Ryan DeRobertis, the songwriter and producer who churns out music under the alias Saint Pepsi, had a chill summer. He went on his first real tour, finally read Kafka on the Shore, and “Fiona Coyne”—the a-side of his debut Carpark single—became the go-to seasonal anthem for any dewey-eyed teen with a heart-pounding crush. Between working on new tunes, Saint Pepsi had time to throw together this 35-minute mix for us that, DeRobertis says, is a sort of “spiritual cousin” to the funky post-vaporwave album Hit Vibes he put out in 2013. It may be the year’s first Fall FADER Mix, but it exclusively reminds me of summertime activities: staying out late, falling in love, going to sleep with the TV still on. Download the mix below, and read on for a quick interview with the dude about Kate Bush and his favorite episode of Degrassi.
Where are you right now? Currently I’m spending some time during a layover in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’ve never been here before. All around me are unfamiliar faces…worn out faces. Going nowhere, going nowhere.
What vibe were you going for with this mix? Describe someone’s experience as they’re listening to it. I released a record called Hit Vibes last summer that was meant to be an allegorical disco-house album. I was going through a lot of things at the time, namely dropping out of college and dealing with depression, so Hit Vibes was produced to cope with those feelings. This mix is kind of a spiritual cousin to Hit Vibes, in that the music is meant to be an uplifting rehashing of things I liked while growing up. I tried to make it sound like a radio broadcast because I’m into dumb things like that.
What’s the last movie you saw that made you feel something? I’m not a big fan of movies, mostly because of my waning attention span. I’d say the last thing I saw that really moved me was a full video of Kate Bush’s 1978 tour. It was my first exposure to her music—about a month ago—and it was love at first sight. I’m embarrassed to admit it took me so long to fall for her music.
What food do you like to cook and how do you make it? Cap’n Crunch. I like to make them with the Crunch Berries, and then sometimes I add milk.
What was your most memorable moment of the summer? Touring with Painted Palms comes to mind. That was my first “real tour,” and being on the road was a really cool experience, especially with such awesome dudes. Also, I made some friends late last year when I moved back home; they live in a neighboring town. I spent most of my summer making music and going to parties with them. Shouts to: Peter, Mike, Tom, and Purple Pat.
What’s your favorite episode of Degrassi? This is the hardest question to answer. I have a lot of favorite plot arcs and storylines and I’ve seen pretty much every season. My favorite is probably the post-Drake era, even though I love his character. I just think the ensemble got SO good around seasons 8 and 9. I want all of them to follow me on twitter one day. But I’m avoiding your question. My favorite episode is probably “Start Me Up,” aka “the one where Fiona’s cousin who got Peter addicted to crank comes back and Claire writes erotic fan fiction about Declan.” I like that everybody falls in love with each other on the show because I feel like that’s just how life is, whether we admit it or not. The potential chemistry between any two individuals is so inspiring to me.
Track list:
Disco Radio Action! (Intro)
Mike and Brenda Sutton – Don’t Let Go of Me (Grip My Hips and Move Me)
Conway & Temple – Love Lights (SAINT PEPSI UK Garage Mix)
Justin Bieber – One Time
Exodus – Together Forever
Greg Henderson – Dreamin’
SAINT PEPSI – ???
Klique – Dance Like Crazy (Let’s Wear it Out)
Nolen & Crossley – If You Come Back
Unknown Artist – Untitled
BLT – Tighten it Up (Instrumental)
Cool Runners – Hawaiian Dream
