Disconnected Podcast 029: Casual Encounters
Shawn from Casual Encounters talks labels, releases and does us a lovely mix.
Hi there chaps, hows tricks?
Hey! We’re doing great, just unwinding on the weekend and working on some new music.
Thanks for the mix, loving it! Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
We’re the duo Casual Encounters, which consists of Shawn Mac and Chas Bronz. We’ve been producing together for about two years now. We produce House, Deep House, Disco, French House, and Funk. Besides being a duo, I myself (Shawn Mac) am the Co-Owner of Skycreaker and Relux Rimini, and Chas being part of projects such as Graceful Exit on DFA and Transatlantic Disco Alliance on Nang.
What’s your background in music?
Chas has a large musical background. He’s been playing guitar and bass for about 15 years now, and also has a dual degree in both audio engineering and music synthesis from Berklee School of Music in Boston. I personally don’t have any musical training, but have been an avid follower of the dance music and house scene for about the past ten years, so slowly built up an idea and experience about music over the years.
How did you come to work together?
I had first heard about Chas through his project Long Distance Analog, and through mutual friend Sare Havlicek and had gotten in touch with him about signing him to the label I Co-owned at the time, SpaceWalker Recordings. Over a period of time our friendship grew and we were on the same page, so we decided to give working together a shot. We instantly connected on a musical level, and within the first few days had written our first track which became our first single, No Limits.
Since then we haven’t been looking back and strive to keep moving forward and take our music to the highest and mature quality as possible.
So, Casual Encounters, sexy name…
Haha we get asked a lot about our name, which is quite a funny story. We all know the normal meaning of a Casual Encounter (Or have experienced one haha), but there’s also a double meaning to it. We wanted to keep a name that was funny, yet also wanted to have a deeper meaning to our project. We both met online, and to this day have not met, even though we’ve written countless tracks and remixes together, as well as our soon to be completed LP, so in a way it was a Casual Encounter. We’ll actually be meeting soon to work on music together and to DJ at various events.
Wow, you’ve never met in person, so how does the production process work?
It’s quite an interesting and fun process actually! For remixes, we both work on separate remix ideas. The funny thing is we even use different DAW’s, myself using Ableton Live and Chas using Logic. We combine the ideas we like together through making parts, and from that, then arrange and mix down the track. It’s a technique we enjoy very much, as we get two different aspects and vibes to a remix, and combining our ideas together from totally different ideas creates something which is unique yet fresh. As for originals, we just lay out ideas and build on them together.
After working together for two years now, working like this is something that doesn’t phase us anymore, but has become a way of doing what we love to do together from a distance. After all, music has no barriers!
Casual Encounters & ODahl – I Don’t Know (Original Mix) by Casual Encounters
You’re involved in a few labels, can you tell us what you have got going on?
I (Shawn) had been really into the idea of starting a label, and having the ability and power to help artists who are new on the scene really get some pull in the market. My first label project was SpaceWalker Recordings which I founded with my close friend Szilard Prech (Holic). It was a great experience as we released many artists that are very recognizable now like Toomy Disco, Honom, Sare Havlicek, Claes Rosen, Dana Bergquist & Peder G, and many more.
At the moment, I am running two labels, Skycreaker and Relux Rimini. Both labels I run together with vetran Mike Salta, who’s been on the dance music scene for the past 20 years. It’s a great honor to work with him, as his experience and knowledge has really enlightened me, and together we can hopefully build a collective of artists that are strong and push the barriers of our scene ahead. At the moment, we’ve had artists on board like Lord of the Isles, Sare Havlicek, Rayko, Ilya Santa, ourselves, and more, so hopefully you’ll be hearing some special fresh new release from our labels soon.
Also, my partner, Chas Bronz has been finishing up his follow up records for Graceful Exit, Trans-Atlantic Disco Alliance, and also has a Solo Record in the works, so keep your ears peeled!
Salta & Roma – We Love Computers (Casual Encounters Remix) [Preview] by Casual Encounters
What’s lined up for the next few release?
We’ve got quite a few things that are cooking in the oven. This month we have an EP coming out with fellow producer and friend from Sweden, Honom. The EP will be released on our friend Phunktastike’s label Spirit Soul, and will have two originals from us, as well as remixes from the mighty Silver City, Phunktastike, and more.
We’ve also finished up remixes for Penguin Prison and Patrick Alavi, both which will hopefully be out soon!
So, on to the mix, can you describe it?
This mix was a bit different from what we normally do. Most people tend to have a standard mix, where it builds up nice and slowly. For this mix we decided to make it sort of like a roller coaster ride, where it builds up and down, through different styles like House, Disco, Balearic, and Deep House. Who doesn’t like roller coasters?!
Anything in particular we should be listening out for?
Some of the producers we’ve really been feeling are Casino Times, Honom, Ejeca, Phunktastike, Rotciv, The Beat Broker, Dublin Aunts, and Daniel Lucas. We highly recommend you check these guys out if you haven’t already!
Subscribe to the Disconnected Podcast
In order to subscribe you have the following options:
You can also find the podcast by searching for Disconnected in the iTunes podcast directory. If you need any help or if you have any problems please let us know.
This entry was posted in Podcasts. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to Disconnected Podcast 029: Casual Encounters
-
admin says:
Hey Nick..
I just dug this out of my emails:
01. Zoo Look – Stab Game [Tusk Wax]
02. Casual Encounters & Honom – Giovanni’s Way (Silver City Remix) [Spirit Soul]
03. The Beat Broker – Pacific Break – [Adult Contemporary]
04. Ejeca – Tetra [Tusk Wax]
05. James Curd Pres. Ziggy Franklin – Alien (Poolside Dub) [Greenskeepers US]
06. Jarrier Modrow – Sunny Sunday
07. Gazeebo – Hyperspace Hotmix (Rotciv Dream Disco Mix) [Gazeebo International]
08. Ilya Santa – Infamous Lovers (Telonius Remix) [La Belle Records]
Leave a Reply
Site by studioname & Edward Lewis
© Disconnected 2010 - 2024
Can we PLEASE have a track list? Need to know what the first and second tracks are.