Serge Devant ‘Detroit Weekly’
October 15th, 2011
Life is a Vacation
Serge Devant is Living the Dream
Great things come from places you’d least expect. If you were to look at a pre-teen boy in Communist Russia over 15 years ago, you might think that he wouldn’t amount to much. Fast-forward to present day and that same boy is a jet-setting DJ, making his rounds in this musical landscape that is becoming increasingly saturated by dance music. And just like that Russian boy who wanted to break away from the norm and become his own man all those years ago, Devant is now surpassing other DJ’s and producers in his genre. And while his problems then were much greater, Devant still has one major issue at present time: he cannot find his house keys.
“They are somewhere in the Nevada desert,” he says when asking whether or not his missing keys – which he tweeted about – had ever turned up. But while this may seem like a huge issue to you and I, Devant comes from a place where his creativity was stifled and his world was dismal.
“What is life in a grey communist country, where your TV set has only two channels and one of them shows political gatherings and debates 24/7? There is really not so much entertainment for kids 10-13 years old,” Devant says. Like any boy at that time, Devant’s life was dominated by schooling, music lessons three nights a week and sports when there was time. Then in 1993, he moved to New York.
“I came straight to the Big Apple and dove head first into the club culture, which was booming in mid-to-late 1990s. Although overwhelming, I was inspired by it, and that’s how it all began,” he reminisces.
Soon his once-grey world was turned into a whirlwind of color and creativity. He hasn’t moved from New York City since then, citing the city’s amazing people, cultures and variety.
“I definitely don’t regret growing up in the USSR, which will always remind me where I came from and help me keep my head on the ground at any time, no matter what happens or who I’ve become … It’s a very important factor in any artist’s career,” he says.
Since starting his career in NYC, Devant has released numerous singles, had multiple club residencies, including the infamous Crobar, and wrote his own material for his debut album, Wanderer, in ’09. Oh, and there’s that little part about him being featured on Coca-Cola’s bottle for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. When you get your own Coke bottle, you know you’ve made it.
While many DJs and producers release material faster than a virus spreads, Devant takes his time perfecting each of his tracks and touring around the world, spreading good vibes and good music. Recently, Devant enjoyed a noteworthy performance at Electric Zoo. Though he’s very much a chameleon in that he can fluctuate between large festival shows and intimate performances fairly easily, Devant’s heart lies in simply being able to make a connection with his listeners.
“I do enjoy smaller venues where you can feel the vibe and really connect closer to the crowd and go bit deeper sometimes,” he says. “In contrast, on the big stage you kinda of have to ‘bang it out’ to keep a huge crowd entertained.”
And keeping a crowd of thousands entertained is no small feat. In order to choose the best music for the atmosphere, Devant brings his large collection of music along with him because “you never know what you’re walking into,” so he can match the track list with the vibe of the venue.
And soon, fans will have a whole new crop of songs to get excited about as Devant is preparing to release his forthcoming sophomore album later this year.
“I think album will be called Recollected, but still a working title as it consists of a few cover tracks that inspired me towards dance music when I was a kid, and some old tracks that were on the backburner and finally came to life,” he says. “There’s also some stuff that I just added to the mix with current inspirations.”
Being on the road so much, Devant is practically a pro at traveling. So, of course, we had to ask about his airplane essentials.
“I used to bring all kinds of things to keep me entertained: movies, books, magazines … now as soon as they decompress the cabin I’m out like a light,” he says. “It doesn’t even matter if I had 10 hours of sleep the night before, I always fall asleep. If I do have some time left on the flight I usually catch up on my emails or watch a movie.”
The fact that Devant is racking up the air miles means that he has very little free time. Recently, while on the west coast for a show in LA and the Burning Man festival in Nevada, Devant was able to spend some time with his parents – however these moments are few and far between.
“Vacation? I don’t really remember last time I took one. I usually connect my vacation to a gig I do somewhere and if it’s a place I like, I stick around for a bit,” he says.
And though DJs fashion their lives around their profession, for Devant, it’s a chance of a lifetime. Traveling around the world and experiencing exotic places one normally wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to visit is worth every long night spent in the studio or DJing a show.
“I think once you do what you love, your whole life is vacation. So yea, I’ve really lost the true understanding of vacation, which is not a bad thing, I guess.”
