‘Promise Me’ – a beautiful luxury piano drop and that emotional bass that gets us rocking
Interview : Dan Prince
Dude welcome to DMCWORLD, where on planet dance are you today?
“Hi Dan. I am back in Adelaide after a weekend of fishing with my best friends.”
Now there’s a random first answer! Okay, well you have The Buzz Chart crew jumping around right now thanks to your superb ‘Promise Me’ tune swinging our way on the Sweat It Out label. Talk us the track that features one of the most luxurious piano drops we’ve heard in a while…
“Thank you so much! I did an interview in Miami when I was there a couple of weeks ago and while I was talking about this release (Promise Me/Bodyrock), I realised that ‘Promise Me’ was, in a way, an ode to mid 90s house while Bodyrock was a tribute to UK garage – those two sounds or scenes are probably my main influences and it looks like I have somehow subconsciously made those two tracks that way. So now I have a whole new way of looking at Promise Me, plus I just wanted to make a feel-good track.”
Okay let’s kick back for a while as you have quite a tale to tell. Born in Baghdad where you started to make music and then you moved from Iraq to Australia when you started to learn how to DJ. So what’s the story there…why the upheaval to down under…?
“Well, my dad moved to Australia and brought my mum and sister with him. Leaving Iraq was inevitable – you hear about trouble happening there on the news constantly, Baghdad right now is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Once you add the pressures of providing the mundane things in life that some of us take for granted here and literally trying to stay alive, creativity goes out of the window. Growing up in Iraq has influenced me and shaped me in many, many ways…but at this point in my life I am happy to be in Australia.”
How did the whole creating music side of things begin in your home country? You readily admit you are a bit of music snob and only discovered dance music a few years ago. So what was your first music love, what were the early genres you were into?
“I would say my main influences are the likes of Jean Michel Jarre, Boards of Canada and Erykah Badu and that’s what I grew up listening to. I did actually listen to a lot of dance music growing up…mainly 2-step Garage, House as well as a lot of New Jack Swing. I started making music back home on my Amiga (not sure if many recognise that name anymore)…very, very simple set up with 8 tracks of audio and MIDI, but man I had so much fun making music back then despite not having much to use. Starting off with the least amount of resources can do you wonders later on in your career. One thing I always mention to up-and-coming producers is that we’re spoilt for choice these days in terms of the amount of sounds and the easiness to acquire plugins but instead of being a little bit more innovative and daring with dance music, producers end up sounding the same. Limiting your resources can actually help your creativity.”
Who were the producers/artists/DJs that first attracted you?
“I LOVE early to mid-90s New York and New Jersey house and Garage, so I listened to a lot of people like MJ Cole as well as others like Leftfield, Chemical Brothers, Royksopp and was in love with the Big Beat sounds from Skint Records. I love everything that is soulful and funk-oriented and that was always something I looked for in dance music I listened to and made.”
What did your family think of your choice of career?
“They have always been supportive, but we were all aware that you have to be realistic when it comes to pursuing a career in music – particularly when you move to a new country. It’s very hard. I finished two university degrees and was always going to have music as a hobby, but the last two years or so my parents realised that it definitely worth concentrating 100% on music and taking it as far as I can.”
Tell us about finding your feet in Adelaide, a city usually associated with Australian Hip Hop! Who were some of the musicians you met in the early days?
“Yeah it took me some time to find my feet here. It’s a small city so people are competing for that “small slice of the cake” but I was lucky enough to have a lot of much help and guidance. I had to look beyond Adelaide and try to get my music heard on a national level and that worked I guess. I have met many musicians here, some even ended up being close friends. For example, bands like New White Sneakers (their rapper/sax player Matt Centrone actually ended up being my housemate and one of my best friends), Adam Page (who went on to do amazing stuff in New Zealand) and many more. I love Adelaide for many reasons including having an abundance of great musicians.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
Rufus – Sundream (Claptone Remix)
Peking Duk – High (Terace Remix)
Florian Kruse & Kevin Knapp – The Block
Anna Lunoe & Treasure Fingers – Bad MF
Atumpan – The Thing (Todd Edwards Remix)
Disclosure x Friend Within – The Mechanism
Cajmere – Brighter Days (Cassian Edit)
Volta Cab – Back To The Top
As well as Promise Me and Bodyrock from my new EP
“The Australian sound reminds me of the many beautiful beaches in Australia.” Please discuss…
“Well, there has been this thing that people are talking about the so called “The Australian Sound”. It probably was coined as a representation of this recent surge of musical creativity (mainly electronic music) from Australia that has taken over the world, there is no connection between the various music that’s been loosely put under the label purely from a sound perspective, but they all have this feel-good, summer-never-ends sort of vibe, it’s music that you’d want to hear when stroll down any beach in Australia, that’s what I meant.”
Where are some of your favourite clubs in Australia you love wreaking havoc in?
“My home-club of Electric Circus in Adelaide comes on top because it’s my stomping ground at home and it’s an amazing club, Can’t Say in Melbourne also has a very unique vibe and last time I played there I had the best time.”
Strangest request from a clubbed you’ve had whilst DJing…
“The last gig I played I got asked to play ‘Promise Me’ – at least three times from three different people, even though I had played it already.”
How are you handling all of this attention and exposure? It must put a lot of pressure on you?
“I just take it as it comes, I have a great manager and team that help me a lot. I try not to get sucked into the non-music matters too much, just do my bit and the rest will come. Also coffee, A LOT OF COFFEE…”
Who are some of the producers from around the world you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“I had a lot of great feedback to my latest EP from the likes of Claude VonStroke, Bad Raiders and Justin Martin…but it’s totally different when you meet them in person. I was in Miami a few weeks ago for Miami Music Week and the amount of times I heard my own music being played by the likes of Annie Mac (she opened her set at Goodtimes with one of my tracks), Tchami, Destructo, Tommie Sunshine and more was mind blowing. it’s very, very rewarding.”
What was it about the Sweat It Out label that attracted you to sign on the dotted line?
“They are one of the best labels in Australia (dare I say world even), just look at the last few releases and that will tell you the calibre of music they release. A lot of my mates actually work there so it was a no-brainer, I also love their towels.”
Not many people know this, but Motez Obaidi is really good at?
“Being a crazy Arsenal FC fanatic, but not good at football at all…”
So we head to yours on a lazy Sunday, who are some of the artists you would be playing to chill you out – Back To Mine stylee!
“Boards of Canada and right now I’m all about DMA’s who are a great band from Newtown in Sydney, just check them out.”
And finally, what is coming out from you studio wise…?
“I have a new single coming out very soon that has some amazing vocals from a UK singer called Adé and a remix for big UK singer which I cannot reveal just yet.”
http://www.motez.com.au
http://www.soundcloud.com/tonicollision
http://www.twitter.com/motez_music
