Sanct J & Acrobatik [Interview]

Released via Wout Records, 'Promises' is the highly anticipated new EP from the electronic music duo Sanct J and Acrobatik, a three-track EP showcases their mastery in seamlessly blending elements of melodic house and techno.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Sanct J & Acrobatik to learn more about the release of 'Promises', their background, nightlife in the Brazil, creative process, DJing, and more. Enjoy.

Hi Guys, thanks for talking to us today. How are you and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Sanct J: Im doing great! Thanks for asking. I was just listening to RooneyNasr - Losing Control

Acrobatik: I’m doing great, the last song I heard was “Victor Calderone, Mykol - Inner Rhythm”

How was your summer and what gigs have stood out for you these last few months?

Sanct J: My summer was great. I had some presentations at private events, but I was really focused on developing my projects—both musical and family—taking advantage of a small hiatus that I will have ahead while we take care of the pregnancy of my second child. I have been testing new equipment, ways of producing music, and performing.

Acrobatik: Summer in Brazil will start this month, For me, for now, the show that stood out the most in the last few months was at the crema club, a very fun club in São Paulo.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your production work and otherwise, please.

Sanct J: I usually manage to set aside some time to produce my music in the afternoon after completing all the tasks at my job. Therefore, I try to develop the most efficient production methods possible to make the most of the limited time and deliver a well-finished product without rushing the development of the idea.

Acrobatik: Normally I wake up early and go do some sport, during this time I take the opportunity to listen to some sets and get references. When I get home I go to the studio and start my productions, some days I spend the whole day producing and on others I alternate with some tasks from my other work.

Tell us about growing up in Brazil and how it affected your journey into electronic music. Who from your home country inspired you when you first discovered your love for electronic music?

Sanct J: Growing up in Brazil, I believe my interest in electronic music could be considered an outlier, especially considering that the culture here leans heavily towards other musical styles, particularly in the region where I was born. I never identified with those prevalent styles, which led me to explore different genres since I've always been passionate about music, playing instruments, and creating. I think the first Brazilian artist in electronic music I encountered was DJ Marky when I was still a child, on some compilation. Whenever his music plays, it holds a special place for me, and even though it represents a different facet of electronic music, it has managed to bring me inspiration.

Acrobatik: Fortunately, nowadays electronic music is growing a lot in Brazil. When I started playing, was playing a lot of Brazilian bass here, something very similar to "slap house", and that's where I started, until I discovered techno. At that time, a person who inspired me a lot was Illusionize, nowadays my biggest Brazilian references are: Binaryh, BlancaH, Eli Iwasa, Dj Marky, and many others.

If you were a tour-guide for nightlife in Brazil, what would be the clubs you’d take the people to see and what local DJs do they need to hear?

Sanct J: In my experience, I would recommend clubs in São Paulo and the southern part of Brazil, such as D-EDGE and Warung, in addition to the major festivals that regularly take place in São Paulo. As for suggesting artists, I couldn't recommend anyone other than my fellow countrymen and friends Attma and Tonaco, who are increasingly gaining more recognition in the Brazilian and global music scene.

Acrobatik: I would recommend: Ame, Caos, D-edge, Gate 22, Surreal Park and warung.
There are many very good local djs, but I would recommend some of my talented friends: Attma, Cruxz, D-Mayer, Doguez, Featfat, Lutgens, Ortus, Pedrada and Tonaco.

When you were first getting started in production did you have someone teach you or are you self-taught? What would you recommend new producers do to help with the learning curve of production?

Sanct J: At first, after a brief introduction to FL Studio by a friend, I started studying on my own for a while and still managed to release some tracks. But as my time to dedicate to music became shorter during the day, I began seeking courses to assist in my learning and started following the path of developing a more efficient workflow. My advice to new producers would be to start learning with what you have from the moment you decide to produce music. Hardware might be limiting, or you may not have the funds to invest in a specific course, but it's always possible to learn something and evolve.

Acrobatik: When I started there weren't as many videos on the internet as there are today, so I took some courses that helped me a lot and some that didn't help me as much, but at the time I didn't know what was good and what wasn't. For those who are starting now, nowadays there are amazing music production communities in addition to videos on the internet, what I recommend is going after these communities and videos and starting to produce, in the end what helps the most is to be producing as much as possible.

You’ve both been releasing music for roughly the same amount of time, 3-5 years, looking back on your early releases, how would you say your sound has evolved over that time, and also how has your approach to making music changed?

Sanct J: Sometimes, I like to listen to something old that I produced to reminisce about the track and feel a sense of nostalgia. Without a doubt, I can say that my sound has evolved from when I started until today in many aspects, such as the development of a personality in the sound, the selection and coherence of timbres, storytelling, and even the way I seek inspiration for creating a new idea.

Acrobatik: In 3 years of production I can definitely say that my sound has matured and evolved a lot, nowadays I can be much more objective in my music and convey the feeling I want through it. But I have to admit that I like most of my old releases, they say a lot about me and the process I went through in music, there are a lot of good ideas and things that if I hear today I don't know where and how I got that idea.

You have a new release out this week on Wout Records, tell us about the release and how it showcases your current sound?

Acrobatik and Sanct J : We believe that in all the tracks of the EP, it is possible to notice characteristics of both artists. Currently, we feel that they fit well in both sets. Despite the differences between the tracks, they all bring darker and more aggressive timbres, creating a sound with a more serious tone.

Let our readers inside your studio, what is your current setup, and what tools are featured heavily in the writing of your Wout release?

Sanct J: For the production of this EP, I used only a pair of studio monitors and headphones for audio monitoring in my studio, along with a MIDI keyboard for creating melodies and automations.

Acrobatik: My current setup consists of a pair of reference monitors, a bass station synthesizer, headphones and my computer. In this ep we use some digital plugins like Diva and Serum.

This is your first release on the label, tell why it was an attractive spot for you to do a release?

Acrobatik and Sanct J: Wout has always been a label that we considered releasing with, given its significant releases in melodic techno. we also appreciate the label's identity and the care it takes with its releases.

I believe this is also your first time working together, so tell us how this collaboration came to be. How did you guys meet and eventually decide to work on music together?

Acrobatik and Sanct J : We've known each other for quite some time, and we had tried working on a track before, but it didn't go forward. We took a break for a while, and then, almost a year ago, Sanct J had some ideas and sent them to Acrobatik. He also had something in development and sent it back to Sanct J, and that's how we started the production of this EP.

A successful partnership is generally based around balance and compromise; how do you manage these things within your production dynamic?

Sanct J: For me, this collaboration was very enjoyable, as each of us had our time to work on the production, respecting the pace and always considering each other's opinions. We both knew that we wanted to deliver the best possible product.

Acrobatik: I really like doing collabs with people I get along with, besides admiring her productions. The process becomes easier and more fun, and with Sanct it was like that. We did not rush the process and gave complete freedom for changes to the tracks.

Do you have different roles in the production process? And if so elaborate please.

Sanct J: The roles vary from one track to another, such as in some where I created a foundation or initiated the development of the idea and then sent it to Acrobatik to continue, and vice versa. The mixing for some tracks was also done by me, except for one that we outsourced to ensure the best quality for the music.

Acrobatik: One of the songs I sent the idea to Sanct J, the other two he sent me the idea. And then began the process of tinkering and making changes to the tracks until we reached the result we wanted.

Working as a duo is an interesting dynamic. Did you do any work together on your Wout release? Or was it a matter of passing files back and forth? And if you have done both, what do you prefer and why?

Sanct J: We work by sending files to each other since we live in different regions of Brazil, more than 1,500 kilometers apart. Due to this distance, we couldn't simply go to each other's studio, so this was the only way.

Acrobatik: I normally prefer to work together in the studio, however we live about 1500 kilometers away and this option would be unfeasible, so we carried out the process online

Let’s look a bit more at production, once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? What does this process look like in practice?

Sanct J: I find it indispensable to take this break to forget the track a bit, so that when I listen to it again, I can truly assess if it makes sense. When you listen to the same music repeatedly, you become accustomed to it, and as a result, you may lose some sense of what should or shouldn't work, both in structure and in the mix.

Acrobatik: I think the process of resting from a production is one of the most important processes there is, besides doing it when I finish the track, I like to do it during production too, when I feel like I'm really into the music and losing a bit of the technical perspective.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons why it took us so long to launch this, we took several breaks during the process, which lasted approximately a year.

What is the task you enjoy the most when producing and what would you prefer someone else to do?

Sanct J: I really enjoy working with sound synthesis and sound design. Sometimes, I spend more time than necessary on these aspects, but there's nothing in the production that displeases me enough to want someone else to do it. Of course, there may be some points where I face more challenges than others, but I see it as something that deserves more attention to learn and develop better.

Acrobatik: I really like working on ideas, arrangements and automations, the mix and master process is the one that I prefer to outsource because besides not really liking it, by outsourcing them I can focus on new productions

Now let’s talk about DJing for a moment, it’s a unique discipline at the border between presenting great music and creating something new with it, between composition and improvisation to an extent. How would you describe your approach to it? And how do you function as a duo while DJing?

Sanct J: We are not a duo, and we have never even met in person. I perform a traditional DJ set, mixing one song into another. I enjoy harmonic transitions, but it's not a strict rule. While preparing to play, I like to set a direction for my sets and go in with that in mind, even though there may always be some changes during the performance. I am working on incorporating live elements into the presentation.

Acrobatik: At the moment I play the traditional model, with a CDJ and mixer.
I like playing good music in a different way than people listen to it at home, playing with effects and other mixed music.
My project is solo but I really like doing B2B with friends and artists I admire, always connecting through music and telling a story thought up by more than one person.

Can you tell me a bit about how your work as a DJ has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks, and also, your work as a producer?

Sanct J : As a DJ, I enjoy challenging myself to bring new sounds to my performances and observing the audience's reactions. It's always gratifying to see positive responses and try to understand what elements of a track may have caused it, both to guide the set and to bring fresh ideas to my production.

Acrobatik: Being a DJ gave me an insight into what works on the dance floor and how a song should be structured to be easy to play. this really influence my productions.

How much prep do you put into the tracks you choose to play?

Sanct J: I like preparing my sets with the event's theme in mind while also trying to seamlessly incorporate one of my own productions. As mentioned before, I like to have something somewhat scripted in mind, even though I may change my mind on the spot. That's why I always bring a large extra selection of tracks.

Acrobatik: I usually separate some songs that I'm listening to at the moment and promos that I receive in addition to my productions, but I often have to improvise on the spot according to what's working at the party and that's where the references we have saved for each situation come into the game.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book, and what set times would you ascribe to the Artists?

Sanct J:
Attma
Here I would include a back-to-back session with Acrobatik for a special set celebrating the release of this EP
Mila Journee
Mind Against
Adriatique

Acrobatik:
Ortus B2B Pedrada
Acrobatik B2B Sanct J for celebrating the release
Agents of time
8 Kays
Dixon

What’s a book you’ve read or film/tv series you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

Sanct J: Recently, I read a book called 'Ultralearning' by Scott H. Young, which is very good and inspiring. I identified with some methods in reference to my musical production learning.

Acrobatik: I recently read the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. It impacted me because it is a book that talks a lot about creativity and the artistic side, I highly recommend reading it

Current Top five tracks in your sets?

Sanct J:
Marck D - Passion Groove
ALPHANO - Up and Down
Sanct J - Boogie Walk
Urana, Dare U - Eclipse (Attma Remix)
Gergo Bischof - Jezerca

Acrobatik:
Acrobatik - Fearless Soul
Matchy, Vincent Marlice - You & I
Moonwalk - Delta
Victor Garde - Aylyak
Woo York - Samum (8 kays remix)

What does 2024 hold for you guys? Anything you can share with us?

Sanct J: In 2024, as mentioned earlier, I will have a brief hiatus to take care of my family, and I will be more focused on the studio to further develop my musical identity and explore new sounds and ways of making music.

Acrobatik: For 2024 I have many plans for my career, some that I can't talk about in detail yet, but they range from recording sets in incredible places to releases on record labels that I've always dreamed of.

'Promises' is available now via Wout Records: http://tinyurl.com/2kz95y5b