There’s something immediately disarming about talking to Selim Sivade. The Marseille-raised, Berlin-based producer has spent the better part of a decade building a career in the underground across labels like Cocoon, Watergate, and Get Physical, under a handful of aliases he eventually shed in favor of his own name, and yet, he talks about making music the way someone might describe eating or breathing. Instinctive. Uncalculated. Entirely physical.
His latest release, the ‘Savage’ EP with NYC vocalist Barbara Nicole, is out now via Exit Strategy (Innervisions), and it carries that same quality: two tracks that feel less designed than discovered. The title track arrived from a night out at Tresor; ‘Disco Futuro’ from a studio session in Paris following a live show the pair played together. Both are dense, emotionally loaded, and built for rooms that are fully present.
We caught up with Selim ahead of a run of European tour dates to talk about the EP, his creative instincts, and what comes next – including new music with Radeckt, Meloko, and a forthcoming AZZUR cut called ‘Sky Is Burning.’
WWD: Hi Selim, congratulations on your latest EP! ‘Savage’ came from a night at Tresor, ‘Disco Futuro’ from a Paris studio session. How much does the moment you’re in shape affect the music you end up making?
For me, the moment doesn’t really affect what you’re gonna do in the studio. It’s a really difficult question for me because my best songs were made when I didn’t calculate anything at all – just trying to do the most instinctive track I could hear if I was the guy on the floor. I’m producing what I need as a dancer: something heavy, corny, but sexy.
WWD: This is your second collaboration with Barbara Nicole. What does she bring to your productions that you can’t get anywhere else?
Balls. She’s got more balls than everyone, and you can hear that on ‘Savage’ lyrics. To be more serious, working around vocals is really exciting for me. I love the way she manages her no-default opera voice with the skills to sing like a British 2000s R&B singer. It’s so cool, and this is why ‘Savage’ has this special vibe.
WWD: The two tracks feel like opposite moods, one dark and club-hardened, one looser and open. Do you always think in contrasts when putting a release together?
No rules. We try to say what we have to say through music in general. Honestly, my heroes – Herbie Hancock, Miles… – made their stuff using the trends of the ’60s, ‘70s, ’80s, so all I can say about “thinking” about what we’re doing is: we’re not thinking at all, we do.
WWD: You’ve released under several different aliases – Villanova, Fetnat, LKF Project – before settling on your own name. What finally made you want to make music as Selim Sivade?
Sometimes, you need to do things to know that it’s not for you. Now I’m doing things I trust 1000%.
WWD: What does an ideal Selim Sivade DJ set look like right now, and how close is it to what you’re making in the studio?
I played at Beat London last month at the beginning of my tour, and it was really like what I like in a set – taking my time before arriving at the moment when you can put intensity, and dropping old songs or new demos I’ve just made.
WWD: What’s next for you this year? Any exciting releases or announcements we should keep an eye out for?
Going back on AZZUR with a track called ‘Sky Is Burning.’ Then, I’ve got a few songs to drop – collabs with Yetmore, Radeckt, Samantha Loveridge, Meloko…Don’t know where I’m going to release them for the moment.
WWD: We can’t wait to listen to them! Thanks for the chat 🙂
The ‘Savage’ EP is available here