Music that shaped Christophe Salin’s sound

Ever since his first exposure to House music in the 90s, Salin has thrown himself into producing, DJing and all facets of hardware discovery. His initial work on white labels and edits blossomed into the formation of Salin Records, which he has used as an outlet for his recent creative expressions. His sound is firmly established in house traditions, with expert groove lines and melodic sequences being utilized to full effect, but it is his love of equipment which has continued to fuel his desire to explore his sound to the fullest. His tunes are fun, fresh and emotive, bringing together the very best of the genre, with his own personal twist on things riding front and centre throughout his enriching discography.

After the new release of his LP ‘Ocean & Cliffs’ Christophe talk’s us through some records that helped shaped his sound we hear today…

Superfunk & Ron Carroll - Lucky Star ‍

‍If I go back to the very beginning of my musical path, there was this decisive moment when I heard house music for the first time. I come from a small town in the north of Germany and was born in 1985. In the late 90s/early 2000s, all my friends and schoolmates were either listening to hip hop, rock or techno/trance. I've always been open to all styles of music, but I couldn't really find myself in any of these genres. Techno was the closest. So I went to my local music shop and bought a compilation from Kontor, a label based in Hamburg. The compilation consisted of 2 CDs. CD1 was a techno/trance DJ mix, I think by ATB (who was very popular at the time). When I put CD2 in the CD player, I heard ‘Lucky Star’. Spiller (‘Groovejet’) contributed a DJ mix to the compilation and that was one of the first encounters with house music that I can remember and that has stayed with me to this day. This mix changed my life. I was head over heels in love with house music and I still am today.

Ian Pooley - 900 Degrees‍

Back then, Kontor was not only a label but also a club in Hamburg that was very popular. In the early 2000s, you couldn't just google or read blog posts to find out more about a topic. The CD booklet of the compilation I mentioned was my first introduction to club culture at that time. I was completely fascinated by the photographs in the booklet and had to somehow manage to get into this club. And at the age of 16, I actually managed to get the bouncer ‘Theo’ to let me in. I remember that Daft Punk ‘One More Time’ was the hit of the night and the DJ (Markus Gardeweg) played the track several times. My highlight though, and it really was like an awakening, was Ian Pooley's ‘900 Degrees’. I'll never forget what this track did to me when I heard it on the sound system in the club. This track will stay with me forever.

Tom Ellis - Not Any More

‍A few years later, I moved to Hamburg to study sound engineering at the SAE Institute. Back then, I had already produced a few songs with my best friend using Reason and Logic (DAW) on my first laptop and first midi keyboard. Mainly bootlegs/mashups. In fact, our stuff was even pressed on vinyl and sold quite well. However, we weren't satisfied with the sound quality and wanted to learn the craft of sound engineering so that our own productions would sound better. During my studies, I came across really good techno / minimal music for the first time through a fellow student. Until then, I had always thought of techno as the music that was played on the big floors, while the house community met in the cellars or smaller floors. Phillip, as our fellow student was called, played me a lot of records in his living room and got me excited about the clarity and structure of techno. This music was so different to the mostly disco-based house tracks that were in my record cabinet. I chose Tom Ellis as an example, even though this EP is much newer. I think he has created a masterpiece of sound structure with his ‘The Colour Red EP’.

Pablo Bolivar - Cuenta Cuentos

Pablo's ‘Anjanas’ album was also groundbreaking. A friend had opened a clothes shop with a small CD/vinyl department in Hamburg at the time. He had recommended this album to me and was sure that I would like the sound. He was right. I think you can still hear clear influences from Pablo's 2006 album on my album ‘Ocean & Cliffs’. 

Stimming - Prepare

‍My music is rooted in both house and techno. It's the symbiosis of these two worlds that I find interesting. I love the warmth and positive vibe of house music, but also the architecture / structure / clarity of techno. Martin Stimming is a great role model for me when it comes to sound structures. I like the grip of his sounds and that everything has its intended place. I took part in some of his video courses (masterclasses) and learnt a lot from him, including the fact that not everything is always planned, even if it sounds like it is (...hahaha). The joy of working in the studio must remain in the foreground. If it becomes too head-driven, the music is sterile and emotionless. It's not easy to create tidy but moving music.

DJ Koze - Nices Wölkchen‍

Pretty much everything DJ Koze has released I find inspiring, not just his own tracks but also his remixes and DJ mixes (like his latest mix for NTS Radio). There are a few artists that I keep coming back to and rediscovering. The album ‘Amygdala’ was (and still is) horizon-expanding for me. The way Koze deals with sounds, twisting or developing them, is simply marvelously creative. Although his sound is not exactly minimalist, his tracks are very clearly structured and every sound seems to sit exactly where it belongs. Warm, clear, powerful, emotional, mesmerising - for me one of the greatest artists!

Four Tet - Loved‍

I think that every artist, not just musicians, knows those moments when you think you are completely incapable and talentless. A few days ago, I had exactly this moment again when I was listening to Four Tet's album ‘Three’. Luckily, shortly afterwards I came across some interviews on YouTube in which Kieran Hebden gives an insight into his production process. A lot of things simply come about by chance or with the help of ‘randomiser plugins’. The basis for his sounds are mostly presets. His secret, in addition to being a great arranger, is the joy of producing. Producing music should not be too head-driven - that always seems to be the answer. 

Prince - Call My Name

I confess that I am an absolute Prince fan. For me, Prince is one of the greatest artists there ever was, and probably ever will be. What an exceptional talent. ‘Musicology’ is one of my favourite albums and I will probably never get enough of it.

Marcos Valle - Bicicleta

While choosing the songs for this interview, I realised that I definitely need to work on being less head-driven and enjoying making music more (which I luckily managed to do while developing ideas for my album tracks on Lanzarote - a magical place). And that reminds me of how impressed I was with Marcos Valle when I saw him live in a small music club in Hamburg a few weeks ago. Marcos is 81 years old. When he comes on stage, he fills the room with his wonderful, positive aura. I will never forget that evening. Bicicleta was one of the hits of the night.

Buy/Listen to Ocean & Cliffs LP here