An Interview with Dean Coleman

April 26, 2007 1:53 PM
by Dan Vidal [email]

Over the past few years, the name Dean Coleman has been popping up on the radars of dance music enthusiasts around the world. Known for his technical skills in the studio, and his collaborations and remixes for artists such as Erick Morillo, Deep Dish, Josh Wink, as well as mainstream artists like Shakira, Dean's star is truly rising these days. With an appearance at Biz Martinez's Local Celebrity at Nocturnal on May 4th, we took an opportunity to chat with Dean.

CJ: Your name started to pop up in the early part of this decade in the US dance scene, notably with a bootleg remix of Narcotic Thrust's 'Safe From Harm'. Then Yoshi noticed you, how did that all fall into place?

DC:I loved the original mix, I heard it on a Danny Tenaglia CD but didn’t’ like the breakdown in the middle so I put together an edit but then began to add to it and just decided to do what is now known as ‘the dean coleman special’ lol! I sent the remix to Tedd Patterson who sent it to Deep Dish for me and they emailed me to pick it up.

CJ: Obviously that was the start of something big. Since then, the label has been pushing your name hard, not only as a DJ, but as a producer as well. When you're in the studio, what's your basic creative process?

DC:I just come in and flow off of what sound I’m hot on, I like vocals, I like techy, and I also listen to regular radio. I usually just flow with whatever is on my mind which usually changes 50 times a day.

CJ: Seems like the best way to do it, not to ignore potential sources of inspiration. Where do you draw your influences from?

DC: I am influenced by everything, sometimes I will pick up on a sound from a radio song just some weird effect and try to backpedal to how they did that. I also am influenced by what I hear when I’m out DJing or hanging around other producers. I go to New York a lot and I always hang out with Armand Van Helden, the guy is simply genius and I always come home with 50 new ideas from him. The producers that run in and out of the studio facility where my room is (Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta) influence me a lot! Out of this studio we had I think 12 number 1 Billboard Pop records last year, it’s a great vibe for me to be around such talent.

CJ: Speaking of studio work, you seem to be really into that aspect of production, with relationships with Roland, Pioneer, and the esteemed Audio Engineering Society (AES). In my experience, a lot of producers out there aren't 'technical' enough to accomplish this, what is your perspective on this issue?

DC:I was demoing Pioneer gear when I was 18, when they couldn’t give the systems away and it was by luck. However, at the time a demo could make or break a huge sale to a dealer so I prepared and studied the product like I would a test in college because I really needed the job! As to Roland, for about 7 years I never really went out and partied. I put in a lot of time and hard work but I never saw it that way I guess until later it’s just what I wanted to do. I sat in front of various keyboards and learned them inside and out and once you learn the solid fundamentals, then everything else translates back to even the software synths out now. I never went to any kind of school, I just really wanted to learn how to make a record and I knew that it was up to me to do it on my own because I really had no one around me that was producing at the time. I also really enjoy the studio, and when it comes to that stuff I’m a nerd so it goes hand in hand. I can’t speak to how much other producers know or don’t know but in my mind, making a track is still a lot of fun and I can’t see myself not wanting to be fully involved in that.

CJ: Oh totally! For the geeks in the audience, give us a quick rundown of what you like to use in your compositions...

DC: I use a lot of different things. My main sequencer is Logic which I have used now for almost 9 years. I also will do some editing here and there in Pro Tools. I have been using Ableton Live since 3.0 and I’m loving the progress that company has made and how fluent their audio processing has become and the tricks you can do with it. Softsynth wise, Spectrasonics always blows me away with how big their stuff sounds, Oddity, Minimonsta etc. I love! I just got a Virus and the new OS with 2 oscillators is ridiculous! I’m using that for 3 – 4 sounds at least in my new tracks. The knob controls work great for mapping other softsynths. I am also using KORE from Native Instruments, which has impressed me a lot as to its flexibility with merging and stacking tons of different sounds.

CJ: You're coming to Miami next week, for a rare outside-of-WMC appearance, what can the audience expect to hear from you?

DC:A lot of my own productions and edits, I’m really looking forward to it, I love the vibe there. Obviously I have played Space for Yoshitoshi and the Space Terrace is already classic and a legend in it’s own time. I’m excited to be coming back down!

CJ: Your favorite thing about Miami?
DC:Cuban Sandwiches!

CJ: If you weren't DJing and producing music, what would you be up to?

DC:The only way I can answer that is to say whatever it would be wouldn’t nearly be as fun!

CJ: Plans for the summer?

DC: Going to work on my album!

Don't forget to check out Dean at Local Celebrity at Nocturnal on May 4th. Check out some of Dean's productions and mixes at djdeancoleman.com .