Dennis Ferrer Interview

Dennis Ferrer on being a producer first and a DJ second.

Half an hour on the phone to Dennis Ferrer and you come to the conclusion that he is polite, passionate – and damn funny. After greeting me with a ma’am, he apologises for losing his phone between the couch following a session in the studio the night before, “I had fallen asleep last night and couldn’t find it!”

You could hardly blame him. Flying home to New Jersey from Ibiza for the weekend just to spend some time in his studio, he would be returning to the party island tomorrow. He’s been spending the summer in Europe for a residency at Pacha Ibiza, as well as festival appearances and boat parties. Spending one day in Barcelona and the next in Greece, he has a schedule that only a DJ worth his salt could have.

“It’s always a journey and a mission; you get to the airport and cross your fingers that the flight hasn’t been cancelled or delayed. It’s so busy and crazy that I just rely on the team around me to tell me where I’m going and why I’m going. I actually try not to pay too much attention otherwise I’d go crazy!”

This week, he’ll be heading to the Dominican Republic for Groovefest, a dance music festival in the Caribbean, but he openly admits to preferring the intimate clubs that fit a maximum of 500 people with just one strobe light, where “everyone loses their minds”. He does, however, give credit to the festival culture. “A lot of us bitch about festivals because you don’t get a feel, the crowd is so huge that you’re basically dancing with yourself or focusing on 20 people in the front row, but you’re bringing music to the masses and that’s what we signed up for. You have the average Joe and the educated, and everybody deserves music.” And what about boat parties? “Boat rides are always a fun, laidback affair. Everybody’s having drinks and kicking it back in the sun.”

So, what does someone who DJs until 5am do to recuperate? He plays tennis because “it’s something you can just do on the road and I don’t like running unless it’s from the police.”

I said he was funny.

Despite being a club regular for house and techno fans, and spending much of his time flying from one gig to the next, Mr Ferrer is quick to stress that his heart lies with production. “I’m a producer first, and a DJ second. DJing is a necessity and something I like to do, but not what I was born to do. I was born to make records and that will always be my first love.”

This proves why longevity is so important to him. While admitting that everyone remembers him from his “soulful days”, his current sets, remixes and records are house and techno with that consistent Ferrer quality. As a result, he has no problem with changing and adapting to stay relevant, to a point that he will move on from a track six months after release. “I’m not a big fan of playing my own records once they’re done, so I test them and then put them away. I don’t make music to look back, I just like making them. I don’t want to be that guy that gets one hit and the rest of his records are garbage. I want to be the guy that leaves a badass collection, because you can’t take your money!”

His most recent hit – which you may not hear him play for much longer – is a remix of London Grammar’s ‘Sights’, a track that he knew no one else would touch, and would give him the challenge he desires. “It doesn’t make sense if I remix a top hit dance record,” he explains of his choice. “I had a problem because I had to stretch the vocalist’s vocal, and I thought she was gonna be mad. But dance music is not supposed to be perfect – it’s technically flawed!”

This passion for production led seamlessly to creating his own label, Objektivity. An output for creativity where almost anything goes, he often teams up with the names on his label for shows, but is hesitant to get too involved. “They come down to the studio and if they’ve got a question about equipment or production, I’m here to help. I wouldn’t call it mentoring, but you can if you want!”

From the way he speaks about his signings however, it appears they may not need much help. “Andre [Hommen] is hungry and loyal – he truly deserves everything he gets.” Not bad for someone who started as their I.T. guy! Meanwhile, Nasser Baker was introduced to Ferrer by the Martinez Brothers’ father. “He told me “he’s amazing, talented, and just need a bit of help”. I gladly took him on and he’s going to be around for a while.”

Listen to Dennis Ferrer Remix of London Grammar ‘Sights’

By Charlotte Mellor
@cmellor_03