From rock star to a future star of EDM. Huge tune out with Goldfish and Blink – ‘Kismet’
Interview : Dan Prince
Felipe welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“Hey Dan, I’m in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, my home town having some rest!”
When I mentioned to the Buzz Chart posse I was interviewing you today, they shouted across the room…“we love that guy, one of the most polite producers in the world and destined to go right to the top”. So, what do you think of that little comment???
“You know, it’s just amazing! I mean Brazil is too far away from most essential EDM places and that’s why it’s difficult for all of us to succeed because it’s hard to meet with some European and American producers and label/management representatives. But I believe this is going to change soon!”
Speaking of The Buzz Chart, you have absolutely smashed it this week with your massive ‘Kismet’ tune you created with Goldfish & Blink. Tell us the history of the track…
“Blink was actually the first guy I spoke with from the Revealed team. He said something like: “Hey! I love “Kick It Hard”, let’s make something together!” Then, I said: “Yes, let’s do this! I play “Here We Go Again” each time these days!” Goldfish is also amazing, we became really good friends. The guys are definitely great producers.”
Word on the grapevine is that you are also about to unleash ‘Samba’ onto the world, a celebratory dancefloor smash cheering on your home country hosting this year’s World Cup Finals. Tell us all about this tune which we hear is huuuuuge…
“Thanks a lot!! “Samba” is a collab between me and one of my best friends and a great upcoming producer Klauss Goulart. He came up with the drop idea and said: “Let’s make some asses shake!” I loved this track. Not just because it’s World Cup’s year now but because it’s too different from everything else people are doing right now. I think it will be a smash hit! I at least hope so! I finished it off last week and now it’s ready to be unleashed!”
Are you expecting Brazil to win the trophy this summer, Argentina are looking good and the Europeans are coming with Germany and Spain leading the charge…
“I hope Brazil are going to win! We are organising all this so we deserve to win, right? Hahaha Spain was in fact defeated during the last tournament here, you remember?”
Casting an eye around your home country, is Brazil ready for a World Cup and Olympics? There seems to be riots and unrest taking place quite regularly at the moment?
“Yes, people are angry because the government spent tons of money on stadiums and lots of other things that have not even been finished yet. There is a lot of corruption out here, you know, it’s “kinda Brazilian” thing. All this is not in the books if you know what I mean and people are very unhappy with all this. I hope we can have a great tournament, though, and that it will not be shameful.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
“I’m currently playing lots of tracks from actually upcoming producers! Concerning the known ones, I’m playing stuff from Martin Garrix, Dyro and Deorro. Dude, this guy Deorro is unreal! For me, he’s the best producer at this time and such a nice guy! He deserves to be at the top of the game! That’s all I can remind myself of with a 39oC fever!”
You posted up on your Facebook site yesterday that you had just completed 2 new tracks with Manoj…what’s the story there?
“One is a remix for the biggest rock band here in Brazil called “Fresno”. Dude, trust me, this is going to be funny because there are Portuguese vocals on it and people will not believe what I made with them hehe!! The other track is a remix for my friend Darth & Vader called “Extermination”. It’s a festival style and will be out via my friends’ label Sick Slaughterhouse on 19th of May! I love it!”
It seemed all your dreams came true at Lolapalooza a couple of weeks ago, what was it like for you?
“You know, I used to play in a rock band before and we were always dreaming about big festivals, and Lollapalooza was always a dream for me! It was unbelievable for me to play there! Now it’s time for Ultra, Coachella and Tomorrowland hehe! I hope it’s going to happen soon!”
Who are some of the Brazillian producers we should be looking out for in 2014…?
“Bruno Barudi, Marcelo Cic, Klauss Goulart and Repow have been doing an amazing job this year! Also, there are some upcoming producers, such as Paniek, Sex Room, Jakko and Ingek. And some guys that are already well established like Dirtyloud.”
Last but not least, all the label representatives are doing some good work here. So there are lots of Brazilian talents rapidly and gradually improving.
Let’s rewind for a while, back to when you were 13 and first picked up a keyboard and electric guitar. Was the dream always to be involved in music, where did you see your life heading?
“Yeah, it’s hard to leave everything behind and suddenly decide to work only on music, especially because of the money factor. But if you believe in yourself, you can make it. I can see now that my life is getting more and more exciting and I’m happy to be playing all over the world. My life now is a reflection of a dream that has been coming true!”
You burst onto the world scene winning the Dada Life remix competition…how did that change things for you?
“To be honest, almost nothing changed hahaha but Dada Life helped me a lot by playing “Kick It Hard”! I love those guys!”
Last year saw your work championed by some huge superstar producers. Who are some of the names who supported you that really excited you?
“The two names that I always have to mention are Hardwell and Martin Garrix. Both guys have helped me so much with the recognition. They helped my music to reach huge audiences. I will never forget about what they have done for me! Also, I have to mention Zedd for his fight with me on twitter and MAKJ for posting about me on his Facebook page. They helped me a lot!”
What do you think are your finest qualities as a producer?
“I’m not afraid of changes during the production process.”
What did you make of the Burning Man experience last year?
“It was a great experience! That festival means nice people and a great crowd. I enjoyed my time there.”
Your tracks have been featured in international commercials as well as licensed for Playstation an Xbox games…was that an area you were always open to providing music for?
“Not really but I can make exclusive tracks for games if I need to. I think it’s amazing to play a game and at the same time listen to your own track hahahaha. Trust me, it’s such a fucking amazing feeling!”
And finally, what did your family think of your decision to pursue a career in music all those years ago?
“My whole family and my wife have always supported me in my decisions and passion. This is really important to me. I actually wanted to get back to my old life a few times but my wife always kept saying that I should continue! When I left my first job to try to be a musician, everyone in my family said: You’re a crazy dude, but do it!”
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