FFWD Weekly
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Music by Rob Faust Respect with Roger Sanchez Saturday, July 15 call 202-0084 Ranked ninth in the world by Britain’s DJ magazine, behind the likes of Danny Teneglia, Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox and ahead of others such as Sneak and Richie Hawtin, Roger Sanchez has certainly found a place among the DJ world’s elite. And not only have his skills as a DJ been noticed, but last year, he earned himself a Grammy nomination for his production work remixing mainstream dance artists such as Janet Jackson. "The Grammy thing really came as quite a surprise, you know," Sanchez says. "It’s a world that I see from a very narrow perspective, but no, it’s not something that I set out for...." Dance music producers and DJs have an odd relationship with the rest of the North American corporate musical world. Though most have spent some time remixing acts and artists that are not of the dancefloor world, they and the music they produce have had a difficult time gaining the same recognition as the artists they remix. "(Dance music) for the most part is still quite underground over here (in North America). Many are new to this music so there’s still a bit of challenge to get people into it – there’s a different history with dance music in North America." Which is why the DJ usually finds refuge, work and larger acceptance in Europe. Euro-culture has a more consistent history with dance music and its DJs, while North America has been reluctant to incorporate beat-oriented music into the mix, often dismissing it as simply a fad. Most notable large-scale music festivals in Europe (i.e. Glastonbury) now feature a dance tent. The result being that Pearl Jam might be playing next to Sanchez or Roni Size with very little difficulty. "You’ll get fans of both genres in front of your stage – the same kind of barriers aren’t as prevalent as here. I’d prefer if there were no barriers, where people didn’t distinguish between this or that type of music." This type of incorporation has yet to really arrive in North America, partly due to the fact that most people still might have a hard time distinguishing between trance, house and dance let alone the people who make it. With major label releases by Armand Van Helden as well as ones to come from both Sanchez and Oakenfold, the knowledge base will grow and old views will fall away. For example, the chronic misconception seems to be that the DJ is just someone who plays other people’s music. They, of course, do more than this – they connect the dots between genres and categories, exposing people to their own obsession for music. "It’s important, as a DJ, as a listener, to keep yourself open, listen to a variety of styles and music, whether it’s country or jazz. It feeds you. You might get an idea from this or that.... You stop yourself short by listening to this just one particular kind of music. I try to incorporate all my influences into a set or a track." The DJ is the gateway through which you pass, which is why so many people develop a passion for a particular DJ’s style and why there’s such a fuss when a big name DJ passes through town. People want to see and hear what a particular DJ is about, or why, as in Sanchez’s case, he is ranked in the top 10 of the world.

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