In the Booth with Frankey & Sandrino

Frankey & Sandrino were the first international guests we invited to our basement after we called in 2017, and stand amongst the most beguiling experiences we’ve had at Jæger. It’s always better when the DJs enjoy being there as much as we enjoy having them, and when Frankey & Sandrino stopped by, fully engaged in the sound and the atmosphere it certainly expounded on the concise whole-hearted mix they delivered one Friday night in January.

Frankey & Sandrino left a severe impression, both in the abstract and in the literal when they allowed us to record their set on the night, giving it just enough time to gestate, before sharing it with our readers/listeners. Tracks from their newly established Sum over Histories label as well as a remix of “Hydrae” feature in a mix that never abandons the singular artistic voice that really defines their selections.

We wanted to find out more about what determines their sound in the booth and Frankey & Sandrino obliged with a Q&A session – something to read while we listen back to their time in the booth with us.

Hey Guys thanks for letting us ask you some questions. Did you enjoy your time with us?

Sandrino: Hey! Yes, we totally did. honestly I was very excited before as I had heard only good things about the venue ( playtime was even too short).

Frankey: Oh yes, we had an awesome time. I always liked Oslo as a City and the energy of the people there. To be invited to a place like Jaeger, where you already hear so many good things in advance, was very exciting.

We’ve had some time now to revisit your set from the night here in the office. It’s a very concise and esoteric selection. Was there any particular theme you wanted to capture on the night?

S: Esoteric is good. Every single track I choose to play out has some kind of transported emotion and we try to put them together to get a whole story out of it… sometimes it works, sometimes not… so there are many factors that play a role here. But we’re happy that the Jaeger crowd was open and ready to go with us.

There’s a distinct mood to the set. How would you put that mood into words?

S: I really try not to use too many words on the music itself as I think this is up to everyone’s own interpretation.

Do you ever leave a place inspired by your set there, which might affect a new piece of original music from you?

F: Honestly, it can happen, that I leave a place that inspired me to create something new, but that’s usually only the case if I find myself on the dance floor, not behind the booth.

S: If the sound is just perfect and we try a new track from our own catalogue, it helps a lot to capture the right feeling – trying to determine if there’s something missing or whether it sounds like what we intended in the studio. So also at Jæger, we really enjoyed listening to some new productions we hadn’t heard loud before …

Did your set at Jæger inspire anything in some of the sets that followed?

S: Not really the sets, but because we were spoiled with the sound at Jæger (and I’m a nerd too),  I’m complaining more now if something is not how I would like to have it.

I imagine tracks from your new label “sum over histories” has started to creep into your sets too, and will probably make more of a considerable impact as it evolves. Was there some tracks from the label in this set and what was the initial ideas behind the label?

S: Yes, we played the new Lazaros Ep, in particular the song Under the Sun. The label is a platform for our own music and those of our friends. Lazaros is a long-time friend of mine and we also share a common taste of music so it’s just logical that he’s a core member here. And of course he´s a great producer and DJ.

Will Frankey & Sandrino make an appearance on the label soon?

S: We’re about to finish a new Ep which will be out on Sum Over Histories.

F: We don’t want to reveal too much, but yes, there’s a Frankey & Sandrino EP for SOH in the oven…

I heard “Hydrae” (or at least a remix of it) in your mix. That was your last release and it came via Kompakt. It’s definitely a Frankey & Sandrino track, and very much features that mood I talked about in your set too. Is there a sonic aesthetic that you particularly try to achieve in the studio?

F: There is a sonic aesthetic that we’re trying to achieve, but it’s pretty hard to put this in to words. All I can say is, that we are very selective and careful in our sound selection. A sound, that’s just ok for us will never end up in a track. Same goes for the rhythmic elements and groove. The melodic- and harmonic part on the other hand, is very intuitive, as I usually just press record and play what I feel in this specific moment without overthinking it. Even after discussing and re-recording these parts, we often end up using the first take. It can be hard to go back to the pureness of a first take.

S: Acamar for example, the melody in the break is the first take.

How do you believe your sound has evolved from Wandering to Hydrae?

S: We really try to evolve our sound from production to production! So hopefully you can hear that too.

And last question, where do you think that sound will take you next and what’s in store for 2017 for Frankey & Sandrino and “sum over histories”?

S: I like the surprise in the studio so who really knows. For now we’re working on the new EP for our label and then writing more new music.

We also have a Remix for Oxia´s Domino in the pipeline which will see daylight on Agoria’s new label with great remixes by Robag Wruhme & Matador.