Portuguese DJ and producer Switchdance pleased the electronic music scene earlier this year with his track ‘O Amolador‘ that was part of Innervisions Secret Weapons compilation. Now his remix for Paolo Olarte‘s tune ‘Solo Dejate Llevar‘, is about to be released and Torture the Artist had the chance to speak to the food lover about his first date, daily struggles or unbeatable dance moves to his music.
I remember listening and dancing to some electro tunes by I-F, Legowelt and Dmx Krew. I guess that’s when I clicked with electronic or club music.
Torture the Artist: Describe your first date with electronic music and how you ‘clicked‘.
Switchdance: I remember watching Air, Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre music videos when I was a child, and I still have these moments in my memory: dancing in my room in front of the TV. Later, during my first nights out at Goth clubs and parties, I remember listening and dancing to some electro tunes by I-F, Legowelt and Dmx Krew. I guess that’s when I clicked with electronic or club music.
Torture the Artist: How does your sensation for music change as you grow older?
Switchdance: Today I’m definitely more open to different sounds than I was before. Not just my sensibility changed, but music evolved as well and I try to search for new and interesting tracks, but never forget about my taste of music back then. As the years go by I try to mix new and old tunes.
Torture the Artist: You just remixed Paolo Oarte‘s tune ‘Solo Dejate Llevar. What does a track have to have so that you remix it?
Switchdance: Doing remixes is something that I really like to do. Until now, I had only done remixes for friends or their labels. Paolo‘s tune was different because I neither knew the artist nor the label. I received the request and listened to the original track. Within a few seconds I fell in love with the original and automatically a few ideas came to my mind and what I could do with the track.
Torture the Artist: What does an unbeatable dance move to your music look like?
Switchdance: Having your eyes closed is always a good sign. Each person has its own inner craziness, but basically I like an introspective dance floor, people really being focused on what’s played.
Torture the Artist: Describe how you typically create a track.
Switchdance: Sometimes I have a specific idea, like bass-lines or melodies that appear in my mind. I try to replicate them and then I start working to develop the track. On the other hand, sometimes I just start jamming and improvising and create new synth patches within these sessions and, from there, music flows naturally.
Ideally and in a perfect world, Thom Yorke and his Atoms for Peace project, because Radiohead is one of my favourite bands.
Torture the Artist: If you could work with any artist in the future, who would it be and why?
Switchdance: Ideally and in a perfect world, Thom Yorke and his Atoms for Peace project, because Radiohead is one of my favourite bands. More realistically, I would like to work with artists whose music I enjoy. It ́s nice to share ideas, experiences, tricks and tips and have some fun.
Torture the Artist: When is your favorite time of the day to produce music?
Switchdance: I definitely prefer working on music during the day, but sometimes it’s not as easy as it seems. Inspiration doesn’t come automatically. Sometimes it happens when I I chill at night and watch a movie, or even before I go to bed and then suddenly some ideas pop in my mind. When this happens, I go straight to the studio, which is currently in my home, and I try to work as fast as possible on these fresh ideas and save the project in order to work on it later.
Torture the Artist: If you were to compare your music to an (alocoholic) drink, what would it be and why?
Switchdance: Do you know água ardente velha? This Portuguese drink can be literally translated with ‘old burning water‘ or ‘fire water‘. If you drink it, you’ll understand. <laughs>
Working in the music industry may seem pretty cool, but sometimes I travel and end up working for more than 24 hours without having any sleep.
Torture the Artist: What did you work for the hardest in your life?
Switchdance: Working in the music industry may seem pretty cool, but sometimes I travel and end up working for more than 24 hours without having any sleep. This can be a real pain in the ass, but I guess it’s part of the game, so I’m happy to deal with it!
Torture the Artist: What headline in a magazine would you like to read about yourself and why?
Switchdance: I really don’t know how to answer that, but your question reminded me of a funny story. I was on the island of Madeira, on my day off after a gig. I had a few drinks with some friends and one of them tripped on an old newspaper that was lying on the floor and suddenly there was a picture of me and an interview.
Torture the Artist: What places can you be found at in Lisbon when you go for a drink, a dinner and clubbing?
Switchdance: For clubbing: definitely Lux Frágil and Musicbox, depending on the line up. I‘m a food lover, I like to try new places as much as possible, but my local choice is ‘Jesus é Goês‘, an Indian restaurant with specific dishes from Goa. For drinks, you can usually find me sipping a beer on one of Lisbon’s terraces.
Switchdance‘s current top10
- Manycure ‘Hear Her’ [Karakter Records]
- Trikk ‘Florista’ [Innervisions]
- Peter Power ‘Adama Waro’ [Multi Culti]
- Khidja ‘Microb (Tolouse Low Trax version 118)’ [Malka Tuti]
- Superpitcher ‘1984’ [Hippie Dance]
- Lake Haze ‘Aranha Vermelha’ [One Eyed Jacks Label]
- Fairmont ‘Trivial’ [Suara]
- Chaim ‘The Perfect Circle’ [Disco Halal]
- Olsvangèr ‘Mental Contest’ [Karakter Records]
- Dollkraut ‘Oblivian’ [Dischi Autunno]
Torture the Artist 