Exclusive : 5 Questions with SAW.RECORDINGS HECTOR ROMERO

SAW.RECORDINGS label partner Hector Romero steps up to the decks to deliver Undulation 3. The album features tracks by Chab, Luciano Pizzella, Jim Rivers, Audiofly, Spencer Parker & Diesel, Satoshi Tomiie and Tomoki & Nono. Hector is known for his eclectic and well-rounded style of mixing house music.  He can play a set of vocals, a set of tech house and fuse it together seamlessly. He proves it on Undulation 3. SAW.RECORDINGS has an abundance of amazing tracks that our community of DJ's love and support," says Hector. "My goal in compiling this album was to take these tracks and fuse them together. With Undulation 3, the listener will experience my vision of a night on the dance floor." Undulation 3 is available now on Beatport.com

Tell us about Undulation 3. We know the album features tracks by Chab, Audiofly, Spencer Parker& Diesel, Satoshi Tomiie and Tomoki & Nono.  But what makes this album stand out? What makes it special?

Not sure about what makes this album special - I won't over hype it but I can tell you that each individual track is well produced and is basically at the forefront of contemporary tech house.  All the names listed above are cutting edge producers that have laid the foundations of tech house such as Diesel from X-Press 2, Audiofly & Satoshi to new comers such as Luciano Pizzella and Tomoki & Nono.  At Saw we've always strived to have break out artist - even from our early days with artists such as Gabriel & Dresden, Rino Cerrone, Chab, Nathan Fake & Guy Gerber.... all these artist started with Saw and have continued to stay at the top of their game.  So a lot of the music on the album comes from new producers that we feel will be around and contributing to electronic music for years to come.

You are one of the few DJs in the world who doesn't make records, yet you are one of the most sought out DJs to book….
This is almost unheard of in today’s age. What does this mean to you?

Simply - it means the world to me.  I consider myself the DJ's DJ. I don't have a problem with producers turned DJ's but I have a problem when I know that they get into it just for the money. There are a ton of amazing DJ's that don't produce music and never really get the shot to play out live to large audiences.  It's really a shame cause then you have a producer that has created the latest big hit and gets booking from here to infinity and really can't hold down a crowd when put in front of a live situation. It's a great feeling to know that promoters and clubs around the world want to book me because they know they're gonna get quality music from a true professional DJ - and I say this with pride and not to toot my own horn.  I take great pride in my work.  I'm constantly preparing and I don't mean by practicing like when I was a teenager - but by listening and studying my music. I don't just rely on promos that are sent to me  - I shop religiously online every week.  I use Traktor Scratch Pro now so I spend a great deal making sure the program is running efficiently and I make sure I have burn back up CDs in case my computer ever decides to crash on me. Basically a lot work goes into making sure everything is top form for the next gig.

How did Asia tour go? Care to share any personal experiences or highlights?

Although I was on the road for the 3 1/2 week tour by myself I was really well taken care of.  The promoters I worked for have great reputations and are pure professionals.  Aside from the music side of the tour my biggest high light was going to the Tokyo Dome during the World Baseball Classic 2009.  I went to the Japan Vs Korea game, which Japan unfortunately lost, but ironically both teams faced each other yet again in the finals where Japan defeated Korea and became the reigning champions for the 2nd consecutive time!  This was one of my all time top 10 experiences during my DJ career.  And musically I was surprised how amazing Korea and Hong Kong clubbing was.  Both events had world-class sound systems that just made DJing all the more enjoyable.  And returning to Zouk nightclub in Malaysia was out of this world.  A big thank you to Lincoln the owner and Chris the director for making me feel at home. I truly loved playing Zouk and I can see why this is a fav destination for DJ's around the world.  And finally the food!  WOW did I eat well. The sushi in Japan is.. well you can imagine. Breakfast at Tsukiji Market (One of the world's top fish markets) is a most for anyone that visits Tokyo. The Szechuan cuisine in Hong Kong was classic. I love spicy food and they know how to spice it!  And Chicken feet in Singapore is an acquired taste but not bad at all!

Tell us about the evolution of SAW as a global brand
and where you are today.

SAW.RECORDINGS is in its 9th and most difficult year of operation. Difficult because it's so much harder to make money in this business, but Satoshi and I remain optimistic because we know it's still possible to make a hit  - DIFFICULT but yet possible. This is what keeps us going.  We're one year into our quarterly residency at Air Night Club Japan. As a matter of fact during my Asian tour I played the one-year anniversary, which was amazing. Basically Air asked us to host this event so we could show case talent on Saw and the response has been amazing.  In Italy we have a strong presence and we're reaching into Eastern Europe more and more - places like Bulgaria and Romania love the Saw sound and we're tapping into that market by working with up and coming talent.

Famous Last words?
Love your craft.

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