Sabo [Interview]

Sabo is an American artist who has been instrumental within the organic house scene. Not only is his record label Sol Selectas one of the most influential organic house record labels, but he is also a revered DJ and producer whose music helped pioneer the genre.

Although organic house is the best way to describe his sound, he has eclectic tastes that include other genres such as Afro house, melodic house, deep house and anything mid-tempo that has tribal drums or a world music influence. Most recently, Sabo teamed up with Namito and Shamoun to release their three-way collaboration, “Spicy Sumac.”

“Spicy Sumac” is out now via Sol Selectas, and we invited Sabo for this interview to find out more about him as an artist and his new release…

Hi Sabo, could you start by talking through your music style, and what inspired you to start your record label Sol Selectas?

“My style is best described as organic deep tribal house and downtempo. I like percussive drums, and groovy basslines… regardless of the genre, so if a track has these elements, and is somewhere between 100 - 125 BPM, then it could be something for my DJ sets. I like music from all over the world, and music that feels inspired by folkloric tradition. I started Sol Selectas Records almost 20 years ago, as a platform to release my own music, because often, it didn’t fit into the traditional categories at that time. Back then, there were no Afro House, Organic House, or Downtempo “genre categories”, but I was already on that vibe, and needed a place to release my sound. Now, in addition to my own music, I use Sol Selectas primarily as a vehicle to help other artists tell their musical stories.”

You are both a DJ and producer, which one do you think is a bigger part of your musical identity?

I was a DJ for 10 years before I started producing in 2005, so DJing is at my core. I started producing so I could play my own tracks in my sets, as not a lot of producers back then were mixing non-Western sounds with house music, which today we now call Organic and Afro House.

There is a lot of multicultural influence behind the music you make and release through Sol Selectas. Is this a conscious decision, and what do you think makes a track stand out?

I always gravitated towards tribal drums and interesting sounding instruments that were not the typical Western sound, so it was a conscious decision to buy those records  and play those sounds, but the good feeling I got from those records was somehow already unconsciously in my DNA, maybe from a past life…?  I knew which sounds would translate well into a contemporary dance floor and move the crowd, and I really enjoy telling a story which honors the roots of other musical cultures.

Travel seems to be a big part of your life, what countries have left a lasting impression, and are there any destinations you look forward to visiting for the first time?

“I love to travel and the experience of learning about new cultures, people, food, art, and of course, music. So many amazing places have left lasting impressions. In my early days, Mexico and Colombia, then Morocco, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. More recently, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia were all incredible places to visit and perform as a DJ.”

Tell us about a typical day when you’re not travelling, what does your average day look like?

“When I’m home, I’m waking up early, exercising or skateboarding, working on my label, or in the studio working on new music. At night, I’m cooking with my wife and relaxing. My wife is also a kundalini yoga teacher so we often practice that in the mornings, and work together on music for her classes.

The next release on Sol Selectas is a collaboration between yourself, Namito and Shamoun. Tell us about the music, and how the collaboration came to fruition?

“I met Danny aka Shamoun and went to his house with a bunch of beats for him to jam out to, and the Middle Eastern synths he played on a keyboard just had a nice feel to them. I started making a track using his synths, and worked up to a point, then got a bit stuck on the arrangement. Often that happens when there is too much good material to choose from in the recordings. Namito came to visit me in Los Angeles, and stayed at my house for some days. While he was staying, I opened this project, and within 1 hour he had picked the best loops, and together we finished the track. I took some time to play around with the mix down and polish it up, as I wanted to make double sure the breakdown worked on the dance floor. I’m really happy with the results, it really crushes with cheers every time I play it.”

Your new release also features a remix by Silvano Del Gado, and I wanted to ask why you picked him to rework the track, plus your opinion of his version?

“I picked Silvano because I’ve been a huge fan of his work for years, and had been waiting for the right track for him to remix. Since the original was more stripped back and had some sonic space, I knew he would have room to add his own spice to it.   He djembe drum skills are incredible, and it really added the live tribal element to the track I was hoping for. His remix just smashes the dance floor too!

What else is lined up for release on Sol Selectas, anything exciting that you can share with our readers?

“We have tons of new music in the pipeline, debut EPs from Shamoun, Guy Maayan, M.O.W., and more, a second remix album by Satori. There is also a full album from India’s Hamza Rahimtula, plus our annual Global Entry and Summer Sol compilations. In addition to all that, I hope to release some more of my own music somewhere in there as well, I’m working on so many projects right now! Some amateur

If you were not a DJ/producer what do you think you’d be doing instead?

“Hard to say, I love music too much, so at this point I cannot think of where else I’d be. I wanted to be a pro skater at one point, and was on the path with some amateur sponsors, making VHS video parts etc.  But then I had a bad ankle injury, and this was around the same time I found raving, and started buying records to become a DJ. That passion for music took over, and kind of steered my ship in another direction. I still love to skate, but now I’m just the cruising around the parks enjoying myself, and not really going for big stairs and rails anymore.

 When you are not DJing or socialising in a bar/nightclub, what other weekend activities do you find enjoyable/relaxing?

“I’ve mentioned skateboarding already, but I’m also a big fan of cooking. I watch all the Chef competition shows, and love trying to replicate dishes I’ve tried abroad.  Intense touring with so much mediocre processed food in airports is just bad for your health and mind, so when I come home from tour, my wife and I cook a lot and have dinner parties too. Its like creating a DJ set but the records are now ingredients and spices.

Aside from music, what makes you happiest?

“Spending time with my wife. She is a big part of life and my true soulmate. Together we run Sol Selectas, as she does all the artwork and design, and I always need her final approval on music before signing any demos to the label. Now that we are making music together for her yoga classes too, it really gives me joy to see her succeed and thrive.

Thanks for answering these questions, is there anything you want to add?

“Thank you for the feature and support!! My new release with Namito and Shamoun titled “Spicy Sumac” is out now, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. Last but not least, spread more love and less hate, the World is too divided right now. Turn off your TV, turn off your phone, at least for a few hours a day,  and stop watching the news. Peace love and music…

' Spicy Sumac’ is available now via Sol Selectas, buy the release HERE.