#MusicInTheAir Podcast hosts this week :
SYLVA DRUMS

Another new artist for Villahangar’s MusicInTheAir: today it’s the turn of Sylva Drums, Portuguese DJ / producer born in 1987 in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, and raised in Algarve, Portugal, where he lives. He tells: “The place where I live influenced me a lot in the beginning, because in the 90’s there were great parties in the Algarve, where great world names played.  Unfortunately, at the moment, this is no longer the case”.

His passion for music comes from his childhood, when at the early age of 7 his taste for percussion/Drums has awakened and became the kickstart of her adventure. By the end of the 90 ́s her interests for electronic music were influenced by the mythical mixes from Portuguese clubs, like Kadoc, Locomia, Alcântra Mar. He tells: “I started this musical journey when I was 7, playing Djembe. In 1999 I bought my first mixer and Turntables and in 2001 I played at my first party as a DJ”. Sylva Drums started deejaying in 2001 in Algarve, in Dj Set or with her “DrumsProgX”.

He blends diverse sounds and stimulating textures, in a trip where organic elements and modern means collide: a constant traveler inside the House going from Deep to Tech with Drums and Deep Melodies. He tells about it: “I define my musical style like from DeepHouse to TechHouse – Drums always. Since the beginning of my career, Electronic music has evolved and the genres given to it have changed, because at the beginning my style could be called Tribal House and Progressive House, now Organic House or AfroHouse, and currently organic elements and drums are present in a lot of current electronic music”. He also adds: “The musical genres that most influenced me were HipHop, Disco Funk, African Traditional Music, Samba, Salsa and many others. But obviously my first contact was with House Music and 90’s electronic”.

Some of his reference artists are Chus & Ceballos, Roger Sanchez, Carl Cox, Sébastian Léger, Luciano, Saeed Younan, Oscar G, Marco Carola, Nic Fanciulli, Dj Spen, Louie Vega, Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Solomun, Todd Terry, Del Monteez, Natema, Bruno Zarra, Pablo Fierro, Notre Dame and others.

On the production front, he is very active: he has produced for labels such as Made in Miami (Nervous Records), Younan Music, Aenaria Recordings, Niraya World Records, Kazukuta Records, Underground Party Society and others, such as Transa Records, Animo Records, Cancun Records, Comic Label, Aenaria Tribal, SELECTECHouse Label, I Bounce Records, Inner Shah Recordings, with the recognition of names such as Saeed Younan, Glender, Roger Sanchez, Dj China (Pt), Carl Cox, among others.

He has also played in many clubs and festivals. Like Le Club (Santa Eulália), Kadoc Disco, Festival MED (Algarve), Mitto (Albufeira). In Vilamoura at Puro Beach, Thai Beach Club, Nikki Beach and Beach Party. But also at Noite Branca and TClube (Quinta do Lago).

He had the opportunity to play in Mozambique at South Beach Maputo, and in the Algarve at Kadoc, Le Club, White Night, Water Fest. But also at the Full Moon Party, the Annual Summer Beach Party in Albufeira, At The Lounge Cocktail and Shisha Bar and more. He shared the console decks with Ravin, Carlos Manaça, Dj China, Magupi, among others.

He hosts the radio show “Can you Feel It?”, broadcast on FM and the online platforms. Sylva Drums is also founder and owner of the label Cadência Music. He tells about it: “One of my projects is the Cadencia Music label, my partner Bruno Zarra and I are always involved in everything that a label and event promoter seeks to do more and better! Also, I have a project with several musicians (where I mix electronic music and live acts). This year we closed the MED Festival. I’ve also a radio show “Can you Feel it Radio Show hosted by Sylva Drums” which is on the air every week. About productions and collaborations, I have many to work on”.

What music do you listen to when you take off your DJ headset?

I like listening to World music, French hip hop, Portuguese Hip Hop, traditional music from different countries. I like to hear sounds that I don’t know, because they are an inspiration to produce.

What are your plans for the present and the immediate future? Do you have any new projects coming up?

My plans are to grow our label Cadencia Music and make our music and our artists heard to more and more people.
My big plans are to do more, learn, share and make more and better music, evolve and have the opportunity to show what I love the most: Music!

Speaking of releases, what were your most recent projects, which are the current ones and those of the nearest future?

We recently released our summer compilation “Summer Solstice vol II” on Cadencia Music, I also released a track with Charlie Spot “Aye si la” on Transa Records from Brasil and soon a remix of track “Trip to Colombia” by Bruno Zarra on the Spanish Label Animo Records.

How is your summer? Do you have dj sets or festivals planned at the moment for the present and the future?

Now the summer in the Algarve is coming to an end, but as the weather here is always pleasant, there will always be outdoor parties until winter arrives. But with Cadencia Music we have something to plan!

What do you think of the Portuguese music scene? What do you think are the differences with the rest of Europe?

There is a culture of electronic music in Portugal, but we find it in more populated regions such as in the north and center of the country, in the Algarve, where I live, it is complicated when the summer ends! In my opinion, the big difference with Europe is that it is not a very big country with many people who do not have the opportunity to experience different experiences and sounds, to get to know them!

What evolution do you think electronic music is experiencing on the international scene?

I think like many things, there are cycles, and now I feel that “afro”, “organic” are trendy, but soon it will change maybe again to techhouse or techno, I don’t know!
All I know is that if the music has a feeling, whatever style it is, there will always be those who will like it, so I usually say music with feeling is timeless!!