The man can do no wrong. The most exciting producer to come from British shores in years
Interview : Dan Prince
George welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you right now?
“Hi Dan, I’m in my studio in Berlin working on an album. It’s sunny outside though, so I’m pretty tempted to sack today off.”
You are without doubt the man of the moment, this week saw you smashing the Buzz Chart with your latest track, ‘I Can Tell (By The Way You Feel)’. Tell us a little history about the tune…
“It was something I started writing quite a while ago when I was still in London and then came back to later. I just had this idea in my head to write something which sounded like Strictly Rhythm-meets-Underworld – euphoric but not too emotional, and soulful but not cheesy. I also wanted it to sound dirty and unpolished, not like all the clean house which is getting made at the moment. It took a lot of tweaking but I’m happy with the result.”
I know you are a producer who likes bouncing things off other people but deep down, when you had created the tune, did you know you had produced something pretty special?
“I only release stuff where I’m personally excited about the track, but sometimes getting a track out can take a very long time. You can hate the track during that period of waiting because you’ve heard it so many times. Once it’s released though you start to remember why you thought it was worth sharing.”
Talk us through the video, we have all had those sorts of crazy nights…
“Well it was an idea which Alex Southam, the director, came up with, and I think it fits the song perfectly. We talked about how much we both loved the movie Kids and that was, on an aesthetic level, what informed the way Alex and his guys put together the scenes. I didn’t want the video to have too much narrative or for it to be overly conceptual, that wouldn’t have fitted the mood at all. The song is really a hark back to tracks I heard when I was younger which were a lot more emotionally unreserved and raw than the over-thought things that we seem to consume today. The group of kids just out messing around reflects that.”
So wow what a year, I read an interview with you at the end of 2011 when you admitted it had all taken you by surprise, you’d gone from being a student to “just another DJ arsehole”. I’m sure you’ve gone up in your own estimations by now?
“Haha, not really. I’m very grateful for and happy with what I’m doing. I wouldn’t have ever thought that I’d be signing to a label like Domino and making an album. I know it won’t last forever, nothing like this does, so I’m trying to enjoy it.”
You have always been a DJ who takes his job very seriously, giving respect to the people in front of you who have paid their money – you admit, you like to party afterwards. So where have you really let your hair down this summer, did Ibiza get you?
“Ibiza always gets me! It’s too easy there. Apart from that, I’ve had quite a bit of time back in Berlin on weekends the past few months so I’ve been hitting Sunday nights at Berghain quite frequently. That’s become my regular thing where I let off steam! A lot of locals go down on the Sunday and you avoid the roadblock which happens on Saturday night with all the tourists.”
You nearly threw up before taking to the decks at Berghain, you have played at some massive festivals this year, any of them get the ol’ nerves wobbling?
“Sonar was pretty nerve-wracking. I played to around 8000 people by all accounts, so I needed a couple of drinks before that to steady the hands!”
A famous quote from you : “Without wanting to sound too pretentious, I do like to look at tracks and DJ sets in terms of narrative.” Discuss…
“Well the main task of a DJ is to place tracks in sequence. The music which comes before and after a given track affects the way that track is perceived. It can do completely different things to a crowd depending what other music it’s placed between. Because there is a sequence, there is a narrative, and as a DJ, if you’re not thinking at all about that narrative, then you’re not in control of what you’re saying to people with your music. You have no voice.”
What is the latest from ManMakeMusic, what have you got planned for us for the rest of the year?
“Another couple of releases from Laszlo Dancehall, which is a collaboration between Leon Vynehall and Christian Piers, and some other surprises from U, Trikk and a couple of new signings.”
DJ Heidi introduced your Essential Mix on Tongy back in January calling you the “most handsome DJ in the world”. Thoughts on that, The Buzz Chart crew wondered whether you had your eye on James Bond?
“I think I’d need to hit the gym more for that. I’d rather play the villain too.”
You are in demand all over the world at the moment, are you one of these producers who can sit on a plane writing away…?
“I work on tracks which I’ve started in the studio whilst I’m travelling. I use a lot of hardware though so there’s only so much I can do on the road.”
You love your old school garage, what were some of the tunes that helped you fall in love with this genre?
“I was 13 when I started buying garage records so the more vocal ones got me into it – MJ Cole – ‘Crazy Love’ or Tuff Jam – ‘Tumblin’ Down’ are probably my favourites.”
Not many people know this, but George Fitzgerald is really good at…
“Speaking German. I worked as a translator in Berlin before switching to music full-time.”
Fact or fiction : When things are going wrong in the studio you lie on the floor and listen to jazz and country music until you realize that maybe life ain’t so bad in your house?
“Fact.”
What is coming out next from yourself studio wise?
“More song-based tracks. ‘I Can tell’ is the last track for the foreseeable future where I’ll be using sampled vocals. I think I’ve exhausted that avenue and too many people are hammering them. I’ve written a couple of tracks where I use my own vocals and I’m working with some great singers too.”
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
“ – “Do you”. Roska said that to me before a gig in Miami 2/3 years ago right when I was starting out. It sounds almost stupidly simple and quite cheesy but it’s so important to remember when you go into big clubs and festivals. You can hide behind playing the same music as everyone else – the same bangers, crowd-pleasers and easy choices – or you can mark yourself out as an individual. You have to do you or there is no point. even if people don’t like what you play they will respect you.”
And finally, can you remember the moment when you took a step back and thought, shit, is this really happening to me?
“All the time.”
http://soundcloud.com/george-fitzgerald
