Published in the March 2007 issue of DJ Times Magazine
Volume 20 - Number 3
By Emily Tan

     Dennis Ferrer claims that clubland’s current deep-house scene lacks the quality of the early decade. But lovers of the genre know that it’s not because of Ferrer. No, Ferrer has been a consistent contributor with gems like 2003’s “Sandcastles” (a collab with Jerome Sydenham) and his 2005 remix of Blaze’s Barbara Tucker-fronted neo-classic “Most Precious Love.”
     And now he’s released a rousing full-length debut, The World As I See It (King Street/Defected). Featuring hands-in-the-air movers like “The Church Lady” and tough grooves like “Underground Is My Home,” Ferrer’s latest displays a winning mixture of production and songwriting chops. DJ Times recently caught up with the New Jersey-based DJ/producer.

DJ Times: You were a software programmer; that must help plenty in music production.
Ferrer: Yes, I wrote all of the internal auditing programs for a huge insurance company. I’m a total gearhead. I engineer and mix everything myself. It took many years to learn that. There’s a science to mixing records, recording records and writing songs. You have to learn each art. For example, when mixing down a record, you have to leave a good enough level, but not too much, for a mastering engineer. A lot of people make the mistake of leaving zero dB, so the mastering engineer has no room—and their records suck.

DJ Times: Tell me about your home studio and how you get your deep, soulful sound.
Ferrer: I spent the money on all high-quality gear. If you want a Picasso, you have to pay for a Picasso. It’s more about the way I choose my sounds. I’m almost all-virtual in the studio except for a few keyboards. I use [Steinberg] Nuendo as my sequencer. You have to have high-quality mic-pre’s and mic-outs going into your sequencer—that makes a huge difference in your sound. But I wouldn’t say there’s anything that really defines me.

DJ Times: What studio gear is vital for you?
Ferrer: I love using my Neve 1064, my mic-pre’s—they give a phenomenal sound. I use the Soundelux E47 as our mic, and a good ol’ Shure SM7, which is used for vocals on “Underground Is My Home.” As for synths, I use a plug-in called EVE [Electronic Vintage Ensemble] that’s PC-based, which is a really good plug-in. I also use the generic Arturia stuff, like Prophet V, Minimoog V and the Oddity.

DJ Times: How long have you been a producer and a DJ?
Ferrer: I’ve been a producer for 17 years, but only been DJing for six. When you’re a producer, you’re not making music for a crowd. When you play out, it’s a totally different feel because you see the reaction of the crowd and you become a much better producer. I’m much more aware on my records now that I’m DJing.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ booth setup at the moment?
Ferrer: My whole DJ setup is laptop-based. I use the CDJ-1000s to control the laptop. I have time-coded Virtual DJ CDs. It’s the same principle as Serato Scratch LIVE. I use time-coded CDs to control my laptop when I play out. I’ve had some nightmares with laptops, but I still decide to use them because they’re fun. How else can I have at my disposal 10,000 records, all at my fingertips at any moment in time? Also, it gives me more creativity—I can loop certain points and do tricks. I’m not one of those DJs who just looks at his decks—I like to dance and jump around.

DJ Times: Are you more comfortable as a producer or a DJ?
Ferrer: A producer. DJing is something I love to do, but it’s something I need to do to make me a better producer. I love DJing, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing like it! I just played in Toronto at 99 Sudbury and the ceilings were dripping, it was so incredible that night. I was headlining and every record I threw on they absolutely knew. It was great. I don’t play everything current, you know. I go through history.

DJ Times: Are there producers you feel particularly inspired by today?
Ferrer: A handful, like Osunlade. Louie Vega is still amazing to me, Kenny Dope. Whenever Blaze does something, it’s amazing. Martin Buttrich and Loco Dice are pretty interesting on the techy side, but I’m going back to the soulful side of things because techy has become oversaturated right now.

DJ Times: There’s a very uplifting gospel element to some of your music, particularly on “Church Lady.” How has gospel influenced you as a producer?
Ferrer: Every genre has had an influence on me. Some people ask if I’m spiritual. I’m not religious, but I have an uncanny ability to write these songs. I have the ability to get outside of myself. Gospel has had a big influence on my life: the chords, the soulfulness, the feel of it. My early forays into electronic music also shaped me. That’s my whole theory—I don’t want you to know what a new Dennis Ferrer record’s gonna sound like.