Music Interviews

Where are you currently based?

At the moment I’m based in Woking, just south of London. Not much going on here unfortunately compared to Brighton where I’d previously lived for 4 years before that. Currently looking to move further into London or maybe up north to Manchester!

How did you first start playing music?

I mean I first stared DJ’ing and playing out in early 2017, because up until then I had no clue how to mix and was solely a producer. I was aware of how important it is to be able to DJ as well as make bangers if you wanted to make a living out of all of it, and my music started to get some attention around that time so it was only natural. 

What’s been happening recently?

Not a lot haha. Same for everyone I suppose. I’ve been keeping myself really busy though and have been crazy productive over the last 4 months or whatever it’s been now. Lost count at this point. I’ve made a silly amount of music, a lot of which with vocalists and features which previously I hadn’t delved too much into. So overall my production has improved massively I feel and I reckon I’m easily making the best music I’ve ever made atm. 

You’ve been a main stayer and champion of UK Bassline for years, how did you first become involved and what do you attribute to your success?

I first broke into the scene through this competition in the summer of 2016. This group called bass music group on Facebook called Lengoland hosted the first-ever ‘war dubs’, a knockout competition where producers basically went head to head with each other to see who could make the better/crazier tune, which then went down to a vote. There were a few spaces left so I thought fuck it what’s the worst that can happen, I’ve not got anything else going on. I’d only ever made like 2 bass tunes before this so was a bit sceptical but ended up getting to the semi-finals and having 3 of the 4 tunes I made released as free downloads, which is where it all kicked off really! Quite lucky to be honest as if it wasn’t for me just going for it and that group even existing, I don’t think I’d be doing what I’m doing now to be honest. 

Please tell us about how your sound is progressing through experimentation:

You’ve basically answered the question yourself there! That is exactly how my sound is progressing and evolving. Through experimentation and the intent to try make stuff that sounds different to everyone else. That’s always what I’ve tried to do. Whilst of course keeping things familiar to the UK bass sound and genre so it can appeal to a wider audience as well. 

Where and when did you produce and what programs/instruments did you use?

I actually made the main melody that the whole track is based around in Skepsis’ studio whilst we were trying to come up with a 2nd tune. We’d finished Hijack and were tryna work separately just to get ideas going and I made that riff sitting on his couch. We didn’t manage to do anything with it so he just told me to use it myself, and I’d already wrote the lyrics for 1 more a weeks before so I just thought alright let’s try get these to work together, and they did! I produce on Logic and have done since day 1 so that’s what I used. Mainly use Serum for all my bases and then just a whole range of different sounds, plugins, instruments and samples to make the rest of the track. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

No one in particular to be fair, but if i were to pick my favourite 3 tracks atm they’d be: 

Shaun Dean & Harry Tremlett – The Sound (did you know)

Alcemist & EJ Kitto – The Plan

Mella Dee – Dev Green

Please tell us about your new single ‘1 More’ Feat EJ Kitto, what influenced the sound and songwriting and how did you come to work with EJ Kitto?

I’ve been working on it since January and it’s been a right pain to mix down, so now it’s done and is getting released I am buzzing. The track is supposed to be from a ravers point of view, early in the morning deep into the crowd surrounded by his/her mates, in what feels like a complete haze of tunes, drinks, smoke and lasers. The lyrics are supposed to just encapsulate what it’s like to go to a UK bass music event. They all finally decide to leave and go back to their mate’s house to continue the party. Me and Emma actually chat loads before without me even realising as she used to run a UK Bass promo page on Instagram where I’d send her videos to upload. It was only when I put out a Facebook status asking for a female vocalist with a London accent that my mate told me she was looking for features and would be ideal for the tune, which she was. She brings exactly what I asked for which is amazing. A spoken word kind of London accent – the main inspiration being Redlight and how he usually has similar female vocal lines on his tracks.Where and when did you produce and what programs/instruments did you use?

You’ve got some big records coming up in the next few months, please tell us more:

I can’t give too much away, but some of my next releases for the rest of the year include a tune with Bru-C, and one with Window Kid, a single release on Dr Fresch’s label, a single release on Chris Lorenzo’s label, and a 2 track dnb release. Its gonna be a wicked few months in terms of music.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Steak and chips with stupid amounts of peppercorn sauce. Can’t beat it. Favourite place to hangout has got to be Brighton. Got so much love for that city as its basically where the whole Zero project started and grew in the early days. Best city in the UK, especially in the summer. 

https://soundcloud.com/zero_uk

https://www.facebook.com/zero.uk

https://twitter.com/zero_ukb

https://www.instagram.com/zero_uk

Interviewer: Anthony Huttley

Rich, you’ve been one of the more recognisable names in Australian progressive house for a while now, can you tell us a bit about how you became a part of the scene? Were you always into electronic music?

I only began delving into underground electronic music at around 2003 when I was sharing a house with someone who collected vinyl records and liked to play them most afternoons after work. Prior to that I was 100% into heavy metal and guitar bands (which I’ve recently started to return to, just for some added inspiration!). Becoming part of any music scene in a town as small as Brisbane is definitely a challenge but when I first decided to give it a go I wasn’t aware of that nor had any set goals to strive for, I just knew I wanted to a) get behind a DJ booth in public, b) run my own night-club events, and c) host and meet as many international touring DJ/producers as possible without going completely broke. Looking back at the progression (pardon the pun) of the last 14 odd years I guess it has worked out rather seamlessly and sequentially, but it’s been a great learning experience and regardless of any musical or artistic benefits I feel being involved in the underground music scene has completely revealed my inner self in ways I doubt would have been possible otherwise.

I’ve heard a couple of people say that the scene in Brisbane, where you’re based, is a bit unique. How would you describe the music scene there these days? Is there much room for progressive house or the more underground genres of electronic music?

As I alluded to with the earlier question, yes it’s tough getting a foothold and staying relevant in such a small scene but there are definitely as many positives as negatives. These days the Brisbane nightclub world is very regimented, structured and defined in terms of not only musical genres but desired clientele, fashion trends and most definitely age demographics. Unless a promoter is happy to host events outside of the dedicated entertainment precincts, and rely more heavily on their own promotional skills or focus 100% on building their own fan network, they’re very restricted in the choices they have when running those events. I guess that’s not necessarily entirely a bad thing as it allows the crowd to be more informed and discerning, but there are only so many nights per year for events to take place and only so many dancefloors available. Put it this way – I’m glad I no longer have to promote events! 

Recently, you welcomed a new member into your family, which is huge, btw, congrats! As someone who is normally quite busy in the studio, did that affect your production?

Thanks! Yes Violet arrived 9 months ago and has turned “normal” life into something else! I consciously made a decision prior to her birth that I’d close off any studio activity until the newborn routines had stabilised enough that I could once again successfully multi-task. I didn’t want to deal with the stress of pushing myself to be musically productive at the same time as learning how to be a Dad, and so far it’s been the right move. I’ve used the last 10 months to completely rebuild my studio setup, install a few gadgets and finally buy some bass-traps which have made such a difference with my confidence in front of the speakers. The brain is currently over-flowing with musical ideas so I’m super keen to get back into a production routine, hopefully within a few months time. 

How would you describe your sound?

As a DJ I try to hover between a few genres, obviously progressive house and techno, but since around 2016 also breakbeat. Playing longer gigs in South America over the years has taught me that musical energy is as important as technical skill and track selection, so throwing in 15 or 20 minutes of breaks in a prog set has a huge effect on dancefloors when I’m playing gigs, as well as in recorded mixes which can get a little monotonous after a while. As a producer I’m obviously locked into the progressive genre and continue to find inspiration in productions from the masters such as Guy J but also weird and unique masters such as Maceo Plex. I guess prog is my “safe space” when in the studio but I still enjoy making it so have no real need to take risks at this stage of the game.

I find your sound quite unique, which is a huge accomplishment in the overly- saturated progressive house market. Were you actively trying to produce something different, or has it always been organic?

That’s good to know, because yes I have always wanted to have a different sound if possible. Most of the time if I’ve got something unique going on it’ll be a happy accident however, as I’ve never been deeply interested in synthesis or the nitty-gritty of sound design – I just like trying as many synths, drum-machines, arpeggiators, effects units and manglers as I can find, seeing how far I can bend and twist traditional sounds and hopefully capture what comes out the other side. Luckily I have a steady day-job so I don’t need to rely on music to make a living, but if I did I honestly think I would get bored with studio production due to having to churn out tracks on a schedule and focussing on my own “sound”, as I know so many producers do. Expression and inspiration go hand in hand for me, if I was unable to be inspired (because the studio was a workplace) I doubt I would be able to express myself musically!

Your podcast “Resolutions” started 10 years ago, and still goes to air each month on Frisky radio. That is a hell of an accomplishment, congratulations! Tell me, what was the motive behind starting that?

10 years, such a long time! Other than just loving to make DJ mixes the motive for the podcast was two-fold, a) to keep myself in a regular routine of track-hunting, technical practice and label/artist research plus b) to boost my DJ profile and have something to promote myself with. At the start of it all I was obviously still too fresh to be getting booked for gigs so having a mix-tape/CD/podcast to hand around at events and to promoters helped massively even with such a small audience. Being hosted by friskyradio these days is a great privilege as it’s always been such a steady, reliable and well-respected home for progressive music even now with the uptake in streaming platforms such as Spotify. In recent years I expanded the show to a 2 hour format so I’ve been opening up the 2nd hour to a few guest DJs here and there, for the most part focussing on like-minded DJs from Brisbane, of course!

Have there been any stand-out years in terms of quality, music- wise? Have you ever found yourself struggling to compile enough decent tunes?

To be honest no, there has never been an especially lean year or a stand-out year that I can recall. I’ve always found way more music than I could ever hope to play and there has never been a struggle even just relying solely on Beatport and not having to branch out to the other smaller retailers. I guess I have put in a lot of time over the years when tune-hunting and researching labels, so that must have paid off compared to what other DJs are experiencing. It’s amazing how much good music is out there at any point in time!

After so many years at it, has your objective with that mix changed much over the years?

Resolutions episodes have always been something I’ve wanted to be able to listen back to myself, to feel that they capture a certain essence of the time they were created both from the point of view of tempo and genre, but also where I was at as a DJ and where my career was situated. For example any episode after mid March 2013 would probably take on more of a melodic, hypnotic and subtle feel due to me having visited South America for the first time and observed how the people respond to those kinds of aspects of the mix. I think anyone can create a weekly or monthly podcast but if those mixes are created purely as a promotional vessel for the chosen tracks (or even just for social-media clicks) and there is little or no consideration to the flow, the energy, the emotion, then they’ll be more difficult to enjoy let alone remember.

Speaking of changes, I saw you post something about a new project called “Meld” recently. Can you tell us all what that’s about?

Meld is a concept suggested to me by my friend, Filip, in the USA who has been a big fan of Resolutions for many years. Filip is not a DJ but loves electronic music. The idea was for him to curate a batch of electronic tracks that he loved and I would then piece them together in the studio making a special one-off DJ mix just for him. I think it’s a fantastic idea which allows fans to connect to the DJ, melding the two different yet intertwined passions for music. I’m hoping people will approach me to make more Meld mixes in the future, who knows it could actually become a “thing”! 

You were due to tour South America for the 7th consecutive year in a row this year, obviously you can’t due to Covid-19, what’s the plan for you now?

Travelling and gigging through Latin America has become such a regular part of my life since 2013 that to not be over there at all this year really does feel odd. I’ve made so many friends there over the years and it’s rather painful to think of what they’re going through with constant quarantines and plummeting economies. Along with all the other out of work DJs I sure can’t wait to see a vaccine or some other end to this whole debacle but who knows when that is likely to occur. Clearly my plan right now is to stay locked indoors but as soon as the borders are opened up again and it’s safe to take long-haul flights overseas I’ll be hunting down gigs again and dusting off the old Spanish-language textbooks!

What’s your DAW of choice in the studio, and why?

I’ve only ever used Apple’s Logic when in the studio, mostly due to a lack of time to delve into any other DAWs. I’m keen one day to try Ableton and I believe the latest version of Logic actually shares many of the same workflow features so it could be a seamless switch. But after more than 10 years using Logic it’ll be tough to beat!

Top 3 plug-ins of the moment?

I’ve actually been researching lately into the world of Channel Strips and Pre-Amps, in a software-sense. So initially my answer would be biased towards the Arturia, Black-Rooster and Univeral Audio products in that category as they can add such a nice subtle colouring to any sound. In terms of synths I’d have to call out a bunch of Kontakt (Native Instruments) 3rd-party libraries that easily stand out from the herd, such as Tronsonic and Phono Loop’s Texture Mozaik. There’s so many options out there for making sounds so my money will always go towards the plugins that make weird and unique results without too much effort or technical know-how.

Who are you listening to at the moment? Any names that are standing out for you?

There’s always someone new and fresh popping up in my crates so this is a pretty easy question to answer: Jonas Saalbach, Hansgod and The Micronaut come to mind. Well worth checking out!

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

Aside from continuing to push Meld and Resolutions further along I’ll also be returning to making originals and remixes in the studio by the end of 2020, but am more excited to finally be getting some traction on mine and my mate Verve’s new record label idea. In a similar fashion to Meld we are trying to stand out from the crowd and the releases we’ve planned will be very different in format and content than your regular electronic music label. Stay tuned for that, the label is called Context Digital and will be coming to all the good music retail stores very soon!

Genre: Progressive / Melodic Techno
Booking Requests: richwool@gmail.com
Beatport DJ: http://dj.beatport.com/richcurtis
Beatport Artist: http://www.beatport.com/artist/rich-curtis/161317
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/rich-curtis/
Hearthis: https://hearthis.at/richcurtis/
Mixcloud: http://www.mixcloud.com/RichCurtis/
Resident Advisor: http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/richcurtis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rich.Curtis.DJ

Where are you currently based?

 I am currently based in Adelaide, South Australia prior to COVID I was living out of suitcase traveling between London, LA, Amsterdam, Adelaide and Sydney. Last week I flew to London which was an experience traveling through a pandemic!

How has your COVID experience been so far?

I have been super fortunate to not been or had any of my family/friends affected by it. which I’m really thankful for.   I’ve been able to use this time to be with my family which i don’t normally get when I’m traveling all the time and we’ve just been isolating and being present. As well as working on LOTS of new music of course!

Please tell us about your prior success as a songwriter and how it all came about for you:

I have been writing songs since I was a little girl! The first song I remember writing was when I was 5 it was a song about being true to yourself!  No one tells you how to do something like writing songs it just sort of happened. In my final year of school, I was flown to Nashville during exam week,  to do an album after being spotted on my youtube channel which has now been deleted!  After that, I wrote for The Voice and other artists and that was my first experience as a young writer, writing for other people. Nashville was a huge eye-opener. I was shocked to find out that people really do this for a living.. fast forward and Sony ATV heard some songs I was writing on a songwriting camp and the rest is history!

PS1 ‘Fake Friends’ has been well received within the UK, how did you come to be part of this track and why do you think this track in particular has been such a success?

Funnily enough, I wrote the song 3 years ago on a songwriting camp, it was actually the first song that Sony heard and signed way back then. Originally it was written (if you can believe it in a hip hop/ pop type of way! ( I know hard to believe) I sort of forgot about the song as a few years had past and the producer who I wrote the song with hit me up and asked if it was okay to send to PS1, a few months later it was turned into a House track!

You have a debut solo release coming out in September 2020, what can we expect?

I am really excited about my new song Playing Up! I wrote it a year ago whilst going through a breakup and during COVID I isolated with Adelaide producer Israel Amoy and we worked on music together. Playing Up was one of the songs that came out, we produced it and send it over to grammy-nominated Berkay Birecikli to add production, mix and master who is based in Los Angeles. It was again unlike any experience due to the pandemic things were slow but it was awesome to get to really work on every production element and make sure we were all really happy with the outcome.

How do you usually go about writing music and what or who influences your sound and songwriting?

I normally write songs about situations that I have gone through, its the reason for why most people start writing and I genuinely find that if I can connect to the song others will be able to as well. I always write down lyric ideas and poems and listen to a lot of different styles of music.

What do you have planned for the remainder of 2020 and going into 2021?

Writing lots and lots and lots of music! focusing on my own artist project! and hopefully, in 2021 I can start traveling and performing!!

What do you like to do away from music?

 I love working out and being outdoors, I am always in dark studios so any time i can get out and go for a walk i love it!!!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

 I can’t stop listening to Raye, Mabel, MNEK, Joel Corry,  Dua Lipa, Sigala, Stormzy, Sam Feldt, Jonas Blue, Manu Crooks, B Wise, Mø and Anne Marie!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Adelaide:

Best Food: in Adelaide is Parwana Afghan Kitchen

Best spot to hang out: Mt Lofty Hike!

London:

Best Food: Dishoom

Best Spot to hang out:  Two Pair Cafe in Battersea Park in the afternoon when it’s sunny out!

www.alexhosking.com

www.instagram.com/alexandrahosking

Where are you currently based?

I’m currently based in Perth, Western Australia.

How did you first start playing music?

I was singing as a hobby from a young age but my proper start came in when my cousin and fellow artist, Rosel, asked me to join a studio session a while back and I thought I’d get on the mic and give this a go. After the session, I had my first feature on an original song called Nightfall.

What’s been happening recently?

As you know, I just released my debut track ‘Mean That’, but I’ve also been working on A LOT of original music, and some collaborations in the Dance music scene, keep an eye out!

Your new single ‘Mean That’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

‘Mean That’ is my first piece of original work that I’ve banked for a while and I’m really happy to put this out. I wrote the song while I was going through some relationship struggles. People say things and don’t mean it and when you leave the relationship they go back to saying things they don’t mean to get you back. It’s like a never ending cycle and I wanted to portray it. The track overall has a very RnB and pop vibe, which mesh well together.

But it would be great to hear from everyone what they thought about the track, my DM’s are open!

Where and when did you record and who with?

I probably finished recording ‘Mean That’ at the start of 2020 with FRAAN, an incredible producer from Perth. He produced the track for me too! 

What do you like to do away from music?

I am a huge sports fan, so there’s a lot of games I keep up with on the weekend. I play sports and love to hit the gym too. Along with this, music and my day job, I try find time to keep a social life!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

As you’d expect, Drake is one of the main artists on my playlists but I’ve been vibing a lot of Bazzi and Stanaj lately.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

It’s going to be a busy few months for me, I’ve got a few collaborations and original work releasing soon. As I said, be sure to keep an eye out.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

There’s nothing better than being at the local pub watching the footy or soccer with the boys, then having a chicken parmi (laughs)!

Listening link:  https://tiny.cc/coreyhollandmeanthat

Socials:

https://instagram.com/coreyholland_

https://facebook.com/coreyhollandofficial

https://www.youtube.com/coreyholland

Where are you currently based?

In Govanhill in Glasgow. It’s the most culturally diverse area of Scotland, full of creatives and interesting locations, more languages than anywhere else in the country and a ton of green spaces. We like it here.

Your new EP ‘March Last Year’ will be out August 21, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

This was written at a time when we were holding down a residency in Glasgow’s largest after hours venue. It was a wild time, with us sometimes playing three times in a weekend until ungodly hours of the morning. The creativity, energy and vibes at that time were so exciting and exhausting. We wanted to write some music that we felt represented the venues we were regularly playing in, and so began writing our first house EP. There are many more to come.

How did you go about writing the music?

This was before we had built our studio and so were literally made in our bedrooms. We would take turns moving synths across the east end of Glasgow in the rain in January/February and sitting up late getting frustrated. It was a truly collaborative process, however all three tracks were from Oliver’s genesis. We cracked them eventually and sat on them for a while before deciding to send them out to labels. We wanted to work with someone in Glasgow, so Jackie Knows Karate were a great fit, as they weren’t reticent about a slightly heavier sound which we were feeling at the time.

Where and when did you produce?

Production took place in bedrooms, and mixing anywhere with a plug and headphones. We’ve since built a studio, which over lockdown has been a saviour.

What programs/instruments did you use?

We used Ableton as the DAW. Then a good chunk of the instrumentation is played through a Korg Minilogue (which any Minilogue owner will hear in these tracks immediately!), the Arturia Drumbrute provided some of the ancillary percussion and the rest would have been some finely attuned samples as well as the occasional digital synth.

Please tell us about your studio setup:

Now we have (see attached photo!) a Korg Minilogue, Novation Bassstation II, Artutria Drumbrute, a Fender Jazz bass, a few midi keys, a microphone and plenty of plugins.

How did you approach the recording/production process?

Recently we’ve been beginning tunes separately, bringing them as far as we can individually and then passing them over to each other. The new ears bring new musical ideas as well as new perspectives on the mix itself. We each have particular strengths which the other recognise and respect so it’s a great partnership.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

We’ve been listening to an absolute ton of music during lockdown. Spending countless hours cycling, walking and drinking mean countless hours of imbued culture.There’s always such a wide range of countries and genres always being played in our flat. Ladies on Mars’ edits have been lovely to get you moving in the morning, our pal Wuh Oh has been killing it with his bonkers productions, Fontaines D.C’s new record is unreal, Celeste has been a beautiful vibe, Baba Stiltz been on a lot, Toy Tonics always pump out jams to keep your feet moving, Mura Mesa made a track with Tirzah which has been on repeat the last week or so… This list could go on and on!

What do you like to do away from music?

With what little time we have away from music, we like to drink and eat. Also travelling and arguing with friends about politics. Lockdown has made a lot of that impossible, so we’ve mostly been drinking and eating. We’re also both keen cyclists so we’ve been taking this opportunity to properly explore some of the amazing Scottish scenery all around Glasgow.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

Fuck knows haha. It really depends on what apocalyptic cliche happens next. If we manage to avoid nuclear war or alien invasion we’re going to keep producing at the rate we have over the last few months. We’ve got some serious stuff on the way which we can’t wait to get out there. Also, we’ve set up our own label In The Event of Capture and are lining up some releases on that. Send us demos! intheeventofcapture@wshom.club.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We eat anything. We hangout (more?) anywhere. Just name the time and place. We’ll bring the cutlery.

https://www.facebook.com/weshouldhangoutmore

https://www.instagram.com/we_should_hang_out_more/

Interviewer: Anthony Huttley

How would you describe your sound and the music that you play? 

My sound is a direction of atmospheric progressive house with techy elements and vocals.

You’re based in Melbourne, let’s pretend for a minute that covid doesn’t exist… What’s the music scene like there? Is there much room for underground electronic music there? 

Melbourne’s scene was at a growing point when we went into this global mess. We had a lot of talent brewing and it is starting to show on a global level. From Anthony Pappa returning back to Melbourne and bringing his years of knowledge with him, too guys like GMJ & Matter who are killing it with their releases on global labels currently and have recently just started their own label Meanwhile Recordings with a bang!

I would like to see these guys get booked more and overall bringing back some of those prog events that really display the awesome artists’ lots of Australia doesn’t even know they have!

Adding to that I think some of these really amazing artists don’t have the time, energy or health to be out Friday to Sunday socialising just to get there names on the bills. I think when your new you have to do that, but when we are talking about some of the best artists in the world of their genre, then there should be more thought given to their experience and not their social status or popularity.

Ultimately I would love to see our best homegrown talent not go unnoticed.

How did you wind up in electronic music? Were you born with a drum machine in your hand, or did you take the standard “classically trained” route like (apparently) many others? 

Haha, I started out when I was younger like many learning Guitar out of school, and Clarinet in school. It was fun and definitely helped form some underlying knowledge but when it comes to music academics I am useless. I was self taught on Ableton and just picked it up and am now at a position I feel comfortable doing what I do best with it.

Are there any gigs or events over the past year or 2 that have really stood out for you either as an artist or a punter? 

New Caledonia is always a place that stays close to my heart. The community over there for electronic music is tight and passionate, and their hospitality left a lasting impression on me for life. The last time I travelled there was when I was booked to support Nick Warren for Subcultures 6th Birthday and those gigs were fantastic. In Melbourne there have been some really fantastic events going down at My Aeon leading up to this break, and Morning After were definitely making moves as one of if not the best parties in Melbourne with their Enchanted Gardens Party aswell as hosting The Soundgarden’s Australian Show.

You had a bit to do with Nick Warren and the Soundgarden earlier this year. How did that all come about? Are there any plans to work with Nick again in the Future? 

I met Nick when I supported him in New Caledonia for his gig there, we spent a day or two seeing each other and chatting, My release was great with them and I am honoured to have been accepted onto such a huge label spearheaded by the creative minds of Nick & Petra. I hope in the future to work with them more, definitely, and can at least say there is still something in the pipelines for us 😉 .

You recently released a huge tune with John Baptiste, “Neon Sky”. What was the collaboration process like? Would you mind walking us through it a bit? 

Neon Sky is part of the Neon Skies EP.
Me and John have worked together for a few years now and have built up quite a flow in the studio. I can tend to try and create and create and create, whereas John can be very selective and firm when it comes to how something can sound. So together we have a great balance of creating and tightening our songs in the process. Apart from that we just play tennis in the studio and hop on and off the computer more or less having our input.

What is your DAW of choice and why? 

Ableton is my DAW. I never really learnt anything else and was self taught so stuck with it. I love the intuition that follows after you have spent time figuring out what it is you want to do with it. Once you learn how to get in your flow in your DAW nothing can stop you.

What are your 3 favourite plugs at the moment?
I always love using my Soundtoys Bundle, Serum & the Reaktor 6 Plugins

Who are you listening to at the moment? 

I am spending a lot of time in the studio writing my own music at the moment, I receive a fair few promo’s so sorting through them is fun but leaves me tired and just wanting to listen to soft music at the end of the day. I have been doing Meditation and Qi Gong with my partner at the moment outside if my music time and that is really nice.

Where can we find your tracks and sets? 

I would say the easiest place would be my Soundcloud as I try and keep everything up to date there.

www.soundcloud.com/liam-sieker

What do you like to do away from music? 

I recently bought some mountain bikes with my partner and we have been loving going on bike rides and exploring the trails around my area. Other then that I like watching shows, playing games occasionally, or meditating and relaxing with my girlfriend.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

I was supposed to be going on a big travel of Europe and South America with my music at the moment, but due to current circumstances we had to cancel all those plans and are remaining in Australia for now. I hope to make alot more music and prepare for when the world re-opens and I can take my music out to all those international dancefloors!

I have a number of releases planned so you can be sure to expect to hear new material from me soon!

Favourite food and place to hangout? 

French Toast (Sweet or Savoury)
& Bed. They can go together, that’s fine.

Soundcloud:

Liam Sieker

www.Soundcloud.com/Liam-Sieker

FaceBook:

Liam Sieker 

www.facebook.com/liamsiekermusic

Beatport:

Liam Sieker

http://dj.beatport.com/profile/293829

Resident Advisor:

Liam Sieker 

https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/liamsieker

Where are you both currently based?

Justin: I’m located in New York City

Jeff: And I’m from Omaha, Nebraska

How did LUNDØN form?

Jeff: LUNDØN was originally a solo project with just Justin at the helm. Justin and I met about a year ago through a mutual friend and at the time I was still going by the artist name Strvylight and we just started talking about doing some work together and that’s how the song “Whoever’s Next” came to be. Shortly after that, Justin asked me to be a part of LUNDØN and make the project a duo and I was instantly on board.

What’s been happening recently and how has your COVID19 experience been?

Jeff: With the current pandemic, we have been trying to be as optimistic as possible. Prior to COVID, life seemed to be going 100 miles an hour and when lockdown hit everything came to a screeching halt. We’ve been making the most of it by using the extra free time to experiment musically, work on some new projects, and use the downtime to take a breather and reflect on what’s important to us and what kind of message and feel we want our music to have.

Your new track ‘Don’t Turn This Car Around’ Feat. LA vocalist is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Justin: Loveless (Justin Cormeau) laid down a killer vocal topline that depicted a personal experience he went through in a previous relationship but did so in a way that we thought was pretty relatable or open to interpretation. We got the vocal stems and there was a bassline that we were just absolutely crazy about. We started working on it and had a bit of inspiration from Tame Impala and wanted a bit of an indie vibe that eventually evolved into a more melodic EDM tone. It was kind of tricky to get the transition between the two styles because we wanted the stylistic change to be something that only happened one time for what I guess what you could call some contrast. We’re really into blending multiple genres of music and we took a big leap with making the song do a 180 at the end to catch the listener off guard, but in a way that hopefully wasn’t jarring.

How did you go about writing ‘Don’t Turn This Car Around’?

Loveless approached us with the song in 2018 but I felt like it needed something more, so it sat on the back burner until recently, when we decided to work it into what it is now. The song is about metaphorically not turning the car around. In life, we face obstacles and despite those obstacles, we need to always be traveling forward no matter how hard it gets. We chose Loveless to sing on the song because we worked with him on our previous track, ‘You & Me,’ and decided to try something different.

What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?

We primarily use Ableton for all production, as well as guitar for a lot of the live instrumental elements. 

How did the collaboration with Loveless come to fruition?

Justin: We worked with Julian previously on our song “You & Me” and liked the way it came out, so we decided to work with him again on “Don’t Turn This Car Around.” Julian and I met in California about 3 years ago and stayed in contact ever since. His vocal style overall is my personal favorite of those we’ve worked with. 

Why did you decide to combine pop rock with future bass?

The melodic aspects of “Don’t Turn This Car Around” worked well in both future bass and pop-rock styles so we ran with the idea of, “Well if it works well in both, why not combine them and see what happens.”

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Justin: I just recently got back into a lot of technical guitar work. I’ve been listening to a lot of Avenged Sevenfold and trying to figure out how to play the solos and get my hands back up to speed.

Jeff: Currently at the moment I’ve been listening to a lot of metal, older punk music, and a lot of drum & bass and dubstep 

What do you like to do away from music?

Justin: I like to be around people and hang out with my friends, who also give great inspiration for writing music. Since I grew up playing the guitar, I also like to continue practicing my guitar skills and learning different solos from my favorite rock bands in my free time. 

Jeff: Away from music, I generally like to just relax, watch movies, maybe go longboarding, or go walk some trails near where I live.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

We have more music planned to release later this year, mostly singles that are a bit more on the heavier side under the influence of some dubstep and rock music. We’re really excited about that!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Justin: My favorite food is Italian food or a bacon egg & cheese from the Bodega. The best place to hang out is the beach.

Jeff: Favorite food is Chinese food. Favorite hangout spot is my place as boring as that may sound, but having my own space is definitely relaxing. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LundonMusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LundonMusic

Where are you currently based?

I’m currently based down in Cape Paterson which is a tiny town on the Bass Coast in Victoria. I’m back making music in my little hometown which is an interesting turn of events. But it’s quiet and scenic and beautiful and was actually a huge reason I was able to finish the album!

How did Kids At Midnight form?

I’d been playing as a folk artist around the traps for a little while in the 2010s but I was really curious about the electro scene popping up! I met a lovely guy who was producing electro pop style and we started working together, just mucking around but going up with awesome stuff. We became best mates, we made a few songs and actually signed to ‘Vulture’ in France Alan Braxe’s label but then he wanted to pursue other things and so I was solo again and I thought, ‘Well Jane, you’d better learn to produce then!’ So I did. I started from square one again and slowly slowly the Kids At Midnight you hear now was born!

What’s been happening recently?

I released my debut album ‘All I Ever Wanted Was Your Love’ on Friday so the last few months has been pretty intense album stuff. Actually physically finishing the songs, working on the artwork with my brother, taking the photos for it with my cousin. And now in iso down the coast watching lots of Jersey Shore!

Your track ‘Boys Like You’ was featured as the finale song on Netflix sync ‘Never Have I Ever’ seen by 40 million households, how did this come about and how has the response been since?

Oh the response has been beyond my wildest dreams! It was such a mind explosion watching my song play in the background of this huge teen moment and it being a Mindy Kaling show was it for me. I am a huge fan of her work on The Office and The Mindy Project, she’s an hilarious comedic writer. How did it come about? Nobody believes me when I tell them but I literally woke up to two urgent emails from music supervisors for NBC Universal in the US saying they loved ‘Boys Like You’ and could they use it in Mindy Kaling’s new ‘coming of age’ tv series and I was like ‘this is a hoax… when are they going to ask me to put my credit card details in’ lol But it was for real and I immediately said ‘100% YES!’

What influenced the sound and songwriting for ‘Boys Like You’?

I’m hugely influenced by the 80s pop sound. So I really wanted a dreamy but upbeat song reminiscent of Whitney Houstons ‘How Will I Know?’ that sort of thing. And lyric wise it is all directly from my experiences in high school. Crushes, embarrassing moments, the boy who told me to shut up in maths class because I was answering all the questions and they couldn’t get a look in. All that really can make you run home from the bus crying. But then you look back and realise, I’ll never hide myself waiting for a boy like you again. And that embarrassingly personal teen angst and self discovery connected with people which is really lovely.

How do you usually go about writing and recording?

Sometimes I’ll be playing some chords on my guitar and just mumble along a melody in gibberish and then I’ll translate that to Ableton and build the track from there. Sometimes I start inside Ableton but it’s usually the same way, chords first, mumble a melody in gibberish, clear away the gibberish and start to tell a story and see what happens!

What programs/instruments do you use?

My basic set up is Ableton Live on my Mac and a midi keyboard, with my mic and any analogue instruments running through my UA Apollo Twin Duo. Sometimes I’ll add my electric guitar for an 80s guitar solo, sometimes there’s a tambourine in the background, sometimes I’ll bang a drum pad, sometimes my acoustic guitar…whatever is lying around!

Boys Like You has hit over one million streams this week, massive! What’s been happening as a result?

I’m so thankful for ‘Never Have I Ever’ for sharing my music with the world, it’s meant that in the week I released my album one of its tracks hit a million streams on Spotify, which means that all these gorgeous new fans can hear a bunch of other songs just like ‘Boys Like You’. It’s been a crazy ride! I’ve gained so many new fans from Latin America which is so cool. My biggest city of fans is actually New York and I just had my album on a billboard about the Time Square Subway station… that is the biggest thing ever!

Please tell us about what it’s like writing, recording and producing a whole album as a solo artist and how you learnt the skills to complete such an incredible feat:

It is a hard slog lol but it is so incredibly rewarding! I won’t lie and say it’s this serene experience, there are times you run across problems and you can’t get anyone to fix them because YOU have to fix them. Or there are times you have to comp your vocals but you just can’t get a take where you’re pronouncing a word the right way so you take your Producer hat off and put your Singer hat back on and it’s like off, on, off, on, off, on… it can really mess with your head! But in the end you have a body of work you have entirely created yourself and it represents you in the truest sense possible, and that’s worth all the times you want to throw your computer off the balcony.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’m listening to Chromatica because Gaga is god and I’m also listening to Folklore because the excitement and the pedigree behind the album was spellbinding. I like to balance mad choreography with some forrest introspection.  In the bath I listen to the Garden State soundtrack!

What do you like to do away from music?

I love to dance. I teach and choreograph (but obviously I’m not doing that at the moment) and I DJ and run parties too (but obviously I’m not doing that at the moment either) But during this time I’ve been loving going back to writing, I’ve been a bit obsessed with rom coms and sitcoms so I’m writing a rom com screenplay.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

I’ve just ordered some fancy new cables (wow) to clean up my system (I had a crackle I couldn’t find towards the end of making ‘All I Ever Wanted Was Your Love’) So when they arrive (hooray how exciting is waiting for your post at the moment! I check the Australia Post app more than Twitter) I’ll actually start working on my next releases! I’m hoping I’ll be writing for other artists too so that’s exciting! 

Favourite food and place to hangout? 

My favourite food is… uh, everything! But who can go past their Mums Spag Bol lol  But I’m really missing the eggplant chips and a nice crisp wine in the beer garden at The EC in Brunswick, a rose with ice in it spinning Katy Perry at The Carlon, or a Hendricks on ice spinning my party night at The Stone Hotel in Fitzroy.

ALBUM BUY LINK / ALBUM ON SPOTIFY

INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / TWITTER

Hey Lee, how are things with you? How have you found your lockdown experience overall?

The lockdown experience has been something I’ve tried to deliberately take in my stride and stay as positive as I could. From about March until May I moved from NYC to my house in the Hamptons and kept the music and positivity flowing and focused a ton on my masterclass company, FaderPro.com and how we were pivoting during these times. In May I rented a house in Portland, Oregon where my family is as there was very little Covid there. I’m now doing my best to stay 2 steps ahead of this Covid thing. 

What is life like under Trump? Does he represent you as a president?

Trump doesn’t affect me any differently then any other president in the USA. When you spend the majority your life touring in international waters, you’re more of a nomad living on everyone else’s soil but your own. I am a proud New Yorker & American though.

Should dance music be more social and political as it was in the early days?

Music for me regardless of where I’ve been even at times of war (post 9/11) has been the universal sign for peace & love and when I’m touring, they don’t care where I’m from, they care about the music I’m playing for them and they respect my hard work at giving them the best show I can. I love how music brings us together, all of us and never divides us, at least in my experience. 

Did the Black Lives Matter movement impact you, your thoughts and feelings in anyway? 

I have big hopes that with time and change, we will get back to a much greater place in the world. I’m a firm believer in all my personal & business relationships that adversity strengthens us and builds a true love for each other. I hope that with Black Lives Matter the results will be the same with our nation and throughout the world. As a life-long athlete playing sports in every part of the US and now in Music, I’ve had the great opportunity to call ALL my teammates brothers (and sisters) no matter what ethnicity they were. 

Tell us about your new Mayday EP with Funkerman for Flamingo – how did you link?

Yeah it’s my debut on Funkerman’s label. We are from the same camp and are teammates on the same management squad and Jorn my manager has linked us up as well as other teammates like Marco Lys who I have an EP finished with as well as Yvan Genkins as too so it was great to work with Funkerman and even have him add a remix to the package as well. I played Funkerman’s Boat Part at ADE and dropped MayDay there and he loved it and chased it since then. 

What made you want to work with that Sunday Shouting sample?

Yes, Sunday Shouting was the 1st time I heard the usage of that sample back in my days at Strictly Rhythm and then I started playing the, “B Boys Shoutin Dub” almost every set and it would really translate well on the floors BUT it lacked the energy that I love to play with. I needed those strings and all that energy to be wrapped up nicely into a peak hour version so I cleared the sample which we have to pay respect to as its the same sample that Johnny Corporate cleared too which is BRICK-Living from My Mind and signed it off to Flamingo & Funkerman! 

Are there rules to what you must and must not do to a sample to make it original?

Yes, there’s definitely rules but luckily in my career as Lee Cabrera & Just Us I’ve been fortunate with those rules and great managers like Jorn from Adapt and Dave Lambert for Just Us that know all those rules. I was managed by THE DON of House Music, Mark Finkelstein who gave me my hard knocks PHD in the music business too so I know the game quite well. Every territory & society has it’s own set of rules but if you play your cards right, clearing samples & publishing aren’t extremely difficult and then if you can’t, there’s some killer replay companies out there right now. 

What else have you got coming up?

Yeah lots of new music forthcoming:  I love getting something out every month. I have a new single with my boy, the legendary Richard F and I’ve convinced him to come out of retirement and our new single is forthcoming on Glasgow Underground where I signed my “Gimme Gimme” single too. I have a 2 track EP with Marco Lys too that we just started shopping as well as another with Yvan Genkins. Most recently I released a 3 track EP with one of the baddest dudes on planet earth, Steve Lawler on his Viva Music imprint and prior to that I redid, “Shake It” with Mike Vale and then added a brand new top-line vocal which is now titled, “Everybody” (Shake It) in which I added 2 new Lee Cabrera versions on which is out on CR2 Records. More Just Us Music forthcoming as well and another new alias, TalkBack with my friend singer/songwriter, Matt Hartke (Avicii, Tiesto, Cash Cash) and our new singles, “Astronaut” & “Feels” are debuting on the newest Cash Cash album. 

Lee Cabrera and Funkerman’s Mayday is out 15th August via Flamingo Recordings. Check out the release on Beatport here and keep up with Lee on Facebook and Instagram. 

Mattia Saviolo is one of techno’s most talked about young talents following a recent two-part release on UMEK’s label 1605 which has been dominating the top of sales charts on leading music download websites.

Hyped to learn more about Mattia Saviolo, we caught up with him to discover more about his background and releases on 1605…

Where are you currently based?

I am currently based in Berlin, which I think is on planet earth, but sometimes it seems a bit out of this world lol.

How did you first start playing music?

Well, I started DJ’ing when I was fifteen. I was already in love with electronic music and started DJ’ing at home with CDJ-1000’s and basic two channel mixer. This got me deeper into music, and my passion continued to grow, until I eventually decided I also wanted to make my own music.

What has been happening recently?

A lot things man, and it has been difficult to handle the balance between bad things like Covid, and more positive things like my new releases, so it has been a crazy few months. My goal is to stay positive, and bring positivity to the other people… especially with my music!

You have just released a new EP via UMEK’s label 1605, what influenced the sound and song-writing for the EP?

Well, I would say that for me it’s like an introspective trip inside myself, and my main mission is to communicate/express what I feel like to the other people, as sharing my emotions and mental images through music often creates connections with others.

What is your process for writing the music?

Basically, it took me almost a year to create these four tracks, working hard in the studio and trying to experiment with new things and techniques. I was really inspired about the idea of these big hangars, warehouses and festivals… I was imagining how these tracks would sound, as I wanted to create something that would really fill the space and make an amazing dance floor experience.

Where and when did you record/produce?

Almost every day, I try to be very regular with a routine of work, as every second I spend focusing on music makes me feel so happy.

What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?

Mainly I use Ableton Live and produce 80% of my sounds using that software program. I also have some hardware that I share with two friends Nico Cabeza and Luis Arboleda who also use my studio. We have a Moog Sub 37, Roland 909 and an 808… for processing a mix and mastering I use some internal plugins.

Please tell us what this EP means to you, and was the end result as you imagined it to be when first making a start?

This is a great question… I like all the music I create, but some tracks will never be released! It is part of the game, as although I have a strong connection with all my works, it is only the tracks that also connect with others that get signed. Having the feedback from UMEK to keep making improvements, made me go a bit deeper with my thought process on these EP’s for 1605, and that allowed me to really express myself with the final versions.

How did you come to release with 1605, and how has the experience been so far?

UMEK contacted me on Facebook and was interested in my music after hearing my releases on other labels. He was curious to listen my unsigned tracks and when I sent to him a playlist with some tracks, he replied saying “man I have a problem, I’ve never had so many good demos before lol”. I was really excited to hear that, and from there we decided to sign these two EP’s. 1605 is highly organised and solid with a good PR agency (Mainline PR) and a talent mixing and mastering engineer (Gregor) who can make things stand out. So, I am extremely happy to be working with them.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

There are too many great DJ’s and producers out there, I always dig a lot in genres outside of the techno capsule…so its impossible to choose just few artists, as it would be unfair on all the others I didn’t mention.

What do you like to do away from music?

I love playing soccer! I recently moved to a new flat here in Berlin, and I’m lucky to have a little football field in front of where I live, so on sunny days I’m often spending a lot of time playing and running with a football. I also like to eat… I’m always up for having dinner and drinks outside with friends 🙂

What is planned for the remainder of 2020?

Honestly, I’m not 100% sure I will release much other music during the lockdown period, but I’ve collected and finished around eight new tracks, so we will have to see once I’ve set them out to a couple of labels.

Favourite food, and place to hang out?

Some of my favourite spots to eat in Berlin include Adana Grillhouse, Brlo Brwhouse, La lupa, Donna Drancesca, and loads of others…

https://soundcloud.com/mattiasaviolo

https://www.facebook.com/officialmattiasaviolo

https://www.instagram.com/mattia_saviolo/?hl=en

Where are you currently based?

Cincinnati, OH. Born & bred.

What’s your name and role within band?

Michael – Vox / Rhythm Guitar

AJ – Lead guitar

Jon – Bass / Harmonies

Ian – Drums

How did The Heavy Hours form?

We’ve been friends since high school, but didn’t start playing music together until a couple years ago. The band formed when we came into possession of an abandoned house. We moved some instruments and amps in, threw up some blankets to trap in the heat and started writing songs together.

What’s been happening recently?

We just wrapped up recording our full album in the Catskills, NY with Simone Felice and David Baron. Now we’re trying to figure out how to launch a band in the midst of a global pandemic, ha!

Your debut single ‘Don’t Walk Away’ co-written with Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach is out now, how did you come to work with Dan?

It was sort of stars aligning type of moment. We had recently met our agent and he sent some demos we had made around to some friends. They ended up in the hands of Dan and he invited us down to hang and write. That Ohio connection runs deep.

What influenced the sound and songwriting?

Our influences are all over the place to be honest & we kind of like it that way. We try to take inspiration from a bunch of disparate places and mold them into something new and unique. Being in Woodstock had a huge effect on us. We were listening to a lot of the Band and Van Morrison records that were made there in the early 70’s. It definitely found its way into this tune.

How did Dan and the band go about writing Don’t Walk Away and what did you find most challenging and rewarding about the writing process?

We were used to creating songs over the course of several months. To be thrown into the writing room with Dan, where he was used to writing songs over the course of a couple hours was an interesting experience. It helped us stretch some creative muscles we didn’t even know we had. Dan also had such an ear for melody and arrangement. His process really informs the way we are writing now. 

Simone Felice (The Lumineers, Jade Bird, Matt Maeson) produced the track, how did you come to work with Simone and how was the experience?

In the same way our demos made it to Dan, they found their way to Simone. He invited us up to the Catskills and drove us around the mountains. We talked for hours about music we loved, shared some song ideas and the vision he had for our sound. We continued that same energy through the recording experience as well.

What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?

So much credit has to go to our co-producer David Baron here. David is a musical mad-man. Pure genius. He has so much eclectic gear and instruments in his studio, it’s unreal. When we needed strings or sax, David called up one of his buddies to track it live. We wanted to keep the song as live as possible. to keep the feel of those great records that were made in Woodstock back in the day.

What do you like doing away from music?

When we aren’t in the practice space we’re normally eating bbq or getting too competitive in a game of cornhole.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Sitting here in the basement… the consensus is My Morning Jacket – Waterfall II.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020?

We wish we knew! The state of affairs in the US at the moment makes it tough to see past a couple weeks out. So we’re just going to keep doing what we’ve always done, writing songs and making jokes in our little practice space together.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We consider ourselves to be chicken tender connoisseurs. The cheaper the better.