Defected’s Simon Dunmore on Ibiza 2011

Defected’s Simon Dunmore on Ibiza 2011

23 May, 2011 | 12.32PM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: defected, ibiza, simon dunmore

Ibiza’s summer season is upon us: this Wednesday, the International Music Summit kicks off a round of club openings, marking the official arrival of the annual Balearic Bacchanal. And, right on time, Defected drops its summery summary of essential tunes for White Island whilin’ and wildin’.

Forty-two tracks deep, Defected In The House Ibiza ‘11 ranges from Maya Jane Coles to ATFC to Osunlade. Human Life’s appropriately titled “In It Together” stands out as a track with damn-near universal appeal, and Joyce Muniz pulls off something similar with her update of Blaze’s “Lovelee Dae,” putting a fresh twist on a tune we’ll never get sick of hearing.

Beyond the 42 individual tracks, of course, we’re treated to not one, not two, but three mixes from Simon Dunmore, the head of Defected Records. Taking in warm-up vibes, peak-time thrills, and come-down sounds, the three mixes reflect the knowledge gathered during his 25 years as a DJ—as well as the experience Defected has soaked up during eight years of successful parties on the island.

We spoke to Dunmore about the mix, his favorite Ibiza getaways, and his predictions for this summer’s biggest tunes. Read on for the interview.

Defected has had a residency on Ibiza since 2003. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen during that time—both positive and negative?

We have been ever-present since 2003. The world has progressed massively in that time, and Ibiza has been at the forefront of that. Just in the last 12 months there have been three pop songs in the charts that mention the island in their lyrics: Swedish House Mafia, Dizzee Rascal and J Lo. This does not mean it is a more commercial destination, but being on the tip of profile artists’ tongues, during a time when a lot of resorts are feeling the pinch, certainly helps it stay popular in tough times. It keeps the island aspirational and thriving.

What do you have in store for Defected In The House at Pacha Ibiza this summer? For clubbers that have gone in previous years, apart from the lineup itself, will there be any surprises in store?

The Defected In The House parties at Pacha are an extension of our musical philosophies, our artist roster, the producers that we work with and the records that we release. We focus on the artists that are committed to Defected and we commit to them. We have our lineup of Bob Sinclar, Junior Jack, Dimitri From Paris, Copyright, ATFC, The Shapeshifters, Knuckles & Morales. They form the basis of talent that represents Defected throughout the summer. I actually think that’s the strength of what we do as a label, I think it’s really important that we support the people that release the music on the label 24/7.

Human Life, “In It Together” [Defected]

How did you go about making the selection for Defected In The House – Ibiza ‘11? Which tunes are you particularly excited about?

Every year we look at a diverse selection of music, especially for the Ibiza compilations. Many of our competitors focus specifically on one sound that reflects their label or releases; I believe we offer much more than that. We have a more diverse sound than a lot of our competitors. I’m excited about almost all the tracks, but if you are going to make me choose then I will mention Human Life’s “In It Together,” which is a record that we’ve signed from a trio from Los Angeles, and a release by Guti called “Finale.” It is great to be involved with a producer like him, as he’s on Loco Dice’s Desolat label, and I think that him signing a record with us is a nod to the fact that we don’t just put out big-room commercial house music records and we’re far broader in our musical remit than that. Finally, I’m excited about working with new kids like Frankie Rizardo and Guy Robin. Guy has done a tracked called “Only You”; he’s a 21 year old kid out of London making amazing house records. The track is dope.

Blaze, “Lovelee Dae (Joyce Muniz Remix)” [Defected]

Around here, we’re pretty excited about the new mixes of “Lovelee Dae” and “Hey Hey” – how did those come about?

They both came about in a very organic way, actually, which is sometimes the best way to discover music. Atjazz, who’s pretty hot at the moment, specifically phoned up and said, “Look, I have an idea—I’d like to remix ‘Hey Hey,’ can you send me over the accapella?” We asked Dennis [Ferrer] for his permission, and he gave us his blessing. The Joyce Muniz mix of “Lovelee Dae” was something that was submitted to Aaron Ross, one of our A&Rs at Defected, and we just loved it and we got in touch and said, “We’re really digging this mix, can we put it out?” We then came to an agreement, so yeah, they’re both slamming cuts and both exclusive to the album.

Dennis Ferrer, “Hey Hey (Atjazz Remix)” [Defected]

Last summer, of course, was the summer of Tensnake. What are you betting on to be the left-field breakout hit of 2011?

Two records really; one is Human Life’s “In it Together,” which I’ve just mentioned, which for me is just a great soul record—but a record which I feel is going to cross a number of genres and boundaries and appeal to a lot of people. Another is a track by Ray Foxx called “The Trumpeter,” which is getting a lot of heat and excitement in the UK, but I reckon its going to surprise a few people, certainly in Ibiza and across Europe, in the next few months.

Defected has done deals with Strictly Rhythm, Northcott and Junior Boys Own, licensing out-of-print classics. Do you have any similar deals coming? Or, if you can’t go into specifics, are there any labels, scenes or eras that you think are ripe for re-issue?

We have just recently reissued the back catalogue of Classic Music Company. Luke Solomon and Derrick Carter did an amazing job putting together some seminal house music from some producers that are still among the top producers in dance music.
Running a label is a 24/7 thing, and both those guys felt that their time was better served either in the studio or out on the road, so it wasn’t really something that they wanted to get tied into. We came to an arrangement with them and we’re releasing, promoting and marketing Classic records.

Not a lot of people know, but we also have the rights to the MK catalogue, DJ Gregory’s Faya Combo catalogue and Sandy Rivera’s back catalogue. We have the access to a lot of amazing historical house releases. I think that’s going to be really important to our business going forward, as it’s not just about the records that you put out now; obviously they’re key to our business, but the depth of our catalogue gives us opportunities that other labels don’t have.

Back to Ibiza—how much time do you typically spend on the island every summer—are you there for the whole season, or shuttling back and forth? And can you walk us through a typical day on the island?

I have nine flights booked back and forth to Ibiza this year. On a couple of those occasions I will get to spend a couple of weeks or ten days based there, but most of the time it’s hit-and-run exercises over the weekend around our residency at Pacha. On a typical day I would try not to get up too early, particularly on the day of a gig—you’re out until 6 or 7 in the morning, so if you’re up at 11 o’clock, you tend to feel it at about 1 or 2am and your legs get really heavy.

I like to chill out and listen to some music and pace myself throughout the day; take some sun and good food, it’s all pretty much obvious stuff. If you get a chance hit a beach, have a massage. Just pace yourself, make sure you have the stamina and energy to be there right at the death.

What are some of your favorite places on Ibiza to sneak away from the craziness?

Two things to do to chill out: there’s a multitude of beaches; everyone goes on about Salinas or Talamanca as the places to go, but there’s over 80 beaches on the island. You can find your own personal beach and bliss out, even in the height of the summer.

If I’m not doing that, and this might sound a little shady, but you can phone a massage service for a little pampering. They can come to your villa… After that, grab some food and fall asleep by the pool… No happy endings, though!

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