INTERVIEW: Rune RK aka Enur (2008)

Calabria, the sax-driven tropical island delight with ragga vocals that is storming US airwaves, initially was a huge Ibiza hit as an instrumental track. With multiple versions over the past few years, Danish producer/DJ Rune added a sassy ragga vocal from Natasja Saad for the new 2007/2008 version. You might also know Rune as part of the group Artificial Funk, with his brother Johannes Torpe, who released the club hits “Together” and “Friend for the Weekend.”

DJ Ron Slomowicz: So, congratulations on the hit with Calabria.

Rune: Thank you very much.

RS: How was the track born?
Rune: Well, the original, which I made in 2002, was one and a half hours, a bottle of Coca-Cola and it was done. It was sort of a moment in time that just happened. Since then it’s been reincarnated about five or six times by different producers and different acts, and the latest one is the one that we’ve done ourselves, which is the ragga version.

RS: The first time “Calabria” was released in the US ? it was the version by Alex Gaudino. Did he contact you before he did that version, or how did you hear about it? ?
Rune: Well, I’ll tell you the true story. We got screwed over by him really badly because his version was supposed to be a remix of our thing, and they cleared it behind my back. So if I ever meet him I’m going to have to punch him for it.

RS: So to go from the instrumental version to a vocal version, where did that inspiration come from?
?Rune: Honestly, it was Natasja. She sadly passed away in June last year in a car accident in Jamaica. But one night I just woke up and I thought, this is a good idea, with the horn and with the beat and her on it, because she was just such an amazing performer. I’m very, very sad that she’s not here to experience this great success with her voice. She would have been over the moon, because she’d been struggling for so many years.

RS: I have no idea what she’s talking about, the lyrics that she says. What do they mean?
?Rune: Basically they’re about this guy who makes her really horny. That’s the whole joke, you know. That’s as much as I understood, what she explained to me. I don’t speak Patois so I don’t really understand all of it. There are actually quite a few translations on the net so you can just look that up.

RS: How did Mims get involved with the track? ?
Rune: Honestly, I don’t know. Ultra set that up. So I wouldn’t really know, but I’m really happy he did because it’s a really good track.

RS: Why do you think the track is doing so well in the US, crossing over outside just the dance world? ?
Rune: I would say it’s because I’m talented, but I’m not going to flatter myself with that. I think it’s needed. I think America needs something fresh like that, and then also a lot of people ? just the sound is such a mixture of influences. I think it appeals to a lot of different characters, and I think that’s an advantage of coming from Europe and not having to pigeonhole into some sort of genre. But honestly, it’s kind of hard for me to figure out. I’m just really happy that it does translate to so many different people.

RS: Its a big hit in the urban hip-hop clubs. Did you have any idea that would happen when you originally did the track?
?Rune: No, because when you think about it, it’s far too fast for an urban record. Normally hip-hop and R&B records are under or around 100 beats per minute and Calabria is 127. So I was really impressed that they actually dared to even play it, because you can’t really mix it with another hip-hop record.

RS: When you created it, it became an instant Ibiza hit, correct? ?
Rune: Yes, the original version was huge. For three years in a row it was probably the biggest.

RS: The name Enur, that’s your name spelt backwards, right? ?
Rune: Exactly.

RS: Your half-brother is part of the team also and the two of you are working on an album right now?
?Rune: We’re actually working on two albums. We have the artists album which is going out through EMI in Europe, and then there’s the Enur album which is going to be through Ultra.

RS: All these different names ? why do you Europeans keep changing names? ?
Rune: To make it more fun ? otherwise its too easy to figure out. Obviously there’s a difference, there are slightly different genre changes within the name. I release records as Rune, as well as Runer K and we have a label called Arty Farty. But as I said, it’s important not to pigeonhole yourself into a particular area. It’s important to keep things fresh and keep things alive. That’s what dance music is all about, isn’t it?

RS: What’s the difference between the Artificial Funk sound and the Enur sound?
?Rune: The Enur sound is more urban, ragga-oriented with more vocals. It’s not necessarily house music, whereas Artificial Funk is more of an album project. It’s home listening for clubbers, if you can put it that way. It’s quite a personal album that we did because our father passed away five years ago, and it’s very much about that whole grief process. It’s quite different. I’d say it’s more of a blend of Air and Daft Punk, stuff like that, which we’re very inspired by.

RS: I was wondering what the inspiration for the “Friend for the Weekend” track was.
?Rune: To me, it’s quite obvious. I play out every weekend in different parts of the world, and what I see everywhere is that people are trying to pull each other together, and find this brief moment of safety in the hard world of nightlife. You need the comforts which I think people are looking for. That’s what the lyrics are about anyway.

RS: And talking about comfort, what was the idea behind the bed video for the Artificial Funk track “Together?”
?Rune: I don’t know. I didn’t do that and it was horrible. That’s such a stupid video. They did that without my knowledge. It was just beyond words. I’m glad you know that, because it was just ridiculous.

RS: It’s actually kind of cool, I thought, the effects in it. ?
Rune: Well, it could have been worse, but still, it was pretty horrible in my opinion. There were so many things in the vocal you could have gone with, but this was just another excuse to whack in a couple of beautiful girls and this guy. It’s a classic English dance music way of handling things. It was just kind of stupid.

RS: Speaking of which, right now, what are you wearing, Gucci or Prada? ?
Rune: I’m actually not wearing any of them at the moment. I’m wearing (something from) this guy, Henry Ribscoll ? a Danish designer, and he’s got a really cool jacket. I’m wearing some really weird, fancy Italian pants, and I’m wearing Eight O shoes, the cow hide shoes. I’m big on fashion but I’m not big on Gucci or Prada. That “Koochi Koochi” track a joke anyway, so you know.

RS: I sort of gathered that. Were you making fun of how ultra-fashionable people try to be?
?Rune: Yes, exactly, exactly. The whole point is, it’s an observation of what’s going on. You see yourself, and then some people are just too much ? you know, all these Gotti brothers look alike, with the spiky hair and all that. It’s just ridiculous, it’s such a joke, isn’t it?

RS: Pretty much. Going back to Friend for the Weekend, was there a sample you used in that?
?Rune: There was, but I can’t tell you from where. I trashed it up really well, so they probably will never find out. But basically, I didn’t sample a whole loop. I did sample a chord from an old record and I changed it and I pitched up and down and double layered it, so there’s no way they’re going to find out. But it’s not so much a sample. It’s more the sound of a sample that has a certain charm to it that I really love.

RS: Yes, it had a very ? I don’t know if you know about these people ? it sounded very Galleon to me. ?
Rune: Yes, exactly. I know those guys, but I think what we were going for was more like a Daft Punk-ish / Stardust type of thing. But it’s the same genre anyway, isn’t it?

RS: Going back to videos ? the Enur video for Calabria ? were you involved with that video?
?Rune: Not at all. And honestly, I’m not too keen on that video either.

RS: Well, if you were to do a video for Calabria, what would it look like? ?
Rune: You know what, I think I’d just stick to what I do. What I’d love to do is, I’d love to illustrate what’s going on in the nightlife, because I think a big problem with music, and house music in general, is that it doesn’t have any identity. It does when you go out somewhere, and you see a lot of young people going nuts in a club. I want to do that. You know these classic stadium rock videos you had in the 80s, with the band playing in this big stadium and people going nuts? I’d like to do that with a house record. That would be so good because it would be so clear. It would just be that going on, and people could relate to that in a much better way than all these bikini videos.

RS: Yes, those bimbos in bikinis videos are becoming just a tad clich?. There’s such a buzz on so many Dutch trance DJs and Dutch DJs. What can you say for the people of Denmark, all the Danish musicians? ?
Rune: You know what, I’m sorry to say so, but they’re better. DJs in Denmark are ridiculously good because they have to be. Denmark was a really, really big rock country, so I’d say there was never any respect for DJs. It was all about ‘where’s the guitarist’ and ‘where’s the singer’? We really had to work hard and a lot of DJs in Denmark do so many tricks. And talking of myself, I was named the professional of house music many times in Europe where I play around, because we had to work so hard to get the attention of people. People don’t do any drug because it’s a beer country. People drink a lot so you have to work really hard to get their attention. From the technical side of things, they are extremely, extremely good DJs, and musicians as well. Do you know Trentemoeller?

RS: Of course, Rykettid rocks!. ?
Rune: Yes, he’s a Danish guy, and he’s fantastic as well. He’s doing really, really well. He’s a friend of mine, too.

RS: I interviewed him last year. You also did something with MTV and some TV competition? ?
Rune: Yes, I’m the judge on the new MTV Selective tour. It’s a competition in Northern Europe for the next big DJ. It’s a bit like the Heineken things and that sort of stuff. They’re doing this big competition, and I’m the judge on there.

RS: Very cool. In the Danish scene, what would you say is the big musical trend coming from there right now? ?
Rune: I’d say we’re going back to more vocals. We’ve had minimal and we have this whole electro house thing, of course. At the moment, vocals are coming back, but not like classic house vocals. More tech-y stuff, but blended with a bit of funk, and then the vocal on top of that. A good example would be John Dahlback’s “Everywhere.” It was a huge hit in Copenhagen and Denmark. So the vocals are definitely coming back, but they’re coming from a different place. All the minimal DJs in Germany are also playing vocals now.

RS: Are there going to be a lot of vocals on your album? Who are some of the people you’re working with on the album?
?Rune: I can’t really tell you that because it’s not confirmed. But there will be some really, really, really big artists on there, if I can get away with it. This is a fantastic opportunity to approach my heroes from back in the day. I had a big record in the US, and there’s so many, especially within hip-hop and rap, that I admired for so many years. I’m going to try and get quite a few of those people on there.

RS: In the hip-hop vein, what was it like when you heard Pitbull sample your record? ?
Rune: Well, I don’t think his version is that good, to be honest. But I’m honored that he did. It’s a great approval ? Pitbull, Lil’ Jon. That’s just another tap on the shoulder for me as a producer.

RS: With all the different versions out there, Calabria has been called the new Planet Rock. ?
Rune: That’s a compliment. If anybody thinks of anything I’ve ever done in terms like that, that is probably the biggest honor I could ever achieve in my lifetime.

RS: What would you like to say to all the fans of Calabria out there?
?Rune: I’d say you should look forward to the album. It’s going to be very good. We’re looking to get some really big acts on there. It’s going to be a really, really good album. It’s a new blend, very interesting, in my opinion, taking influences from hip-hop and R&B and then whack it together with this up-tempo stuff. It’s really working out very well.

INTERVIEW: Jessica Sutta (2008)

The Pussycat Dolls are an international sensation with a string of pop/R&B/dance hits including “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons,” and “Stickwitu.” While lead doll Nicole Scherzinger has released released a few solo singles, the dance world is focused on Jessica Sutta who has scored number one singles working with dance producers Paul Van Dyk (“White Lies”) and Dave Aude (“Make It Last”). Also known as the pin-up doll, Jessica is a big fan of dance music and hopes to become the next Kylie Minogue. With the release of Doll Domination and the dancefloor friendly “When I Grow Up,” we anxiously await “If I Was a Man” and the rest of their club ready jams!

DJ Ron Slomowicz: So tell us about the album, how excited are you about it?
Jessica Sutta: I’m so excited about it, it’s so great. The album shows everybody the mature side of the Pussycat Dolls. There’s different realms of music that we delved into and I think people are going to be really surprised to see how much we’ve grown as a band and musically. I can’t wait for the world to hear it.

RS: How would you describe the sound of the album?
Jessica Sutta: It’s definitely different from the first album. The album PCD was more pop, this has more of an R&B flavor to it and gut-wrenching ballads that you wouldn’t expect. These are songs that I believe will have longevity which I think is really rare today.

RS: Which songs do you sing on on the album?
Jessica Sutta: All the girls actually have their own solos. I have a song called “If I Was A Man,” and it comes with the extended edition of the album. I’m really excited because it’s the genre of dance and that’s my favorite type of music ever. So I’m really excited that I got to do that and express myself on this album.

RS: Very cool. Did you write any songs on the album?
Jessica Sutta: I didn’t get a chance to write on the album.

RS: “If I Was A Man” is a dance song, so who did you work with production-wise on that?
Jessica Sutta: I worked with Ron Fair, he executive-produced it and his wife, Stephanie Ridel, wrote it. It’s really funny because it’s a song about if you were to switch places with your man and you were the man in the picture and you were treating him the way he treats you. It’s really a fun song to sing, I can’t wait to do it live.

RS: Awesome, awesome. The video for the first single “When I Grew Up” is a lot of fun, how long did it take to shoot that video?
Jessica Sutta: It took about a week to prepare for it and about two days to shoot it. It’s funny because the scene when we were on the scaffolding, we didn’t have any permits on Hollywood Boulevard, you just can’t do that. So we’d do a take and then they’d have to let the traffic go by and it took a while to do that. But it was so awesome, kind of renegade. It was just like get up there and you can’t miss us and each take counts, so it was really fun.

RS: You mentioned you loved dance music, who’s your favorite DJ?
Jessica Sutta: Gosh, I really like Axwell and Swedish Mafia. I found them in Miami and they’re so much fun. I love Kaskade and Dave Aude, who’s a really good friend of mine.

RS: Yes, I spoke to him and he said he loved working with you in the studio.
Jessica Sutta: Dave, yes, he was the best. When I first started with the Dolls singing, I wasn’t really confident singing and he put me in the studio and he really worked with me and he made me the singer I am today. I owe a lot to Dave, he’s a good guy.

RS: He also owes a lot to you, you gave him his first number one single!
Jessica Sutta: The universe works in magical ways, we pay back when we can. He’s the greatest and if I ever get to do my own solo album, which will be a dance album like Kylie Minogue, I’d love to work with Dave again because he’s the best.

RS: Awesome. You also worked with Paul Van Dyk, what was that project like?
Jessica Sutta: It was fun because it was the first project that I’d ever done outside of the Dolls and he’s a really cool dude. When I was growing up in Miami, it’s funny because I was told that he was such a big DJ there and I was young and I couldn’t get in to the club, so to actually do a song with him, I thought it was cool because I was so young to even like see him play when I was in Miami. It was an honor.

RS: The video for that song was very Madonna-like, was that sort of on purpose?
Jessica Sutta: It was directly by Steven Anton and he had this whole idea, because Paul Van Dyk is from Germany so he wanted to make it have like a German feel. I think it was a little bit similar to Madonna but it’s hard to emulate Madonna because she’s a goddess. He had a really cool vision and he loved my skin really white, so that’s what Steven wanted to do.

RS: You just finished a big show for Beat Stock, how was the event?
Jessica Sutta: That KTU show was so much fun. The crowd was going mad and it was just cool. People really like “When I Grow Up!” You never know when you have new material how the fans are going to really respond. We did “Buttons” and “Don’t Cha” and they responded, but when we did “When I Grow Up” it was like a big response and it really shows that the Pussycat Dolls are back with a vengeance.

RS: You’re referred to as the Pin-Up Doll, where did you get that name from?
Jessica Sutta: I am in love with pin-ups, I think they are the most beautiful and alive. Back in the day when they had the little magazines that were sexy and people would buy them and they always had them hung up. It emulates the perfect woman and she is not that skinny and she has curves, she’s voluminous and I think that’s hot.

RS: Aside from Bettie, who is your favorite pin-up doll?
Jessica Sutta: Oh well you can’t, Bettie Page is the best pin-up doll in the whole wide world. No one is better than her.

RS: What’s it like working with Nicole and the rest of the girls?
Jessica Sutta: It’s awesome. It’s really rare to be in a group where you actually get along with everybody, and it’s a family and you go to work and if you have a problem or you feel like crap you know you have your girl – their shoulder to cry on or advice. I know every day how lucky I am to be in this group.

RS: Well this is of course a dance music website and I asked for your favorite DJ ? what’s your favorite dance out song right now?
Jessica Sutta: I love the Ida Corr “Let Me Think About It.” Everytime that plays in the club I think that’s the hottest song ever. I also like “Destination Unknown” by Alex Gaudino and Crystal Waters, it uses the same “Calabria” loop as Enur. There’s also a classic song called “Plastic Dreams” by Jaydee that is one of my all time favorites.

RS: Wow, I’m really impressed that you actually know about dance music, this is really cool.
Jessica Sutta: Oh I love dance music.

RS: Well what about dance music do you love so much?
Jessica Sutta: I think it’s sexy, there’s just something about it that I appreciate and I don’t know how to explain it. I’d rather listen to dance music than anything else on the radio anymore. I love that dance music is coming in to the top forty now and honestly, if I get to do my own album I would like to cross over to dance music again for radio because it’s just sexy and it’s fun.

RS: Of all the Pussy Cat songs what’s been your favorite remix?
Jessica Sutta: I’m going to have to say the remix that Dave Aude did for “When I Grow Up.” It’s really fresh and I love the sound that he went with. I just actually heard it at the gym right now so I’m really excited that they were playing it.

RS: Awesome. Speaking about gym, are you exclusively at Bally’s now?
Jessica Sutta: Yes, I’m at Bally’s now.

RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Jessica Sutta: I love you and make sure to get our album, it comes out September 23rd. I love dance music and you never know, I might have to release a dance song when nobody’s watching, so search for me.

Interview conducted September 2008.

 

REVIEW: Donna Summer – Crayons

By: DJ Xenergy

Donna Summer has returned to the music scene with an album of completely new material on the Burgundy label. Giving fans a hint of things to come with the album’s first single, “I’m A Fire,” Donna created quite the buzz about her upcoming album, although I feel the album’s second single “Stamp Your Feet” would have been a better lead single choice. “Stamp Your Feet” is definitely an uplifting feel-good track that really makes you want to get up, dance, and yes… stamp your feet on the ground.

Donna’s new album Crayons kicks off with that track. With “Stamp’s” uptempo beat and uplifting lyrics, it really kicks off the album in a happy way. Produced by Greg Kurstin, who produced a few tracks on the album, the track also features guest Miri Ben-Ari on violin. As mentioned before, this is the second single from the album and dance remixes are forthcoming from Escape & Collucio, Jason Nevins, Ranny, and others. This is definitely one of the strongest and one of my favorite tracks from Crayons.

“Mr. Music”? is another uptempo feel-good track with Donna paying tribute to what her career has always been about – the music, Donna even pays homage to the iPod. Guess even Donna is fitting in with all things “new” in the music world.

“Crayons” follows and features a guest appearance by Ziggy Marley. This is a fun track, but I wonder if anyone will notice a similarity that I did… ‘he’s a one-stop shop, makes my cherry pop…’ the track is fun, definitely makes you move, but somewhat borders on the line of cheese.

Still though, it’s Donna Summer, are you going to hate it? Well so far, no tracks on the album are ones I would skip over.?? Donna Summer will forever be known as the queen of disco. On the album’s fourth track, she hails “The Queen Is Back.”? Although an upbeat groove, it’s the slower of the tracks thus far. J.R. Rotem produced this track and this is another favorite of mine on the album. Now you know the queen is back!”Fame (The Game)” is, for me, the first song on the album that I don’t particularly care for. I’m not sure if it’s just her pronunciation of the words fame and game, or what, but something about this track makes it unlistenable to me. The production on the track is good, the verses are cute, but the chorus does make me cringe a little. Moving on…

“Sand On My Feet” is the set’s first ballad. I’ve always felt Donna’s strong point have been her uptempo dance tracks. Not saying all her ballads are bad, but to me, her voice is much better suited for an uptempo number. “Sand On My Feet” is a pretty track, and I don’t feel the need the skip over it. I guess what I’m trying to say that for a Donna Summer ballad, it’s okay. Not great, but okay.

Surprisingly, the next track is probably my favorite of the album. “Drivin’ Down Brazil” has such a cute latin flavor, and for one of the more downtempo cuts, it’s so catchy. Definitely not a ballad, just more of a downtempo fun, groovy track that really makes you smile. I am not certain I would want dance mixes of this one, I really love it just the way it is.

Sebastian Arocha Morton produces the album’s next cut, the first single “I’m A Fire.” Before getting a copy of the album, I had only listened to the remixes of this track. Honestly, I didn’t really care for the mixes or the song itself. After hearing the original album version, very uptempo with a somewhat disco vibe, I’ve changed my mind. Although it’s not my favorite from the album, the album version I really enjoy. Just goes to show that some songs, dance songs or otherwise, are better in their original form, and although I usually prefer a remix over an original version, with “I’m A Fire” that is not the case.

“Slide Over Backwards” comes next. And the beat is very funky… VERY funky. Something about this track is very Prince-esque. Almost sounds like something he would do. The track is fun & delightful and features guest Hattie Mae Blanche Dubois, Produced by Nathan DiGesare and recorded in Nashville, “Slide Over Backwards” is another favorite for me.

Here comes the vocoder. Ever since Cher’s “Believe” it seems someone is always throwing in a little vocoder effect. “Science of Love” is a great pop song. Produced by Toby Gad, I could hear this as a radio hit and it’s been awhile since Donna has had one. Of all the tracks on the album, I feel this one has the best radio potential.

“Be Myself Again” is the album’s second ballad. Wow. I’m quite impressed and have to say the track is beautiful. Very simple, and the piano is adorable. Donna’s voice sounds amazing on this one. The is my second favorite track on “Crayons.” Where I felt “Sand On My Feet” was just an okay ballad, “Be Myself Again” is perfection.

The album closes with “Bring Down The Reign.” Again featured is Miri Ben-Ari on violin as well as the Agape Childrens Choir. Another downtempo cut compared to most of the album’s upbeat tracks, this is a nice song to close the album. Not one of my favorites, but I like this one too, of course. It’s a positive moving track. Something Donna has often delivered in her music, positivity.

Overall, Donna has delivered a great pop/dance record. I’m afraid Donna will never have the commercial success she had back in the 70s and 80s, but I’m thrilled that we finally have an album of all new material from the queen, and that it’s really good. All the tracks I enjoy with the exception of “Fame (The Game).” As previously mentioned my favorites are “Drivin’ Down Brazil” and “Be Myself Again.” Of the dance numbers, “Stamp Your Feet” is my favorite, Congrats to Donna for delivering a great new record. The queen is definitely back and she’s going to make you S-T-A-M-P… stamp your feet on the ground!

Released May 20, 2008 on Burgundy Records