Sebb Junior Interview & Guest Mix
There won’t be many people that don’t know the name Sebb Junior. A regular on the end of year Top 100 charts top 3, a prolific producer, respected DJ and a label owner - he’s the kind of person everyone will have come across and most likely liked what they’ve heard. Like so many others, his socials are to the point, and give little away about the guy behind the music, so when he said yes to this interview I was delighted.
Thanks for taking the time out to chat - let’s start with the back story of how you came to be a DJ as I’ve not read anything online about that side of you?
In the early 90s I was into Hip Hop and with a few friends of mine we decided to make a group. We needed someone behind the decks to play the beats and do the scratching and I knew at that time this role was 100% for me. This is basically how I started to collect vinyl and practice deejaying.
You’re a Frenchman living in Spain - how did that happen?
Nothing related to music, my wife is Spanish, we've met in France and she brought me one summer in Spain for vacation,and I instantely felt in love (for the second time) with that country.
Where you a big French House fan when you started?
As a kid I used to love House Music, I was really into the early stuffs. I was listening to Inner City, Yazz and stuffs like that. But a bit later, I discovered Hip Hop and it blew my mind. I've always kept an ear on House music since then but i was really obsessed by Hip Hop.
What were your greatest influences, DJ’s, people, labels form those early days?
Around 1992/93, there was a radio show every Saturday at midnight on a national radio called “NRJ Megamix”. It was one hour of pure House Music mixed by a guy called Dimitri (aka Dimitri From Paris). He was playing all the new stuffs. At that time I was, like almost eveybody, into every Strictly Rhythm releases, all the new MAW records and I remember being a huge fan of David Morales. Later, around 1998/99, I felt the same exciting feelings when Daft Punk arrived on the french scene followed by all the greatest, Etienne De Crecy, Cassius, Alex Gopher, Bob Sinclar, Demon, etc, etc.
What’s been the DJ highlights for over your career?
Somewhere in my mind, I have a list of dreams I want to make come true. So each time I remove one from my list, it is a highlight of my career. So here are a few of them:
To work to some tracks with Speech from Arrested Development. Done.
To sign several EPs to one of my favorite label Large Music. Done.
To work to a project with DJ Spen. Done.
Playing at Defected Croatia. Done.
and a lot more to come ..
What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you throughout your career?
Actually a very simple one: Don't listen to anybody, set your goal, work hard and make things happen.
You ranked No.2 in the Traxsource Top 100 Deep House Artists 2019 - how important is that kind of thing to your profile, gigs and business generally?
Been ranked 2 into the top Deep House artists on Traxsource is an honor!! It's great to know that my music is supported by such an amazing team. After many years of artistic frustration, it's good to feel that my hard work is recognized. It gives me a very good exposure so, yes of course, it opens some doors that were closed until now.
What’s your usual preparation for a set? Picks tracks, sleep, meal and a drink?
Pick tracks, sometime I sleep, sometimes not, depends how soon in the morning was my flight. Most of the time I go to eat something with the team, then I try to go early at the club to listen to the other Djs, so I can take the temperature of the night and show respect to them. I don't drink that much before and during my set, just a few beers. But if the night is great and i'm not too tired, after my set is another story!
Top tip/s for up and coming DJ’s?
It'll sound cliché but it's what works best:
Work hard, fail, learn, work hard again, fail again, learn again. It can takes a lot of time to succeed, a lot of years, so never give up!
Which DJ’s do you love to hear play?
For me, the number one on the decks is DJ Spen. Then Mousse T's sets always blow my mind. I also really would love to hear Armand Van Helden playing but until now unfortunately I never had a chance to.
Any up and coming DJ’s you’ve seen and think we should check out?
Vincent Caira is a great producer and you should keep an ear on this man.
All time favourite track to play in a set?
Junior Jack “My Feeling”
You’ve played some huge gigs - like Defected Croatia - what was that like?
A festival like Defected Croatia is such a unique experience. The vibe, the feeling, the love … thousands of House Music lovers in a paradisiac place for an entire week with all the greatest artists around the world .. I was like a kid at christmas! And being able to play there was such an honor, I enjoyed a lot!
Do you see yourself as a DJ or producer first?
I'm producing and deejaying since day one, so one can't go without the other. But that feeling often changes. Sometimes I feel like i'm a DJ first sometimes not. Lately, especially since the beginning of the corona crisis I feel like i'm a producer first.
Do you think being a producer helps shape your DJ sets and style?
In my set I always try to tell a story with musicality while keeping it interesting. As a producer, I know relatively quickly if a track will fit in my set or not .. My ears are trained for that. But the other side of it is that I tend to pay attention to small production details and for example, sometimes, I decide not to play a track just because there is a small synth melody between 3'32 and 3'41 that I don't like. I know i'm a bit crazy ..
How does your production process work - do you set time aside or wait for inspiration?
Not so long ago I was everyday in the studio producing again and again .. no matter what happen i'll spend my 12 hours in the studio and make at least 1 or 2 tracks every day. But things have changed lately. Now I tend to let inspiration come. I still spend my days in the studio but I don't produce every day, I can spend a few days listening to music only, days collecting samples, days just chillin', recording tapes, stuffs like this, and when I have an idea I open Ableton.
What’s your production set up?
I used to have tones of old gears in the studio but last year I sold almost everything to keep only the essentials. I was fed up with cables, midi latency, always something to repair, parts harder and harder to find .. Now I just have my mac with Ableton Live, a midi keyboard, a sampler Akai S5000, a Digitakt, and the Softube console 1. I also have Maschine mk3 and Push 2 but they are stored in their box since a few months now.
You’ve had tracks on Large, Salted, Nervous, Papa and more - what do you look for in a label for your music?
Like I said earlier, I had a list of dreams, and getting signed to these labels was on that list. I have my own label now and a few labels i'm workingwith closely on a regular basis, like Let There Be House, Papa Records, Sub Urban and a few others. A part from that, I don't send demos anymore to labels since a few years now. To release my music ton hundreds of different labels, for both artistic and business, it doesn't make sense to me.
You also founded the label La Vie d’Artiste Music - can you tell us about that?
Well, this is a good transition! Yes I launched m own label a couple of years ago. Mainly because I was tired of the “sending demos” process. Most of the labels I was targeting never listened to my demos. When they did, they didn't even take a few second to say “No, thanks”. It was too frustrating and time consuming. So I decided to launch my own label and release what I want, when I want.
Have you found the independence of the label and your creativity refreshing?
I would use the word freedom instead of independence. Like I said, I release what I want, when I want. I don't sign a lot of artists, just some friends of mine from time to time and that's it. I do things in the most relax way possible, no pressure, no stress, no big strategy, I just want to make good records.
Was the vinyl based idea something you’ve always wanted to do, as a vinyl fan or just creating something a little more special than a digital label?
Definitely because i'm a huge vinyl fan, no other reason than that.
You’re pretty active across social media - has it become essential for DJ’s and producers to get seen and heard these days?
Unfortunately it is essential yes, but to be honest i'm less and less active nowadays. I'm fed up with all this. The race for the likes, for the views and the plays is pretty unfair, it's frustrating and in the real world it means nothing. So lately I tend to avoid facebook a lot, on twitter, I just repost stuffs, I'm still on instagram because it is simple and fun, but to be honest I prefer spending my time making music in the real world. Since the beginning I was always the guy who used to say “let the music speak for itself, and if it is good it will find the right way”. I'm going back to that fondamental nowadays.
What’s your average week like balancing all these different things?
It's very easy, all these things I do them in the studio and the studio is in my house, so I spend 24/7 in the studio doing what I have to do.
What’s on the cards for the future - gigs to watch out for, releases etc?
I have some pretty exciting releases in the next few month, including a collab with Karmina Dai and Mr V to be released on Peppermint Jam and also a collab with Hatiras on Milk & Sugar Recordings. I'm currently working to a new album for Papa Records, which will probably be split into two 5 or 6 tracks Eps, digital and vinyl, but it's a bit too soon for the moment to speak about it. In November i'll be playing at the Soul Fusion festival at Agarve in Portugal, a huge line up, a wonderful place, a great team, it will be amazing I can't wait!
Where can people follow you?