Hector Barbour, better known by his stage name Denis Sulta, is a born & bred Glaswegian DJ and highly talented producer that has really made a name for himself over the past year, and things aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Back in January last year I was lucky enough to see him at Newcastle’s Ape-X events 7th Birthday party where he really stole the show. The highlight for me being when he dropped ‘These Sounds Fall into My Mind’ by The Buckethead‘s mid set. I hadn’t heard this song in years. At this point in time he was just beginning to make a name for himself in the UK electronic music scene with 2 EP’s released on The Scottish label, Dixon Bassment Avenue Jams (DABJ) and a lot of hype surrounding his latest single.
Along with his disc-jockeying skills he’s also been one of the hottest producers within the UK as of late. His dancefloor banger ‘It’s Only Real’ released on Jackmasters label, Numbers, has been praised by some of the largest names in the industry. But he didn’t stop there. Last year was Sulta’s busiest and biggest yet. With sell out shows all around the country, his own ‘Sulta Selects’ tour (which started back in Edinburgh with no advance tickets being sold), to festivals across Europe and not to mention his position of 26th in RA’s DJ of the year poll. He was the highest new entry in the chart, with the likes of Laurent Garnier and Joseph Capriati above and below him. Not a bad year for the 23-year-old.
However, 2016 wasn’t all utopia for the Scot. In a recent interview with Resident Advisor (link at the bottom) he talks about his battle with depression and difficulties that came with his sudden rise to fame. Seeing him behind the decks he is one of the most passionate and lively DJ’s I’ve witnessed, not someone you’d associate confidence issues with. Early in the summer last year he had to drop out shows after collapsing on stage at a festival in Southampton, UK. This was a wakeup call for him. He bounced back with two massive productions of which both have been released on his new record label, Sulta Selects and are out now.
For me, Sulta’s talent is one that’s been noticeable from the very beginning. His first EP release, ‘Sulta Selects Vol 1‘, all three songs offer hard house beats with one sampling vocal classics from a Smokey Robinson track. His latest release, Nein Fortiate & Double Oh XX show true originality and sounds that have differentiated him from other producers in the game. With two more EP’s currently in the pipeline, it will be very interesting to hear Sulta’s next big club hit this summer.
For a link to his latest EP click here.
To check out RA’s interview, click here.
Written by Chris Threadgold.