Suzanne Kraft - Music

The Green Flash EP by DJ and producer Suzanne Kraft (aka Diego Herrera) is the kind of single you’re glad you purchased a decade later. Packed with four solid tracks that explore completely new dimensions of deep house and disco, this little emerald also features a slick, minimalist design on the cover that demands to be on a t-shirt.

Green Flash is an undeniably happy single. Whether it’s the ethereal spirit of “Morning Come” or the resounding, driving momentum of “Femme Cosmic,” the groovy, uplifting music Kraft makes can be described in a lot of ways.

“My intent is to make people feel something. I don’t really put much thought into how it’s going to be received when I’m working on music. Any label applied is just accidental.” Like most artists, Kraft’s eclectic productions reflect his own myriad tastes, including German electronic music, Kraut rock and bands like Ashra. “Some of my favorite things to play are far removed from house. “

When I ask Kraft about his favorite bands and influences, he admits there are so many he could name. “I just say labels instead of artists. I’m mostly influenced by early 80’s late 70’s pop stuff, like Island Records, Trevor Horn productions and Library Music.”

There’s a lot of disco in what he does, and Kraft acknowledges the influence, although the young producer is just working with the genre he enjoys. “I think that my style is a consequence. When people used to ask me what I play, I’d say ‘disco’ and they’d think ABBA or Bee Gees, but that’s stuff all sounds the same to me.”

Like most successful DJ’s, Kraft unveils new vistas for his audience to enjoy with his samples, and stays away from songs we’ve all heard one thousand times before. “I hate karaoke disco,” he says, so you aren’t going to hear “Staying Alive” in his set.

Kraft will be performing at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club on February 4th and 5th for the “Friends of Friends” show, along with Daedelus and Tomas Barford. Featuring a lounge atmosphere combined with the spring break buzz only a poolside party can produce, it’s worth going to, and he’s worked it before.

“The place is cool. I played there about a month ago during a beer tasting night for an Internet radio station I work for, so I know the crowd. It’s fun, very laid back, with a small-resort vibe and a full bar.”

In addition to performing, Kraft hasn’t stopped creating. “I’m working on a new EP for this label that’s part of, well, it’s a baby label, for a friend of a friend called The Young Adults. I don’t have a name for the EP, yet. I’m also working on a record for 100% Silk (www.listentosilk.com), a record label that launched just last year.”

If Green Flash is just a small preview of what Kraft can do, his next big feature certainly deserves the green light. Here’s to hoping for a full LP from the man in 2012.

Suzanne Kraft w/Daedelus, Tomas Barford and The Young Adults at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club, 701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (760) 320-8550; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings; www.soundcloud.com/suzannekraft; Sat.-Sun. in the Amigo Room, Feb. 4th and 5th, 10 pm. Sun. Poolside, Feb. 5th, Noon-5 pm.