Renowned DJ, Producer, and Record Label pioneer Samer, takes time off his current UK tour to discuss what’s been going on lately, what’s in store for Pangea Recordings, and how he manages to get it all done.

Being quite the modest guy that he is, he starts by giving us some insights on where he’s from:

“I run the Pangea and 1Shot labels, and all of their sub-labels, which include Pangea Digital, Pangea UK, and 1Shot Digital. I also DJ under the name Samer, and produce under this name as well as the Evrydaydowners guise. I was raised in Tampa, Florida, but spent about 7 years in California. I moved back to Florida for work but will be moving back to California soon.

Not only do I do music, but I am an attorney as well. Also, I also have a little son who inspires me every day to do the things that would tire most people.”

How did you get into music, what were your influences?

“I loved hip-hop and some alternative rock music way before I even knew what dance music was. My love for dance and electronica started for me in 1996 at Club Simon’s, located in Gainesville, Florida. I was a freshman in college at the time. Now that I think about it, this college town that would have been a farm town without the University of Florida was a very unique place. Every heavy weight DJ at that time came to play here, such as Sasha and Digweed, Dave Seaman, Danny Tennaglia, etc. Gainesville, it turned out, had a world famous underground music dance scene.

“I was lucky to get any chances to play in Tampa back then…”
-DJ Samer

After spending too much at Simon’s and not doing as well as I could have in school, I left Gainesville for Tampa to finish my education. I took my newfound love for dance music with me and started to spin the great underground music that I had heard in Gainesville. I was very much in love with Renaissance 4 mixed by Dave Seaman and Ian Ossia, as it reminded me of the Gainesville scene so very much. I guess you could even say that Dave and Ian are two of my heroes and influences, along with all of the other Renaissance era DJs.

It was tough being a start up DJ in Tampa, though. I moved from a town that loved world-class dance music to a town that was sick for funky breaks. I was lucky to get any chances to play in Tampa back then, but some DJs and promoters who were tired of the same old same old and wanted to hear something different let me play.”

How did Pangea Recordings start?

“While in Tampa, I met my former producing partner, Bill Vines a.k.a The Maji. We hit it off, and he showed me advanced mixing techniques. We started making our own music, and after producing our first track, we named ourselves the Evrydaydowners. Pangea Recordings was then born. We attended the WMC that year and passed out our first track to some real big dance producers and DJs. Surprising to us, we got some real good feedback, including from Brother Brown, another influence and hero of mine. I was a big fan of his so when he said he liked our stuff I knew that I shouldn’t stop making music. After some more hard work and gathering some tunes for the label, we struck a distribution deal with DJ Hardware’s Pure Music Label Group. Everything really started to roll then.”

What have the past 7 years been like for you?

After getting bored with the Tampa scene, I packed my bags and records and moved to San Diego to further pursue my music career and a degree in law. The scene there was more accepting of my style, and I grabbed opening slots for well-known international DJs such as Pete Tong, Chris Fortier, DJ Dara, and Spesh. Evrydaydowners was also making a name production wise. I recall flying back to Miami from San Diego to attend the Winter Music Conference in 2003. While I was at Club Space, at around 11:00 a.m., I heard Sasha play “This World,” our first production to get international distribution. I was jumping up and down the club like a fat kid in a candy store. My friends still do not let me live that down as I made quite a fool out of myself. To make things even better, I heard Sasha play Chris Lake’s remix of Joshua Collins “Project 3″ during the Ultra Music Festival that same week! “Project 3” was to be Pangea’s second release! I knew then if we kept working hard that we would make a great impact on our scene.

“…this is really a labor of love and we truly love putting out music.”

Everything that happened later spawned off these events. We formed sub-labels, produced more songs, and have worked with some real world-class talent. 7 years later, here we are going strong and with more passion than ever! I like to think we have made a good name for ourselves with the music that we have put out. Of course, the music scene has changed a bit, and we have had to adapt. Because of this, there have been some rough times to match the great ones, but this is really a labor of love and we truly love putting out music. We have a small team of dedicated people and it’s truly a pleasure to be doing Pangea and 1Shot.”

What other musical styles beside house music do you listen to, and at what occasions?

“…listening to other types of music helps you out in whatever type of music that you produce.”

“I love all types of music, but mainly I like old school hip-hop when I am not listening to dance music. As you can imagine, running 5 labels, DJing, and producing can make dance music sound a bit stale from time to time. My favorite rappers are Nas and Snoop Dog. I also like to listen to 80s! Listening to other types of music makes your ear well rounded and allows you to listen to dance music with fresh ears and a different perspective. I really believe that listening to other types of music helps you out in whatever type of music that you produce, whether it is dance music or hip-hop etc.

I do someday want to produce some hip-hop with that old school feel though, just to see if I can.”

How would you define a good piece of music?“A good piece of music takes a snap shot of emotions that we feel on a day to day basis, and use our sense of hearing to communicate what ever it is that emotion is, whether its happiness, sadness, energy, melancholy, etc. Great music goes to the ear straight to your soul, and can move you to tears if you hear the right tune.

A good piece of music is also one that uses all of the elements and dimensions of sound. For example, I hear a lot of music that are just samples looped back and forth with some effects. You can tell there is no soul and no inspiration. Great music uses samples, synths, pads, melodies, effects etc. and winds them together to tell a wonderful story. Most of these great pieces of music come from artists who were musicians before coming into electronic music. They come to dance music already with an understanding of what a great song should be, and then translate it into soulful dance music. I find that its those musicians who actually play an instrument, or 2, or 5, who make electronic with the soul and elements that I am looking for in a song. When I mean soul, I don’t mean it in the same way same deep house heads use it. It is hard to exactly define it, but I know it when I hear it, and I hear it in great progressive, trance, breaks, drum and bass etc. A great DJ can pick these songs out of the lot and string them together to make a wonderful set.”

Where do you find inspiration for your projects?

“I find inspiration in a lot of day-to-day things while I am living my life. My son is a good example. He is two and the beautiful way toddlers look at life, always finding something new and exciting, is inspiring. The news, as depressing as it is sometimes, inspires me to get out there and put out music that makes people feel better. We have a lot of fans in places where there is a lot of bad things going on, such as Africa, Arabia, Pakistan, and India. Music is a great way to escape all these things. I have realized that there is something therapeutic in what I do. It makes me feel better to be involved in music and helps me forget the things that may anger me about the world we live in. This is why I still do it even though there is really no money in it.

Also, there is nothing like a great mix set or CD to really give me the motivation to start and complete my projects.”

What artists would you like to work with if you would be given the opportunity?

“Some of the artists I would love to collaborate with are already on the label and have helped us immensely. It would be an honor to collaborate with Brother Brown, Dave Seaman, Chris Lake, Andy Moor, and Michael Wilson. Others include Junkie XL, my friends D-Fuse and Mike Hiratzka, Matt Cerf and so many others. I know it sounds far fetched, but it would be amazing to earn Sasha’s respect and to work with him hehe. Probably never happen but you asked me.”

What are you passionate about outside of music?

“I am passionate about social causes, including fighting poverty, homelessness, racism, and other injustices that occur daily. That is why I became an attorney, as it gives me the tools to help people that I would not normally be able to help. It is sometimes real difficult to handle being an attorney, a father, a label boss for multiple labels, as well as production and DJing. I don’t sleep much, and sometimes I believe I could be devoting more time to one or the other, but I truly love what I do.

I am also a family guy, and I try to spend as much time with them as I can. Sometimes I feel as though I could be devoting more time to my family, as I keep fairly busy with work and music. My family is real supportive though, and I thank goodness for that.”

What can we expect of you in the near future?

“A lot more studio production. I really feel that I have not spent enough time in the studio. It is understandable with all the responsibilities that I have, but one of my new years resolutions is to spend more time in the studio and get more productions out under my own and the Evrydaydowners name, even if I have to sacrifice DJing a little bit, which I will probably end up having to do.

We are also going to reorganize the labels into two main labels only, instead of 2 main labels and 3 sub-labels. Also, I plan to bring back some of the names that made our label great in the past with some new releases and remixes. 2008 will be a big year for us, and I want Pangea to again be at the forefront of progressive and forward thinking dance music in America.”

What equipment do you use in the studio or DJing?

“I am using mostly Reason and Peak to create music right now. I like the Reason interface and the fact that it tries to integrate hardware and software. All that said, I think I am going to move to Ableton Live and Logic, as they seem to put out better sounding material at the end of your production phase and have more advanced effects. Also, Reason does not use VSTs and other plug-ins that I am in love with, which is a big drawback. Ill probably be making this transition at the end of the winter.

My favorite piece of DJ equipment is the Pioneer DMJ-3000 mixer. I love its layout and sound quality.”

What’s the future of Evrydaydowners?

“As for Evrydaydowners, things have changed as well. As I stated before, my former partner Bill and I created the Evrydaydowners, which paved the way for Pangea Recordings. We no longer work together now, so for the last year and a half to two years, Evrydaydowners has not done much in way of production. Bill is a creative genius, and I am sure you’ll be hearing more from him under his name and a label he is now forming. Things just happen and you deal with them. I have done a few remixes under my name, but plan to resurrect Evrydaydowners this year with some new songs and remixes with a brand new partner. I am not going to name names, but I will say we have some exciting new things going on and we plan to make Evrydaydowners a chart topper once again like we did with our first track way back when.”

You’re currently doing a UK appearance for a second time. Where are you gonna play?

“Two years ago, I went to Middlesbrough and played at the legendary Riff Raff. It was a truly memorable experience. The lads in Middlesbrough really have something special going on down there. Lee Pennington of Source of Gravity and others over there have truly made Middlesbrough the progressive epicenter of the UK. It really is an honor and a pleasure to work with these guys.

I will be going back to Middlesbrough and headlining the pre and after party for Riff Raff as they host Chloe Harris to headline the main party. I will also be headlining my first appearances in York and New Castle. It is an understatement to say that I am real excited.”

As a DJ what was your biggest highlight for 2007?

“Lovefest 2007 was the highlight of 2007. I want to take the opportunity to thank the Sex and Robots people for allowing us to be a part of their float. As you can imagine, playing a festival with close to 100,000 people was amazing. The people of San Francisco are the greatest people in America. They love the music and do not hesitate to show it. What other city would let you play electronic music in their entire downtown for a full day, and make like nothing ever happened the next day?”

Thanks to Samer and Pangea Recordings

>> http://www.pangearecordings.com Credits: Thomas Summer, Mike Nielsen

Darin Epsilon stops in to answer a few questions about what he’s up to lately, how he got started and what’s in store for his him as a new budding producer:

How did you start DJing?

I’ve always been naturally drawn to music. In my early days, I would be listening to the radio for hours on end. I was usually the one in charge of selecting music for summer camp parties and school dances. Eventually, my ear became drawn to DJs like Paul Oakenfold, Ferry Corsten, and Sasha. By the time I was a junior in high school, I knew that I had to have my own pair of decks.

What equipment do you prefer DJing with?

Like most people, I learned how to DJ using vinyl. I practiced with two Technics SL-1210 turntables and a basic mixer. Once the digital revolution took over, I made the transition from vinyl to CDs. At first it was very difficult for me to stop buying records, but because of the price of vinyl and decreasing availability of music in that format, I knew I had to make the change. I realized that in the end, it’s all about the music. Eventually, I may be moving onto NI Traktor with Ableton Live as a support. Whatever format I wind up using, I always prefer to be moving my hands around and interacting with the audience.

How/why did you make the step from DJing to producing?

It was just sort of a natural progression to take. These days, with so many DJs flooding the market, I feel it is increasingly important to have your own voice. I found the move from DJing to producing to be very helpful in my evolution as a musician. The two activities really go hand in hand together. I’m a much better DJ as a result of working as a producer, and I can be a better producer by knowing how to DJ.

What equipment do you use to produce in terms of hardware and software?

When I first started dabbling in production, I bought a few pieces of hardware, inspired by acts like The Prodigy, Orbital, Underworld, and Daft Punk. However, as time went on, I became more and more drawn towards software because of its ease of use, simplicity, and cost-efficiency. I made my first tracks with Cubase SX, but now I’m producing on Ableton Live with Reason rewired. I just purchased Logic Studio 8 and plan to be using it soon.

Which do you prefer, DJing or being in the studio?

It’s really hard to say. That would be like comparing apples to oranges. In a live setting, you are interacting with the crowd and feeding off their energy. In the studio, you are usually sitting alone or with one other person and coming up with ideas that you think would work well in a club. For me personally, the perfect combination would then be rocking out to your own song in front of a packed audience!

What has been your career highlight so far?

Last September I got to headline a Red Bull sponsored event in Omsk, Russia which drew around 1500 people. The audience was very supportive of Progressive House and their enthusiasm rivals just about anything I’ve seen in the US.

What’s your most treasured possession?

My inner ear and sense of pitch, I’ve spent my entire life developing it.

How would you describe your music in your own words?

The music I like to play and the music I like to make are generally melodic, atmospheric, with lots of layers to keep it interesting. It’s also nice to have a strong kick and bassline to give you that “oomph” feeling, but not always necessary to make a strong composition. I support anything in between the lines of Progressive, Tech-House, Trance, Techno, Tribal, or Breaks.

Where do you find inspiration for your projects?

The inspiration just comes to me doing normal, everyday activities. I used to be bored in class and would sketch out the main ideas of a track, then run home and immediately start working at recreating the sounds I heard in my head.

What would you say has been your biggest challenge?

There was a moment during college when I definitely did not feel like my life was headed in the right direction. Economics and finance classes never really interested me at all. I knew I wanted to gain a formal education in music before I graduated, so I took up piano lessons again after a six year hiatus, and spent the following year practicing and writing music for my audition and admissions portfolio. With enough determination and luck, I was allowed to study basic music theory with some very brilliant teachers.

Two of your latest productions are going be released very soon. Give us some information about them.

I have my track titled ‘Bluephobia’ hitting Beatport and all major digital download shops on November 27, 2007. It will be released on Gravitation Digital and has been getting loads of early support from DJs all over the world. Around the same time, I have the remix of Burufunk ‘Outsider’ that I did with Stuart C coming out on Navigation. You may remember the original mix from the Nick Warren ‘Global Underground: Reykjavik’ a few years back. Stuart and I are both thrilled to work with an established artist like Burufunk.

Given the opportunity, who would you most like to work with?

There are honestly too many talented producers to mention. They all inspire me to keep doing music. If I had to name names though, some of my favorites include 16 Bit Lolitas, Bart Van Wissen, Fine Taste, Luke Chable, Jody Wisternoff, Chris Micali, Rowan & Jaytech, Dousk, DJ Remy, Eelke Kleijn, Perry O’Neil, Madoka, Michael Burns, Shawn Mitiska, and Jim Rivers.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

At the moment, I’m doing remix work for different labels. Just recently, I have had the opportunity to work with legendary producer Noel Sanger and Perfecto star Kenneth Thomas, two artists which I greatly admire. I’m also working on a few originals that continue to expand my sound and musical portfolio. From now until middle of 2008, I should have around 8-10 new projects hitting the stores.

Where can the readers find out more about you?

My website can be found at www.darinepsilon.com, or if you’re a Myspace addict, drop me a line at www.myspace.com/darinepsilon.

Interview by Thomas Summer