dig dis!cover with Saive

Vincent Sager, known by his alias ‘Saive,’ has been with dig dis! since the start of his music career, distributing several labels including Océan, LUFÍ, and Alva. His music has also found a home on labels like trndmsk, NORR, and Passing Clouds. With millions of streams to his name, we're excited to get to know him better in today’s interview.

You started producing at 14. What inspired you to begin so early?

When I started making music at the age of 14, it was more by accident. Some friends started making music at school using an old program called Magic Music Maker. It's pretty basic, but it got me interested in music production. I later switched to Ableton after seeing the movie Berlin Calling, which inspired me a lot.

There were several moments that influenced me along the way. I started with YouTube, but when I was learning to make music there weren't many tutorials available, so I had to experiment a lot. I also took some classes with a small artist from Hannover, although he eventually stopped producing. I took a popular course at the SAE Institute, but it wasn't for me, so I considered quitting music to focus on studying. Luckily, I met someone who had worked with Peppermint Studios and big artists like Snoop Dogg. Learning from him was great. After that I met pølaroit, and Jonas (from pølaroit) was a big help, especially during COVID. We had Zoom meetings in the beginning, and later we met in person. He really influenced me a lot and that was when I started to shape my sound. From there, I kept trying new things, including different niches like Lo-Fi music.

What essentials do you need when you’re working on new music?

I don't need a special ritual to make music, but I feel inspired when I'm in the right mood. When I first started, I would try to make music even when I wasn't inspired, but that often led to unproductive sessions. Now I've learned to only make music when I feel inspired. Sometimes it's after listening to great music or having a good day. All I really need to make music now is my laptop, but having synthesizers is nice but not necessary.

Tell us about your label “Océan” and how dig dis! has supported your projects?

At first I was unsure about releasing music on my own because there's this myth that you always need a label and that self-releasing makes people take your music less seriously. I think this misconception exists because the big labels want us to believe it. But in the end, my alias "Milow" was for my LUFÍ project and I used it to experiment and see if the process of self-releasing. As working with dig dis! turned out to be great, I started to move on with my label project Océan and released through Saive with dig dis! too.

I'm really grateful for the opportunity to work with dig dis! because Oliver, who is part of your team, helped me a lot with structuring releases. He was always there for me and answered questions about the distribution process. He also advised me on release schedules and suggested starting with pre-releases on Spotify, which might have helped my releases for editorial placements.

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music?

It's always hard to describe, but if you look at the different genres, it's more like electronic and techno music. I try to incorporate a lot of organic instruments with a mixture of interesting harmonies. I also like to use some field recordings that I've collected over time and try to create drums out of them or just use them as background elements. I also incorporate some experimental and unique percussion sounds. My music is very experimental.

What aspects of the music industry do you appreciate and what improvements would you suggest?

One of my fears is that underground music will fade away, but with the rise of AI music, I think underground music will make a comeback. People will want to see real musicians who can play instruments. In the future, just playing tracks might not be enough - you might have to be a real musician and perform live.

The music industry has changed a lot. The barrier to becoming a musician is much lower now, and you can start making money right away so that you can reinvest in your career. My father was a musician and he told me how difficult it was back then. Now everything is more accessible and you can create your identity online for free, but consistency is key.

Most of your tracks are super chill and downtempo. Do you adjust your sets when performing live as a DJ?

I do adjust my sound a bit, where less rich sounds might be more suitable. I typically stick to around 120 BPM, but some tracks need a slower tempo. I may add a heavier bassline, but usually, I keep the songs as they are.

What can we expect from you later this year?

In August I'll be playing a smaller festival called New Healing Festival. I usually stick to my release schedule, which is to put out new music every three weeks, and that's the plan for the rest of the year. It can be challenging, but I've gotten much faster at finishing my music without compromising on quality. I'll keep working on my releases and see where it leads. My focus is on making the process more efficient and ensuring the best possible outcome.

Thank you for sharing your stories and insights during our interview. We loved hearing about your journey and are excited to see what's next for Ocean. We can't wait to hear about your upcoming projects and music. We're also happy to continue supporting you with our distribution services and look forward to being a part of your future success.