The Standard

Le Bain gets filtered with Perseus and Cassian

Mar 10 2012

This Sunday at Le Bain, Nouveau York presents two of the hottest new kids on the block. Coming from Sydney, Cassian has been the Australian busiest newcomer, with banging remixes ranging from Bag Raiders to The Rapture. Now based in Brooklyn, Perseus runs one of the hottest American House label, French Express and produces his own perfectly filtered feel-good tracks. We met the two antipodean artists somewhere in the Pacific for a Standard Q&A.

From Sydney Australia, here comes Cassian.

The Standard: What was the first dance music record you fell in love with?

Cassian: probably Around The World by Daft Punk.

Perseus: I can’t remember the first but 7th grade was definitely the year I started to pay attention to tracklists. This one was from Paul van Dyk’s ‘Politics of Dancing’ mix album: Subsky’s Four Days (Gil Remix).

What is the last dance music record that really impressed you?

Cassian: I’m getting impressed on the reg’, yesterday it was the Pezzner remix of Roy Davis Jr’s About Love.

Perseus: Still completely enamored with Ali Love and Luca C’s Games… simple, touching, and makes me want to touch others.

What is the most futuristic piece of music ever?

Cassian: I heard some 303/sitar acid stuff from India that came out in the early 80’s. I can’t remember the name but it sounded like the year 3000!

Perseus: Chris Malinchak’s These Dreams (ft. Damon C. Scott).

Perseus’ Russian Girlfriend (French Express)

Who is your favorite ‘commercial’ dance music producer?

Perseus: Calvin Harris.

Cassian: Maceo Plex… Nah, probably Stuart Price.

What is the most archetypal dance music track?

Cassian: Definitely something by Skrillex.

Perseus: Can’t pick just one!

If house music was a movie?

Perseus: The Warriors: too many gangs battling it out when we should be working together.

Cassian: The Harry Potter series.

The mysterious Perseus

If house was a boy?

Cassian: I might turn.

Perseus: Jamiroquai.

If house was a girl?

Cassian: I wouldn’t have to turn.

Perseus: Chaz Bono.

Who is the greatest dancer?

Cassian: A tie between Christopher Stracey (of Bag Raiders) & Ed Macfarlane (of Friendly Fires).

Perseus: I know you’re expecting some answer like John Travolta or something, but some black kid I saw on the subway yesterday blew my mind.

What gives you Hi-Nrg?

Perseus: Deep-cutting chords with vocal accents - no matter the bpm or genre.

Cassian: 909’s.

Cassian’s Getting High

Where is todays’ dance music center of attraction?

Perseus: In the wrong places through the right mediums… On personal Soundclouds via Facebook. Somebody needs to make a mecca and pick up where Myspace failed.

Cassian: Probably London.

“The producers are there, but to me the DJ is the paramount of everything. He holds the destiny of so many people in his hands. He can make or break hits.” (Michael Gomes in The Disco Files). Is it still true?

Perseus: Absolute truth… Without the exceptional palates of those like The Magician, Jaymo & Andy George from Moda, etc, we’d be in the dark. Technology may have allowed everyone to become a DJ, but we all know who the real traffic officers are.

Cassian: To be a high profile DJ these days you HAVE to produce good tunes. I doubt anyone who started in the last 5 years and is purely a DJ would ever get to the level where they would have any real influence.

“I’m what you’d describe as a personality DJ. When I deejay, you get my personality, you don’t necessarily get a particular kind of music.” (DJ Harvey in Time Out New York). Do you feel the same?

Cassian: uh not really. Right now when I play I’m definitely spinning a lot of my own tunes, there is still a range of sounds but If you listen to a few of my tunes you’ll mostly know what to expect.

Perseus: Yes, the tracks I’ve been producing and playing all bear melancholy. Talk about someone who wears his heart on his sleeve and not his face. I’m a hopeless romantic if you couldn’t hear by now.