His popular weekly dance party known as Disqo Disco may be dead now, but Sean Humphrey, who also serves as the frontman of local electro act Sydney Confirm, still spins lively sets around town under his stage name of Redsean.
In both his band and in his DJ sets, Humphrey draws a great deal of influence from his favorite artists, David Bowie and The Talking Heads, although he prefers those acts' more experimental sides. But it's not all snobbery either: Humphrey unashamedly admits that he also loves pop music too.
"I have a very particular taste," he says. "ELO and Ace of Base are pretty cool. It's kind of a maze."
Also like a maze? The remix he created for Ishi's "Pastel Lights," which can be streamed and downloaded here. Check it out, then, after the jump, give Redsean's exclusive DC9er mix a listen while reading his answers to our Q&A.
If you like what you hear, you can check him out on Thursday September 16, at the Miami Horror show's afterparty at PM Lounge. And, on Wednesday, September 29, you can find him at Diskotek, his new monthly dance party held at Zubar on Lower Greenville.
How long have you been DJing for?
The tail end of 2007 saw my first mixes and live gigs, but it didn't swell until Disqo Disco began in March of 2008.
How did you get your start DJing?
After
seeing friends do it and figuring out how everything worked on a
freeware program, I decided I didn't want to be a computer DJ and bought
CDJs.
What was your first gig like?
The first gig was more of
a practice. I played to the bartenders in El Paso and tried to mix Salt
N Pepa with Daft Punk. Not so good.
How would you describe your personal style?
Laid back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind.
Which DJs do you follow? Do you have a favorite?
I
don't really follow DJs, unless they have something more to offer than
just DJ sets. I like interesting live shows. There has to be multiple
points of focus to keep me interested. A few local favorites are
Tommyboy (ATX now, sad face), Wanz Dover (Blixaboy), and DJ G.
What's your favorite genre of music, both to play and to listen to?
I
don't know. Whatever doesn't suck to me. I can listen to Peter Gabriel,
switch to Dillinger Escape Plan, and move onto ABBA and not miss a
beat. I like a lot of stuff. DJ-wise though, I'm really into tropical
death disco marches.
How do you decide what songs you're going to play?
How do you decide what to wear each day? It usually just pops out at me. Or it's the only clean thing left to wear.
How much preparation goes into putting a set together?
It
depends on what it's for and how long I have to prepare. I stopped
doing a weekly partly because I never cared enough to make it a special
set each week. I like planning things out for a while.
What
are your main objectives when it comes to playing music? (Are you
looking to entertain the crowd, educate them, or something different
altogether?)
When I started DJing, I was more into entertaining,
solely because the music I was playing was really fun and didn't dig too
deep. I went through an edutainment phase at one point and now I don't
really think about it. I just play what makes me feel happy.
What can someone expect when they come to see/hear you play?
I
like to keep people guessing. I still really want to do an all glam-rock set at some point. You can also never have enough strobe lights--not that I use any, but it's a guideline I believe in pretty firmly.
What kind of equipment do you use?
Pioneer
CDJs and a Pioneer mixer. Thinking about adding my sampler in the mix. I
have a lot of awesome Star Wars samples just sitting on my hard drive.
Requests. Love em or hate em?
Depends
on the nature. If it's a thoughtful request and I have it, I'll try to
play it if I can fit it in. If it's something dumb, I usually smile and
pretend I didn't hear it.
If you could play a gig anywhere, with any other DJ/music act, whom would you play with and where would it be?
Probably in space with Major Tom. I don't know if he knows how to DJ though.
What sets you apart from other DJs in Dallas/Denton/Fort Worth?
Hmm. I feel like this is a trick question.
When/where will you be playing next?
I'm
opening the Miami Horror after party up at PM Lounge on September 16.
And also September 29 at Zubar on Lower Greenville. I have a monthly
there.
What can Dallas expect to see from you in 2010?
Whatever they want.
Track List:
Fleetwood Mac - You and I Part 1 (Redsean Quick Fix Re-Edit)
Cut Copy - Far Away (Hercules and Love Affair Remix)
Vampire Weekend - Horchata (GMGN Remix)
Light Pollution - Good Feelings (CSLSX Remix)
LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity of Huge (Allez Allez Remix)
Basement Jaxx - My Turn (feat. Lightspeed Champion)
Penguin Prison - A Funny Thing
ISHI - Pastel Lights (Redsean Remix)
Chairlift - Evident Utensil (Sinden Remix)
Miike Snow - Animal (Fake Blood Remix)
Peter Bjorn and John - It Don't Move Me (Weird Tapes Remix)
