Sex on Decks - DiscoTech, Our House - Rhode Island
Sex on Decks is a Rhode Island-based DJ/Producer whose infectious grooves are well known across New England. He has residencies in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as regular self-released music and a forthcoming tune, Deja Vu, on Nurvous Records. After a busy summer season, we got a chance to connect over email and talk about the balance between production and DJing, his drive for music, and what he has in store for the future.
*interview edited for clarity
Ryan:
Thanks for agreeing to the interview! Let's get started with a little bit about yourself, your music background, and what draws you to the dance music scene.
Sex on Decks:
Thank you for having me! It is always a pleasure to chat with a fellow music lover…
Since my middle school days I have always been interested in music and surrounded by it. My father would always love showing me his old CDs by the likes of Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and so forth. This led to me playing saxophone for a few years in middle school, until switching to the drum set. From then on I was sucked into the world of the groove. The beat. What we all have beating inside of us. I was just blessed with a little bit of talent, but knew I could make the music industry a living.
After messing around with some amateur groups in high school, I ended up playing live improvisational dance music with a group of open minded individuals called Mongo. From there, I toured the northeast and beyond with Viral Sound, a Providence-based jam funk band that taught me a lot about music, business & the road. Throughout my time with those guys, I was starting to make more professional sounding tracks and also learning the ways of Ableton, which led to the birth of Sex on Decks original music. I was always DJing around locally when not playing with the band. I’m blessed with the connections I’ve made and am grateful for everyone who’s helped get me to this point.
The thing that really draws me to the scene is the passion for positive experience through music. Music can heal and guide people through some of their darkest hours/days/weeks. When an event is firing on all cylinders and people are smiling, it’s fulfilling for the soul! Don’t you agree??
Ryan:
Absolutely! The vibe of a good event is so uplifting and can sometimes kickstart creativity or life change. That sense of community and connection through music and dancing is unlike anything else.
You both produce music and have DJ residencies in both Providence, RI and Worcester, MA. How do you juggle all of those responsibilities and travel?
Sex on Decks:
Honestly, I don’t know how I pull it off sometimes, especially with a beautiful newborn daughter. Lots of coffee and dedication, haha. But passion over profit is something I firmly believe in. These cities aren’t too far from South County, RI, where I’m located now. It’s feasible to drive those distances, but also rough on ones sleep schedule as you could imagine. Having great partners to work with helps because if someone can’t make it the responsibilities can still be accomplished. (Shoutout to Michael Carcieri & Tommy Le) Also (Electric Haze & The Parlour for being amazing venues)
Ryan:
Congratulations on your daughter! And it’s wonderful that you are within reasonable commute of both Worcester and Providence and able to work with great teams at both venues.
Between working with HUGE on early Feel Good Fridays, Discotech, and Our House, you have been at the forefront of bringing live DJs back to indoor crowds safely. How important has it been to you to get in front of live crowds again?
Sex on Decks:
It is always a struggle doing things safely, as we’ve learned during the “Covid times”. We have been working with our venues to ensure all mandates are met and guidelines are followed. The Delta Variant is here and has been making its rounds especially in the cities. If you’re reading this, please take it seriously and make sure to sit out if you’re feeling symptoms of sickness as there will be more events in the future.
Safety is number one and I wouldn’t be doing indoor shows if we didn’t think we could pull it off safely. That being said, we encourage people to wear masks wherever/whenever possible unless you’re eating/drinking. Regarding playing live, it’s what we live for as DJs/Producers. It is the best feeling in the world to make people dance and even is a bit more special when they’re dancing to your original creations. So as long as we can safely provide these experiences, we will continue to do so. We have had zero cases linked to our events that we know of and are proud of this.
Ryan:
That’s wonderful to hear and you should be rightfully proud. We can be safe and social as long as safety comes first. Hopefully we can avoid shutdowns like last year, though from other perspectives they were beneficial.
With the pandemic shuttering live dance music events for most of 2020 and into 2021. Did the seclusion have positive effects on your production habits?
Sex on Decks:
Oh god yes! I was doing 2-3x more work on finishing up old projects and getting new tracks started. This is really what allows me now to balance it all out because I have much better time management than years past. I also can credit my collaborative producers I have been working with because they will push you and your creativity, thus expanding your knowledge and production palettes. Most producers will tell you the hardest thing they struggle with is to finish their projects, so getting over that hurdle was a process.
Shoutout to DuBeats, Col Lawton, Rick Rourke & all of the amazing labels I have released with!
Ryan:
We’ve certainly been blessed with numerous tunes from you to keep us warm throughout the pandemic. From original songs like Supernatural and Ethos, to your funk and soul edits, you’ve got a style of house music all your own.
You just released Trumpet Funk, available for free download at sexondecks.bandcamp.com, which has a wicked trumpet solo with an energetic house beat. What differences are there in your production methods when you are producing an original track versus editing/remixing classic tunes, like Prince's 17 Days?
Sex on Decks:
One of the main things for me is to make it sound original. I usually do this by playing stuff by myself unedited, and then go in and chop that into sections/loops, etc. I’m always making sure to stay in the same general area, sound design wise when making an original cut.
With remixes of classic tracks, I try to just add more groove elements if necessary and use as much of the original piece as I can. Some tunes you just hear randomly and get inspired to make an edit for your own arsenal. This year I’ve made them available as free downloads to share with the DJ community. With the Prince edit, a friend of mine sent me a video of him playing at sound check just on the piano, so immediately I heard stuff I can recreate with my own flare. The Rick James edit, I more so just beefed up the rhythm section and added sub bass as needed to fill out the song to today’s db standards.
Ryan:
Your collaboration with Col Lawton - Deja Vu is forthcoming on Nurvous Records (October 8). It’s a deep house groover with 70s retro-futuristic synths. Don’t get lost in the shag carpet and pre-order this one today!
Are there any other upcoming releases or events other than your residencies that we should know about?
Sex on Decks:
Both DiscoTech & Our House Facebook pages are active and are the best way to get involved! We are actively looking for street team members, vendors to showcase, & new talent to put on…
If you follow my socials on FB/IG/Spotify/Bandcamp you will get notified about all things Sex on Decks… I’ve got some releases coming on some amazing world class labels, a collaboration with Hot Pot, and even my first track on vinyl, with a Paul Johnson sample, still due out soon! Stay tunedddd! <3
Ryan:
Do you have any concerns about how the live entertainment industry will be affected by recent upticks in Covid infections?
Sex on Decks:
Yes. Safety is the number one priority. MA has already begun to bring back the mask mandates if you’re not drinking or eating at indoor concert venues and this has us worried a little bit. We recommend everyone get vaccinated, or at least take weekly covid tests to ensure you’re not spreading the variant at events. We work tirelessly to pull off safe entertainment, so expect people to try their best to protect one another on the dance floor.
Ryan:
Thanks again for participating in the eonedm.net Focus on: interview series. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Sex on Decks:
Don’t be afraid to be yourself and to fight for what you believe in! Hope to see you at an upcoming show!
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Connect with Sex on Decks:
Music:
Pre-order Deja Vu on TraxSource
Residencies:
*all images provided by Sex on Decks
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