VINCENT PROFILE

Engelsman Simon Vincent is al jaren een gerespecteerd man binnen de downtempo scene. Zo heeft hij een eigen label gehad, bij Goodlooking records gezeten en heeft hij onlangs zijn oude label Vision of Sound nieuw leven ingeblazen. De eerste release van dit label is Vincent's eigen "Sentinel EP". Adlibs vond het hoog tijd om eens een paar vragen aan deze oude rot in het vak te stellen.

Who is Vincent?
Ahhh…a man of many mysteries! Real name : Simon Vincent. Age: well...I was born in 1967….getting too old to figure out how old I am. I was born in North London, of Anglo-Hungarian parentage.

For how long have you been involved in making music and dj-ing?
I’ve been involved in music making since the age of about 6….We had a piano at home that I used to mess around on. I took up drums at 11, studied electroacoustic music at college in the late 80’s, started dj-ing and live mixing in 1992….I’ve been working in a whole variety of groups from jazz to hip-hop, to electronic to acoustic (improvised and composed) also since the late 80’s….I like variety. In 2000, I was fortunate enough to get a Visiting Lecturer’s post at City University, London teaching electroacoustic music. I really loved it….seeing people discover new musical ideas with the aid of computers. Totally inspiring.

In Holland some people probably won’t know you yet. Can you describe the music you’re making and playing?
Mmm…that’s hard….I draw on a lot of different things, and my musical output reflects that. I make anything from hip-hop to house, drum n bass, jazz, abstract….whatever I feel like…That also comes across in the Vincent Trio, where we bring all those elements together and improvise with them. But I guess at the centre of my music is improvisation. I try and make my tracks sound fresh, no matter how many time you hear them. In terms of dj-ing, again, anything that I like (breaks, broken beat, house, funk, d n b, hip-hop, latin), but at the moment, I’m really feeling UK Underground garage (DALUQ, BENNY ILL, HATCHA, JAY DA FLEX etc…) and electro from Holland!

You’ve been travelling to Holland quite a lot lately. Do you like it here? Can you compare the scene/crowd here with the scene in England?
Of course. I love it here! I’ve been so lucky to meet great people, from yourselves to all the Sound Architecture and Subtronics crew!! People who are enthusiastic and open about music. Naturally the scene in England is bigger because of the population, but it’s not necessarily more commercial. The underground scene in all genres is thriving, which is good to see. Comparing is always hard, but cultural differences are really important. It’s great to bring a London sound to Holland and see if it works, how it works and also to absorb what is going on in Holland, and I’m totally into what’s going on over here right now.

Do you also travel to other countries to dj?Yeah sure. I’ve been to Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Russia, France….haven’t been to so many places yet! I love discovering new countries..but there’s time….I’m in no mood to retire!

We know you produce records on the Cooking label. We’ve also heard you play in a live band. What kind of music do you play there and do you play any instruments?
In the Vincent Trio, I play keyboards and work with live electronics. I also have acoustic bass (Phil Donkin) and drums (Jimmy Norden). Wicked musicians. The style…..very improvised…We take funk, jazz and drum n bass grooves and improvise with them, so that every concert is different.

Can you tell us how you work when you’re producing a song?
I write the parts myself and either play them and sample them (you’ll always hear my own drumming and piano playing on my tracks), or I’ll programme sounds with a synthesiser….Often though, I create sounds using digital techniques (synthesis and re-synthesis). But the whole process is different every time….I might just have an idea for a groove or riff in my head, then write the track around that idea, or I might have one sound that I need to find a groove or riff for. Sometimes I can hear the whole track in my head, and have to re-create it as closely as I can.

Who are some of your favourite artists/dj’s at the moment?
There are so many!! Artists : Zed Bias, Ben Watt, Greg Packer, Simon Bassline Smith, EMO, John Tejada, Artwork…DJ’s : Hatcha, LTJ Bukem, Ben Wilcox, Nick Luscombe, Gilles Peterson, Slimsy, Ross Allen..and (this is true!!) Nels and D Virus, MSC and Joachim guys for the wicked sets at Bootleg ….it was really inspiring to hear you and work with you.

What does the future hold for Vincent?
The future is BUSY!!!!! Artist eps, Vincent Trio releases, Solo Album….And plenty of gigs!

Shoutouts?
….Where do I start!? Firstly to all the Rotterdam Crew for your undying support and total commitment to music, to Good Looking Crew, the FORWARD Crew in London, Ben and Gilles, Ammunition Records…and also Phil and Jimmy for being such wicked musicians!

Check voor meer info de website van Vincent: www.v-o-s.dircon.co.uk en www.goodlooking.org

Bekijk hier het interview dat adlibs had met LTJ Bukem.

DOOR Nels OP 04-10-04