Ahead of their set at Art of Dark this weekend we caught up with three members Slow Life regarding upcoming releases, their group aesthetic and what their studio set up consists of. MEOKO had a chat with Cecilio, DJ Tree and Laurine the first and latter have recorded us a mix for MEOKO mix series if you want to checkout some Slow Life vibes….
So you have some upcoming releases I would like to hear about, what is it you have coming up?
New EP from S. Moreira, our main producer, with a track featuring Saverio Celestri, which we can anticipate that will be the combo for the SL004. We also have tracks and guest artists to release, but we prefer to keep them secret to avoid any jinx...
For anyone unfamiliar with your style so far, how would you describe the Slow Life sound?
Hmmm… thats not easy to answer, as we have many influences and styles, but we can say that our label music has a true deep feeling in all the releases… We also like grooves, but not only stripped ones, the pads and layers are part of our signature.
You are a collective, how does this approach work for you all as a group and individually?
We share a common taste in music and vision about the industry, so the decision making in the main aspects is usually easy to handle. For us is also important the individual aspect, as beside the label releases, we are djs with our own personality and goals, so the development as a collective helps us to grow this aspect and viceversa.
Liste HERE for latest MEOKO's podcast by SLOWLIFE
So you are based predominantly in Berlin, the music culture out there is very inspiring to say the least….Has Berlin influenced your sound at all, if so in what way/s?
As we all know, Berlin is a key point in all music genres, so it clearly influences our sound and expanded our musical spectrum. But truly the main influence for us have been each other background, culture and last years research.
Also our record collection has grown exponentially all these years, thanks to Berlin’s record shops aspect, helped by the german vinyl culture, which we take advantage via discogs.
If we were to come and sit in the studio for a day with you, what software and hardware would we find the Slow Life collective toying with?
The setup is a combination of analog and digital hardware, from the Juno 106, Bassline, Jomox 999 or the recently added, Korg Mono/Poly to the Electribe, MPC, Roland mc505 and some effects processors, using Ableton live as the sequencer.
You are vinyl enthusiasts also, which vinyl do you treasure the most from the Slow Life collection?
Tuff question, as each other has its own treasures, but there some that we have in common, like the CSM001 or the LP by Jaime Read The End Of The Beginning.
Which producers/ DJs do you like listening to when not in the studio?
As djs, Zip and Nico Lutz sets are always welcome and enjoyed. We may listen to many different producers/music during the day, from jazz, dub, soul and hip-hop to electronics. Some examples usually on repeat would be Matthew Halsall, Tommaso Cappellato, Jan Jelinek, Dj Gruff or Nightmares On Wax. Other name to be mentioned as producer is Vakula, we think he is one of the most prolific producers from the last years, always on the spotlight. About dj/producer (both well skilled), the first to come in mind is Mr. Theo Parrish.
Which venues would you most like to play in and why?
Club Der Visionaere its truly a fav, because of its magic, where you can play extended sets, push further and still connect to the people. Of course, playing at Panorama and Robert Johnson are future goals, as well as some major clubs around the world, mainly for their sound systems and musical background.
If you could only ever listen to one piece of music again what would it be?
Music for 18 musicians by Steve Reich, that could be a perfect option. Also, any instrumental LP by James Dewitt Yancey would be a good choice.
