Metronome #084: Vanilla Ace

Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

The name Vanilla Ace has popped up in the Beatport charts enough times to raise suspicions that the unassuming hit-making machine was built without an off button. Sam Young, the London-based man behind the music, has enjoyed unsurpassable success through a steady flow of releases that are typically hard to pinpoint. He’s a tough one to crack—mostly because he likes to keep his sound on a swivel, seamlessly rotating between house, tech, disco, G-house, deep house, and any of the other four-four influences you can possibly think of. When the recording sign goes up, anything is fair game in Ace’s mind.

With an imaginative approach to producing and a seemingly endless source of samples, his discog has grown to include appearances on labels such as Bunny Tiger, Suara, Nurvous, Simma Black and more. He’s currently riding high on some new work he placed on Club Sweat! with “The Gee,” and the Night Steppin EP he recently issued, which contained this TOTD nugget of gold we premiered last month. But we’ve seen what he can do in the studio, so it felt like the right time to get a feel for the fire he creates behind the decks.

Vanilla Ace crushes his Metronome mix with new bits of his own, as well as material he has been digging a whole bunch recently. We’re feeling them, too—but that should go without saying, since we have nothing but trust in Young and his impeccable ear.

“The Gee” has been killing the charts—which is nothing new, considering you’ve been a best-seller on Beatport for the last two years. Do you pay more attention to record sales or crowd reactions?
“The Gee” has done really well—really happy to see fellow DJs and producers dig it. I’m not bothered about record sales. If something does well, then great, but I prefer to pay attention to the crowd during a gig any day.

Does landing in the charts regularly create more confidence or pressure to stay there? Or is it a combination of the two?
I feel you have to make tracks you like. I’ve had loads of music not chart or do well, but the reactions on the dancefloor are great. “The Gee” went to the top of Beatport without any Radio 1 support, which says a lot, but I made it for fun, and DJs liked it. A lot of producers make tracks thinking of the chart and commercial success; that’s a fast route to selling out your sound and style.

The Night Stepping US Tour just wrapped up. What’s the first thing you look forward to doing when a tour comes to a close?
I look forward to being back home in London in my own bed, seeing my friends and family, and just my home comforts. Also, I have a lot of great local restaurants in my area, so always look forward to eating at them again.

What’s your idea of a perfect day off?
My perfect day off would be waking up around 10:30 am. I would then spend the afternoon in a great theme park or water park (I like my adrenaline rushes), and then I would head out for a great dinner and finish it off with a funny movie.

With the insane frequency of your output, it seems like downtime is more of a luxury these days. How do you keep a steady creative flow going? Are there times when you can’t help but feel uninspired?
I’m constantly writing notes down of track ideas and samples. I have a huge record collection from back in the day, so I always find inspiration there. Arguing with myself [about] what to work on next is the only time I feel stuck, haha.

Your music has fallen into the hands of an impressive number of labels in the past. With your A&R experience, what’s stopping you from launching your own imprint?
A little known fact about me is that I used to do A&R back in the day in London. I signed Kasabian—one of Europe’s biggest rock bands—to BMG back in 2001. After that, I DJed full-time, seven days a week, for over 10 years. I started messing around with music in 2005, released a few bits on my own label (Nod Factor), but nothing really happened.

I didn’t take it seriously, as I was DJing so much. Vanilla Ace came about from me wanting to be anonymous and having the freedom to do what I liked without judgment. So, to answer your question, yes, I could resurrect Nod Factor or start something fresh… who knows.

Hypothetically speaking, which artists would you want to sign, and why?
If I did a label again, I would just focus on good house music of all genres. It would have to be something I would play in my sets. So, artists I would sign would be:

Chad Tyson—He’s an old friend of mine, but he doesn’t know how good he is. With some direction and push, he could be big.
Barber—Barber and I have collaborated on a number of tracks over the years, and he’s released some great solo material, as well. I would defiantly sign some stuff from him.
Martin Ikin—A fellow W10 Londoner, he lives near me. I play a lot of his tracks in my set, so having him on the label would be a no-brainer.
Dharkfunkh—He’s another fellow collaborator who I have done many tracks with. With the right tracks and good promo, he could go far. He has an awesome live set.
Armand Van Helden—I’ve been a fan of AVH since I was teenager, so it would be an honor to release anything of his.

Sampling is an element you’ve used to great effect over the years. What attracts you to certain samples, and how do you go about searching for them?
First and foremost, I like to find things that haven’t been used before; being original is key. Or you can use something that has been used, but flip it in a way that is your own. I remember hearing Daft Punk for the first time, thinking all the music was theirs, but only to find out later they were sampling obscure disco/funk records. That’s how it should be done.

It seems like everyone these days is throwing a generic hip-hop or R&B sample over a beat and not putting much more effort into it. What wise words do you have to impart to those who don’t realize they might be doing it wrong?
I think the main issue these days is that we live in a digital age, and kids are too lazy to go and do some crate-digging. When I was growing up, I was in every record store, car boot sale, and secondhand shop, searching for weird stuff. That’s why we keep hearing the same vocal samples and ideas on a lot of tracks: because producers/DJs don’t know any better. Shame, really, as I always want my mind blown when listening to new music.

Share a few words on the mix you’ve put together for us.
This is a mix featuring some of my latest tracks and music of other artists I’m feeling.

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