Hailing from Ghent in Belgium, Steven Petit’s Border One project has garnered much attention in his home country and beyond ever since the release of his first 12-inch record in 2015. Between a fascination for sound discovery through the use of his modular synthesiser and his loyalty to the classic club rhythms, Border One’s style serves as a swiss-army knife for promoters and DJ’s on an international level. With a self description expressing a priority to make the crowd move, his music does not fall short of its intention. Forward thinking in its conception rendered highly functional in its implementation, Border One’s music finds middle ground in an increasingly polarised musical climate. He has released EP’s on Knowledge Imprint, Setaoc Mass’ SK-X and Freddy K’s KEY Vinyl imprint to name a few. A local hero in his own right, Border One is a quality-guaranteed act that brings casual party goers and techno purists to an unhesitant agreement.
Hey Border One!
How are you?
Given the circumstances, I’m doing pretty good. Thanks.
What have you been getting up to recently?
I’m in the middle of moving from Ghent to Brussels, which I’m very excited about. It’s the first time I’ll have a separate room for my studio which is acoustically treated. So I can’t wait to start using it for my next projects. Next to working in the studio trying to make some music, I’m also focusing more on my daytime job.
What’s the first thing you’ll do post lockdown?
Going for a fine dinner with my girlfriend at a fancy restaurant. Followed by a glass of Mezcal at a cosy pub.
What do you do when you’re bored?
Thinking ‘maybe I should read a book’ and then waking up my cat to play. Or if I’m in the right mood I go to the studio and try to make some cool sounds.
Who’s the greatest DJ of all time?!
I Googled this and it says Carl Cox! Personally: hard to choose between Jeff Mills, DVS1 and Oscar Mulero.
If you weren’t a DJ, what would you be?
Next to being a DJ I’m working in a family business which is a Mazda car dealership and repair shop. I’ve been surrounded by cars ever since I was born. If I hadn’t crossed paths with Techno and DJ’ing maybe I’d be a race-car driver. Yeah, that’d be cool..
Mood Wax – What do you listen to?
When I’m happy I listen to:
When I’m in a good mood, Selda Bağcan will definitely keep me in it. Excellent Turkish psychedelic folk music. Or some Japanese funkiness by Shintaro Sakamoto. His music always puts a smile on my face. Or the uplifting live version of ‘Soul Sacrifce’ by Santana at Woodstock ’69! And almost everything by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
When I’m sad:
In darker times I prefer to listen to Ambient music. I’m a big fan of Anthony Child’s Electronic Recordings from Maui Jungle. Or ‘Vaporware’ and ‘12H’ by Donato Dozzy. Headphones on and escaping from everything for a while. ‘Ghosteen’ by Nick Cave also comes to mind. Man, that’s a tough album.
When I’m relaxing:
I do a lot of relaxing, and depending on the mood, I like to listen to some classical Jazz records like ‘Ballads’ by John Coltrane. Or ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis. Another record I like to chill on is ‘Dreamhatcher’ by the Belgian Jazz trio MDCIII. They have two drummers who can play together perfectly. It’s crazy to see them live at work. I discovered them at the Brussels Jazz festival a few years back. Also loads of stuff by Sun Ra. Ra’s music doesn’t always have a relaxing vibe, but I think it’s fun to really focus and listen carefully to his music. ’Seductive Fantasy’ by Sun Ra is good fun! Another artist I’d like to mention is Munir Bashir. He plays the Oud which is a stringed instrument. ’Meditate with Angels’ is a live album by him which I really love. I like how he plays with silence. And the sound of the Oud is out of this world.
When I’m in the car:
If I’m in the middle of a busy city center I like to have some classical music on like Chopin or Erik Satie. For long distance driving on the highway I might put on a good Techno set if I’m in the mood for it. Or play some new tracks of my own to see if I still like them. Otherwise, I enjoy listening to some more experimental stuff like Caterina Barbieri, Alessandro Cortini, and Sarah Davachi. These are very inspiring artists to me! If I’m in a traffic jam: Rage Against The Machine.
When I’m exercising:
I don’t do a lot of exercising but in the rare case that I do, I’d put on some Hip-Hop. ‘Shades of Blue’ by Madlib and ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ by Kendrick Lamar are big favorites of mine. I also like a lot of stuff by the Belgian rapper Zwangere Guy.
When I’m cooking:
Jazz! Definitely some up-tempo Jazz like ‘Ramblin’ by Ornette Coleman or ‘City Lights’ by Lee Morgan. Or going a bit slower with ‘Let’s Cool One’ by Thelonious Monk.
When I’m pre-drinking:
Almost any track by Ø [Phase] can get me in the mood for a good party. ‘Further Trials’ is an all-time favorite for me.
When I’m at an afters:
I usually fall asleep at afters. I really like to sleep.
Thanks Border One!
