Summer is time to party

By STEPHEN JEWELL

Not many DJs who visit New Zealand have a Grammy to their name. But house legend Roger Sanchez, who plays at Summadayze tonight, has such an award sitting on his New York studio shelf after winning Best Remix at the 2002 ceremony for his version of No Doubt's Hella Good.

"I didn't expect to win a Grammy for anything," says Sanchez on the phone from Sydney.

"It's just one of those things which is all about good timing. The vibe was right, it was a really great year and I was very blessed. No Doubt are a band that I like listening to and the remix was fun to do because I love the original track. Nellee Hooper, who produced the original song, is a good friend of mine and he was the one who suggested me for the mix. He said that he knew that I could do a really good job with what the song is and where it should go. I kept it very happy and took my remix in a house direction because he already had the rock side down."

But despite the Grammy, Sanchez is cutting back on remix work as he attempts to finish the follow-up to his 2001 debut album, First Contact.

"I am doing something for Cirque de Soleil when I get back to New York in February, which will be the last remix I'm doing for 2004," he says.

"Cirque de Soleil have compiled an album of the music that they've released and they want remixes of some of the tracks. I happen to love Cirque de Soleil and they've given me a funky, African track to remix. But it takes time and creativity to do remixes and right now I'm focused on doing my album."

Sanchez was surprised by First Contact's impressive sales, which were fuelled by the chart-topping single Another Chance.

"I didn't expect the album to be so well received because, to me, it was an underground project to begin with. I wasn't expecting a number one hit out of the UK and Europe but that's what happened with Another Chance. That changed the perception of what the album was about because while what I do is very underground, it also tends to have a broader appeal worldwide."

Sanchez's hectic DJ schedule meant that First Contact took almost a decade to complete, but he is promising that his soon-to-be-released sophomore effort will not take nearly as long.

"I call First Contact a life's work since it was a combination of all the things I'd grown up with and been influenced by up until that point," says Sanchez.

"I'm working on my new album right now. Making the time for it is a bit tough because of everything else I've got on. But like everything else, you've got to dedicate yourself and make the time, which is what I've been doing."

According to Sanchez, the new album will move in a similar but slightly different direction to its predecessor.

"The way it's shaping up it's definitely got elements from First Contact but I feel somewhat different because I've grown since then," says Sanchez.

"But it won't be alien. It'll be a progression and will have a lot of different flavours. At the moment I've got some Latin influences and it'll be funky and soulful at the same time. The one thing that does continue through as a theme is emotions. It's a very emotional album."

Sanchez claims not to usually enjoy huge festivals, but the balmy weather he has enjoyed at the Australian festivals he played over the new year seems to have softened his attitude.

"It's definitely warmer than New York at the moment," he laughs. "Normally I'm not a big fan of festivals, especially in the UK because the weather usually tends to be crap, but I have to say that the summer festivals I've been playing out here have been really good."

Sanchez prefers to play for long periods and will be playing a four-hour set to close Summadayze.

Expect a party vibe, he says. "It's summer time and people are up for a good party. I like to listen to just about everything from hip-hop to Coldplay, but in terms of what I've been playing out lately, it's definitely been on the funky, chunky side with a bit of Latin and some Tribal. Basically it's going to be very sexy and summery."

Performance

* Who: Roger Sanchez

* Where: Summadayze festival

* When: today