One of the coolest DJs on the planet unleashes his brand new smash ‘The Pit’. Believe the hype
Interview : Dan Prince
Hey Michael, welcome to DMCWORLD – where in the world are you right now?
“Right now I’m in my hotel in Melbourne. I’m currently on tour out here and loving it.”
You have struck gold yet again on the production front, this time it’s the Diffused release ‘The Pit’ that has got everyone jumping, talk us through the track…
“Thank you! I really made this track to play in my sets and it wasn’t really intended for the masses so I have been quite surprised how well it has gone down especially in the beatport charts! Basically I noticed at my shows the crowds were really starting to go hard on the dancefloor, I mean hard, sweating and everything and that’s really what ‘The Pit’ was about. The Pit is what I call the dancefloor from the view of a raised DJ booth.”
Making music is quite natural in your family. Your father was a piano teacher and from the age of 4 sat you and your sister down and taught you to play before you headed to music school where you picked up all sorts of instruments. Most kids don’t like being told to play the piano at 4 years old, you though seemed to revel in it?
“Ha, I suppose that was only because I was quite good at it! Kids usually like things they are good at. Obviously I am very grateful for everything I have learnt from my father, It kinda paid off pretty well.”
“Playing the keyboard is like speaking English, it’s natural for me”. A great quote from you – who though were some of the musicians you looked to or wanted to emulate growing up?
“When I was younger the music I played was all classical. So I didn’t really look up to or aspire to be anyone. I never really thought music was going to be something I ended up doing as a career.”
Was music the only career you wanted to chase, was there ever something else you could have ended up doing?
“Music was never something I thought I could do as a career. I used to be a salesman so I always thought I would end up pursuing that as a career.”
First break in the music industry?
“My first break was working with Matt Darey and we released a track called ‘Bailamos’. We knew each other through my sister. After that I made a track called ‘Warrior’ and the rest is history as they say…”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
Michael Woods – The Pit
Danny Avila – Tronco
Julian Calor – Space Dial
Dannic, Sick Individuals – Blueprint
Bassjackers – Crackin
Dyro – Go Down
Lush & Simon – Adrenaline
Denzal Park & Dave Winnel – The Great Valley
Michael Woods – Show Me Dynamik (Bootleg)
Criminal vibes – Calabria (Sean Finn Remix)
Favourite festival story of 2013?
“Burning Man was quite an experience. It was, how can I put this, very open and free. I spent a lot of the time hanging with the Nervo girls and even they were quite shocked with a lot of what was on display. We stumbled upon a tent called the Blow Job Tent…I will leave the rest to your imagination.”
You admit that Tiesto and Max Vangeli are bad influences on you, indeed they get you slaughtered on Jager. What other DJs do you like to party with, who is evil personified in the hell raising stakes?
“Quintino is pretty cool to hang with! I always enjoy his sets and he knows how to throw down. If you can catch Calvin Harris on a day where he doesn’t have to be in another country 3 hours after his set he too can be quite a hell raiser!”
You spend your life on planes and in studios – balancing your label, gigs, production and everything in between must be mental. How important is Three Six Zero in your life, just how good are they?
“They take away a lot of the stuff that I just don’t have the time to do so they are essential. Every day I am thankful to be apart of the Three Six Zero family and yes, believe the hype!”
Tell us about some of your stand out gigs from the summer…we loved you at Cream in Ibiza…
“Wow, Cream was amazing this year…It is difficult to pick out just one of those gigs as the whole season was epic. My Hakkasan residency has been amazing…that place is always rocking. More recently my set at Pier 94 for Halloween was pretty epic too. 16,000 people going strong and everyone fully dressed up. What a night!”
Ibiza or Vegas and why?
“That’s a tough one. If you’re looking for inspiration and to hear brand new music or something that you may not hear anywhere else then Ibiza is the place, if you’re looking to let your hair down for some serious unadulterated fun in some delectable surroundings then Vegas is the one!”
Anthem of the summer?
“Moguai – ‘Champs’.”
What is on a Michael Woods rider in 2013?
“Unlimited Coronas, Unlimited Champagne, 2 Bottles of Don Julio and most importantly 1 Large Pepperoni Pizza.”
Okay let’s find out what makes your musical mind tick…
The song you wish you had made…
“Eric Prydz – Everyday.”
The song that always makes you cry…
“No song has ever made cry.”
The cheesy pop song you always sing a long to when it comes on the radio…
“Michael Jackson – Beat It.”
The guilty pleasure song you love but really shouldn’t…
“Madonna – Like A Virgin.”
The one genre of music you cannot stand…
“I wanna say Trap. Not because I don’t like it as much but because I can’t dance to it!”
Dead or alive, the artist you would most like to make a record with…
“Hmmmm…tough one! Deadmau5, Calvin Harris and Quincy Jones.”
The last great album you listened to?
“Dr.Dre – 2001.”
The US has had a crazy year in their ongoing development in dance music. What do you think have been the most noticeable changes from a DJ/producer point of view these past 12 months?
“I think it’s popularity. Dance music has always been around but it’s only been the last year or so that it has massively hit the mainstream charts. This has opened so many doors for producers such as myself.”
It was the annual DJ Top 100 debacle last week…what are your thoughts on this yearly poll, do you give a shit?
“I try not to worry about it too much. I just keep on doing what I’m doing. If I end up in that chart obviously I would be happy but It’s not something that consumes my everything. I think there are definitely people in there that deserve to be there.”
What is coming out next from you studio wise?
“Currently working on quite a lot of new material, working on new sounds and trying out new techniques so you may have to just sit back and see. Hopefully you won’t be disappointed!”
Another great quote from you from a while back…”At the end of the day, I just want to make music that sounds different and sounds fresh”. What are your thoughts on the new producers coming through in 2013, do enough people share that philosophy, has modern technology made it too easy to make records that perhaps are not that different ?
“Again I try not to worry too much about what anyone else is doing. There is a lot of music out there that I really like and a lot that I don’t, but that’s always going to be the case. I think producers should make music for themselves no matter what. Technology should only ever help and progress the scene, I don’t think it will be a hindrance.”
I interviewed Kaz James this week, something he said was kinda interesting…”I don’t think it’s necessary these days to actually be a good DJ like it was 15 years ago at the start of my career. These days you can get away with pressing play on a laptop.” Discuss…
“Hmmm…well I still think the art of DJing applies I just think it’s not the same as it was 15 years ago. Back then it was all about vinyl and the art of mixing, now there is hardware that can practically do all that for you. Today it’s more about the musical journey you create and keeping audiences on their toes. Crowds know about the technological advances as well so if your selection and style isn’t on point they will let you know about it.”
Saw on Facebook you were looking for ideas on a Halloween costume – what did you go for in the end?
“Hahaha…well I wanted to go as the 3 amigos with Calvin and Rehab but they didn’t get back to me. Eventually I ended up going as a Surgeon but my tour manager’s costume was much better, he went as a convict. Looked pretty convincing!”
And finally Mr Woods, when was the last time you got starstruck?
“Every single time I see Calvin Harris!”
http://michaelwoods.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/michaelwoods
http://instagram.com/michael_woods
http://soundcloud.com/michaelwoods
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwoodsmusic
http://google.com/+michaelwoods
http://michaelwoodsmusic.tumblr.com/
http://www.myspace.com/michaelwoods
https://www.facebook.com/diffusedmusic
https://twitter.com/DiffusedMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/DiffusedMusic
http://soundcloud.com/diffusedmusic
