Guest blogger: Luca

Acción Sánchez (front) with MC Zatu.

SFDK - Asi te talo asi te podo 1999

SFDK - El liricista en el tejado 2003

SFDK - Xxtra 2004

Shotta f. Zatu - Qué pintas tu aqui? 2004

SFDK f. Jefe de la M - Yo qué hago aqui? 2005

Let’s cut the “hip-hop has gone worldwide and it’s about time y’all found out about it” speech and get right to it - we’re in Spain today. Apart from the obvious hip-hop epicenters Madrid and Barcelona, there’s another handful of cities like Zaragoza and Málaga that have kept heads bobbing in the country since the early nineties. But today, we’re going to turn to Sevilla in the dusty South, which is home to maybe the biggest talents that have made it out of the underground and now enjoy nationwide, among true connaisseurs (hint-hint) even international fame.

One DJ and producer by the name of Acción Sánchez (Oscar Sánchez) can’t seem to get his hands into enough projects at once. Not only has he, together with MC Zatu, released four legit albums in the last six years and made countless guest appearances as duo SFDK, but he’s taken matters into his own hands by starting his label Discos Creador. Its first baby, Vol. 1 of the “Creador Series,” showcases both well-established and yet unknown talents from Sevilla over his own production, and more of the same is to come as Oscar, one of the early birds in his town, simply wanted a platform to give younger artists of his choice a break (all puns intended).

What’s more, teaming up with Málaga’s producer and MC Bobby Lo aka Jefe de la M, he’s started compiling battle and break albums, especially including movie lines and vocal samples in Spanish for the budding DJ’s to practise their scratching.

Just going through the piles of tracks Oscar has produced over the years it’s almost impossible to identify something one could call his signature sound. If one can make any global statements about his production, it would be his versatility in musical styles, his knack for horns and the fact that he can create an amazingly dense sound with just two or three samples and a thumping bassline, nevertheless bearing in mind that the MC needs room to breathe.

To give you an idea, the first track is taken from SFDK’s first full-length album “Siempre fuertes” from 1999. Note Zatu’s incredibly hoarse voice and spectacular lisp on “Asi te talo, aso te podo,” where Acción Sánchez combines a classic booming bass line with sparsely strewn flutes, resounding clicks and some weirdly spaced out gabbling that only accentuate the track’s roughness.

The next track is taken off their 2003 album that’s probably their best to this day: “2001 Odisea en el lodo,” a title that plays on “2001 Space Odissey” by replacing space with mud. “El liricista en el tejado” (”The Lyricist on the Roof”) uses a catchy trumpet loop and a simple boom-bap, boom-boom-bap bass to lay the grounds for Zatu’s entertaining observations of living in Sevilla as a low-profile artist.

Following the album’s success, the group has gone on to found its own label SFDK Records, and before finishing their latest album entitled “2005,” in 2004 they celebrated the launch of their label with the release of a three-track maxi called “Después de…” A record that best represents Acción Sánchez’ wide range of production in a nutshell. On this one, we’re checking out Oscar’s calmer, Spartan side with “Xxtra.” This track is the epitome of a “me and my DJ” show on a dark stage with only one spotlight. First Zatu’s booming voice is complimented by nothing but a whip-whip-boom drum and some very discreet organ keys and guitar licks to leave enough room for the MC. In the second half of the track, however, Oscar takes over and abuses his tables for a little while before Zatu comes back for the lyrical bow and exit.

Always one to help out the younger in the game, Sánchez lent a hand to fellow Sevillano and long-time friend Shotta on his debut solo album “La Selva,” which also appeared on Discos Creador. On “Qué pintas tu aqui?” (”What Are You Painting Here?”) Zatu trades verses with the flow phenomenon Shotta while Oscar holds down the production. Apart from the drums and high-hat, the entire background and melody is made up of three horns that create a siren-like effect and demand the listener’s attention. Worth listening to just to hear Shotta rhyme.

To finish off, let’s turn to SFDK’s latest album “2005.” Musically, Oscar has started experimenting with live instrumentation and different musical styles. On “Yo qué hago aqui?” featuring Jefe de la M on the hook, Oscar gets to use up the spare faders on his production board and kills the track with swingy percussions underneath moody organ keys, sprinkled with down-pitched horns, screaming trombones and more on top of a straight pumping bassline with the occasional scratches and cuts thrown in towards the end… Time to strap on your headphones real tight.

SFDK website
Acción Sánchez on Wikipedia