Serge Santiago History

Serge Santiago on producing: “I started producing because I was
clubbing so much and wanted some involvement, so, using my old computer
I started to teach myself how to write beats. From there I must’ve
written about 50 to 100 half tracks before I finished one… And that one
was a track called ‘Push it’ (using a sample from the Salt n’Peppa
track). It’s funny, listening back now I can hear myself learning
within the track; it’s great! Anyway we decided it was a classic
‘Stompa Phunk’ sounding record so ‘Push it’ was released 1999 on Stompa
Phunk.
After releasing ‘Push It’ in 1999, Santiago started DJing also…
Serge Santiago on DJing: “DJing was the natural progression from
producing; I made music so I wanted to play it out, and that’s why I
became resident of Stompa Phunk. I partied there, I produced for them
and this was the nest step. First I started playing Disco in local pubs
in Brighton, there was no major moment in time of me seeing a famous DJ
and going wow, I wanna copy him... I was on the Dole and needed a job
that didn’t involve working in Co-op or Boots. I’ve never been a
follower, I like to do things my way and work things out I my own time.
Through being resident for Stompa Phunk’s Brighton based club-night,
Santiago’s reputation spread and he began being booked throughout the
rest of Europe, whilst still producing and releasing tracks including
‘Impendence’ and ‘Come On’ on the Stompa Phunk imprint. In 2003 he
hooked up with Matt Edwards and formed Radio Slave. The duo fast became
sought after re-touchers, responsible for re-editing Kylie, White
Stripes and Justin Timberlake, amongst others. Santiago, after over 15
edits under the Radio Slave moniker, split in 2005, started his
coloured edit series – the first being Advance ‘Take me to the Top’ and
‘My Mine’ Hypnotic Tango’ (pink releases) - and formed label Arcobaleno
to house his own productions.
Now, Santiago regularly plays throughout London, Europe, Australia and
has a residency at We Love in Ibiza also mixing the first ever We Love
compilation, alongside Riton...