every piece of music I’ve listened to since I can remember, all the clubs I’ve danced in, all the long nerdy music talks I’ve had with peers add up to how my musical universe sounds now, and it is constantly evolving. I get inspiration from everywhere, even from different art forms, and try to apply a bit of psychology so people can resonate with it.
Torture the Artist: Coming back to Attention Spin 001, in the release description, it says that ‘the label is focused on reaffirming the importance of vocals as an instrument in electronic music’. Why do you feel the importance of vocals as an instrument has to be reaffirmed?
Dawidu: I’m going to be honest with you, five years ago, I would go to clubs in different parts of the world and was rather shocked about how people were dismissing vocals as an instrument in the music they would play. A lot of DJs would always edit out the vocals from the tracks and promote this ‘anti-vocal in dance music’ culture. That really pissed me off. Of course, everyone is free to showcase their own vision, and I’m easy to please as long as things are done with dedication and coherence, but being really sensitive to nice voices, I felt like I had to balance things out a little bit. And it somehow became one of the trademarks of my sound. Nowadays I feel like I had somewhat of an impact in freeing people’s minds about this as I hear more and more well-selected voices in mixes and productions.
Torture the Artist: Besides the aforementioned vocals, how did you select those four tracks and how did working with artists like Nils, Nuts, and Sweely come about? Did those artists send you their tracks or was it more of a process of creating a specific track for the release?
Dawidu: Well, as I mentioned before, I’m really trying to create a blend of each artist’s and my own vision. Both Nils and Sweely’s tracks were specifically created with me in mind. Nuts’ track was already ‘done,’ and I spotted him playing it during a live set when we first met, but we spent a lot of time in the studio together perfecting it to make it DJ-friendly and polishing the edges. As for Antoine and I, it was created from scratch as the last logical addition to the others. We did spend numerous hours in the studio balancing out our respective ADHD syndrome. <laughs>
Torture the Artist: Your track on the EP, ‘Une Nuit à Paris,’ is a collaboration with Hdv. Can you tell us a little bit more about this collaboration and how the track came about and also how you selected the vocal samples? Also, what came first, the vocals or parts of the instrumental?
Dawidu: I always like to work with finding a strong concept, rather than piling up drums and finding later a meaning for the whole project. So we spent quite a few hours brainstorming and came up with the concept of ‘Une Nuit à Paris’ as a tribute to our hometown and the place we met ten years ago. Then came the work of sampling. Having the theme in mind, we tried to find as many samples representative of ‘Paris’ in a broad sense transcending eras, genres of music, and even art forms. Fun fact, we spent almost three days working on the first 40 seconds intro (ahah). The instrumental came next, and Antoine’s deep knowledge of music and harmonies was a real asset in blending our sample work with original melodies.
Torture the Artist: What do you have planned for the near future of the label? Will you stick to various artists EPs or will you also go for solo-artist EPs? Will there even be a different musical approach for the next EP, meaning for the first EP you focused on vocals, will it be something else on the next one?
Dawidu: As I previously said, themes and genres will vary for each release. The next one will most likely be a split EP, and the third a full EP. I will also continue with various artists as I love trying to find the red thread between composers, but I really want to showcase their diverse influences and grooves. The vocal accent will always remain, although they won’t have to be always so omnipresent in the tracks.
I still like to put myself in ‘characters,’ they are still all facets of my personality.
Torture the Artist: It seems as if your approach to art is integral. There’s the music, there’s the fashion, there are the bright colors and then there’s also your passion for theatre. What features from the theatre accompany your career as a DJ? Are you playing a role on the ‘DJ-stage’ or is the DJ Dawidu the same persona as the Dawidu answering these questions or when meeting you on the street?
Dawidu: I think my second choice of art form would have been acting if not music. I chose instead to do what I call a ‘theater of everyday.’ I don’t think I’m playing any role but my own, although I still like to put myself in ‘characters,’ they are still all facets of my personality. I like to exaggerate things a little bit to show people ‘it’s possible,’ but this always came naturally. I’m just nowadays a little more conscious about it.
Torture the Artist: Since you are a record lover, and the release will also be on vinyl, what was your idea for the artwork or rather the idea behind the artwork and who did it?
Dawidu: Every release will feature a different graphic designer, as I think different concepts call for a different take on visuals, and I want producers to be involved in the selection of visual artists as well as on how to portray their sound best. For the first one, I did the selection myself and chose to work with Antwan STK, a long-time friend of mine, coming originally from the graffiti world which seemed like the right fit for this hip-hop themed release. I had been wanting to collaborate with him for a while, and he since then made a strong name for himself in the underground scene, doing artworks for records or flyers for parties around the world. I came up with the concept of the logo, which will be revamped at every release although trying to keep the element of the brain and the record as well as the name of the label.
Torture the Artist: There is a quite fashionable note to the artwork, meaning it could also be a print for a shirt or sweater for example. Is a fashion-label next or will you possibly combine all your preferences and have it all in the end: a record label, a fashion label etc. since you seem to follow a holistic approach?
Dawidu: I will do some merchandising as I’ll try for every visual to be an as important part of the concepts as the music will be. The first release will have a 100 numbered limited edition, colored record with an embroidered patch and some stickers with the logo on it. Exclusively available at Yoyaku Record Store.
Torture the Artist: What boundaries do you want to push?
Dawidu: I want to push the boundaries of people’s own limitations, for their creativity to run free, how things ‘should’ be and rather let their imagination and instincts guide them. That’s how I’ve always approached things and combined with careful thinking, it has served me well so far!
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 