By John Hood
Four-stringing for a little outfit called Vampire Weekend is just one of the many sound things goin’ down in the bustling life of that cat who now simply calls himself Baio. Born Chris Baio (and, yes, second cuz to Chachi), the Big Bad Apple-based bassist is as comfortable among his bandmates as he is boothed-up in some hotspot, spinning the night into an obliviating dizzy. In fact said spinning was where Baio got the bright idea to start tracking on his own, and his debut EP, Sunburn, is blessed with the kinda beatitude that pumps soul into the circuitry of our modern lives, and, as you’ll see from the below clip, it also adds life to mannequins.
Culture Designers got with the soundslinger in advance of this Saturday’s spinning at Bardot, where Biao (and Nightdrive) will be laying down the beat for the Krisp debut EP release party.
What came first the spinning or Sunburn?
Spinning! I’ve been DJing since college and always had an interested in dance music. I had some downtime from my day job last year and decided to fully pursue making tracks.
How much did the former influence the latter?
A lot! I think it’s a natural for a DJ to want to start making their own tracks. A DJ set is an exploration of a sensibility, just like making a song is.
Did your spinning compel the collaboration with Matias Aguayo?
I’ve been a huge fan of Kompakt for many years, I love all of Matias’ stuff. Alex Waldron who runs Greco-Roman put him forward as a potential vocalist for the track “Tanto.” I was pretty elated when he agreed to sing on it.
Are there any other co-conspirators we need to know about?
Absolutely! I got help from Shane Stoneback and Michael Mayer, who
each mixed tracks on the EP.
Where’d you get your first and deepest sunburn anyway?
Definitely Mexico. It was in a modern art shape which is why the track is called sunburn modern.
Do you expect to pick up another while you’re back in the MIA?
Absolutely!
What else is Baio up to these days?
Been DJ’ing a bunch, made a few more tracks which I’m hoping to put out soon in addition to doing a few remixes.
Can fans also expect to experience some new VW in the near future?
Yup!
Baio spins Saturday August 18 at Bardot for Krisp’s EP release party. For more information log on here.
