Ministry Of Sound get ready! The man from Blaze and Honeycomb is in da house London
Interview : Nicky Trax
Wow…Josh Milan from the legendary Blaze Productions in the house and making your debut appearance at Groove Odyssey: House Legends this weekend in London town! Welcome to DMCWORLD and what are you looking forward to about the show?
“Hey Nicky. I’m not sure what to expect to be honest. What I do know is that Bobby and Steve are involved, and I’ve been to their events before, so I’m looking forward to some great music.”
What can the Groove Odyssey crowd expect from you live show and will it be all classics or will you throw in something new?
“I’ve come a long way since the Blaze days but I will be showcasing a combination of both old and new songs.”
Do you still get a buzz seeing the crowd appreciate you?
“Every entertainer feeds off of a responsive crowd, and the UK has never failed to show me love. I’m sure I’ll get a buzz before hitting the stage.”
You are playing alongside Louie Vega whom you work with on the Elements Of Life project – I seem to remember you worked on the SuperBowl Final in 2012 with him too?
“I co-wrote the song Elements Of Life performed at the Super Bowl but I wasn’t on stage for the performance. However we were all so excited that I felt as though I was there. That was a huge win for house music artists everywhere. It showed respect from the mainstream world to our genre, and that’s something that I’m proud of.”
What is the biggest crowd you have performed to?
“That has to be Wembley Arena. We opened for Bobby Brown.”
Elements Of Life are a collective of artists and musicians and I believe the new album ‘Eclipse’ has just come out on Fania. Can you tell us about the album and your contribution?
“That album is the most fun I’ve had recording a project in years. So much talent and influences on one project, and Louie is the perfect producer to pull it all together and make it sound like one entity.I wrote, sang, and played keys on the project.”
You are one of House Music’s true living legends, behind a huge portfolio of Blaze Productions songs, Elements Of Life and your own songs. What are your Top 3 favourite songs of your career and what makes them special?
1. “’Found Love’ is my favourite Blaze song. It’s the first time I felt myself growing as a writer. Trying major chords and slower tempos in house music.”
2. ’Till You Go Home’ is the first release on my label Honeycomb, and that song represents me doing exactly what I wanted to do with no concern of the hottest record out at the time. I didn’t follow the rules of House Music – I produced a song exactly how I felt it.
3. ‘Fort Greenes Theme’ is a song I did for my group Honeysweet. Incorporating musicians has always been a dream of mine, and Honeysweet is a group that will be known for their live instrumentation and infectious grooves. Very reminiscent of Mandrill, War and Santana.”
You are a multi instrumentalist including being a great keyboard player and producer and have written for many other artists such as Barbara Tucker, De’Lacy and Amira. Who are you most proud to have written for or worked with and why?
“I get a rush when I work with new artist. Honeycomb music is all about introducing new and undiscovered talent to our scene. Our first full length release, ‘Honeycomb Music Volume 1’ consists of mostly new acts that I’m most proud of.”
Do you have an unforgettable memory or highlight of your career?
“When I was 17 Jocelyn Brown allowed me to be her keyboard player in a NYC show and that experience changed my life.”
How long has Honeycomb been running?
“Honeycomb had been going strong since 2010. I’m really not sure how many releases we have, but not that many though. I believe in taking my time when releasing projects. Other labels release songs every month at the expense of the quality of music, and nobody wins that way. This label is a labour of love for me and my partner Adam Cruz.”
What are you currently working ?
“I’m currently finishing a single on a new artist Tiffany Pinkney. She’s a NY powerhouse of a vocalist. I’m also working with Tracy Brathwaite, known for her release “Smile”, and who has an EP coming out in June. The there’s House music pioneer vocalist, Dawn Tallman’s new album release due out this summer. New to our scene but not to the music industry is talented musician Sheldon Goode who has a new EP due in the summer, which promises to be very interesting. Raw Honey are a poetry group that have a free album on HoneycombMusicStore.com which is well worth checking and I’m doing a follow up album with them now. I’m doing a lot of DJing lately. It’s something I enjoy. I have an internet show every Monday at noon EST. The show goes for 2 hours and there you can hear what I play and even chat with me and a bunch of music lovers. Go to MixLR.com/honeycombmusic
How and when were you first infected by dance music?
“My first real house music experience happened when Marshall Jefferson released “Move Your Body (Gotta Have House Music)”. I loved the way it hypnotized me, and I wanted to be part of that scene. My partner at the time was a DJ and he introduced me to a lot of House music that would eventually influence the way I produced music.”
You grew up Brooklyn and then moved to New Jersey. How did where you grew up influence you and are there any special people that helped inspired you towards music? Tell us about your journey…
“I grew up in Brooklyn NYC in an area where the hip hop culture was part of our everyday life. Eventually drugs would overtake the area and my mom wanted to move her children away from the streets of Brooklyn, so we moved to New Jersey where life seemed to slow down tremendously. But it was here that I noticed a big change in what the kids were listening to. Martins Circus, First Choice, Jimmy Bo Horne, and other soulful dance artist were popular here. And so my musical taste were broadened. While delivering newspapers I heard a customer play jazz piano in his home. I knocked on his door and immediately became his protege. My mom played a lot of Barbara Streisand, John Denver, and Luciano Pavarotti in the house. We went to church every Sunday where I enjoyed the choir. So while growing up, I became a fan of many styles of music.”
First record you ever bought…
“The first record I bought was the 12” vinyl of Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five “Freedom Rap”. I was in love with it.”
Who is the most inspirational and influential person in your life?
“My mother passed away in 2006, yet she remains the most influential person in my life. Her work ethic, her standards and morals are things I’d like to simulate in my life.”
Not many people know this…
“I’m afraid of bugs. Really! And I like to be extremely early for flights. LOL.”
With the news of the legendary Frankie Knuckles passing, can we ask how and when you met?
“Frankie and I met back in the Blaze days. He was a gem and my career stands on his shoulders. I have fond memories of him and I think one of the greatest memories I have is seeing him persevere and smiling through his illness. He continued to work and do good music. And that’s something I will take with me.”
What’s your favourite Frankie record?
“Frankie’s remix of Lil Louis ‘Fable’ is by far my favourite Frankie release.”
Always a pleasure and before you leave us, what track should we playing as we get ready for our big Saturday night with you…?
“Honeycomb has a new release, “Good Ol Love” and check out the label here at : http://www.traxsource.com/label/6168/honeycomb-music
Josh Milan make an incredibly rare UK headline appearance at Groove Odyssey: House Legends alongside Louie Vega (MAW), Sean McCabe and many more on Easter Sunday April 20th at Ministry Of Sound.
All info www.grooveodyssey.com
