Sling & Samo Dj: The Ransom Note Mix

Sling & Samo are the duo behind the Born Free record label which resides in Stockholm. Over the last few years the pair have been releasing a vast array of weird, wonderful, oddball music: some built for the dancefloor and some certainly not. The pair are colourful characters who don't take themselves or what they do too seriously. Samo is also well known in his own right as a producer and dj having released music for the likes of LIES, The Trilogy Tapes and Public Possession but together with Sling the pair enter a new realm of musical exploration. We asked them to record a mix for us. Listen and read the interview below: 

Please introduce yourself guys, who are you and where are you…?

Samo: I am Samo from Stockholm.

Sling: I am Sling from Stockholm.

How did Born Free come to be?

Sling: We had been playing and collecting records for about ten years and I guess it feelt like a natural thing to do. We started our first label in 2006, sold a lot of records and thought that we could make a living out of that. So we got some money from the bank to press more records, but all of a sudden the distribution company disappeared from the face of the earth. The money and records were gone and we had to work extra every weekend cleaning offices in the city. After that I made a promise to myself and to Samo to never press music on vinyl again… But after two years we started Born Free: and about a year ago we lost all that we had invested again when our distro started to shift their focus to some porn blackmail thing… Guess that's more profitable, instead of trying to sell records that almost nobody wants. We are now with Rush Hour…. hopefully they will stick around.

What is the aim of the label?

Samo: One aim is to offer a platform for friends of ours, to have their music presented to people outside a small circle of friends. Another aim is to help new talents, people we bumped in to on the road and got acquainted with. It has been rewarding to release music from people like Scott Young in Hong Kong or Powder from Japan. People are making interesting things all over basically, and it is urgent to make those voices heard, especially in this western / euro-centric music-world. We are currently working with Grisha our friend from Moscow, it is astonishing how much good music is being made in Russia.

Do you guys DJ together often?

Samo: We have a residency in a local disco in Stockholm every month. Sometimes we get to bring a guest or two over. Next month we have a guest from the United Kingdom.

Sling: We have been playing and promoting parties together for more than15 years, ha! WE’re old!

Is there a distinctive sound associated with Born Free?

Samo: No, I don't believe so.

Sling: I think the sound reflects the stuff we play when we play records.

As DJ’s, does a Born Free set vary than say an independent DJ set?

Samo: When we play together we always play a lot of Gorge music, to inform people about the thing called Gorge. Do you know Gorge?

Sam, you have a very steady stream of releases at present and solo projects, how do you find the time to run a label as well?

Samo: Im not sure if there is a steady stream of releases. My dayjob takes up most of my time, music is only one of my hobbies. But having said that, It would be interesting to be able to spend more time within music to do further and deeper exploration.

Together, you guys produce a lot of DJ ‘Tools’, how have these come about? Why have you chosen not to release them on the label?

Sling: Not sure if they are good enough?

What have you guys got coming up in 2016?

Sling: Sometimes we will meet for a sauna and some beers. Samo is the star of the group and will travel the world. I will just change some diapers and working my day/night job.

Where was the mix recorded?

Sling: Its' recorded live at Under Bron.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Samo: In a car.

Sling: in a Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ 5.2 98 with a 2inch budget lift!

What should we be wearing?

Samo: Motorcycle helmet.

Sling: And a shotgun.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location, system, format?

Samo: In Dubai.

Sling: During The Playmania after ski session.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Samo: Sporty & The Laptop – Computer Age

Sling: What Samo said!

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Samo: It has to be My mix tape for TTT.

Sling: I just like whats new and whats coming my way when I cruise the www. Writing this I listen to some Beatrice Dillon show on NTS… I think she is very cool. But there is just to many to mention.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Samo: I would like to have met DJ Maisa.

Sling: Maybe Afrika Islam.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

Samo: Turntable, Numark Blue Dog mixer and portable cd player.

Sling: one technics 1200 and I think it was a numark dm1001x plus some old turntable that had pitch but no direct drive so it had a slow start.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Sling: The first track, when its just you and some poor bartender in the room.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Samo: Most recent one was Le Knight Club vs DJ Sneak on Crydamoure.

Sling: The first most have been some random top 40 7inch. Most recent was The Durian Brothers, Clubs EP on Diskant.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Samo: Burned Sugar.

Sling: Vegetarisk Surströmming

If it was an animal what would it be?

Samo: Gorge.

Sling: Surströmming.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Samo: I don't know how to mix.

Sling: All records released on Born Free.

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