From the wild, wild west

Sharam — formerly known as the half of Deep Dish — is now a solo DJ in the US making it big with his long-awaited debut album “Get Wild,” which is scheduled to launch worldwide this summer including the Philippines under Activ8 records. With this release, revered electronic music trendsetter Sharam makes his boldest studio statement yet. Embracing collaborations with everyone from Kid Cudi and Tommy Lee to Diddy and Daniel Bedingfield, Sharam has shown the ability to draw from a vast talent pool.

He’s always believed in moving forward, Whether it’s the way he spins or remixes songs to the way he produces, there has to be a constant forward motion. That is one of the reasons why we have witnessed a massive change in his style, and this album shows his philosophy us to do something different without losing sight of what he has been known for, making “Get Wild” the album that it is. The crowd is always looking for something new and different from any artist, someone capable of pushing the boundaries of dance music and taking the clubbing scene on an entertaining musical ride.

A full 22 solely produced tracks on the album “Get Wild: shows the full spectrum of dance music. There’s the major track She Came Along, which meshes elements of Patsy Cline’s legendary country song Strange with vocals by hip-hop sensation Kid Cudi. This is really, really innovative. I have listened to the track myself and I totally believe it’s something different from what we listen to nowadays and by “different” I mean entertainingly different. The end result is a masterpiece already being hailed as one of the most uniquely infectious genre-bending songs of 2009 in Mixmag, Vibe magazine and other publications, lifting Sharam to the upper echelon of producers including Kanye West.

Here’s a Q&A session with Sharam conducted via e-mail:

PHILIPPINE STAR: What would be the coolest thing you have in your house collection?

SHARAM: I would say it’s my home theater combined with fantastic reclining chairs. I would have wanted to put in a popcorn machine but on a second thought, it could be very messy.

What is the best record ever made in the history of music?

Well, aside from the “Get Wild” album (smiley face) I would have to say “Thriller” by MJ. I haven’t heard any top hit record that has matched it so far.

What is the worst thing could happen to you in a club?

Two major things. One is a full blast of neon lights, and the second is requests from un-cool people who crash into the DJ booth.

What was your first job before breaking into dance music?

I started as a cashier in a fast-food chain near my school so I often smelled fries and I hated it.

 What is the lamest move you ever did?

I shaved my beard, and I went into a club in Canada and no one recognized me, even one of the promoter’s assistant thought I was the tour manager of Sharam. So this will never happen again. If I shave it off, I will be gone from the music scene.

When will we see you in Manila again?

You guys have to tell me, I’m always looking forward to going back to Manila.

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There you go, that was our exclusive interview with Sharam two weeks ago. His broad creative scope has earned him a number of international Top 20 hits, like PATT (Party All The Time) which was in the UK Top 10 for three straight weeks, the Top 20 for eight weeks and the Top 40 for a total of 16 weeks, followed by The One which featured UK pop fixture Daniel Bedingfield and went on to capture the Top 20 spot all around Europe.

If it isn’t clear enough on a track-by-track basis, “Get Wild” as a whole album is underpinned by a Western touch. From the atmospheric bookends of The Wild Theme and Once Upon A Time In The West to the aforementioned She Came Along, ending with the extraordinary artwork that finds the multi-faceted Sharam dressed in outlaw cowboy gear and clutching a smoking pistol — this project has big presence, and great club potential. We will wait and see when it’s released.

Now if you are geared up for the Halloween season, there’s nothing else to say but put on your best costume and head to A-Venue Makati city, for the biggest and longest running costume party: The Cream Halloween Ball will be storming Manila on Oct. 30 Friday, with no less than Big Sky artists Agnelli & Nelson.

Call the Big Fish office at 634-8238 /632-7762 for your advance tickets and VIP reservation, and the news of that night is Nokia will be awarding you with a brand new 5530 XpressMusic phone if you’re in a winning costume.

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For comments and suggestions feel free to e-mail me at rickydaker@gmail.com.

“Beat Generation” is the only column that features the electronica scene, DJ interviews, CD reviews, parties and events around the world, exclusively in Philippine STAR’s “YS” section every Friday.