To the point now Sirus Hood is a French artist who grew up in Paris. From the age of 10 years old when older friends would pass him mixtapes recorded in underground clubs of the time, he imagined an amazing world, dark but with flashing colours. His music is influenced widely from classic New York House to the 80s’ Chicago Hip House movement from warehouse parties to the whole Balearic sounds of Ibiza.
His biggest tracks on the likes of Dirtybird and CUFF are great examples of what he is about. House music through and through Sirus Hood emits an infectious energy of enjoyment on the dance floor. Never one to shy away from a show to a knowing crowd, his work ethic is second to none.
We had the chance to speak with him as he’s touring the United States with music partner Sacha Robotti on a eighteen-dates tour around the country.
Electronic Groove: Hey Sirus, thanks for the time to chat with us. You’ve just finished a busy year – jetting off around the globe and releasing music on labels like Dirtybird. What was your best moment of 2016?
Sirus Hood: Thanks to you for having me. My best moment was my previous North American tour. I did fewer gigs than this year but I really loved it and I can’t wait to do it again.
EG: What started your love for music? When did you know you wanted to become a DJ?
Sirus Hood: 20 years ago, when I was still a child, older friends of mine made me listen to cassettes, with recorded club sets by local DJs. It was house music and it instantly triggered a passion within me.
Nobody gave me that initial push to become a DJ, it was a childhood dream and I pushed myself towards it. At 15, I was using patches on my computer to be able to have two mp3 players on Winamp to make little mixes. When I was 16/17, the first DJ softwares appeared. I purchased my first vinyl turntables when I was 18 from a guy in my class. That’s when it all started
EG: Tell us about your creative process in the studio – are you a morning person or do you prefer to work on music late into the night? Maybe even after the club?
Sirus Hood: Morning person? No way in hell. I’m definitely a late-night person. I usually work at night or in the afternoon. All I do is experimenting all the different sounds on my synthesizers, until I find something I like. Then I go on and on.
“My best moment was my previous North American tour”
EG: How would you describe your music to those new to Sirus Hood?
Sirus Hood: I’m better at using sounds than words. So, I would say, here, listen. But here are some adjectives that could qualify my music: house, sometimes deep, energetic, ghetto, always with a big dose of grooves.
EG: You’ve built a huge following with residencies at Sankeys Ibiza in 2014 and 2015, and a touring schedule that has taken you everywhere from Australia, Brazil and London. What’s one piece of advice would you give to up-and-coming DJs who hope to get to this level?
EG: No matter what, the focus should always be on production. You’re never too good at producing and that is what will give you bigger things later on. Be patient, hard work always pays off.
It’s important to take your time, be a perfectionist when it comes to creating music. Don’t send anything to labels unless you’re totally excited to play what you’ve produced. When the music is done, you need to select the labels that would make a difference in your career. Keep your feet on the ground.
EG: You’re heading on a North American tour with Sacha Robotti in February. How did you guys get to know each other? What will it be like having Sacha as your travel buddy?
Sirus Hood: My American agent Chad introduced us, and said that it would be a good idea to tour together since we are both Dirtybird’s artists and that we complete each other in a way (We also both speak French so that’s a plus). Now we are releasing an EP together for this tour, and we are good friends.
EG: Which club and/or city are you looking forward to playing the most?
Sirus Hood: We will be going to 18 different cities during a month and a half. I’m looking forward to playing again in Bang Bang, San Diego and La Cave in Orange County, next to Los Angeles. I’m also looking forward to going to Las Vegas, I’ve always wanted to go there.
EG: What can your American fans expect from you set this February? Any surprises or new tunes?
Sirus Hood: I think fans should come open minded and ready to discover new things including my next releases, and some projects that I’m testing out instead of my big hits.
EG: When you’re not behind the booth, what’s your favorite downtime activity to do on tour?
Sirus Hood: I’m a primitive guy, I like to eat and sleep 🙂 Other than that, when I have the time, I like to just walk around and discover the city I’d be in, going to vinyl shops, local restaurants, the beach if there is, cycling around, etc.
EG: What are your top 2 records to end a set with and why?
Sirus Hood: Sometimes I finish my set with a big hit of mine. But most of the time, I finish it with something classic, like ‘If only I could feat Steve Lucas (Liem Remix)’ from Fusion Groove Orchestra. And since a few weeks, I’ve been playing a huge melodic banger of mine called ‘Serenade’, coming out on the end of March in Ki Creighton’s label, Under No Illusion.
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