Cablecast 006: DENNIS FERRER

Cable London

Right place, right time. It's an old cliché, but it's one that's been the definition of New York house legend Dennis Ferrer's musical career. Just as the dance music world was heading into the world of afro-centric house, Ferrer was there. And then, when it began to embrace the mix of tech and soul, Ferrer was there again, leading the way with his impeccable productions. And as a protege of Kerri Chandler, it makes complete sense that Ferrer's current sound lies firmly in the deep house realm laid out by his old teacher years earlier. Ferrer has brought that anything goes approach to his newest venture, Objektivity. Low slung and deep, Objektivity is a cutting-edge label in touch with its time, putting a uniquely American spin on the deep house revival that is currently making waves in Europe. And with releases from the likes of the young phenoms the Martinez Brothers (who are going from strength to strength) and classic New York house heads like Timmy Regisford and Quentin Harris, it's obvious that Ferrer doesn't regard the label as a vanity project. Objektivity is a living, breathing thing - one that's set to drop bombs on the dancefloor for years to come. So it's with great pleasure that the 6th Cablecast comes from Ferrer himself. With his Objektivity London showcase ready to drop here at Cable on 11th May, it's perfect timing for you to experience this legend at work. Enjoy! This mix was recorded live from Miami. Talk us through the equipment you use to perform on? I can recall that it was done on 2 Pioneer CDJ-2000's , A Pioneer DJ-900M Nexus Mixer and my Macbook Pro with Traktor Scratch Pro2 software. I use USB sticks in the cdj's that contain .wav controller files for controlling Traktor via the cdj's. I also have these USB sticks as a backup with a few months worth of songs just in case my laptop crashes. The show can continue on with hopefully not a hitch. If travelling constraints and venue specifications weren't an obstacle, What would your ideal gig set up be? On a beach in Aruba with a killer Funktion One sound system and with a manageable 1,000 people losing their minds dancing and cheering to the likes of us. No fashion statements...No fancy clothes or sneakers on...just a shorts and flip flops or bikini's and flip flops code allowed. You travel all over the globe to perform, is there anywhere in the world that you would say is your favourite place to play, and why? I've been asked this countless times and i used to say all these exotic countries and what not. But honestly NYC is my favourite place to play...why? Because it is my birthplace...it is where I got my start...my heart and soul..my pain and pride. When you rock it out there and see all the familiar faces and industry people that have been coming out for years smiling and having a good time...you know you've been accepted. Acceptance after all is what we're all after right? That is part of the prize in life as money isn't all it's cracked up to be some times. Your Objektivity imprint seems to have a real family vibe about it. Releases from people close to home in New York such as The Martinez Brothers and Andre Hommen. How did it all start? I very much keep to myself. Sort of a loner I'm told....lol. So on the odd occasion that I do let people in I tend to keep them close. You become part of my extended family. It's a natural progression. So usually if you're in anything having to do with objektivity it's usually because I really like you. We keep it tight and a bit exclusive. Has it taken the musical direction you expected it would? What's in store for us in the future release wise? I've never had an intentionally particular musical direction when it came to Objektivity except that i wanted our records to always be different than what's always going on. To walk that fine edge between being current and too ahead of the curve. It's always just been if I like it and it fits with what's going on in my head and somehow in our scene then yeah! what the hell let's do it. I could sit here and come up with some asinine "the spirits speak to me kind of thing" but honestly it's more of a floating butterfly effect. The sound of house music is forever changing, you are a prime example of how to stay relevant in today’s rapidly evolving scene. It seems like you have made the transition from your roots in soulful house to accommodate a more current deep sound. Have you enjoyed this journey, and where do you see the state of house music 10 years from now? This is not the first time i've done this nor will it be the last. Before my soulful house roots I had techno roots with Damon Wild and Synewave. I live this.....in order to continue living it one must evolve. Just because you get older doesn't mean the front door to the club does also. It's a challenge to keep on trying to reinvent but that's what makes life fun and interesting. People will always need dance music in some shape or form. Where will it be 10 years from now on? Who knows...but I can guarantee you that i'll be there still trying to be relevant. lol. We're very pleased to have the London leg of your Objektivity tour here at Cable. It's a great collection of artists, together, under one roof. How do you see the night unfolding? I've long ago stopped trying to be Nostradamus and offering predictions. LOL. I just know...I'm going to have fun...play records...dance...and act like I love life...because you only get one shot at it. I'll bring the music ...you bring the open mind and somewhere in the middle we'll connect and lose track of time for a while. What can we expect from your performance? How much preparation goes into your DJ gigs? I totally fly by the seat of my pants. That's what dj'ing is all about no? What's the fun in a prepped set? That's cheating on the exam! You look at the crowd...and you either guess right or you guess wrong. Guess wrong too many times and you suck....guess right the majority of the times and you're a hero. I don't like falling into the suck region too many times....it's not fun. LOL. Anything else we should know about on the horizon? Any special collaborations? The only thing you should know...is that i'm not going anywhere any time soon...lol. ------------------------------------------------ Objektivity London Showcase // Saturday 11th May // Cable, London DJs: Dennis Ferrer, Sis, Julian Perez, Andre Hommen, Jack Fell Down Click for more info / tickets