San Soda (BE)

San Soda was raised on a parental diet of The Beatles and Queen. So it was only quite natural for him to progress into mainstream music. He joined a local radio station in his teens and pretty soon became a DJ playing bigger mainstream functions and local youth parties. At age 18 he visited the Clues bar in his home town, quite unaware that this little place had been the breeding ground for all kinds of underground music for years. On that very night he visited, none other than Chicago legend Tyree Cooper was jacking the place up, invited by long time Clues resident and leading Belgian house DJ Red D. San Soda’s musical world was turned inside out on the spot and he hasn’t looked back since. The internet allowed him to explore this compelling new music and pretty soon he discovered Theo Parrish, Jus Ed and Omar S, which in turn led to more discoveries in Chicago house, New York deep house, soul, hip hop and funk. In short, good black music in general and the notion that music would truly rule his life from now on. It was only a logical step from devouring this music to making it. As with most producers it took a while for San Soda to get going properly, but one demo he handed out to his team mate Red D – with whom he had gotten on very good musical terms - in the dressing room of their football team changed all that. Red D had been toying with the idea to start his own record label, and the music San Soda gave him was the final trigger: We Play House Recordings was born and set up as an exclusive home for San Soda’s music and any like-minded producer that would cross the path of San Soda and Red D. Since its inception We Play House Recordings and especially San Soda have caused quite a stirr in the house music world. Getting praise and play from people like Jimpster, Ame, Deetron, Reggie Dokes and many, many more. The various San Soda E.P.’s (Limited Gear, Super Pim Pam Pet, Immers & Daarentegen Album Sampler) have all been well-received, and much more could be said about the ‘Vocals For Everyone E.P.’ released by FCL, the collaboration between San Soda and Red D. Featured tracks ‘Let’s Go’ and ‘More Than Seven’ both became huge club hits and have been dominating charts, parties and playlist for the whole of 2010. All this has culminated in San Soda’s debut album released in October 2010 on a double CD format (album + bonus WPH mix by label boss Red D) and a limited vinyl + CD format. Aptly entitled ‘Immers & Daarentegen’ the album goes well beyond ‘just’ house and incorporates elements from a wide range of music styles, all with that unmistakeable warmth and depth that has become a main feature of everything San Soda touches. A bunch of remixes followed suit: San Soda remix of André Lodemann on Freerange, an FCL remix of Stuffa’s ‘Proof’ on Trunkfunk, which was recently licensed by Defected, and more remixes on Composite, Kolour etc. 'More Vocals For Everyone E.P', the follow up to the acclaimed ‘Vocals For Everyone E.P.’, was released earlier this year on WPH, in addition to a brand new San Soda E.P. entitled 'Toch Al De Vijfde', both of which will give an idea of the upcoming FCL album for 2012. With past and future gigs in Panoramabar, a much acclaimed performance on Sonar, a temporary move to Berlin and around-the-world bookings in Canada, the US and many European countries it is safe to say that San Soda’s take on house and good music in general will stay in the picture for a little while longer…