Heavily supported by BBC Introducing since their debut EP in 2019, METHODS are riding on the crest of a wave right now. DMCWORLD now checks in with Peza, the producer who has worked with the likes of Daman Albarn, Greg Wilson and Dicky Trisco as he rework’s their new release ‘Human Existence’…a dark, brooding 80s-inspired synth pop mix with an infectious vocal…
Hey Peza, great to catch up – how is lockdown life for you?
What a crazy situation eh? To be honest, I suppose the same as most people, some good days and some not so good, but counting my blessings that most people I know are healthy so far! Apart from that it’s been a great time to get into making new music, I have managed to set myself a nice little live rig so I have been sketching ideas out with that. Been listening to some great new music too!
Do you think now is great time to release music considering we can’t play live?
I really do yes. I think if you have the ability and resources to write and to put new stuff out, I think it’s an important time to be doing that for a number of reason. Firstly because I think it’s great to keep people stimulated and feeding peoples need for alleviating boredom and monotony during lockdown, secondly because as a creative, it’s a perfect time to switch off from the daily grind and exercise those creative juices. We all need to look after our mental health during this time and being creative is a great way to do that!
Please tell us about your new remix of Methods’ ‘Human Existence’ – how did the project come about?
I became aware of Methods through a mutual friend and immediately liked their sound. Some time after that I was DJing at a homelessness awareness gig and Methods were on the bill, I have to say, they really blew me away live, if you get the chance to see this band perform go do it, they have so much energy live and I was pretty much hooked after that. So when the offer of the remix came about, I jumped on it.
What challenges did you face remixing a band? Did you find that their genre and style remixed easily?
As I was familiar with the bands’ sound I knew that I could find a foothold to get the remix going. I always try to look for the hidden gems in a track when starting out with a remix. It could be anything, A bass riff, A vocal outtake or overdub, a bit of noise from the guitar amp. I like to take bits like that, give them centre stage and then build around that. Whether that sound stays in or not doesn’t matter, but it’s a great way of giving a track a new perspective.
Can you tell us more about Methods and what it is about their music the appeals to you?
Methods are a great bunch of lads, Anyone from Wolverhampton that makes music are usually sound, but as I get to know these lads more, that becomes ever more apparent. Musically, there is an honesty about their sound that I really like, that said though there is nothing flimsy about the sound of Methods, in fact it can be described as epic!
What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about remixing a band?
I think my advice would be to try to look for those hidden nuggets, it always works for me in giving things a different spin. Also, when asking for stems, try to get the engineers to simplify the stems a little, just so that you don’t end up with a shit load of guitar tracks etc; one with chorus on, one DI, one close mic, one room mic, you know what I mean? The less time you spend piecing together stems, the more fresh your creativity will be when it comes to carving the track up and giving it your own spin.
Finally, name 3 artists from the Midlands people should listen to.
Well it all depends on what your bag is but as mine is house, nudisco, acid house etc… I would suggest you listen to Mark E, Field Of Dreams and erm…….ME!!!
