Over the past few years, Canadian DJ and producer Sultan has built himself a solid reputation in the world of electronic and dance music.
As part of the renowned agency Bullitt Bookings, we can now find him bouncing in dj booths across the world to share his passion for music and promote his new compilation: Yoshitoshi Montreal. We caught up with Sultan between two flights to discuss his latest projects.
Q: What have you been up to over the past few months?
A: For the most part with the release of my latest compilation I have been travelling and touring: Asia, Central and South America, Eastern Europe and now North America. The little time I have had back home I have been in the studio working on producing tracks with Ned Shepard for Nadia Ali’s (iiO) forthcoming album, working on new singles and pushing my radio show 'Connected Live'.
Q: Talking of 'Yoshitoshi Montreal', the latest volume in the popular CD series to come from Deep Dish’s label Yoshitoshi, how did you select the songs for the mix?
Choosing the songs for the Yoshitoshi cd was a whole project on its own. The key point to consider was that this in fact was a Yoshi cd, which meant a compilation with strictly Yoshitoshi, Shinichi and Yo songs. The main thing that ran through my mind was that many of the songs I could use were from the Yoshitoshi back catalogue which meant that they were older songs that people might have heard several times before in the past, have been outdated or that several of these songs have already appeared on previous Yoshitoshi compilations. The other point I had to put into consideration was how many new unreleased songs I could get my hands on and how many older songs I could remix or Mashup in order to make the compilation as fresh as possible.
I first went through the entire back catalogue of Yoshitoshi and sister labels to see which tracks I really loved and wanted to use. I chose more than 40 songs then slowly started to narrow it down. I then asked Yoshi to send me any unreleased tunes they had coming up. At that point I also chose a few songs that I really loved and thought of remixing or reworking for the comp.
Q: Why the name 'Yoshitoshi Montreal'? How this city has influenced the vibe of the album?
The most recent Yoshitoshi compilations have all been identified with cities representing the sound of the compilation as well as the home city of the DJ/Artist mixing the cd. Montreal is not only my home but is also the city that introduced me to the House scene and is also the city that inspired my music career.
Montreal is renown for its vibrant nightlife and as a top destination for DJs and Bands alike from all genres of music as well as being a cultural melting pot with nationalities from all over the world. There is also a huge amount of local talent in the city. Living in Montreal you get to fully experience four seasons with highlights including an amazing hot summer and a super cold winter. All these things together really influenced the overall vibe of the album.
Q: The covert art of the CD showcases you jumping instead of a traditional pose or full face picture. Does it represent the energy you put in your DJ set. What was the idea behind it?
When we set out to work on the cover art for the cd, the aim was to capture a shot that was true to who I am. Nothing makes me happier than to dance and jump when I DJ. Over the years my hair has become a big part of who I am and several photos I’ve had taken of me Djing always had my dreads bouncing around in one direction or another. To be quite honest, the shot was one of many we took and after striking a few poses here and there the photographer told me to just let loose and be natural. I Jumped; He Shot.
It was only later that we realized that my jump and position resembled the Yoshitoshi logo.....a little pleasant coincidence.
Q: You seem to be a diverse DJ in terms of style, how would you describe your sound?
I would say my style is a sound that blends house, progressive, electro, tribal and minimal. Why limit yourself to genres when there is so much amazing music out there. Every venue, crowd and hour inspires the music. At the same time radio has also allowed me and exposed me to music that I wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to play out live.
Q: What is your current studio set-up? Are you working on Logic or Protools?
Protools baby! Since February this year, Ned Shepard and I have really worked on tuning up our studio. We got a new location and I just recently acquired the full HD 3 full Protools system. Along with all the soft synths and TDM plug-ins that comes with HD 3, we run two Access Virus Synths as well as a Korg. It’s honestly becoming my dream studio. Not only do we have great gear but we have invested into acoustic sound proofing and a great comfortable atmosphere that just makes you want to stay in the studio 24 hours a day. Being in the studio is an addiction!
Q: Who are you favourite producers at the moment?
So many. Dubfire, Mathew Dekay, Eric Prydz, Daniel Portman, Eric Smax, Jim Rivers, Gui Boratto are just a few of them.
Q: What was your best clubbing experience this year?
I would say Caribbean Sun Festival in the Dominican Republic this summer playing live guitars with Nadia Ali and DJing before Sharam. Not only did I get to DJ, I played the guitar and after all that I danced and partied the rest of the night away while Sharam Djed.
Q: What are your plans for the rest of 2007?
The next two months are fully packed with touring for the CD. At the same time, I’ll be spending the remaining free days off this month completing the songs I am co-producing with Ned Shepard for Nadia’s album as well as completing the remix for her first single. I have also been working on a few new singles as well as a remix for Julie Dennis, which I hope to have done by the end of the year.
Yoshitoshi Montreal mixed by Sultan is out now on iTunes.
CD Release Date: October 23th, 2007
Preview here: www.yoshitoshimontreal.com
www.djsultan.com and myspace.com/sultansoultan.
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