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After several years, it was time once again for a good chat with UK DJ and producer Paul Sparkes. With genuine passion, he shares how incredible it was to perform alongside his hero, Sasha. “I was over the moon.”
“I’ve been a resident on a ship for the Wattrworld organization all season. I’ve already taken the booth with Olivier Weiter, Miss Melera, and Nick Warren here. But just over two months ago, I received a very special phone call: I was scheduled to play with Sasha! I was absolutely over the moon. Being on the lineup with Sasha felt like all my years of hard work suddenly converged. It was as if everything had led up to this gig.”
Respect
“I’ve met Sasha countless times over my 25 years as a DJ and producer. I respect him and have often bought his music. I’ve also seen him perform in the Netherlands many times.”
Warm-up Sets
“When I got the call for the gig, I was told they wanted me because my music fits so well with Sasha’s. I’ve built up a solid reputation for warm-up sets. This time, it was actually two sets: I was scheduled both before and after Sasha. That phone call felt like a confirmation of my art, a recognition of what I do.”
A Big Challenge
“The two months that followed were filled with anticipation. During that time, I handpicked music and put the finishing touches on many productions that were almost complete, so I could play them. I also researched Sasha’s recent repertoire, knowing that there was a huge focus on this performance. It felt like a major challenge to play alongside him.”
Giving It Your All
“When the day arrived, I was extremely excited. I hadn’t slept much and felt a healthy amount of tension. Of course, I didn’t want to make any mistakes and was somewhat worried about technical details. You want to deliver your best performance and play as flawlessly as possible.”
Good Food and Enough Drink
“I had to play my first set at 1 PM. So the morning was all about checking my headsets, making sure all the USBs worked, and that my recording equipment was in order. Plus, it’s always important to eat well and stay hydrated beforehand, so you can perform at your best. DJing is a lot like sports.”
‘In the Zone’
“Together with a few others, I then drove towards the ship. I know people were talking to me, but I didn’t hear a word – I was completely ‘in the zone.’ Once we arrived, I did the soundcheck, made sure all the monitors were functioning, and confirmed that the special setup for Sasha was ready.”
Perfect Starting Point
“During my set, Sasha was in the captain’s booth. I was focused on setting up a set that he could flawlessly take over. I aimed to work towards a perfect starting point for him. That’s why I kept the tempo low and the music chill. But too chill wasn’t good either – I didn’t want the crowd on the dance floor to get bored. I’ve played with many big names like John Digweed and Danny Howells, and I know that sometimes you can inadvertently play too slowly. The goal is to let the big artists shine, without setting up a boring set yourself.”
Relief
“After the first set, the compliments poured in. I received great feedback from all sides. ‘Relief’ is the word that best describes my emotions at that moment. The tech worked perfectly and the people were happy and ecstatic. Sasha seamlessly took over the set. The sun was shining, it was summery, everything was on point.” (laughs)
Keep going
“Sasha then played for three hours. I had given him the push to dive a bit deeper. For my next set, I was free to do whatever I wanted. A fun detail is that I was actually scheduled to play just ninety minutes after him, after which we were supposed to dock. But the people on board wanted to keep the party going so much that they pooled money for the captain to extend the cruise. In the end, I ended up spinning for another 3.5 hours behind the decks.” (laughs)
Energy
“At the end, Sasha cranked up the energy. I picked up that energy during the first few hours until I eventually returned to a more relaxed vibe. For example, I played ‘Super Flu’s Diva Halle’ and ‘Volkan Akaalp’s Faith.’ I ended up playing with more energy than usual. My challenge was not to get stuck in the roughly ninety-minute set I had roughly prepared, but to transform it into a 3.5-hour set.”
A Gift
“Looking back, I see it as a gift that during part of my residency on Wattrworld, I had the honor to share the stage with a big name like Sasha. By the way, Covid contributed to booking him as an artist. Normally, Sasha only plays at huge festivals and clubs for tens of thousands of people. Since he couldn’t play in England, he was willing to come to the Netherlands.”
Calmness and Professionalism
“My overall feeling after those two performances was one of calmness and professionalism. I compare it to football: as if I suddenly got to play alongside Messi at Barcelona. It forced me to really think about my record selection and gave me focus. The result is that I look back incredibly satisfied and fulfilled, and I’m also relieved that everything went well. It also reminded me of all the gigs in the past that led up to this moment.”
“On September 11, we will sail again by boat, with Olivier Weiter and B.O.B. in Rotterdam. After that, I have a tour in the United States on the agenda. My own track ‘Hour of Wonk’ has just been released on Dave Seamans Selador Recordings. I’m busy in the studio and there’s a lot more new music coming.”
This interview with Paul Sparkes was originally published in September 2021 on This Is Our House.
Who is Paul Sparkes?
Paul Sparkes has been immersed in the world of electronic dance music for over 25 years. This British DJ has clocked up some serious air miles by performing in the US, Israel, India, Germany, Dubai, Russia, Bahrain, Finland, Croatia, Belgium, Bonaire and a slew of other exotic destinations.
Armed with the latest cutting- edge music, Paul Sparkes has rocked the cream of the world ‘s clubs including Pacha New York, SXSW Austin, Rise Boston, Ministry of Sound London, Club d’Anvers Belgium, Blue Marlin Ibiza and more. Closer to home, Paul Sparkes was resident DJ and promoter of Floorplay, a monthly night that for over 11 years took place at the legendary Club NL in Amsterdam.
As a producer Paul Sparkes has released on renowned labels such as San Francisco ́s Loöq Records, Omid 16B́s Sexonwax label, NYC’s seminal Nervous Records, UK’s Baroque Recordings and Ray Okpara ́s AMA records. Paul Sparkes has also signed tracks to Under No Illusion Recordings and Slovakia’s Seta Recordings, Paolo Martini’s Polar Noise Records from Italy and Horatio’s Natural Rhythm recordings out of Romania. 2020 saw him release on Collective Machine’s label with a two tracker, and Paul Sparkes’s debut release on Dave Seaman’s Seledaor Recordings is out now.
Paul Sparkes is also resident DJ of Amsterdam’s floating Wattrworld festival, playing on tall ships every month alongside Sasha, Patrice Baumel, 16 Bit Lolitas and many more. Paul Sparkes continues with the same hard work, commitment, enjoyment and passion for his music as he did a quarter of a century ago.
More Paul Sparkes?
More interviews with Paul Sparkes? You will find them here!