So I got a chance to interview Dylan aka Le Castle Vania over email yesterday and you can read it below… it gives you a little glimpse into the world of such a great DJ.
Jeffrey Paradise: Ok Dylan, you play all over the world, besides your party in Atlanta: FUCK YESSS, where are some of your other favorite clubs to play in the USA (yes I’m leading you here haha)?
Le Castle Vania: Well obviously Blow Up is one of my favorites (i’m not just saying that check any of my other interviews) the energy crowd is amazing and there are always so many beautiful people in san francisco… i love this city! aside from that of course i love playing in LA and Voyeur down in San Diego, the Steez Promo parties in Baltimore. yeah those would be my top pics for the US right now.
JP: You are known for your hi-energy, rocking the club style DJing, where crowd surfing, stage diving, even mosh pits are not uncommon, how do you manage to always whip the crowd into such a frenzy?
LCV: i think a big part of it comes from my back ground in performance oriented rock music, combined with over 10 years of DJing of experience. i’m all about giving the crowd 100% of my energy and feeding off their vibe, but at the same time my sets are not all bangers or all aggressive music… i try to take the listeners on a journey with peaks and valleys that keep them dancing and keep them interested in the music. i try to offer something that is more unique that what every other dj can offer, i try to serve up whole performance and experience and sound that you can only get at a Le Castle Vania show.
JP: The production value on your tracks and remixes is always top notch, do you have any pointers for new producers/remixers out there just starting out? Aside from studio time under your belt, what are somethings that have helped you elevate your production skills most?
LCV: i think the most important thing is to not follow the crowd or trends too tightly… i mean obviously you have to be aware of what is hip and current, but you have to be bold enough to do your own thing and not just follow trends. that’s the only way to create a unique sound. dance music is an incredibly flooded genre off music that anyone can make in their bedroom or anywhere else for that matter with a laptop it is so important to be able to stand out from that crowd. also i would suggest really studying audio engineering and audio fidelity. lots of people can paly with a synth and make a cool sound, and lots of people can play around with a keyboard and come up with a cool riff or melody… but it takes a truly skilled and talented person to make that sound or riff really sound awesome and hit on a proper club system… the engineering is what separates pros from the bed room producers.
JP: A lot of girls I know think you’re really cute, is there a particular way that a girl should or should not approach you at a show if they want to get to know you? Do you have any funny stories you can share about that sort of thing?
LCV: most club girls that want to talk to me just use the sluttiest approach possible or they’re just really drunk… i guess that just goes hand in hand with the whole crazy nightlife style thing but i think the people who really know me know that i’m not really into all of that. I’m into what i do because of my passion for the music and performance, i don’t like getting fucked up and I almost never drink when i am djing. drunk girls pretty much always annoy the shit out of me unless they really know how to handle it and just stay chill and fun… but lets be honest, those girls are soooo super rare. if you really want to catch my attention i think you are better off with a witty comment and/or the ability to just have an interesting conversation… but maybe that’s a little bit much to ask coming from me as i can be really quiet natured when i am not on stage… i think a lot of people are sort of surprised by that when they first meet me outside of the club environment.
JP: So you are a man of many talents and who where’s many hats: DJing, Producing, Party Promoting, running a label, blogging, constant travel involved with all of these jobs, how do you manage it all and what is the hardest part of being a DJ?
LCV I manage by making almost everything i do completely mobile when i go on tour i take two computers one for my work (email/promo/behind the scenes stuff) and performance stuff, plus a totally separate laptop dedicated only for writing and producing music. pretty much all of my recent music has been written in on an airplane or a hotel room and then finished and built out in my home studio. the hardest part is definitely the long hours (weeks / months) on the road you spend a lot of time alone not around any one you care about and sometimes not even around a single person you know. another hard part is so much of your life becomes so focused on one thing, i’ve discovered that it is really important to find something else to put energy into when you do find down time… it takes a lot of drive and focus and dedication but it can’t just always be MUSIC, MUSIC ,MUSIC, DJ, DJ, DJ you have to have some other interest or distraction. that way you have the ability to to walk away and do something and then come back with a clear head and fresh outlook… it also keeps me from becoming creatively and emotionally fatigued.
JP: Any final thoughts you want to share, what’s next for Le Castle Vania?
LCV: i just want to tell everyone to keep an eye on http://www.lecastlevania.com and my new label http://www.alwaysnever.com we have TONS of new stuff dropping soon a lots of releases line up for the rest of this year! also be sure to add us on your social networking sites to make sure you don’t miss any of the hot new jams!
ok, see you tomorrow,
~Jeffrey
Tags: Blow Up, Interview, Jeffrey Paradise, Le Castle Vania, san francisco
