SAMDMA.
The art of
letting go.
A track that changes once more. Ideas with Umek. And the moment when music has to leave the studio.
A beginning that changes.
SAMDMA comes from Vienna, has been making music since 2010 and plays several instruments. Moving between studio and stage involves a succession of decisions — and sometimes a fresh start. ‘Hypnosis’ offers a way into that process: a track whose first finished version was not the final word.
Thinking back to the making of “Hypnosis”, what came first — a sound, a rhythm or a particular mood?
The first version of “Hypnosis” was actually a driving techno track at 138 BPM with a rolling bassline. It was only slowed down once the track was finished. In the process, the entire “foundation” of the track was rebuilt. Umek and I worked on ideas together, and that ultimately became the final version.
The new tempo changes the foundations. But SAMDMA’s account also raises a smaller, equally consequential question: which sound gets to stay? The supersaws reveal that revising a track does not always mean pulling back its most conspicuous element.
Was there a moment when you almost discarded an idea that later turned out to be important to the track?
My basic approach is this: if I don’t like a sound or a section of a track, I rework it straight away. At first, I was unsure about the aggressive supersaws in the track because they have a very commercial character. But in the end, that was exactly the sound the track needed.
Those decisions sit within a longer release history. SAMDMA’s path includes Set About Music, Codex Recordings and Mainground Music. ‘Hypnosis’ takes us to 1605 — and to Umek, whose name has already surfaced in the story of its making. Asked about the label, Sam answers in terms of a personal connection.
How did your connection with 1605 come about, and how did “Hypnosis” end up being released there?
Umek and I are good friends, and “Hypnosis” is my fifth track to be released on 1605.
On stage, the work from the studio meets an audience. For SAMDMA, playing his dark, driving sound also means hearing it afresh. Distance from a track does not seem to put his doubts to rest. It can make him notice details he would still like to change.
You also spend time behind the decks. Was there a night that made you go home wanting to do something differently in the studio?
That’s a tough question. Yes — during every show, I keep hearing tiny details in my tracks that I’d like to change, or wish I’d done differently. The only real way to release music consistently is to let go of perfectionism.
The conversation moves from the finished track to what continues after release: shows, reactions and encounters. Asked about a formative connection in Vienna, Sam does not single out a name. He talks about his approach to the people he meets.
Looking back at your path through the Viennese scene, which encounter has helped you move forward the most?
You get back what you put out. I try to stay professional in every encounter, but I often don’t take life too seriously either. I think every encounter with my fans helps me move forward.
SAMDMA
