Huge new Dim Mak EP for the Australian producer with the world at his feet
Interview : Dan Prince
Ben welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“Hey Dan, I am actually just flying over to Wagga Wagga in Australia for a gig tonight. I just got back from Bali this morning from playing the Sky Garden in Kuta on Saturday night followed by a few days of kicking back.”
That my man is how to spend a weekend! Loads of great music coming our way at the moment from you, some of it recorded a while ago and has been out down under. We’re loving ‘The Moment’ of course which features Sarah Bodle…any truth in the rumour that you simply laid down a few sounds on an iPhone with her in Adelaide and then nipped back to Sydney to finish it?
“Yeah that’s exactly what happened. I was in Adelaide for a gig that weekend and got news that my Dim Mak EP had to be in that week, at the time there were three tracks (‘All Aboard’, ‘Kuzantip’ and ‘Static) and I really wanted a vocal track on there. I was in town so messaged Sarah to come over to a friends and work on some ideas for a track to see if we could get anything down, we ended up recording some ideas on my iPhone then I went back to Sydney the following day to finish the track! The track is called ‘The Moment’ because it was such a spur of the moment thing!”
Talk us through the rest of the EP…
“Apart from ‘The Moment’ I wrote about a year ago and have been playing them in my sets – I was stoked when Dim Mak wanted to pick them up for an EP! ‘All Aboard is with Chardy, a Melbourne based DJ, we wrote this one while in Melbourne I think, ‘Kuzantip’ is with Krunk, my boy from Adealide which is my home town…and ‘Static’ is one I wrote on my own.”
“Signing with Dim Mak is such a cool thing and I’m really happy about being part of the label because I think we both stand for some of the same things.” So what are those things…?
“I see Dim Mak as a label that isn’t afraid to innovate and release music that is a little different or ahead of the curve. I feel there are a lot of labels these days that won’t take risks on tracks that are a little musically different than what’s popular right at that moment in case it doesn’t sell as well or people aren’t “ready for it” (I hate that term…lol). The way I see dance music is it’s always been about innovation, making something that people haven’t heard before and is unique, it’s been like that ever since DJs came on board, as soon as something gets boring and predictable the genre will die – it’s up to the people making the music to keep it interesting and fresh, or that genre will end up like dubstep haha!”
You have just returned to Australia after four weeks in the States, what were some of the ‘take home’ memories from that trip…?
”There were some great memories! Touring with Keith (Autoerotique) was crazy, the Dim Mak/Bud light commercial was also crazy, being on set for a multi million dollar TV commercial was an amazing experience…I really got to see how all that Hollywood showbusiness happens! Touring with Keith was a laugh, when we stopped in Chicago for our gig, one of our friends Lumionoxx we met earlier in the tour was playing the venue the night after, so we thought we would leave him a present in the Green Room. Somehow we decided that a dildo would be the best option, we were going to leave it in the mini bar so when he went to go get his rider he opens fridge and boom! – a dildo, signed by Uberjakd and Autoerotique. But everything almost didn’t go to plan when halfway through my set Keith comes up, totally cuts the music and get on the mic to announce “who has stolen the dildo?” hahaha! Someone actually tried to take it! It obviously looked like too good an opportunity to pass up for someone….. but luckily we got it back, they must have felt guilty because they returned it to the mini bar, hahaha!!”
We hear the Americans are really taking to the Melbourne Bounce sound?
“Yeah absolutely lovin’ the support it’s getting in the States, it really wigs me out that this sound that started in small underground clubs in Melbourne is going worldwide and getting so much support!”
And straight back into action with the Mixmash Records tour with D.O.D.!! How was that dude?
“Yeah the tour with D.O.D. was nuts, we have been Skype and Twitter chatting for a while, it was great to meet him and the tour was great!”
“Music shouldn’t be taken too seriously. And if it is, then you’re seriously doing something wrong.” Discuss…
“I guess it’s just my way of saying that music is something that is really an escape for most people, I’m sure that most people have had that experience where you might have been having a bad day or whatever – or going through some stuff and listening to a particular song makes you forget about that and can really lift your mood. So don’t take music too seriously, the best music is what feels right and comes naturally, you should never try and force anything too hard!”
Especially the dildo! So, what is the current top 10 you are spinning…?
“In no particular order…
Hard Nation – Will Sparks & Uberjakd ,
Flashlight [Teddy Cream & Neple remix] – Deorro & R3hab
Tremor [Matt Watkins Bounce Edit] – Martin Garrixx
Get Loco [VINAi remix] – Joel Fletcher & Seany B
Mental – Chris Bullen
Go – Laidback Luke & Uberjakd
Rambo – Deorro & J-Trick
Back2Life – Uberjakd f. NUM
Tricky Tricky [Lesware edit] – Busted
Whistle Bounce [Uberjakd VIP edit] – Uberjakd
Word on the street about some cool collabs with Will Sparks, Deorro, Zoolanda, Slice n Dice, J-trick Kronic and Chardy?
“Yeah lots of collabs coming! I really enjoy writing music with someone else, I think it’s really important to get in the studio together to get the ideas flowing, I find that when working with someone else you will try different things and come up with ideas you may not of normally have, I guess that’s why they say two heads are better than one!”
A quote form you talking about Australian cliublife… “It’s not the clubs that are the problem, it’s the streets. “ Can you elaborate on that…
“OK so that’s in relation to a bunch of lockouts that the government is putting in place at the moment, there is a lot of media press on drunken violence, the clubs here are great! And the majority of people are here for the music, it just sucks when the government and media paints a different picture!”
Your monthly podcast has over 100,000 subscribers and is #2 on iTunes Australia. What’s it like having such a large audience?
“The podcast for me was something I just started for fun to share my new music and new music of my mates, I was blown away by the reception I got from it! I try to get one out every month featuring as much new Aussie music as possible! If any up coming producers think their stuff would work on the podcast they can send it to my twitter and I’ll check it out! @uberjakd ”
When did the idea of a career in music begin?
“Probably a few years after that when I finished my 4th year of Uni studying design – haha, I was that guy in the class always late for lectures, usually hungover especially on Fridays after playing a club residency I picked up while I was at Uni on Thursday nights. Somehow I managed to pass, I guess if I start something I have to finish it, that’s just the way I am. Once I graduated I then started producing a lot more seriously and I think it was a couple months after I got picked up by Laidback Luke for an EP on Mixmash after he heard my remix of Bingo Players ‘Rattle’.”
First break into the industry?
“Yeah I would have to thank Luke for that one! His support on my “Rattle’ remix plus signing my first EP to a big label really started me off, so having the opportunity to write a tune with him just a couple months ago was really, really crazy!”
Have you ever had a really crap job?
“Ohh yeah, I used to work as a car detailer when I was younger, a furniture remover and cabinet maker for a year or so…”
Early DJ/producer heroes?
“Laidback Luke – his producer forum was great, it was such a cool feeling to get feedback from such a big DJ when I was starting out – it definitely motivated me when I was just a beginner to stick at it! A lot of big guys started in that forum, Avicii, Ingrosso, Afro, Angger Dimas… plus heaps more I’m sure. The idea of it is what made me want to start my own producer forum to help up coming producers and bring them together to learn off each other.”
Ambitions for the rest of 2014?
“I’m looking forward to some tours which I will be able to announce very soon! Lots of new music of course and just to enjoy life, like I said before, don’t take things too seriously!”
And finally, got to ask…visiting Walt in Albuquerque whilst in the States…?
“Walter White from Breaking Bad!! Fucking love that show and visiting that house was really cool hahaha!! Those little bags were the blue meth that the show made famous (the ones I had on my Instagram were just rock candy so chill! You could buy it at this souvenir shop that actually made it for the TV series…”
https://twitter.com/Uberjakd
http://www.youtube.com/user/uberjakd
http://instagram.com/Uberjakd
https://soundcloud.com/uberjakd
