Henry Saiz
| Henry Saiz | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Hal Incandenza |
| Born | Madrid, Spain |
| Genres | Techno, house, experimental, disco, indie |
| Occupations | DJ, Producer |
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Labels | Natura Sonoris, Balance, Bedrock, Paradigma Musik |
| Website | www.henrysaiz.com |
Henry Saiz is a Spanish DJ, producer and live performer, born in Madrid.
Biography
Saiz's first productions were released through the Global Underground and Paradigma Musik imprints. His remix of Guy J's "Lamur", released on the Bedrock label, was produced in 2009 after he came to the attention of John Digweed, one of the label's founders. Renaissance Recordings then commissioned the releases of his EPs "Artificial Paradises" and "Madre Noche" in 2009 and "The Rider" in 2010. He produced the Balance 019 compilation, released on June 10, 2011, and has his own record label, Natura Sonoris, which serves as a platform for his own productions as well as those of new artists. In addition to his productions, Saiz has been developing a live show, using a combination of the Akai APC-40 controlling Ableton Live, Access Virus TI Synth and an Ipod Touch. [1]
The world of electronic music in 2013 is an interesting place. So engrained in modern pop culture, you could argue that it is both the most influential, and the most overly saturated genre in the world. Where young people used to strive to play the guitar, music can now be made or mixed together – and shared globally – with just few clicks of a button, DJ sets can be experienced anywhere/anytime, and new stars and trends are born every year through the release of “big records”. But, amongst all the hyperbole and shortcuts, there are still genuine artists using electronics sounds as their medium.
Henry Saiz is most definitely one of them; a man who transcends trend and formula to create a musical language that can be difficult to describe, but simple to enjoy.
And enjoyed it certainly has been, as despite being on the cusp of releasing his debut artist album, Henry’s first official single release was back in 2006 and he’s been honing his craft and building a loyal fan base ever since. Starting his journey with some of the best underground labels in Spain, the Madrid-native Henry soon attracted the attention of UK giants such as Renaissance, Global Underground and Bedrock. “My first vinyl releases were special moments for me, when DJ’s you’ve admired your whole life support your music, it’s a big feeling. To then go on tours to places such as Asia, Australia and South America, and realize just how much the music I’d made was a part of so many people, it’s hard to explain just how amazing that was – and still is!”
Accolades have also followed releases, his own label Natura Sonoris won ‘Best Label’ of 2011 by DJ Magazine and his standout remix of Guy J’s ‘Lamur’ brought him his first “Essential New Tune” from Radio 1’s Pete Tong. He was also chosen to follow in the path of dance music elite when invited to mix his own CD compilation for the prestigious Balance series (also in 2011), a process in which he utilised vinyl, cassette, reel-to-reel tapes and over 100 field recordings that he’d recorded as a pre-teen – many still regard the mix to be the finest the label has released so far.
It’s this level of approach, exploration and confidence-in-his-own-ideas that sets Henry Saiz a part amongst many of his peers, as the man who spent his childhood absorbing early Kubrick soundtracks explains, “My influences are pretty diverse, taking me all the way from Italo Disco to Black Metal. From Abba to Aphex Twin, Vangelis and Pink Floyd (via Detroit) – I believe that electronic music can, and should, have a message. The infinite palate of sounds and textures give the power to evoke much more complex feelings and mindscapes than the traditional pop-rock instruments – the fact that you can dance to it in a club doesn’t mean it can’t transmit a message (and a thrill) to the listener on many levels.”
All of this becomes more apparent as you get to know Henry, with the Spaniard holding literature, visual art, films and documentaries amongst his most treasured inspirations. A huge fan of the works of David Foster Wallace and Salvador Dalí, it’s Saiz’ open-minded approach to influence and his background in sound design, working on TV shows, documentaries and commercials, that give his productions the rich cinematic moments and deep atmospherics that are often found. As Saiz explains, “sound design is always a big factor in my music, I love to add sampled soundscapes to my music – it allows me to explore the visual and psychedelic aspects of electronic music that is so important to me.”
It’s this area that feels more apparent than ever on Henry’s debut LP, the suggestively titled ‘Reality Is For Those Who Are Not Strong Enough To Confront Their Dreams’. The embodiment of 2-years of production and recording, the album features 17-tracks over an extended listen to immerse the listener in a journey through Henry’s own interpretation of electronica – a listen that is likely to surprise both his existing fans and the new ones discovering him for the first time.
Packed with melodic-hypnotic house, analogue techno and retro-futuristic pop, it’s as much an exploration in sound as it is a deep, and highly rewarding, listen. Written and partly recorded amongst a volcanic backdrop in a remote part of Lanzarote, Henry’s connection with nature and his surroundings plays a huge role in the album’s sonics, as well as the many sound recordings that were sent to him via his website – Henry asked his followers to send him sampled noises personal to them in a forward-thinking move to incorporate his fans into the album.
It’s credit to Henry for challenging himself on so many levels, and the rewards could well be all the richer for it, but as he approaches this big step in his career, as he says himself, “the only thing I was focussed on during the composition of the album was to create the most honest album I could. By mixing all my influences, I just let my mind flow in the studio and these are the results – I strived to create something original and special. At the end of the day it’s all about the feelings you get when listening to music, the places it can take you, the thoughts, memories and emotions that can shake your brain… I hope others can feel that too.”
And with that, sit back, press play and immerse yourself in the sound of Henry Saiz.
- - -
The world tour of the new album starts in March at the Miami Ultra Festival, which will see Henry completely invigorate his live performance with added accompanied live percussion and vocals, combining the energy of a band with the impact of a DJ set. As well as the tour, Henry will continue to develop in parallel his more indie-disco focussed Hal Incandenza alter ego, and his more pop-rock Tyrane side-project with best friend Luis Deltell. More news on both of those projects soon.
Albums
Saiz's first studio album is scheduled for release on Jun 10, 2013 [2] under the title Reality is for Those Who Are Not Strong Enough to Confront Their Dreams. The recording took place in Lanzarote, an inspiring place to Saiz, according to an interview in Resident Advisor.[3]
EPs
- 2006 - "Mamut EP" (Logicalnoise)
- 2007 - "Labyrinths Designer EP" (Paradigma Musik)
- 2008 - "Liquid Gardens EP" (Software)
- 2009 - "Artificial Paradises EP" (Renaissance Recordings)
- 2009 - "Madre Noche EP" (Renaissance Recordings)
- 2010 - "The Rider EP" (Renaissance Recordings)
Singles
- 2006 - "You, The Living" (Logicalnoise)
- 2008 - "Vancouver" (Natura Sonoris)
- 2011 - "Meridian/La Marea" (with Guy J) (Bedrock)
- 2013 - "All the Evil of This World" (feat. Hanin Zueiter) (Natura Sonoris)[4]
Compilations
- 2011 - Balance 019 (Balance Music)