Stunning new ‘Desert Storm’ track smashing it on Doorn
Interview by Dan Prince
Hey Mike welcome to DMCWORLD…where in the world are you right now?
“Hey Dan! I’m in my new studio in the Netherlands! Have a few weeks of studio going on here before heading to the US!”
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning?
“My new record that I’m working on, actually!”
So a great start to the new year with another tune smashing the Buzz and Beatport charts. Please talk us through the history and sounds of your ‘Desert Storm’ track created with Jetfire on Doorn…
“It just came kind of natural. Jetfire had done some really cool shit before on their Brazil record, and it was really destined to happen somehow.”
You admit that as soon as heard Jetfire’s music you knew you had to record together. What was it about their style that made you want to hook up?
“They “get it”. It has a bit of that trance-y feeling I fell in love with when I started but very modern and without being over the top. They understand the music I’m doing and I really feel there’s something authentic to their sound.”
The track has captured the imagination of a whole host of superstar producers. Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Afrojack, Nervo, R3hab and Michael Woods all gave the tune a massive thumbs up. When you release a track are there any producers you take a sneaky look at to see if you have impressed them?
“I’d love to say no. I mean, I generally don’t care THAT much. I do music for the fans, not specifically for other DJ’s – but that said, of course, the right support is obviously really really important for the exposure of the record, and I’m always thankful when DJ’s pick it up. That’s a tap on the shoulder and means you did a good job. But there’s not some DJ’s I think are more “credible” or cooler to get played by than others. They all have different reaches and fan bases that are equally important. That said, of course it’s really cool to see huge names like Calvin or Avicii picking up a tune.”
You have just signed ‘Shots Fired’ with Mightyfools to Calvin Harris’s Fly Eye, again…please talk us through the tune…and was it a shock when Calvin came calling?
“I could of course play it sleek and be a bit nonchalant, but truth be told, it was really fucking amazing when Calvin wanted it. Of all the labels and DJ’s I’ve worked with there’s something extraordinarily cool about Calvin. I think a lot of producers in the game both really respect and look up to his work, he does what he feels and manages to work each of his records well. I haven’t seen a Calvin Harris track that didn’t blow up.”
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…and why…
“Desert Storm from myself and Jetfire because, well, it’s our new record. Garuda from Mightyfools because it’s really really big. Wiwek’s Ground Shake because there’s something really fucking cool about this guy and his stuff – and then I got some new music from Cesqeaux that I’m for sure going to be bringing everywhere, really exciting name as well. And then of course my new Shots Fired with Mightyfools.”
A celebrity you would not want to get stuck in a lift with
“Saying Paris Hilton is a bit too “easy” isn’t it? I guess anyone who aggravates my otherwise very Zen nature and who you can’t talk to. There’s a lot of people out there that are taking a lot of unjustified hate just for doing what they’re good at – but the people I can’t stand to be around are not the ones who are different from me, it’s the ones who are living in such a weird parallel world bubble that even when you try communicate with them it’s interpreted as some sort of worship. I can’t remember having been star struck for a long while, but some of the people I’ve met that aggravate me the most are the ones who are sort of offended that you’re not in awe by their presence. I think we can all point out a few of those.”
When was the last time you pressed rewind and listened to a track over again because it was so damned good?
“My new record with Salvatore Ganacci!”
Tell us 3 bucket list adventures you wanna do before you die?
“I want to spend a year in a temple somewhere really far away from all civilization. I’d like to study quantum physics, and I really want to open my own restaurant/nightclub. I kinda feel like I know how it should be done.”
A tune nestling in your set that just won’t go away from last year?
“EDM Death Machine somehow always pops up. Not sure what Knife Party does, I’m fairly certain Rob Swire is some illegal cloning project result of the worlds best sound-engineers.”
A young producer we should look out for in 2015…
“Sam Feldt, very different from the music I do but really dig his stuff. I really like the whole musical shift that’s happening in the scene, it feels like it’s getting more “okay” to just do good music now. Which is pretty nice, I’m a musician first and foremost. I think people are going to notice that in my coming records as well (although I am expecting a certain level of butthurt from the YouTube horde. I trust the intelligent fans are going to understand that experimentation is good, though!).”
An album in your collection we’d be surprised to find?
“Album? What’s that? I guess all the atmospheric / cinematic film music stuff I have on my iPhone. I just zone out when I travel, and nothing’s better than this really intricate atmospheric, almost classical music for that. I have like 20-30 albums of basically atmospheric music on my iPhone. Not a single “drop” on there.”
Some big dates in your diary that are already getting you excited about the year ahead…
“Oh man.. They’re exciting because I can’t talk about them! I have 4 big shows on my bucket list, the “look mom I made it” type shows. My team just let me know a few days ago we closed one of them! And I’m of course super excited about my new residency in Vegas. Getting your own night in that city is sort of a big deal somehow – and Drai’s (the club) is a fantastic venue. You won’t believe how awesome that place is.”
Something you want to achieve in 2015?
“More experimental collabs with people from different genres, and then even more “to the roots” ethnic stuff. I really like embracing all this cultural music from different parts of the world and finding ways to sort of integrate it in the music I do myself. Then of course I also just want to try do some proper radio-music. I’ve done a lot of ghost produced radio-records, but none for myself yet. Would be a fun side to show!”
A figure from history who you’d like to have a beer with?
“Jesus, Buddha, perhaps Beethoven to see if he’d understand modern music (I have a theory that if your brain is musical enough you’d be able to connect the dots and understand future-music). Perhaps Einstein to discuss theories of quantum physics and circular time, as it conflicts with his theory of relativity yet both theories are proven valid. That’d be pretty fun.”
The person who has influenced you the most?
“I think indirectly Infected Mushroom have influenced me the most on a musical level because I kinda grew up listening to them and it bred sort of a general acceptance of all sorts of weird sounds and different vibes in music. I really like “no-rules” music. I hope to be able to do more of that the coming years as well.”
Where were you on New Years Eve and what were you doing at midnight?
“I had a small get-together at my place, and at midnight I was telling everyone I’d be “right there” (I had gone to the studio to produce some tropical house for the heck of it). I sort of missed the shift to 2015 while everyone else was opening the champagne. I literally spent the transition into 2015 making tropical house. Scary right?”
A film you can watch over and over…
“The Matrix or any sort of weirdly philosophical movie. I like art-films as well. Stuff that doesn’t really have a point, other than making you “feel” a certain way.”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“More than I’m able to mention! Right now I’m sitting with this new record with Salvatore Ganacci. We met when he signed a tune to Megaton last year, and we’ve actually grown to become pretty good friends over what feels like 100’s of studio sessions (we’re ALMOST done now, though).”
