S-MAN SPINNING
New York’s DJ ROGER SANCHEZ Spins Manila Into a Frenzy

published in PHILMUSIC.com : March 2000

Last February 26, 2000, at Club Fun (formerly Fashion Café) in Glorietta, Makati, world-renowned DJ-producer-remixer Roger Sanchez played a pumping set of soulful, funky house music to an enthusiastic crowd. Sponsored by Channel [V] Philippines for their Club [V] program, the party was a fully-packed, throbbing thing—as alive and kicking as an organism.
___ The party opened with sets by Groove Nation DJs Edge Pamute and Toti Dalmacion. Sanchez took the turntables a little past midnight, having arrived straight from the airport. He is currently on an Asian tour, having finished stints in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Sydney and Brisbane. His final leg will be in Melbourne on March 12.
___ An hour or so before he took the stage however, a small presscon was held at the VIP lounge of Club Fun where PhilMusic was able to grill the man about his life and music.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE S-MAN

So who exactly is the S-Man? Born in New York with a lineage that can be traced to Jamaica, Roger Sanchez has always had music in his life. He began DJ-ing at the early age of 13 and while in college, he juggled his architectural studies at the Pratt Institute while mixing music at several New York hotspots. He forayed into the graffiti and breakdancing scene during the early ‘80s and by 1987, finally left college and went full blast with his music career.
___ Has he ever gotten sick of playing music, having done this for 19 years? "No. I haven’t gotten sick of playing. Never. But I’ve gotten tired of certain clubs."
___ He has continually striven to redefine the boundaries of house music, penetrating mainstream consciousness and radio airwaves and bringing club music into a wider arena. In 1990, he recorded his first single "Luv Dancin" as Underground Solution. The single went on to become a worldwide hit and established Sanchez not only as a top-caliber DJ but as a phenomenal remixer as well.
___In Sanchez’ own words: "I’ll never forget hearing that record played in a club for the first time. Watching people react to it was a revelation. I knew this record was different from other music I’d worked on. It would take me on an exciting and educational trip that money could never buy."
___ Venturing into independent label ownership and management, Sanchez formed One Records in 1992, which became the venue for more cutting edge releases from the S-Man as well as a multitude of other underground celebrities. His extensive background in remixing brought him into contact with Babyface, Michael Jackson, Dianna Ross, Janet Jackson, Chic, M People, Basia, Incognito, and Soul II Soul.

Sanchez’ veritable staying power in the music scene has been due to his incessant need to work the turntables. "DJ-ing was part of what drew me into music. To me, spinning records can almost be as creative as producing and remixing. A great DJ can just take a record and give it an entirely new sound or vibe, just with the way he deals with the beats or a chord progression."
___ According to him, the synergy between crowd and DJ is a tangible thing. The vibe that Sanchez senses from the crowd will dictate what records he plays. But also, what he plays will lead the crowd into a certain mood. It’s a give and take situation.

When someone asks the usual Pinoy journalist question of what kind of performance we are to expect from the S-Man, he answers: "Well, it’s gonna be soulful and funky… I might play stuff with vocals on it, or I might play some of the darker stuff which I also love, it really all depends on what kind of vibe the crowd feeds me."

BUT ALSO, THE ARTIST

While the DJ role may overshadow the rest of his work, Sanchez is an artist in his own right. In fact, he’s just finished his latest album titled Contact which includes some collaborations with pop band Texas. "I asked them to contribute some stuff to my album, in return I’ll probably do a remix for them in the future for theirs."
___ We ask whether he makes it a point to play his own records during his DJ sets. The answer: only if it fits. "I don’t go to a gig and say I’m gonna play all my own stuff." He may put it on if it fits the mood.

And now, he’s in the process of planning for a major tour to back the album-- one which may probably include a live band. When asked if he enjoys DJ-ing as much as performing with a live set-up, he responds: "I can’t say yet. This will be the first time it’ll happen."

BACK TO TOP