Features
SCENE SELECTION: SARAH YOUNG
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While primarily a DJ, scanning Sarah Young's website, fashion shoots, blog entries and video interviews with, "Global Bass God, Diplo" all pop up giving you the impression that Sarah has her fingers in more pies than a Fray Bentos factory worker. The London DJ who describes herself as, "A 90 year old trapped in a 22 year olds body", has certainly squeezed a lot into her first two decades. As well as popping up on 1Xtra to talk Carnival fashion and interviewing some of the biggest names in dance music, she has become something of a spokeswomen for moombahton and in demand DJ. Mixmag caught up with her to find out about her love of 2011's hottest new genre and where the scene is heading. Scroll to the bottom to listen to and download her excellent moombahton mini mix.
When did you first get into music?
I first got into music when I was four. My mum is basically a musician, although she would never admit it. She plays about six instruments so I grew up with reggae, blues, classical and my mum playing the classical guitar and piano. My earliest memory is dancing around to Billie Holiday in my ballet tutu with my uncle in the living room. At school I started to drum when I was about nine. I was the only girl in the whole school who took lessons. When I was about 12 I attended the Academy of Contemporary Music, and did song writing, production and vocal training. Fast forward a few years and when I was 17 I discovered house music, spent two summers in Ibiza, got sick of it and then got into grime.
You’re known for playing moombahton. When did you first hear moombahton and start playing it?
Years ago I actually used to play reggae and Latin house tracks and try and blend it with Dutch house through messing around with the BPM's. After about a year of doing this I read a blog about moombahton and then heard Toddla T tweeting about it. I read how Dave Nada had taken reggaeton and Dutch house and geared it down to 108 BPM's and capow, moombahton. Up until that point I thought I was slightly off my rocker pairing those styles together. I guess genius starts with madness.
Moombahton’s got a lot of attention recently with the likes of Toddla T and Diplo playing it. How big do you think the genre will become?
I get this question a lot and I really think it can be as big as it wants to be. It’s a genre that can sound hard, dark and dubsteppy as well as sexy and soulful. Then you have the Brazilian, Afro beat combined with Indian and Arabic influences. Its a very autobiographical genre, you'll find you can tell a lot about the producers of moombahton when hearing their work. The next stage of development is having producers being braver with creating their own productions.
Who’s career do you aspire to emulate in music?
Diplo, he is the global bass God. I think there needs to be a female equivalent. I admire how at heart he is just a crazed music fan. He's a very savvy businessman though. Like the Jay Z of bass music. I also like the fact he is just a bit of a weirdo. Also Annie Mac in terms of radio, my favorite thing in the world is radio, unless you do radio, no one can know how hard and nerve racking it is. So I respect Annie Mac. Also Mistajam is sick.
What do you hope to achieve in the next year?
What I’d really like to do is give out loads of free original music. I’ve got a plan to produce and give away one of my own productions or remix every month. I want to start that by February. Immediate projects this year include me releasing a 'Moombahton Queen' mix with WESC on CD, free in selected UK stores. Next year the main aim is to go hard in the studio, get an agent, and go mad with radio.
What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
I'm one of these people that wishes I could just chill and live on a wing and a prayer but I am so OCD and anal. I have a detailed list and plan for everyday, so you can only imagine how detailed my five year plan is! In short, get a Radio 1 show followed by a record deal, a few international tours, play Glasto, get moombahton into the top 10, release a headphone line and work with Diplo. Watch this space.
