Monologues #78: Serge Santiago

Turned On

My Monologues mix series invites producers to mix an hour of their own productions. You can find the full archive of mixes on Soundcloud. Follow our Bandcamp for our label releases.

Serge Santiago's productions are always dead-certs when it comes to moving a dancefloor. For nearly 25 years now he's been putting out a consistent slew of heavy house music and Italo revivalism which was some 20 years ahead of the curve in terms of reappraising the genre (and which provided major inspiration to Bicep from the looks of their early YouTube uploads of vinyl rips). Aside from his solo material, he was also one half of the original iteration of Radio Slave and also of Waze & Odyssey. Entering a new purple patch in the last couple of years through his output on his Jack Said What label (co-owned by house hero Steve Mac and none other than Scottish author, Irvine Welsh), he's been a mainstay in my record box of late and I'm delighted to have him mix an hour of his own productions for us here on Monologues.

*How would you describe your sound?*

It's always an interesting question. My sound is under-produced jams. Muddy rollers. Music with dust on. Not techno, B-sides, Track 2. Room 2. Sampled. 40+. Anything it shouldn't be.

*What and who inspires you and influences your sound?*

I'm very much into the late '80s US disco and house era. When house was new and dirty, with messy productions. Gritty drum patterns. Heavy samples. I love Italo influenced 4/4 also. It's something about the synth and piano tones they used for the underground dance scene. Magic to me!

*Can you tell us a little about this mix and what it means to you?*

It means I worked hard to get a sound and my message across. It’s the sound I love listening to and thinking about. Something off the beaten track. Myself and friends have been running a club night for the last 25+ years in Brighton called Stompa Phunk, this mix is the set, sounds and inspiration from the night. It’s something I'm proud I've done.
Tracklist:

S

Tracklist:

Serge Santiago - Take Me Away [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - Deception [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - Love Is A Feel [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - limit [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - High [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - Transition [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - Ear Racer [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - Nobody [Jack Said What]
Serge Santiago - L$D - White
Serge Santiago - Story - White