For Flow Sessions 112, we’re thrilled to feature Saila, label head at When We Dip XYZ, who has spent the last five years shaping his sound through the diverse and vibrant music scene in Montréal. From his early days discovering house music at legendary venues like Stereo and Salon Daomé to becoming a key figure at the label, Saila’s journey has been marked by a deep passion for musical exploration.
In this interview, he reflects on the evolution of his sound, shares insights into the creative process behind his latest mix, and discusses the influence of the Montréal scene. He also opens up about future plans, including upcoming releases, label showcases, and his aspirations for When We Dip XYZ. Enjoy!
First off, we’re really excited about your recent Flow Sessions mix! You’ve been part of the When We Dip family for over three years now—how has that experience shaped your sound and approach to DJing
It’s hard to overstate how much working with the team has helped me. On the artist side, being around guys such as Kora, Dexter Crowe or Hicky & Kalo has shown me the effort, day in and day out, to achieve success, on top of helping me hone my skills and vision to DJing and understanding the rough waters of balancing a creative career. I also gotta give a massive shoutout to Dermot & Charles, who took me in as an intern back in the day. They’ve believed in me from the get-go. Whether that be in-depth discussion about the state of the industry or drinking Guinness at the office and being put on to classic tunes from the early 2000s & 2010s, it’s the whole experience.
We know you’ve been DJing for five years now. Can you share how the Montréal music scene has influenced your growth?
Back in January 2017, my brother Antony brought me along on a night out to see Joris Voorn at Igloofest, topped by going to Salon Daomé, a true house music institution, and then to Moonshine, a legendary afro party in the city. Then, 6 months later, the day I moved to Montréal, I first went to Stereo to hear Stephan Bodzin play. This is how it all started for me.
It might sound a bit cliché, but I think our scene’s biggest strength is its diversity. On a night out here, you can hear latin music, hip-hop, live-bands, afro, deep house, hard techno, all played at a world-class level and in the proper venue for it. Hearing those different sounds & grooves at loud volume influences my productions and the way I like to weave different genres into one another when DJing.
Throughout the gigs I’ve played in hip-hop clubs, cocktail bars, terrasses, after-hours, etc. I’ve always seen the constraints of playing a given genre as a fun challenge, building a bridge through music and having people enjoy music they wouldn’t have been into otherwise satisfies me as an artist.
Speaking of evolution, you mentioned that your Flow Sessions mix is a reflection of what people would hear you play on a night out. Can you give us some insight into how you approached creating it?
There are always tracks which I’m feeling at a particular moment in time & others which stay evergreen even though I’ve played them hundreds or even thousands of times by now. When playing in front of a crowd, I get immediate feedback on what works and can tailor where I go based on that. It’s different when recording a studio mix, where I just went with the flow and had the luxury of following solely my own feelings.
What is your creative process like when putting together a set or mix? Do you plan out every detail or do you like to leave room for spontaneity?
I try to plan as little as possible, whether that be for a club set or recording a studio mix. There is a rough idea of the records I’m loving and want to have in there, but the rush of adrenaline I get from linking up sounds on the spots, harmonic elements or drums, is the reason why I DJ. I rarely know which track I’m gonna play next, and that’s the fun of it, having no set tracklist allows me to really follow my instincts. Even though I’m playing digital, I try to get as close to a vinyl experience as possible. Using little to no loops forces you to understand the structure of music and to enhance the natural flow of the track. I gotta credit Patrick (Motip White) for this, observing him DJ has influenced the way I approach things in that regard.
The label has grown beyond just music—When We Dip XYZ has recently stepped into live events, including shows with Invoker and Gespona, and now Meera’s North American debut. How do you see this evolving and influencing the community?
House & techno were pioneered in nightclubs. It simply makes sense as a label to go ahead and get involved if we’re trying to push our vision. I have to credit my time at Stereo and the radical, no compromise attitude you can find between its walls. Music, despite all other aesthetic considerations, has to remain the central thing. It is the one thing which makes everything possible in our scene and it can be easy to lose focus when dealing with all the details surrounding the marketing & logistics of an event.
How do you balance incorporating new, experimental sounds while still keeping the energy up in your sets?
Dance music is experimental in nature. It is by design the music of the future, with human-controlled machines and sequences replacing typical instrumentation. I don’t purposefully try to be experimental, I just find that’s what resonates with me.
Finally, for those getting into the Montréal scene or following When We Dip XYZ, what tracks or artists should they be checking out right now?
In terms of artists on the label, I have to give another shoutout to my friend Motip White. When I first got involved on the label side of When We Dip, back in the summer of 2022, I remember hearing Tiny House & Long Shadow and being amazed. Recently, we’ve signed a string of tracks from Montréal artist Tchailyn. They’ll be dropping through the fall, with the first track ‘Kittyplease’ dropping this Friday October 4th. Here it is, along with a few tunes to get to know what we’re about as a label. A few new names will also debut on the label this fall with remixes and original music…
Kittyplease (Click here)
Enter When We Dip XYZ (Click here)
As for Montréal, I have to give a shoutout to my good mate The Holy. He’s the artist who represents the diversity of the MTL scene the best in my opinion. His main sound has now evolved to be more on the trance-techno side, with a clear hip-hop influence. He also makes housier stuff under his own name and with Moses Bélanger under their project St.Laurent, a reference to the river which englobes our island. He was also one of the first producers I met and thought: If he can do it, why not me? Becoming friends from the first time we hung out gave me a sense of belonging.
What are your goals for the next year as a DJ and producer? Any exciting projects or collaborations in the works?
The goal right now is to keep expressing myself through music. A few finished tracks with our trio Dilate need to find a home, and then a ton of stuff in the works. As a DJ, already a few exciting dates are coming up. On the label side, we are in chats to bring When We Dip XYZ showcases to select venues & clubs around the world, which share our values as a label, and more broadly, fit with the When We Dip ethos. We’re also hosting a showcase on October 18th at Bar Feijoa during Amsterdam Dance Event, with artists and friends of the label. See you there, & thanks for the opportunity to put together this mix and have a chat!
