Brooklyn-based DJ and producer Saint Velez has emerged from New York’s notoriously industrial scene, earning his teeth in warehouses from Bushwick to Bedstuy. Having released a slew of singles and EPs in 2021, including their number on the charts, ‘Load of My Mind’ via Back In Black Recordings, and ‘Cigarette Cuts’ via T78’s Autektone Dark, the talent rising is looking to re-enter the launch radar with its debut. Full-length LP, Warehouse Poetry via De-Konstrukt Records. Warehouse Poetry is a serious work, painstakingly cared for, that lends itself to starting it and not returning to reality until it’s finished: the headphones are like the oxygen cylinder that allows you to design that great sound twist to the bottom, of this cosmic orbit, and being there in a state of hypnotic fascination, which allows us to reflect, through folklore, on our past.
We have had the pleasure of interviewing Saint Velez and this has been the result.
⁃ Hi there! Where in the world are you right now? How did you start your day?
I started my day early in the heart of brooklyn. I definitely feel better if I wake up earlier rather than later. Unless of course I work late which is usually the case on the weekends. But today I enjoyed a hot coffee heading into Manhattan for a couple of hours which was nice to do.
⁃ When did the idea of starting a project/album start to take shape? Has it always been something you wanted to do?
This is not the first time I’ve attempted to make an album. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while but was never happy at the previous attempts to the point I tossed those projects. I completely reset back in September, and came up with a brand new concept and album and stuck to a very strict regiment of music production. Most of October and November and even parts of December I was being an introvert and not going out on weekends just to make sure this thing got out within a timely fashion. I stuck my head out when the cabin fever got bad but I wanted to make sure my discipline and focus was strictly about the album. By January I had a cohesive solid project.
⁃ How would you define the sound of your latest work? What is the concept behind it?
My sound is very aggressive and dancey. I wanted to still have fun energetic tracks that would easily get plays. Each Track is a different stab at some concept / flow I picked up amongst my days in the NYC underground scene while trying not to make a cut & paste example of it and make it my own.
The concept of the album focuses around mental health and coping mechanisms with tragedy. We’ve had a rough few years and a lot of people picked up bad habits along the way that are concerning. I love nightlife, it’s going to be part of me forever but I get so worried about it. I actually made the connection with the movie “The Grey” because at the time of that movie Liam Neeson was trying to cope with the loss of his actual wife. The poem he carries around in the movie is what he wrote to his wife in real life after losing her 2 years before the movie debut. I think there’s a beautiful connection there because the rest of the movie he is trying to accept the loss of a wife while fighting for his life and I can see that struggle with a good chunk of people. I want let people know that it’s okay to NOT be okay and people aren’t alone, and it’s okay to take breaks. The only thing that doesn’t really work is losing yourself to substances every weekend and never really addressing internal problems, that just creates a lost soul.
I don’t know if all of that makes sense. If you want to understand my album I would say watch “the grey” there’s a few corny parts but the overall theme is there and a fun watch.
⁃ What artists are you interested in these days? Who do you think is next up?
I’m going to answer that second question first. I’m very happy to work with Ramsey Neville on this album because he is really taking off as an artist. Every track and every event he does is one bigger step than the last. I can’t wait to see where he is in the next year or 2.
For the first question, this was AK27’s first release and I’m happy to be the first platform for such. Not only to release but we charted beatport earlier today. I’m glad I was able to give him that start because in his other project, Like Mee, he’s making great headway in New York.
⁃ How do you manage to combine such disparate genres? How do you manage to give them unity and harmony? What do they have in common for you?
It’s just good track ideas to me. I just want to release music that just sounds good, don’t really care if something that doesn’t fit into any sort of mold. it’s bad for branding obviously, my range of productions is all over the place, but I rather have a good and cool track out than to have this idea, have it down on paper, and then do nothing with it. Warehouse Poetry worked out because that’s where my head was in those months. yeah I still fell in and out of love with it during it’s lifecycle but it was enough to make a good cohesive album.
⁃ How would you define your sound?
I don’t know why but «Sweaty» comes to mind. Adrenaline rushing that’s good for like workouts or underground raves at 3 or 4 in the morning. Everything Saint Velez has a good place in the time of night, Especially Warehouse poetry. But in a shorter sense, cement stomping Techno.
⁃ Can you tell us anything about your current and future projects?
I’m going to be very excited to start talking about this tour around the United States and Europe. I was very driven by the album for so long so I’m glad my team and I are clear of all album stuff and we can focus on the follow up from it. There’s a lot of love and support everywhere so I’m ready to have a very successful summer and then tucking myself away during the winter to release the next year of tracks.