San Proper Interview – Dekmantel Festival

As his recent video interview for FACT Magazine showcased, SanProper is one of the more interesting and entertaining DJ’s currently working in electronic music – and he is well known to not shy away from having a good time at his shows. San Proper has remained an integral part of his local Amsterdam scene for nearly 15 years, yet it was only in 2007 when he started making waves across the waters. After establishing his Proper A’dam Family Series for Rush Hour Recordings in 2007 (to showcase up and coming talent from his home town), he caught the attention of purveyors Laurent Garnier, Ricardo Villalobos and Zip of the label Perlon. After giving him another platform to release his productions, he has been able to certify his position in the scene and has gone on to play all over the world. Australian audiences will finally get another chance to experience what all the fuss is about when he ventures Down Under for his second tour, which includes a much anticipated set in Melbourne for the Dekmantel Festival. We caught up with San ahead of the gig and this is what he had to say…

Hi San, how are you? Where are you speaking to us from? 

From my hotel-room in Melbourne, i’ve just arrived and i thought i needed to take a siësta but i feel more like drinks and visiting some record-stores. I’ve heard more and more are popping up out here.

How are you looking forward to your upcoming show in Australia? What do you have in store for the crowd at Dekmantel Melbourne? 

I’m very excited about this event and happy to be back in this lovely city. Musically this ecstasy will rub of on the set i’ll play. Be sure to expect that proper fuse of House, Techno, Disco and beyond… We’ll make it happen together. Hopefully we can record it and put it online later as a souvenir for all of us.

Are you hoping to bring a touch of the music scene of Amsterdam to Melbourne? 

Like always, yes. But perhaps also a touch of other places which inspire me when i travel. Sao Paolo, Berlin, London, Paris and Tokyo for instance.

What are you looking forward to about heading over to Australia? Will you have time to check out the local music scene or travel around? 

Like i mentioned i’ll be checking out some stores in an hour together with Dekmantel’s Casper. Last time when i came out here i was digging for some Aussi-Wave, which was quite hard to find. Rarities…

As an artist that works closely with Dekmantel, what draws you to the brand? 

The sound, the label, the events, the artists, their loyalty towards me since when they started to do their parties in Amsterdam. And above all; the friendship.

You’re recognised as Amsterdam’s unofficial night mayor; if we were to go for a night out in Amsterdam, where would you recommend we go? 

I’d suggest you should check out some bars in the afternoon like Cannibale Royale Ruysdael, nice for lunch too and pop by Volkshotel- see if u can get a room or check out my studio there in the basement, you should check some photo-art at Foam, pop by record-stores like Rush Hour and Redlight Records, and for clubbing i’d suggest ‘De School’ which recently opened and has an amazing sound or just see what’s happening in town, else take a train to Rotterdam, it’s around the corner. But like any place, it depends on what’s up.

How does a city like Amsterdam inspire you and allow you to do what you do? Would you say it encourages creativity? 

Yes, it sure does and this has to do with it’s diversity of people. The melting pot.

You blend a lot of different styles into your sets and mixes; where does your taste in music come from? 

It comes from listening many styles and playing live-music a lot more when i was younger perhaps, but it generally comes from a open-minded attitude and interest for ground-breaking experimental music-history. Music is medicine.

Tour dates:
Friday: 19^th February: Glamorama, Melbourne
Saturday 20th February: Dekmantel Festival @ Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne – GET TICKETS
Sunday 21st February: S.A.S.H. @ Greenwood, Sydney