DMCWORLD grabs a world exclusive with Niel Degas ahead of his new release L.A. Nights. An artist who has consistently proven his musical prowess releasing one hit after another, with his tracks dominating the Beatport Top 100 charts like “Don’t Need You”, “Sahara” and “Braveheart” to name a few.
Neil is a master at skillfully drawing from his own experiences and fusing diverse musical genres into a harmonious tapestry, crafting a sound that is both distinctive and entrancing. In an industry where innovation is prized, Niel stands out as a true pioneer, consistently pushing the envelope of musical exploration. His ability to blend diverse influences into a coherent and mesmerizing sonic landscape speaks to his commitment to the craft and his unwavering dedication to delivering music that not only entertains but also resonates on a profound level.
The latest release “L.A. Nights” by DJ/Producer Niel Degas and Ricardo Geldres paints a heartfelt portrait of love and loss, exquisitely capturing the emotional nuances that come with reminiscing about an ex-partner and the precious moments spent together in the enchanting landscapes of Los Angeles. Time to dive in…
You have been DJing and producing music since 2010. What have you learned during this time and how has your style changed?
I have learned a lot through the years, from the Djing aspect the biggest would be how to read a room which is only gained from experience of doing. From the production side how to get cleaner for full sounding mixes. How my style has changed has been pretty drastic and I am constantly evolving, started off doing hip-hop beats and DnB, gravitated towards metal and emo for a bit, then back to hip hop and DnB, now more dance focused, I listen to a wide range of music and not one track minded if its good its good no matter the genre, and I try to incorporate some aspects of my wide tastes into my tracks.
What do you enjoy most about producing?
Man, I love the creation process, experimenting with my massive amount of influences and seeing what works and what doesn’t. I thrive on challenges. And of course sharing that final product to the world is great too
Who are your favorite producers around at the moment and what makes them stand out to you?
I am a huge Purple Disco Machine fan (my youngest daughter is too) everything he does is great and I love how he uses a lot of analog gear in his productions. Software is great and way more versatile and I use it a bit too but I am a huge hardware guy, and incorporate it in a lot of my productions as well. I love limitations and the fact you have to be a little more creative when using hardware, and the pure analog sound beats digital any day, even though software is way easier to work with.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release “L.A.Nights”?
I wish I had some crazy story to tell you, but came up with the original idea and concept after a night out watching the sunset from a 14th floor balcony then with the help of Ricardo Geldres and Drew Tyler we turned the initial idea into a L.A. Nights
The release is co-produced by Ricardo Geldres. How was it like working with him?
Working with Ricardo was great and is great. We met awhile ago while he was working on a remix for me asked if I ever wanted to do a collab and I had this idea with a melody with chord progression so I was like lets see what happens. I think him and I work well together, our two different styles and influences pair well together. So much so that we have a few more collaboration tracks and there is even discussions of making an official duo but waiting to see where the paths leads as we both have a solo careers we are focused on too.
Who is behind the lyrics and the vocals of the release?
Ahh, Drew Tyler, singer, songwriter based out of Nashville Tenn. Theres a lot of amazing vocalists out of Nashville anyway, Ricardo and I met him online, great natural singer and songwriter, Drew did almost 100% of the writing with little help and guidance from Ricardo and I.
Tell us about your label Arietis Records. What were the main principals of starting your own label?
I have always wanted to open and run a record label since I was a kid, you know I am every much hands on in everything I do and the aspects of my own career, I have made my own music videos in the past, I have done all my marketing on my own, I have only recently started out sourcing a few things and that’s 100% due to time constraints or I’d still be doing all that myself. But the concept and principals is I just want to take what I have learned and pass it a long to the new generation.
What has been your favourite release to date?
To be honest it’s a toss up, between Sahara and Braveheart. Like I love the positive message and energy of Braveheart, but I also love how different Sahara is and is not like anything else out there.
Do you have any other releases coming out this year?
I have one more official release set to drop this titled “Giving You My Best” off the “My Best” Ep bit more of a commercial dance pop track and something I have been sitting on for awhile and finally getting out. After that its just spending time with family and working on stuff for next year, already have a lot of stuff setup for next year, few Degas/Geldres collabs and of course my own personal tracks.
Follow Niel Degas: Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify
Follow Ricardo Geldres: Istagram |Soundcloud | Spotify
