The Maltese house producer has come from nowhere to leave us dazed and confused
Interview : Rob Chadwick
It doesn’t happen too often, bit every now and then a new producer will crop up out of nowhere and leave a distinct impression our tastes. The latest man to do exactly that is Maltese producer Dean Demanuele. Should you have been lucky enough to check out the man’s music so far, then you’ll know what he’s all about: uncompromising house music that’s made for the floor. It all truly comes together in his collaborations alongside Mobilee man Lee Van Dowski, and these guys most definitely do make house music with soul. We quizzed Dean recently about working with Lee, his career in music and future projects…
When did you first meet Lee Van Dowski? Were you immediately impressed by what he was about?
“The first time we met was in Zurich, I had a very good impression of Lee and we had a quick little chat. Just some months after we met in Malta again and it was then that we started talking about making music together. I knew his sound before and working with Cadenza was a pretty big deal so yeah I was impressed.”
Did you sort of accidentally become a full-time DJ? Was it a very organic thing?
“Yeah you could say that, i was always getting much more into the studio vibe but then eventually I tried playing live, then DJing and loved it. I felt a great control over hundreds of people unlike the studio, were most of the time you’re always alone. It was all very natural I guess. I think it was just meant to be.”
Were there many moments when you were worried about ‘making’ it? What was your back-up plan career wise?
“In music you can never know, one day your here and the next you’re out, so its useless to worry much, just do what you think is best and leave the rest to time. In reality I never had a back up plan and i still don’t have one now. I never worried about making it or not. I just made it happen, that’s it.”
What’s Up Doc is a pretty crazy record – what was the inspiration behind it?
“We wanted to make something different then the usual, I hate listening and making the same stuff over and over again and I think we hit the nail on its head with this one. There’s something for everyone in this record. When I’m in the studio I try to vary as much as possible so I don’t feel trapped in one style.”
Who comes up with the ideas for the tracks? Or how does that work? Do you and Lee have different responsibilities when making music together?
“It depends on the mood and the inspiration we have on the day, sometimes he starts something and sends over to me and sometimes it’s vice versa. We both look for strong potential sounds for a track and we start sending them to each other until we get the end result we want. Then I gather all the files and start arranging, it’s one of my strengths so I’m always keen to do that. The last thing would be that I mix it down and that’s done.”
I believe you produce together using Skype, a method that’s become increasingly popular of late. Do you have one central computer that you process everything through?
“Yes Skype is getting really popular to work with especially if you work with producers that live in an other country like me and Lee are, or else you’re always traveling so you need some type of fast communication. My computer is like the central computer which I process everything through, you will need this or else it will be hard to finish a track or get the sounds right.”
As a trained sound engineer, do you do the mastering yourself? Is that an entirely different process?
“In my tracks I do a really good mix down and give my flavour and my touch to the tracks. If the tracks are mixed down well you don’t need mastering. Then if the label has a particular sound I always like to let them give their last touch. I do mastering when someone sends me a track and he needs to push it up the limits or has a particular sound he wants to reach.”
Have you noticed LANDR, the computer-led mastering program? Is it something you’d happily try out? Or do you think that computers can’t really replace a human ear when it comes to mastering?
“I’ve read about it and it sounds interesting. I think it will be helpful for some. I would try it out just for curiosity and to see what the end result would be like. I’m always more in favour of the human ear just because of the different variations a human can create at that moment. If all the tracks would sound the same it would be really monotonous, although I’m always in favour of progression.”
With regards to the mastering process, as a sound engineer, are you often wary about how your tracks will be changed?
“Yes I always double check the final product with the mastering guy if it’s not myself who’s taking care of it. It’s essential to find a balance between what you want it to be and his touch. If you have a proper mix down the track won’t change much.”
Upon listening to the mastered version of What’s Up Doc, for instance, did you notice a lot of changes?
“With the last record “What’s Up Doc?” I supervised throughout all the process and had it specifically how I wanted it to be. My main focus was the mix down of the track so there weren’t any major changes in the end. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to this.”
Yourself and Lee are renowned for your prolific way of working in the studio. Have you always been prolific yourself? Or is that something that’s come to you at a later date as a result of working with Lee?
“I think I’m quite prolific in the way I work in general, I want things to get done quick and as perfect as it can be. Working with Lee gave everything another twist and we got carried away by the enthusiasm and the flow we got together. Sometimes I get on too much projects at once, I like to keep myself busy and I want to push through my limits.”
Has Lee given you more confidence as a producer do you think? How else has working with him changed the way you work and think about music?
“Working together gave us both much more confidence and strength in moving on to the next chapter of our lives. We wanted to make it work and so we did. Lee has given me a chance to get to know more of his world and let me through it, working with mobilee was one of them. This year has made me grow in a really positive way musically, both as an artist and getting to know more of the scene. Lee has been a big part of this.”
Do you think you’d be working on the music you’re working on now if it wasn’t for Lee? You used to work with Pig&Dan, right?
“Lee gave me his vision of what he likes and what influences him when he makes music. That opened up another door and I added it up to mine. We have very similar tastes and I think I would still be working on the same music now. I worked with Pig&Dan for two years or more, it was in the beginning of it all in the UK. I was mostly working with Igor “Pig”, Dan was traveling more at the time.”
Did the guys have a big influence on you musically too?
“Yes they did influence me a lot. It was the very beginning and used to live the real DJ life through them. We had a lot of great times together and made some huge records too. I learnt a lot from them especially working through Skype, I worked with them the same way I work with Lee now.”
You DJ too I believe. Do you prefer producing over Jing or do you view them as totally different disciplines?
“They are both very different, making music is like getting an empty canvas and just painting whatever you want. I feel it’s very liberating and it’s a natural process for me. DJing is like gathering all this material together and the music I have been listening throughout that time and share it to the people. Also the feeling of DJing and the vibe you get when you make people dance is unique.”
Yours is a sound that seems quite suited to a live set. Is it something they you’ve ever considered?
“Well I’m mainly a live act, I started DJing just because I wanted to expand my opportunities and have a bit of both when it’s needed. I’m working on a lot of new material and my aim for the next months is to create a live show, then eventually a live tour.”
You’ve been asked to create your perfect festival. Who would you have on the line up?
“There are too many amazing artists to mention at the moment but Luciano and Ricardo for me are always in my top 5 list. Then there’s Sven who is also untouchable and you would have a pretty great line up there already haha.”
And what’s on your agenda for the rest of the summer?
“I can’t wait to play my next gigs in Zurich and especially the festivals. I will also be spending a lot of time in my new studio working on the next releases and planning on my next dates. I am in Malta at the moment so I’ll also try and enjoy the sun and the sea as much as possible. You can follow me on my website www.deandemanuele.net for further updates. Thanks for having me!”
Lee Van Dowski & Dean Demanuele’s What’s Up Doc? is out now on Dazed & Confused Records
