DJ Ravin, the legendary producer and DJ behind much of the Buddha Bar series, played Beijing's Zeta Bar at The Hilton Hotel last weekend. It was an epic show to say the least. Before DJ Ravin's Beijing appearance, I had the opportunity for an email interview with the champion of chillout and deephouse, who played a much harder, dancier set than many of us were expecting.

City Weekend: You were better known as DJ rather than producer when you started work on Buddha Bar III? How did you get involved with such a monumental album?

DJ Ravin: Djing only can create the vibe for loungers and clubbers. To bring further complete concept of Buddha Bar and provide people who love my music and mixes same chic relax and groovy atmosphere as in Buddha Bar, I had the pleasure to compile and mix for Buddha Bar cd compilation series.

City Weekend: Buddha Bar is emblematic of the fusion of world music and electronic music that took the world by storm in the 1990s. The Buddha Bar series seemed to show up in just about every café and bar on the planet. At a certain point this music became as much associated with café culture as with club culture. How do you maintain the vitality and energy of a genre that becomes so ubiquitous?

DJ Ravin: I meet many different people who can inspire me a lot when traveling in different countries. I also get reactions and suggestions from them as well. Music changes day by day. These keep my passion on music, and find the best way to keep my own features and bring new trend of music to audiences and clubbers. In recent years, lounge/electro/dance music is getting very popular at lounge bars, clubs, and cafes. My music includes all these factors, therefore that’s why many places would choose Buddha Bar series.

City Weekend: Your music contains many fascinating hybrids. The Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Sophie Solomon mix on Buddha Bar X is particularly interesting. What draws you to bring together so many musical threads? How do you achieve simplicity and elegance in tracks that bring together so many different sounds and genres?

DJ Ravin: I have good connection with varieties of music labels, musicians, and artists, therefore I can get lot of new tunes easily. Sometimes we would talk about the latest genre trends and future changes in music field.

City Weekend: What’s your process for producing a Buddha Bar album? Do you start with a list of artists and sounds you want to integrate? Or do you work track by track until there are enough for the album?

DJ Ravin: I would choose the tracks from latest new genres and new tunes created by talented or famous artists. It’s never enough for each compilation as there are so much good music keeps coming up. I always would like to bring the most beautiful and pioneering genres into the music compilations.

City Weekend: Can you describe your process in preparing one track off Buddha Bar X? Maybe, “Life Is On The Sea”?

DJ Ravin: I like to make different style music mixes together. For Buddha Bar X, I added more different elements and music styles such as the song “Life is on the sea”, which’s a beautiful bossa tune and its title fits its beautiful flows.

City Weekend: What equipment and software do you like to work with? Any tricks of the trade you want to share?

DJ Ravin: For gigging, CDJS 1000 MK3 Pioneers & Miter 800 DJM Pioneer for special effects. For mixing cd compilations or clubbing, I use the software “Live Appleton, and for programming I use “Cubase”. I like to add more minimal and tech house sounds mixed with World-music songs. I also like to do special editing with using vocals and elements into the music.

City Weekend: When you’re DJing, the music is always the main focus of the listener, but when you’re producing chillout music, you also need to make something that listeners can relax to, something that at times isn’t the main draw of the listener’s attention. How do your DJ sets differ from your production work?

DJ Ravin: Actually my music includes lounge, downtempo, Arabic chillout, tech house, deep house, and dance. As the limitation numbers of a cd compilation tracks, I only can choose the best lounging and clubbing tunes as cd productions. For djing, I can play all kinds of genres, which depends on the environment’s vibe and party styles.

City Weekend: The Buddha Bar series is marketed with images of Buddha statues and other spiritual imagery. On some level this seems tongue and cheek, but on another level much of the audience actually is seeking spiritual solace in the music. How does the spiritual imagery relate to the music?

DJ Ravin: I mix traditional and spiritual vocals of Buddhist music (some of them are on the level chain) and mix with electronic elements, to fit the imagery Buddha Bar Restaurant and its music compilation series.

City Weekend: What do you think the audience wants to discover spiritually by listening to your music?

DJ Ravin: I feel music, have passion and imagination on the music, and always explore new factors into my sets, therefore audiences would like to listen to my music and find out something new and get into the spiritual vibe.

City Weekend: Where do you see Buddha Bar and chill out music heading over the next few years?

DJ Ravin: Buddha Bar has been one of the most famous lounge bar restaurants in Paris and the other countries. As for it’s fine environment vibes and concepts, definitely the music needs to be created with same level of quality and with new factors there. That’s why people would love to go to Buddha bar years by years, and always look forwards Buddha Bar new volumes.

City Weekend: What areas of music do you want to explore that you haven’t gotten to yet?

DJ Ravin: Now I’d like to try minimal and techno house.

Blake Stone-Banks