INTERVIEW : Arie Mando
Arie Mando has nothing but love for old-school house music. It transpires in every note of his tracks, split between vintage verve and modern inflexions. His productions found across the web are pocket-sized odes to the nightlife, like so many love letters to the dance floor. I talked with Arie to learn a little more about his creative process, and to know how he manages to be so creative and prolific. We also discussed his role as a label co-owner and how it informs his work as an artist.
Where are you living currently?
I am currently living in Amsterdam, I’ve been here for almost 20 years now. Amsterdam has a very lively dance scene, but it’s mostly dominated by techno, tech house and deep house. I used to go to a lot of illegal underground raves and UK garage/2step parties, which inspired me to make music.
The garage scene in Amsterdam is less lively then it was in the mid-90s, with parties like Bubble Club, Speedfreax and Crossovers... So nowadays, I mostly get inspired by SlapFunk parties, shows on the Underground Sessions (DJ Caspa, Mood Indigo, etc.) JustVibesRadio and, of course, on YouTube channels like GarageVybez98. Honourable mention, of course, to my brothers Michael Pieterse and Erik Flanagan for hosting That Garage Sounds every now and then and still keeping the garage sound alive!
You’ve said that your main source of inspiration is UK garage and house from the 90s. What is it about that period in music that inspires you?
The groove, the skippy snares, the melodies and the vocals are what really stands out for me, next to the bumpy basslines. But definitely the garage sound by the likes of Jeremy Sylvester, Tuff Jam, 95 North, Dreem Teem, Grant Nelson, etc. They all had their unique sound, with heavy basslines and memorable vocal chops. Very inspiring!
Could you share with us some UK garage and house tracks from the 90s that you feel don’t get the recognition they deserve?
A lot of UK garage tracks which are or were being played in the clubs here in Amsterdam are those which have been played to death. Like Artful Dodger, Wookie, etc. They were good, but I can't hear them anymore. I listen a lot to GarageVybez98 on YouTube, on there you can find so many good tracks there is too many to name... Just have a listen and you will definitely find more than a good track.
You released many great singles this year, including the amazing Sweet Baby EP. What inspired you to make all that music?
The Sweet Baby EP came about when i sent Alfredo Alfredon Avilla a track titled Why You So. He liked it, so he asked for another track to make it an EP. I started to work on it and I got inspired by my lovely girlfriend Jamila, so I came up with the track Sweet Baby. Actually, this EP came naturally, but producing music is not always easy. Sometimes it's a bit of a struggle to come up with something new. Sometimes you’re in the flow and you get inspired, but there is also this doubt - which every producer has once in a while - when you hear another producer releasing some superb music. I take it as something positive, I try to learn from my mistakes and try to work from there.
You're the co-label owner of Crazy Monk Records. Can you talk to us about that label and its mission?
I released my first ever track on Crazy Monk Records - a track titled Her Name Is Cindy - for which I have to thank Justini. I was talking to him about the mission and direction of the label, but his time was very limited and he was thinking about stopping the label because it was too demanding. So I offered to help him out. I liked the label and I saw potential. Because I had already built a small network of producers around me, I could already plan some releases. Most of them are garage-related, but we are trying to also aim for the more soulful and deeper stuff. I must say, dealing with artists and doing the promotion can indeed be very time consuming, especially when you also have to work a 9 to 5. But I love creating these promotion videos for every release and receiving positive feedback from the fans and artists involved. Because Justini lives in South Africa, we always communicate via social media. But maybe next year i will pay him a visit so we can celebrate our 10th anniversary together… We’ll see!
You have produced remixes for many artists, from Melodymann to Derrick Da House. What makes a good remix, according to you? Can you take us through your process of choosing and remixing a track?
I think a good remix is a remix that is different from the original, with some extra elements in it. Maybe a different BPM, or even a different genre.
My best remix so far has been the one for Melodymann, indeed. It came naturally, as all tracks produced by Melodymann are top-class in my opinion. Sometimes I don't get inspired by a remix request, and sometimes I accept the request, but inspiration doesn't come, ha! Sometimes, inspiration even comes the day before the deadline. Criss Korey made a superb remix of one of my tracks (Groove Nation, out on Crooks & Villains Records) as well as Le Smoove, he remixed my That Feeling track, which is out on Pogo House Records
What would be your dream collab?
My dream collab would be... Scott Diaz! The man is a legend, he has an amazing work ethic. Every track he releases is proper quality!
What’s coming up for you?
I have my first vinyl release coming out this month on Gemini Wax Records. Very, very excited about this! The track is called The Power, it’s up on SoundCloud and deejay.de.
Next year, Crazy Monk will celebrate their 10 year anniversary. We might do something special, so keep an eye out for that...