Deep Dish & Armand Van Helden: A Night of Mysterious Grooves and Slayed Samples
At the FREE TO MOVE party, a weird combination of head-scratching sounds and bright lights produce a lukewarm vibe
by Lionel Zivan S. Valdellon

published on PHILMUSIC.com : July 2000

Last June 22, 2000, on (of all days) a Thursday, Levi Strauss Philippines in association with Kinetic Entertainment, presented an event called "Free To Move" celebrating the lifestyle of fashion, music, and dance. They brought in two world-class acts for the party: the DJ/producer duo called Deep Dish, and the house/hip hop DJ Armand Van Helden.The venue was the immense World Trade Center, Roxas Boulevard corner Buendia Avenue, the time of emancipation was the usual 9 PM.

Data: The Soundmen

Armand Van Helden is a familiar name to any dance music fan. Long considered a superstar DJ, he has been raking in the big bucks and reeling in the fans globally ever since he shot to the public eye with club anthems like "Witchdoktor", "Professional Widow" (a remix of Tori Amos), "Funk Phenomena" and his more recent "U Don't Know Me". He rules dancefloors whjile contantly pushing the envelopes of hip hop and house, but is also a major name in remix work, having produced club-thumping hits out of Sneaker Pimps and Janet Jackson.
___ Deep Dish on the other hand are a less familiar name, but are indubitably behind some of the major dance tracks of the past decade. They are two Iranian-Americans named Ali 'Dubfire' Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi, and since their first meeting in 1991 have managed to carve a niche for themselves. Their 1995 single "Hideaway" by De'lacy put them on the map for dance remixes and paved the way for additional remix work on tracks by Michael Jackson, Everything But the Girl, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson and BT. In their original tracks, their brand of house is a mixture of sub-basement dub and deep house. And they've even extended their talents to managing their own Deep Dish Records and subsidiary Yoshitoshi Recordings.

Data: From the Mouths of DJs

Twelve hours before Van Helden stepped up to the turntables, there was a press lunch held at the Westin Philipine Plaza, preceded by a Levi's fashion show hyping the Re-engineered Jeans.

PhilMusic was able to capture the thoughts of the three DJs on everything from influences to the cost of music videos, and the crap in British magazines.

PhilMusic: Tell us about your new albums. What new things do you have in store for us?
Armand Van Helden: I have a new album out called Killing Puritans, basically it's a follow-up to the last album 2Future 4U. It's an album about variety. It gives a lot of different flavors at once. There's lots of culture-clashing in the album. A lot of statements whether they be political or just crazy. This, and the last album, is really trying to bring in new stuff into house that people don't usually bring in like aggressiveness, equality -- different emotions instead of just vibes. That's about it.

Deep Dish: We don't have an album yet (laughs). But we are on a compilation that's out it's called Yoshiesque. It's basically a reflection of our DJ style and some of the stuff we put out on our label Yoshitoshi, which tends to be sort of dark and twisted. So we made an album of twisted and dark records.
___ We're actually working when we have time-- when we are not travelling-- on our follow-up album. It should be out next year sometime. And it's going to be something crazy like his (pointing to AVH), but with our flavor.
___ We've some remixes and we just finished remixing Madonna for her new single from the new album. It's called "Music" by the way. That should be out in September.

PhilMusic: Who or what are your influences in dance music? Which DJs do you look up to and have worked with?
AVH: I have influences in-- you'll be surprised-pretty much every genre of music, but specifically dance music. I'd say, early on for me, I didn't really like house music. And it took Todd Terry to lead to the understanding of what the house vibe's about. I didn't enjoy house really till Todd Terry made it. I like what it he's about.
___ Then when I started to immerse myself more in house, I learned about everybody else: whether it be Masters At Work, MK, Miracle, Roger S.(Sanchez). Basically, the early legends. But nowadays though, I kinda like to not be fully immersed in dance culture and be paying attention to who's hot and who's not. I'm staying away from the trends to an extent, and it's actually clear in my mind now.

Sharam: We're obviously very much influenced by Danny Tenaglia. And producers from all genres like Armand said… people like DJ Premiere. The way they put beats together we sort of pay attention to how they do it in the hip hop world. Then we try to apply some of the principles to what we do. We are influenced by everyone and everything especially a lot of the early DJs and producers from New York.

Dubfire: I remember I collected every single thing that Todd Terry and the Masters of Work ever did. All the MK records, I have every single one of them. So basically the early guys that started this whole house thing in NY, they are the most influential for us. We're really into a lot of dub stuff also like Mad Professor and Adrien Sherwood stuff. It's a combination of everything. We like rock. In our last album we had a lot of rock influence in it that we just enjoy, like Metallica and Pink Floyd, the legendary bands. A lot of people in this industry they just like house, techno or whatever it is that they do. You just got to be open-minded and let it flow.

PhilMusic: Dance music seems to be going into many different directions, where do you guys think it's going?
Sharam: The boundaries are definitely getting more blurred these days, which is a good thing. We also have a record store and we have a hard time every once in a while trying to categorize what record is 'progressive', what's 'breaks', and what's 'deep house', because it seems like producers are more open-minded to different elements from different genres of music. And so that purist sort of attitude is falling by the wayside which is a sign that things are progressing.

AVH: Everything is comin' together. Even in my local hang-outs in NY, I'll go out and hear Jay-Z and Aaliyah and it'll go into, like, Stardust, Daft Punk or Basement Jaxx and then it'll go over to Rick James and Stevie Wonder and then back to Busta Rhymes or somethin'. It's kinda like everything's coming around, you can play like a wedding DJ now and everybody really likes it. It's more fun. (laughs)

PhilMusic: (to AVH) Are you gonna make a music video of your newest single "Koochy"?
AVH: Actually the day before we came here, I just did a little shoot. I have a little cameo on my video. I dunno when the video's gonna get here, I don't even know if you guys got "Koochy" yet or not.
___ Honestly I am kinda anti-video in a way, 'cause it's like the label loves to… In my scenario, I can't speak for everybody, if you want to enjoy my music, just buy the CD, put it on and close your eyes. That's kinda like how I make my CDs. You know, when I put it together, I don't just want you to get a piece of it.
___ That's what a music video is to me, it's kinda like a weird way of promoting a segment of your album. Believe me, I'm for it at the same time, it's just that… they cost too much.

Sharam: That's the problem -they cost a fortune, especially for dance artists who don't have that kind of a budget. It's different from like in a R&B artist getting the green light to do a Hype Williams-budgeted video.

Dubfire: Even those, they cost a million dollars per video. But people don't realize that that's all coming out of the artist's pocket. The label doesn't spend a dime, you know. Future royalties are financing that video.
___ Video is important. What it does is bring more attention to the record, which, if it's done properly, can equal more sales. But if it's not done properly, if somebody throws money out there, just 'cause they wanna look good, or they wanna get their other acts signed to that director… You gotta be careful.

AVH: It's a big risk. Doing music videos if you don't know if you got a hit song? And you go ahead and spend like 150,000 dollars? You're reaping about 75% of that off your back end. If that song doesn't sell or if it doesn't do anything, guess what? You'll never see a penny.

PhilMusic: Who are the top DJs in the world, for you guys?
Dubfire: You're lookin' at em. Everybody's got different style, it doesn't really matter. Stuff like that, to me, it's always like a popularity contest, it has nothing to do with skills. Each DJ brings something different to their set, to what they do. We don't really pay attention to who's number one, who's number two.

Sharam: It depends on which territory you're coming from. If you're in England, Oakenfold's gonna be number one. If you go to America, it might be Tenaglia or Masters at Work at number one.

Dubfire: It goes with the styles too. Like the trend right now is trance. So people like Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha-- they're winning the populrity contest right now 'cause that style of music is big.

Sharam: It's depends on the genre of music, what's big at the time. The whole world looks at the British magazines. British magazines are just.. for lack of a better word…a piece of shit, that's what they are. (laughter) They just throw whatever they like out there. They build you up then they shoot you down. You can't really pay attention to that. WE don't. It doesn't really matter.
___ If you go to a club and you make the people have a good time-they're enjoying your set, you're number one that night. That's how we feel about it.

PhilMusic: What pick up lines have been used on you?
Sharam: That record yours? (laughter)

AVH: I don't know. Nowadays, DJs are kinda like… they've turned us into these star-status types. If you ask the DJs themselves, I don't think that's what they want. Everything that comes with being a star gets thrown at us. You can be a star, but you don't have to live it. If you're the type of personality that needs to ego-trip from insecurity reasons, then go ahead. But you see, people like me, I see right through that. I don't really like to big up, or DJs who big up the crowds... 'cause the music should just be enough. I don't really need the extra performance. But again, that's just my end.

Dubfire: In music,what's happening now, it's like the Internet-- it's like the biggest thing mankind has ever seen. And it's become this global thing. You go anywhere and you say "Yahoo!" everyone knows what that is. It's like water. And dance music is sorta like that now. Before, it used to be rock and roll. Tomorrow it's gonna be something else. But this is something that's happening now and bringing the whole world together.

PhilMusic: Talking about the internet, what are your opinions on song-sharing and putting up MP3s on the Web?
Sharam: I actually read an article on Napster on the way over here. And we were talking about. Right now it's hurting people like Metallica-- high-profile artists. But I think it's gonna help dance music gain a broader exposure. Ultimately, I'd have to wait and see what happens to people like Metallica and Dr.Dre and stuff, but I think right now, it's not necessarily hurting dance music or what we do. It may be hurting some of the bigger, more mainstream artists. It's definitely helping move along and globalize the music we do and create.

Dubfire: The good thing about it is that if we have a song out, we don't need a major label getting their act together and selling it. If it's on Napster, anyone around the world can listen to it. We don't necessarily make any money from that but it gives us exposure, so when there is something that people can actually go and purchase, they already know that these people make these kinds of songs and they can buy it. For the underground it's good. For the major guys, they already got too much money so I don't really care.

PhilMusic: Any message for aspiring DJs in Manila?
Sharam: I'd encourage them to be different, be themselves, don't follow anybody else, try to bring something new and different. They can appreciate listening to other styles of music and other DJs but don't try to follow in their footsteps. Try to take the good things, or the bad things from everyone, and form your own identity.

AVH: The main thing is if you're gonna be a DJ and you wanna consider that your profession, nothing's worse than being a DJ and playing music that you don't like. Just like workin' a job you don't like. Even if you start from the bottom or whatever the case may be-- play what you like, Play where your heart is.

Dubfire: And be good. It is a job, like anything else. It's a lot of work, but if you love it… In the beginning we were hungry for it, basically to go look for the best records, be inspired by other DJs. It's not easy, it takes a lot of work. But if you love it, it doesn't seem like work, it's like you're having a good day every day. So basically, just be influenced but don't copy.

Sharam: Never compromise

AVH: Don't take requests. (laughter)

Opinion: The Sounds, The Party, The Vibe

At the Free To Move party, later that night, Van Helden was a picture of stoicism. All throughout his extended set of repetitive beat samples and cyclical rhythms, he was straight-lipped and offered none of the "hands-in-the-air" crowd pumping gimmicks that some local DJs use. Wielding a videocam at certain points in order to capture images of the Manila crowd, he was all about concentration. In fact, he seemed so serious that he didn't look like he was enjoying his set. But from his earlier statements at the presscon, it was obvious this was his version of 'keeping it real'. Instead of putting on a show when he spins, he would rather lets the music speak for him.
___ And his music? Loads of loops that he's used in his albums, seguing into each other, given variation only by the use of effects. Personally, it was dull. Rather than transport me into his world of music, it became more a showcase of how long he could keep a groove going before he got tired of it. And boy, did he ever keep those grooves going. Ten minutes after he dropped every new track, people would look up and wonder why Van Helden was leading them in mind-numbing circles.
___ A lot of us were also waiting to hear material from his albums old and new. He only gave in with the track "Koochy" off his newest album Killing Puritans-- a grating reinterpretation of Gary Numan's "Cars". But then, this is my opinion. Check out the track to make your own decision.
___ A big plus of Van Helden's set was his dancers. Flying in with him were two energetic dancers from NY, one male, the other female, who dressed up in fabulous costumes (reminiscent of the Village People) and prompted the crowd to watch something other than the video monitors. Too bad some of the local Levi's-hired dancer/models actually had more stamina than the foreign dancers.

In extreme contrast, the first few tracks of Deep Dish's set launched us all into outer space. Lush synthesizer pads and rising, expansive melodies were a welcome respite from Van Helden's scratchy beats. The Washington DC-based duo then proceeded to introduce the crowd to an unclassifiable conglomeration of sounds. Basically, it was house music, but textured with everything from their secret stash of ingredients.
___ At first the crowd were a bit curious what Deep Dish would unleash, some cheering the change of sound, others scratching their heads. But with the duo's grooves unfolding, everyone went back to dancing-- this time, truly being taken on a sonic journey of the DJ's making.

Opinion: The Location

One thing that the World Trade Center is not, is claustrophobic. The cavernous hall is a sprawling area perfect for a large party of this sort. All walls were justifiably plastered with Levi's banners, just as the video monitors would spew out Levi's Re-Engineered Jeans ads every few minutes or so. The addition of some massive soap-bubble machines was a nice distraction. The sound system was more than adequate.
___ The DJ booth, a massive tower of wood surrounded by a U-shaped ramp which served as a stage for the evening's dancers, was imposing and a bit off-putting for those who are used to the intimacy of other parties. The professional beefcake bouncers that ringed the area didn't help much either.
___ The weakest link in the venue had to be the lighting. It was way too bright. You could look out and see your friends way on the other end of the hall for cripe's sake. Even some of the lighting effects used were far from imaginative. Maybe this was too much to ask?
___ The coolest section though, actually had nothing to do with the DJ's pulpit or the main dancefloor. Rather, it was the chill-out room at the back which featured a humongous video screen and lots of black bean bags to relax on. The room was separated from the main area by curtains, prompting security men to check in every once in a while just to make sure no one was smoking anything illegal behind the black drapes. Onscreen, they were showing a Cirque Du Soleil video entitled Quidam, with the sound muted of course. Somehow the circus act's visuals matched the night's quirky music more perfectly than the energetic dancers.

All in all, the party was a massive endeavour for the sponsors. Great talent was flown in, a masssive stage designed and built, a large hall decorated and lit. Too bad the turn out was not enough to fill the place, and the reaction to the music was just slightly warmer than lukewarm. What a waste in the face of the world-class talent spinning records that educated as much as entertained.

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