The superstar from the Dam explodes with a monster on Musical Freedom
Interview : Dan Prince
Timo welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you at the moment?
“Thank you! I’m in Amsterdam in the studio working on new music!”
A big week for you with the release of your brand new tune ‘Don’t Go Loose It’ swinging our way on the mighty Musical Freedom…talk us through the tune…
“Well I had the vocal sample for a long time and tried to use it in different instrumental tracks but it never felt right. When I was working on the instrumental I had the melody on loop in my sequencer and was scrolling true samples in my finder screen. I accidently pressed play when going over the vocal sample and I instantly felt it was a perfect match. The track started of with only the string melody in the breakdowns, later on I added chords in the same melody as the string melody and last but most definitely not least I added the vocal. Funny thing is I make all kinds of tracks in all genres all the time but a lot of times I don’t release or finish them. I like to improve myself producing wise and want to understand how to make all the different genres. ‘Don’t Go Lose It’ is a perfect example of these kind of projects. I was working on this track to improve my chord progressions and melodies. I’m really happy with the final version and overwhelmed off all the positive feedback.”
True or False : Once whilst DJing a girl asked her to autograph her tits, she slipped and fell…?
“True!”
You rounded off 2013 with a mini tour of Canada, a country that loves you. What were the highlights of that trip, New Years Eve in Calgary looked mental?
“It’s hard to say because all the shows where really good and fun to play. The energy of the crowd in Canada is amazing, I truly loved all the shows. Calgary was the perfect gig to finish my mini tour, especially the sit-down with Dyro on the mic in the end of my set was awesome haha! The after party of Solaris festival in Toronto with Tiesto was also really fun to play. It was really intimate, it was in a smaller club with a low ceiling with a really sexy vibe going on. I love Canada!”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
1. Id – id
2. Id – Id
3. Id – Id
And so on…no just kiddin!! Most of the tracks are my own productions…check out my top 10…
1. MOTi – Don’t Go Lose It
2. Alvaro & MOTi – NaNaNa
3. Tiesto & MOTi – Back To The Acid
4. MOTi & W&W – Heat Up The Invasion (W&W Edit)
5. Bassjackers & Kenneth G – ID
6. Mercer x Prodigy – Breathe (Late Night Edition)
7. Example – Kids Again (MOTi Remix)
8. Quintino & MOTi – Dynamite + Quintino & MOTi – Dynamite (Yellow Claw Remix)
9. GTA – The Crowd
10. W&W, Ummet Ozcan & Krewella – Live For The Neon (MOTi Mashup)
DMC were in the crowd at the Ziggodome at Amsterdam’s ADE last October where you played with Tiesto and Calvin Harris. Was that the gig of your life?
“Yes it definitely was! When I think back of that gig it still feels unreal and it all looks like a blur to me. I thought I would be very nervous playing that show but when I went on stage it felt so natural and I knew exactly what to do and what to play. It was a perfect night!”
Your tunes always get massive support from the superstar DJ community. Regarding ‘Dynamite’ last year David Guetta, Afrojack, Sander van Doorn, Tiesto, Laidback Luke and Example were all over the tune. Whose name though do you always look for in support when releasing a tune, which producer’s big ups always make you feel proud of your work?
“That’s definitely Tiesto! He has been a great support the last year and he’s giving me advise and helping me with my career. I feel most proud when I see a lot of different kind of DJs play my track! Before the official promo I give my tracks to a small amount of people but not per see for the feedback. I only ask do you play the track? If they play it its a good track! If they say “its a good track but i don’t play it” its not a good track…haha…”
You have collaborated with some huge EDM names in recent years. What 1 producer did you really click with in the studio and why?
“I think that will be Quintino. We know each other for almost 6 or 7 years now and we’ve been working together in the studio for the same amount of time I guess. When we go in the studio we first just hangout play some xbox watch a movie, go back in the studio make some music, hangout again or party in the city and we finish the track up the next day. Plus its only a 3 minute walk from my apartment to his so that has to do with it too I guess.”
Okay let’s kick back for a moment. How old were you when you started to appreciate dance music and who were the producers/DJs/tunes that first got you interested in the scene?
“Wow that’s a while back. When I was 17 I think. I listened or partied to Laurent Garnier, Steve Bug, Josh Wink, Carl Cox and Dutch hero Benny Rodrigues to name a few. During that time my favorite tunes where:
– Tiefschwarz – Wait and See (Alter Ego Remix)
– Argy – Love Dose (Luciano Remix)
– Kenlou – The Bounce
– Plastikman – Spastik
When did the idea of a career in dance music first start to form in your head?
“When I was 18 I just made music for fun on my computer. A good friend of mine pushed me to send it to Erick E a big DJ in the Netherlands. He asked for more tracks and i got signed for a record deal and artist agency within a year.”
What is the worst job you have ever had?
“Working in the Home Depot stocking shelves or when i was really young delivering newspapers.”
Can you remember the first ever time you DJ’d and how much you were paid?
“Yes I can, it was in the basement area of a bigger club. I didn’t know how booth monitors worked so I mixed on the clubs monitors which had a minor delay. So I really messed up every mix in that set. I thought I was playing for free but in the end the organization gave me 50eu. I was really happy with the 50eu!”
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
“Spit on your toilet paper before wiping your ass after pooping. Thank god for moist toilet paper these days haha!! No but seriously, make music you like not what other people like.”
When was the last time you asked a DJ what the tune he was playing was?
“NYE, Calgary when Hardwell dropped a new track, I asked Dyro what it was.”
What is the 1 gig in your DJ diary that you cannot wait for in 2014?
“Central Studios in Utrecht, Netherlands.”
Are you a producer who can work whilst in the road or is it a case of no place like home?
“Haha, I recently remodeled my bedroom to a hotel room look because I love to work on my laptop, with my headphones in bed.”
In your eyes, is ADE now the biggest conference on the dance calendar?
“I’m not sure, I never went to the conference only to the parties – but it’s definitely one of the biggest events to hang out and get drunk with colleagues you don’t see very often.”
Away from dance music, who are the artists you like chilling to?
“Sufjan Stevens, MGMT, Bastille, Jimmy Hendrix to name a few and when I’m feeling gangsta, I listen to Jay-Z ft. Rick Ross – Fuck With Me You Know I Got It or A$AP Ferg – Shabba!”
It may not be good for my image, but MOTi really loves…
“Deep house lol…”
What was the last big expensive studio toy you bought yourself?
“UAD-2 + UAD-2 Plugins.”
If you hadn’t have become a producer what do you think you would have ended up doing?
“I studied fashion design so I’d probably ended up working at some lame clothing store trying to be a fashion designer which would never happen because I suck at it.”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“I did a remix for Example’s upcoming single so that will be the first. Got some tracks finished but not sure which to release first, we’ll see! Also working on some collabs and doing a compilation CD for a big label with a lot of new unreleased tracks.”
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