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Saku Sahara, the rising star of break music is again on STUDIO.
Identified for her versatile and eclectic performances, the Lyonnaise artist mixes a variety of bass music, with jungle because the fixed in her units. Skillfully merging the previous with the brand new by mixing this basic subgenre with extra fashionable influences like UK Bass, tapping into each previous and current of bass music, you may all the time count on to listen to a variety of sounds when witnessing a Saku Sahara set.
However that’s not the one factor you may count on from this versatile DJ. Her visible aesthetic may be very on level, too, drawing plenty of inspiration from the land of the rising solar, Japan. From her podcast collection ‘Dialog in a Bento’ in 2020 to her very personal manga character drawn by Supanoon.
At present, we meet up with her and uncover how she manages to deliver Japan, Lyon, custom, and modernity collectively as one.
How are you doing?
Hey, I’m nice. Very completely happy to be doing this interview!
Very completely happy too! It appears there’s a latest explosion in artists, occasions, and music generally that merges bass music and techno. The techno scene appears to be listening, accepting, and enjoying an increasing number of bass music lately. What do you suppose?
It’s true that there’s a UK wave coming by means of France and even Europe extra extensively. I feel the truth that every part is dashing up additionally influences what’s occurring by way of music and beats. I additionally suppose that there’s an evolution in music, that there are an increasing number of hybrid choices, and that additionally helps the general public to understand new types, new rhythms, or a minimum of rhythms that they weren’t used to listening to earlier than. I feel it’s nice that the techno scene is opening up a bit to bass music, particularly if the purpose is to place the highlight on our scene and present everybody that bass is as unimaginable a style as every other. However let’s face it, the underground facet of bass music can be a part of its attraction.
How do you benefit from folks being extra open to different genres?
I feel that social networks permit the introduction of different musical genres to a bigger viewers. As every part hastens, so does musical analysis. I see an increasing number of movies that specify the completely different genres of music, and I discover it actually fascinating. This helps educate new generations. The completely different genres and subgenres that I combine all roughly come from the identical household. Being fairly central in my units, jungle music permits me to precise myself and affiliate it with different sub-genres. It has executed this in its personal musical historical past since jungle gave delivery to drum & bass, dubstep, and so on., which creates a good looking musical ensemble. It’s actually this entire factor that I really like exploring.
We observed that you simply’re near the legend Teki Latex, with a couple of B2Bs already collectively. How did you two meet?
Teki and I met throughout Covid in 2020. On the time, I used to be engaged on my ‘Dialog in a Bento’ podcast undertaking, which might showcase Japanese music and video video games. I shared my undertaking with Teki, and he favored it. Our ardour for music, Japan, and video video games was related, which is why we clicked. The primary time we met was for his radio present at Rinse France, and enjoying with him for the primary time was a revelation. We’ve been collectively ever since, and he holds a really particular place in my coronary heart.
Our plans already embrace persevering with to share nice eating places as a result of that’s one other ardour we’ve got in frequent, haha! I’m additionally persevering with to do a couple of B2Bs collectively, and why not go even additional in our graphic universe and the continuity of the magnificent drawings of us each that the proficient Supanoon has executed?
Evidently the Japanese tradition is a giant a part of your inspiration. How do you handle to combine this together with your type of music?
Japanese tradition is clearly part of my day by day life and performs a component in my music. At first look, you may suppose there’s no connection. However Japan has all the time been a rustic between custom and modernity, and I feel my music is, too, in a approach. It’s also possible to discover this contemporary and quick vibe in online game music, and I discover it an enormous supply of inspiration. I additionally attempt to incorporate it by means of visuals to characterize that.
What story do you wish to inform with the drawings?
As an artist, the visible has an important place for me. We should reach speaking successfully whereas retaining our identification and our inspirations. Being huge anime followers, Teki and I assumed it could be cool to have our personal animated model for this event. I feel it’s a bit just like the hidden dream of anime followers: having your personal character drawn like a manga. Supanoon knew how one can obtain this concept to perfection. Sooner or later, I want to push this dream even additional in a video animation model. I’ve all the time had an necessary relationship with drawing as a result of it was my first ardour earlier than music after graduating from Effective Arts. I feel it’s necessary that I present my viewers this facet of my character as a result of it’s a part of my life. It additionally permits us to fulfill a number of communities of fans, equivalent to drawing, Japanese, and bass music.
Final yr, you performed at Mandidextrous’ stage at Boomtown. How do you look again on it?
Acting on Mandidextrous’s stage on the Boomtown Pageant was some of the unimaginable experiences of my profession. I already revered Mandi’s work enormously; for me, Boomtown was one of many goals I needed to attain, like enjoying on the Outlook Pageant sooner or later.
The 360 scene they created was magnificent, the dancers had been so robust, the welcome unimaginable, and I’m so grateful!
Are there different artists you’re looking as much as and wish to work with sooner or later?
I really like collaborating with artists whose work I respect, and it’s stunning when sure inspirations come collectively. For instance, I simply performed at Kiosk Radio, the place I used to be invited by Le Motel and his Maloca Label. He finds inspiration by means of journey and brings again sounds. I additionally observed that we had the identical shared ardour for music and the visible arts.
I might additionally like to collaborate with Sherelle, of whom I’m a giant fan. Her profession may be very inspiring to me, and I dream of working together with her. I actually just like the inventive decisions of her label Hooversound, which she based with Naina. I additionally actually respect the work of Tim Reaper and his label, Future Retro London.
You performed Nuits Sonores as properly. How did it really feel to play there?
It was the third yr I’d performed at Nuits Sonores, and as all the time, as a Lyonnaise, I discovered it to have quite sentimental worth. In 2022, I used to be fortunate sufficient to be on a 100% Vibes UK stage with Le Motel, Darwin, Yung Singh, and Sherelle. It was the right lineup and corresponded 100% to me, musically talking. Final yr, I used to be in a position to do a B2B with Teki, and it was additionally necessary to have the ability to play with him in my hometown. For me, Nuits Sonores is without doubt one of the finest festivals on the French digital scene.
Your metropolis, Lyon, has all the time been a stronghold for digital artists with robust identities – Gesaffelstien, Labat, and Flore, to call a couple of. An inspiring metropolis, to say the least!
Lyon has all the time performed an necessary position in digital music. I keep in mind that, about ten years in the past, Lyon was typically known as France’s capital of digital music. Despite the fact that we nonetheless have a really robust imprint, I feel the impact has pale a bit. For my part, the choice scenes will not be but very current on this metropolis, which remains to be fairly techno. Thankfully, some new collectives are getting motivated, and some small underground venues supply some actually fascinating issues, like Grrrnd Zero.
You even have your personal collective “Unit Soeurs” in Lyon. What’s the story behind it? How and when did you begin it, who is part of it?
I created Unit Soeurs in 2021 with the artists Jade and Magda after realizing that feminine artists and DJs had been critically under-represented on the Lyon scene. We thought we needed to construct one thing to counter this, and Unit Soeurs was born. Unit Soeurs goals to place the highlight on feminine DJs on the Lyon scene and to lift consciousness amongst cultural professionals and most people. And it labored as a result of Lyon’s line-ups have modified loads since then. The undertaking is rooted within the native atmosphere, with varied codecs, together with radio residencies (Radio Beguin), occasions open to the general public, and conferences between feminine artists to encourage mutual help and sisterhood.
Our first occasion was a 10-hour combine marathon the place practically 30 native DJs took turns behind the decks. This occasion made it potential to concretely materialize the feminine presence of Lyon on stage to lift consciousness. We additionally participated in a number of talks on the evolution of the scene and their respective actions, contributing to extra range and representativeness.
You’re enjoying at WORMS in two months. How are you making ready for this?
I’m extraordinarily completely happy to have the ability to play at this occasion. The road-up is unimaginable! I do know that STUDIO’s editorial line and the line-up are drum and bass, whereas my vibe is a mixture of UK rave, jungle, and DNB. However what I really like is that this mixture of genres and having the ability to create hybrid units. Each time, it’s a problem for me to get the general public to understand these types.
What you may count on from me is a thrill journey at 160 to 170 bpm. What pleases me probably the most is when folks come as much as me on the finish to inform me that they couldn’t even go to the bathroom or order a beer for 2 hours as a result of I maintained the strain and vitality all through my set. It requires plenty of endurance since I really feel like I’ve executed a exercise, haha! I really need folks to have nice recollections of my set.
I appeal to an viewers of connoisseurs who love bass music and who’re completely happy to listen to jungle or drum. Then secondly, I managed to draw a much less educated viewers by creating hybrids between membership music and bass music with out shifting away from what I really like. The purpose is to make folks dance to types that they don’t seem to be all the time used to listening to.
Another plans you may inform us about?
The largest undertaking I’m at the moment engaged on that I can inform you about is our very first EP with my pal Shute. We launched the observe ‘Pinky Promise’ again in September 2023 on Attraction Corp, which was very well obtained. It impressed us to proceed working collectively, and we hope to launch the follow-up quickly.
Lastly, I want to thank everybody who follows and helps me!
Interview carried out in March 2024 by Annelies Rom.
Due to Sarah for the nice chat. You possibly can catch her enjoying in Paris on the subsequent WORMS. Tickets are nonetheless out there right here.
Don’t neglect to observe Saku Sahara on socials to seek out out extra about her upcoming work.
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