Australia in the house! Get ready to join the Marsch
Interview by Dan Prince
Australian electro don WILL K proves to be on top his game with his first 2016 single ‘Marsch’, out now on infamous imprint Oxygen. Hot on the heels of DJ support from artists like Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Ummet Ozcan and Quintino, it promises to be one of the year’s very first electro anthems…
Will a huge welcome back to DMCWORLD, where on planet earth are you today?
Hey guys I’m glad to be back! Thank you for having me! I’m currently in my studio right now trying to finish another new record, as always!
A belated Happy New Year to you, let’s get the festivities out of the way first! Did you have a good Christmas, any crap gifts, where were you on New Years Eve and what was your midnight tune?
And to you as well! My Christmas was great! I just saw the family, had some drinks and a barbi as we Aussies call it. I made sure all my gifts were money, since you can’t ever go wrong with that. I was in Queensland on New Years Eve actually and I started at 12 and my midnight track was Daft Punk – One More Time. I know… what a classic & a great track to start off 2016!
Do you think 2015 was a good year for dance music; it seemed to get rid of a lot of the shit?
Yeah I think 2015 was one of the best years for dance music in a long time. We slowly got rid of the Big Room Kick drums and brought back the groove! It definitely did set the standards high for this year, and only going to do it again for next year.
What was your biggest tune of last year and best gig?
I think my biggest tune of last year was definitely Tenpaku. It was so special to me and Corey James and it’s really the new vibe we really want to embrace this year! My best show by far would have to be Pacha, Sydney. When I was playing it felt so surreal, and I was playing a lot of my own material which usually I find hard to be comfortable with.
So a new year and a big new tune in the form of ‘Marsch’ swinging our way on Oxygen this week. Please talk us through the sound and history of the track…
Well what a great way to start the year for me releasing this record. This was the quickest track I have written to date. I’m pretty sure it took me around 3 days, and I am super happy with how it turned out and the release so far. I honestly was just in a really tribal mood, and I wanted to really do something with the kickdrum to make it stand out as well. Overall I am very thankful for all the support I have gained with this record.
The tune has received some major support from some major producers. Who are the names you always like seeing giving you the thumbs up?
Well firstly I have to say a big thank you to my bro Max Vangeli, he is like my mentor and he is always guiding me in the right direction. He also gives me feedback on everything I do, which I am grateful for. But also seeing artists like Steve Angello, Martin Garrix, Afrojack giving it a spin really does make me feel like I am writing some good music.
‘Marsch is your debut on Spinnin’ sublabel Oxygen, you must feel right at home in this stable?
I couldn’t be happier with my first debut on Spinnin, they usually don’t release the sort of music I produce. But Oxygen really did do justice for me, it’s a great label and always releasing from fresh new up and coming producers. Also working with the Spinning platform really did do wonders for my social media and support from the big guys.
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend, please give us a few words on each…
This week I’ve been jamming to a few different records.
– Miike Snow – Genghis Khan. This record has been on repeat literally all week, also the CID Remix. Ive always been a huge fan of Miike Snow & their records are so fresh.
– Matteo DiMarr – Champion Sound. This track has sexy written all over it, the groove is boss in this one.
– RudeLies – CashFlow. Corey showed me this track while we were on Skype and I was like holy shit. I haven’t heard of this artist before or the label, but it really love the vibe on this one.
– Adrian Lux – Torn Apart (Klahr Remix) (Honestly, I have no words for this besides pure perfection.
– Boiler & Natalie Peris – Forever And A Day. Sometimes I like to take a break from the 125-128 bpm and listen to something a little more chill, the mix & arrangement on this track though is really special.
Whilst the northern hemisphere freeze it’s nuts off, Australia is enjoying a cool season of festivals and clubs. What have been some of the highlights for you so far…
Well festival season here is basically only Steresonic, and I had the privilege to play there in December 2015. A highlight for me was actually going in the crowd and staying the whole day and hearing sets from Axwell ^ Ingrosso and Galantis. We don’t see much acts here all the time, so I was like a 12 year old boy tearing in the crowd haha.
What is coming out next from you studio wise?
All I can say is I’ve been working so hard, constantly writing new music and pushing my boundaries to embrace my craft so people know it’s me every record. Corey and I just finished a remix for a big pop artist, which I think we nailed it! Some new originals with Corey and a few solos aswell.
A big date in your diary is only days ahead in the form of Release at the O2 Academy in Liverpool on February 5th alongside Third Party, Deniz Koyu and New_ID. All set?
I’ve never been so excited for a show like this in my life. Not only am I supporting these guys, but I’ll be playing my first b2b set with my bro Corey, so it’s definitely going to be something special!
Tell us about your mum’s home-made ‘counting down the days until Will leaves home’ poster…
My mum is a cutie. She knows it’s not long now until I take off for the UK, but she felt like painting a canvas counting down each day and also adding my fingerprint to be remembered too haha.
What would you say are your main qualities as a producer?
I think my main quality is to keep working every day and to not give up just because you don’t see quick improvement. Nothing comes straight away. At the start of 2015 I was struggling to sign a record on a big label, always complaining thinking “it’s all about who you know” and thinking my music is already good enough but I can’t reach out to the DJ’s. If your music is good, then you will see how things start to plan out. It’s all about grinding and making it your full time, I don’t think about anything else besides music when I wake up, & thats why I have developed my craft & now I’m just running with it!
A tune from ages ago that just won’t leave your sets…
Swedish House Mafia – Greyhound
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. How old were you when dance music first appeared on your radar?
I was about 12 years old. I begged my mum to put me in DJ School, from there I bought my equipment and learnt how to DJ. I started to produce when I was 15, but was really just learning the basics. It was about two years ago when I started to develop my sound.
When did the idea of a career in music first form in your mind?
Well I was doing a lot of mobile gigs when I was 13. I was DJing at least twice every weekend for years, that was when I knew I wanted to stick with it and start to create my own music.
What did your family think of your decision?
My mum has always supported me with anything I do. She knows the type of person I am, when I wrap my head around something I don’t stop until I perfect it. I was a smart kid in school, but all my teachers told me I never applied myself. That was because when my mum dropped me off, I would go straight back home and work on music, eventually we all have to have the conversation “when are you going to get a job” with your parents, but when she started seeing some money come in from shows and how determined I am, she let me do what I want and now she couldn’t be happier.
Your first ‘break’ into the music industry?
When I released my track ‘Here Comes The Sun’. That was when a lot of the big DJ’s started spinning it live and then the hype started to come, which made me continue to write even more music.
And finally, let’s zip forward twelve months. What do you hope to have achieved over the next year?
Honestly all I think about is music. If I continue to keep grinding and releasing music, all the rest will follow in time. But I hope to play some nice shows around Europe since I will be spending my year in the UK. But no stress if it doesn’t happen, everything happens for a reason and there is no rush. That’s something I learnt in 2015.
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