Sultan + Shepard Interview: South Africa, China & Melodic House Culture

<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b> INTERVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC </b></span></h3><h1><span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: large;">Under The Surface: Sultan + Shepard On Emotion, Touring & Melodic House</span></h1><h2><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sultan + Shepard Discuss South Africa, China & The Cultural Language Of Dance Music </i></span></span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I9_7hyphenhyphenTnDP_cSa2t96CDyK1AEqZeWtVN7-wHayZtzhHLAcdDx-rn6FSZxktxOnqshGzmcBiuT25-CEysZXr5R4N6PrXn3Lhy5RrUva5U1AMFWAoYzLU_OAyTFObtUrjUqGl7UsrGzJxvC30Q4xhzKNjIcHUhskfEtfcI6tvgcXIU-afCaohzIWeGHnev/s1402/sultan_shepard_think_in_electronic_interview_2026_south_africa_china.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="1122" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I9_7hyphenhyphenTnDP_cSa2t96CDyK1AEqZeWtVN7-wHayZtzhHLAcdDx-rn6FSZxktxOnqshGzmcBiuT25-CEysZXr5R4N6PrXn3Lhy5RrUva5U1AMFWAoYzLU_OAyTFObtUrjUqGl7UsrGzJxvC30Q4xhzKNjIcHUhskfEtfcI6tvgcXIU-afCaohzIWeGHnev/s16000-rw/sultan_shepard_think_in_electronic_interview_2026_south_africa_china.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><span><span><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">For more than two decades, <b><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/sultan-shepard-melodic-masters-set-to.html" target="_blank">Sultan + Shepard</a></b> have remained one of electronic music’s most respected and influential acts, helping shape the sound of melodic and progressive house through emotionally driven production and cinematic storytelling. From Grammy-nominated remixes and collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop and EDM to performances at <i>Tomorrowland</i>, <i>Ultra Music Festival, EDC</i>, and most recently <i>VAC Festival (Vision & Colour)</i>, the duo continue to evolve while staying deeply connected to the melodic roots that first defined their sound.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">After years spent navigating different eras of dance music, <b>Sultan + Shepard</b> found renewed inspiration through their return to melodic and progressive house with <b><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/lane-8-south-africa-debut-favorite.html" target="_blank">Lane 8’s</a></b> <i>This Never Happened</i> label — a creative shift that has since ushered in a new chapter for the duo. Their latest EP, <i>Communicate +</i>, featuring tracks such as<i> Before The Storm, Mio, Mainline, All Access, Sigh, </i>and <i>Postcards,</i> further showcases the immersive and emotive sound that has become synonymous with their music.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Following their South African tour last November with <i>Lane 8</i> and their recent China debut including performances in Shanghai and at <i>VAC Festival (Vision & Colour)</i> this April, we caught up with <i>Sultan + Shepard</i> to discuss the differences between dance music culture in South Africa and China, their evolving creative process, the emotional direction of modern melodic house music, and why authenticity still matters in an increasingly fast-moving electronic music landscape. </span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij46sRD-2E6hS2QaS7DbA82tl-97oSrDamcUI-vDFS-aWNRAvk3C_wckLDoqdKPCmMInMEIWCZC0IOJOwkKanHT9mpokP1AOMtS60s_JdNRg6H_AwKWI6NQO96LIgUIiiGrc50D7qJkbBDhOsKATV-QoR1CLKNloq_JUoa9qHa69YPT09RGFVNlMmbnqa9/s1920/sultan_shepard_thinkinelectronic_interview.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij46sRD-2E6hS2QaS7DbA82tl-97oSrDamcUI-vDFS-aWNRAvk3C_wckLDoqdKPCmMInMEIWCZC0IOJOwkKanHT9mpokP1AOMtS60s_JdNRg6H_AwKWI6NQO96LIgUIiiGrc50D7qJkbBDhOsKATV-QoR1CLKNloq_JUoa9qHa69YPT09RGFVNlMmbnqa9/s16000-rw/sultan_shepard_thinkinelectronic_interview.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">Hi <b>Sultan + Shepard</b>, it is a pleasure to welcome you to<b> Think In Electronic</b>. Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to do this interview with us. It’s an honour for us. Late last year our team had the opportunity to experience your debut in South Africa. While our China team was hoping to catch your China debut but sadly it was not possible.  </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; text-align: left;"><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE :  </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b>Before starting we ask all our guests the same thing. First thing that comes to mind when you hear South Africa and China?</b></span></div></span></span><div style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S : </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">Amazing places, amazing parties..</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR40bj1kdIM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR40bj1kdIM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR40bj1kdIM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Sultan + Shepard (@sultanshepard)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><u>Football Shirts, Engineering & Cultural Identity</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">We like to start all of our interviews on a light note, so we are wondering . Quick one to start: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE :</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b>Ned, We noticed on a certain social platform your picture has you wearing a Bafana Bafana 1994/96 shirt, what’s the story there?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Shepard:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> I’m a big collector of football kits, (actually we both are.!) And I wanted to wear a South Africa kit while we played there. I spent quite a bit of time researching different kits and I was so happy to find the 94 shirt, especially because there are all these photos of Mandela wearing it and it was the first World Cup they were in after apartheid. So many people stopped me and asked me where I got that kit. I love the stories behind the shirts.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>Ossama, we are curious to know did you ever finish that Engineering Degree? Actually, your background spans Palestine, Kuwait, Cyprus, Egypt, and Canada, has that cultural mix shaped your outlook in music or creativity in any way?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Sultan:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> Yes, I did finish my engineering degree and I also got my masters in robotics. I would say earlier in my career my first productions were definitely influenced by the cultural mix especially the tribal rhythms from the Middle East.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIe7rSCa1h51Vnrm4ZU4ThhDF3V9wqlk0uEzUNOAZVzc40OmP3pBYFDft_8ruyB_FAT5WYSEwVXxkgsXLxzJyodXrPgO6zrb0P5ULu4PhJhQZulisJ9xI2Y5GUoZwQFjYl7ZV6FliJWAy53hl2t93mJzLjN-TNCMEhTj1u6rD50hK5h75cQGMbjkR_fl82/s2048/sultan_shepard_think_in_electronic_interview_south_africa_china.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIe7rSCa1h51Vnrm4ZU4ThhDF3V9wqlk0uEzUNOAZVzc40OmP3pBYFDft_8ruyB_FAT5WYSEwVXxkgsXLxzJyodXrPgO6zrb0P5ULu4PhJhQZulisJ9xI2Y5GUoZwQFjYl7ZV6FliJWAy53hl2t93mJzLjN-TNCMEhTj1u6rD50hK5h75cQGMbjkR_fl82/s16000-rw/sultan_shepard_think_in_electronic_interview_south_africa_china.jpg" /></a></div></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><u>Returning To Their Melodic Roots</u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>We’ve been following Sultan + Shepard for years, going back to your tracks with Nadia Ali and remixes like Morgan Page. Those tracks still feel timeless. Your sound has shifted quite a bit since then and it’s reflected in all your newer releases, it feels less festival, more introspective. Did that shift happen naturally, or was there a point where you consciously decided to move in a different direction? </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> We had a period from 2016-2019 where we were really uninspired and just not into what we had started making, besides one or two things. We came to a very intentional agreement in 2019 that if we didn’t start making things we loved we would quit. We got inspired by the melodic, organic and progressive house being made at that time. It reminded us of the music we made when we first started in the mid 2000’s. So it felt like a natural time to return to our roots, but with everything we had learned in the more poppy, big room era. This return also coincided with the pandemic, so there was naturally an introspective feeling in the air. It just aligned so nicely.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>Listening to your older records and your latest EP <i>Communicate +</i>, it’s easy to hear that the musicality has always been there. Your music now sits between club functionality and emotional storytelling. Has it been important for you to hold onto that, and is there ever tension between making something that works live and something that says something? </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> We always like to make club records alongside more listening records. Even on our albums that feel very introspective there are still records that we can play in a club that will work. The balance is really important to us. If something goes too far in one direction it can get monotonous. <i>Communicate +</i> was really a response to making so many albums and just wanting to put out instrumental records we could play in the club. It felt like a palate cleanser to help us move on from the Circle in Time Trilogy.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>You’ve been releasing a lot on Lane 8’s label “This Never Happened”. What’s different about that space compared to others you’ve been part of before?</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> Dan (<a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/lane-8-south-africa-debut-favorite.html" target="_blank">Lane 8</a>) has built such an incredible community of fans. They’re so passionate and dedicated to this music. It’s unlike any other label we’ve been a part of. It’s so fun to meet them and see how excited they are for new music, for traveling to shows and so on. They notice all the little details that we put into the music and it means so much to us. That passion is really infectious and keeps us feeling very inspired.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHpbuV0nUkJDVJnKw78GRlhTebtr-EH8rIYUwgwKdFBm4PmHbQOIhU2QnM_Sxboa_tpAXKFr_c946Ousqwx8AAJBpuDy_KiJljxGQZqTahyAbtNuU5_bgOuQgThyCYwc_1p56pIWCqPqdY8vjgLITtnOW6uNq07SUKpDwizuaQxVB6V8CbNv5KvmiLXIa/s800/sultansheperdlane8_thinkinelectronic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHpbuV0nUkJDVJnKw78GRlhTebtr-EH8rIYUwgwKdFBm4PmHbQOIhU2QnM_Sxboa_tpAXKFr_c946Ousqwx8AAJBpuDy_KiJljxGQZqTahyAbtNuU5_bgOuQgThyCYwc_1p56pIWCqPqdY8vjgLITtnOW6uNq07SUKpDwizuaQxVB6V8CbNv5KvmiLXIa/s16000-rw/sultansheperdlane8_thinkinelectronic.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><u>South Africa, China & Dance Music Culture</u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>You played South Africa recently and, by the time this interview is out, you’ll have played in China. We’re connected to both, and the difference in crowds can be pretty </b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b>noticeable. From your experience, do certain sounds connect differently depending on where you are, or is electronic music becoming more of a universal language? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S: </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">China’s crowd is a bit younger. Their exposure to dance music feels more recent and so their enthusiasm is really infectious and so fun. Fan culture in Asia in general is also just next level so we really felt so much love there. We can’t wait to go back. South Africa has been a part of dance music’s DNA for much longer and the crowds were older and also more diverse. There were people from all over the world there and they really had an amazing  understanding of different eras and styles of dance music. It felt really special to play there and know that if we dropped an older record people would get it. Both places were amazing though. We had the best time.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>China’s scene has been evolving quickly, but it still feels quite different to more </b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b>established markets. One half of us, being based here, we’ve seen certain sounds stay quite niche, and that club shows don’t always fill up, while festivals like VAC depend on big names. From what you’ve seen so far, what stands out to you? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S: </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">We were really impressed with the production at our shows in China. The lights and visuals and VJ’s and lighting people were top notch. Also, the passion of the crowds is more important than how many people are there, and so we felt like the fans just made both shows feel huge. It’s important that scenes grow organically. If you try to make something huge right away, the vibe will suffer. It seemed to us like things are growing in a really nice way there now, and so we’re excited for what the next few years in China will be like!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>South Africa has deep roots in music when it comes to house and deep house, the house genre is the soul of South Africa, when you played in South Africa, did anything stand out to you musically and are there any artists you’d like to work with from South Africa?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> We got to go see some Amapiano at a club in Pretoria which was amazing. It was just so cool to see a whole style of dance music that we don’t really have much access to here in North America be played at a commercial club there. It was a totally different style of mixing and also dancing. We loved it. In general, the South African people’s appreciation for dance music is amazing. You just have this sense that they really understand the music in such a deep way, and you can tell they’ve been listening to it their whole lives. It’s something you don’t see in many parts of the world. Our friend <i>Cornelius SA</i> makes great music and we’ve talked about doing stuff together. We really like <i>Ami Faku</i> as a singer. We’d love to work with her. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcjS_AEuHL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcjS_AEuHL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcjS_AEuHL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Sultan + Shepard (@sultanshepard)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><u style="font-weight: normal;">AI, Creativity & The Future</u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>There has been some noise around Diplo’s latest AI in music comments. AI is becoming pervasive in everything including music production. How do you see it impacting creativity - does it open new doors, or risk diluting originality? and Have you used any AI tools, would you be open to using them? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> We don’t use AI in our music. There may come a time where it will be helpful but right now it just feels very generic. The human perspective is extremely important and for us that’s really what we want to express rather than making something that sounds like it will be popular. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><u>Touring, Pressure & What Comes Next</u></span></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>Artists always give everything in a set, but not everything is in your control. How much do things like the venue, sound, and crowd shape the experience, and how do you adapt when something feels off during a show? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> Venues make a huge difference. We try to be as picky as possible and pick environments and venues that we think will be best suited to our shows. Ultimately as you said, you only have so much control so you have to do the best you can no matter what, but the longer we’ve been doing this, the more we’ve been picky about where we play. We just want our fans to have the best time possible.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>Most people only see the highlight reel, the big moments and the highs. For aspiring musicians, can you talk about some of the tougher realities of being an artist and DJ, and how you’ve learned to navigate or overcome them? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S: </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;">This is a passion not a normal job. There are so many ups and downs. You have to really want to do this and really love the music. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. If you’re doing it for any other reason that your love of making music and performing then it won’t last. Just focus on making the best thing you can in each moment and you won’t have any regrets. It’s nice to listen back to older records and hear that you were really in it to the point of “wow how did we make that?” vs. “what we were thinking, this is terrible” haha. The only way to do that is to be totally into what you’re doing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">TIE:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> <b>Looking ahead, how do you see the future of Sultan + Shepard, both in terms of your sound and your journey together?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">S+S:</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> Just trying to evolve and continue to make music sincerely from our hearts that makes us excited. We know what it feels like to do that and we also know what it feels like not to do that, so we’re just trying to pay attention to that line and follow our feelings.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/soundcloud%253Aplaylists%253A2197773170&color=%23ff0072&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/sultanshepard" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Sultan + Shepard">Sultan + Shepard</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/sultanshepard/sets/communicate-764678472" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Communicate +">Communicate +</a></div></span></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;"><b>Rapid Fire: First thing that comes to your mind</b></span></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>24 hours, no sleep: South Africa vs China. where are you taking us and what’s the plan?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Ned Shepard :Shanghai. Let’s eat and roam around. Such a fun, futuristic city. Feels like it encompasses the past present and future all at once. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">Ossama Sultan: Cape Town. One of the most beautiful places ever. Let’s eat and go to the beach for sunset. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>In the studio: Perfectionists or gut-feel merchants? (How many times do you really test a track before letting it go?)</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Ned Shepard: GUT FEEL. Depends on the track! Sometimes we don’t even test it at all!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">Ossama Sultan: GUT FEEL!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Pre-show mode: Rituals, superstition, or just walk on and go?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Sultan + Shepard: We like to gather our team if we’re traveling with people and do three breaths all together just to take it all in for a moment and rest before things get crazy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Unpopular opinion: What’s one trend (music or otherwise) you wish would come to an end?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Ned Shepard: Following other people’s trends.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">Ossama Sultan: POV social media posts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Outside of music: What do you do to wind down or take a break?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Ned Shepard: Meditation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">Ossama Sultan: Spend time with my wife and kids.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Crowd surprise: What’s the most unexpected track that’s ever worked in your set?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: times;">Ned Shepard: ZIMA!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: times;">Ossama Sultan: YOU ARE MY HIGH!</span></div></div><br /><div><br /></div> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="603" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lWBN7PNDUTI" title="Sultan + Shepard Rapid Fire Interview Think In Electronic" width="339"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <i>Communicate +</i> marking another chapter in their evolution, <b>Sultan + Shepard</b> continue to blur the lines between club music and emotional storytelling. Whether in South Africa, China, or anywhere else in the world, their music continues to prove that connection remains at the heart of dance music.</div>

Sultan + Shepard Interview: South Africa, China & Melodic House Culture

 INTERVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  Under The Surface: Sultan + Shepard On Emotion, Touring & Melodic House Sultan + Shepard Discuss South...