Matt Caldwell reports on a year of contrast in house music dividing dance music right up
Words : Matt Caldwell
2013 has become a year of contrast in the house music world with two worlds dividing dance music, both increasingly becoming different entities. With the likes of Ibiza and counterparts delving further into the world of stripped back tech and deep house, a global resurgence of classic house characteristics fused with modern and retro bass styles is flourishing across the world. This movement has been edging towards global domination for a few years, but the other side of the coin has taken things in a whole other direction. Progressive and electro house were never going to be a big part of the ‘deep’ revolution and despite a few failed attempts to merge the two, it was never going to be a successful fusion. Thankfully the brains behind the EDM boom are far from suffering a decline, in fact some would say the ‘clubby’ side of dance music has never been stronger, or harder, as it seems. A thousand Deadmau5 copycats no longer flood the progressive charts and the electro sound of the late 2000s has been plateauing for a few years now.
Now that EDM is filling stadiums, it has become all about impact and the releases making the biggest waves in 2013 have been those that pack a serious sonic punch on the bottom end. With every month that passes the build-ups get tenser and the drops getting harder and harder. House beats are now sporting kick drums that would catch the attention of hardstyle fans – the competition is getting hot. Where is it heading? It’s impossible to say. With the USA now a dominant factor in where club music heads for the first time since Chicago and Detroit had their electronic music revolutions up to thirty years ago, predictions would be guesswork as they say we go around in circles, but the wheel has recently changed. The EDM boom has given us a gulf between the major and independent labels that far exceeds anything we’ve seen before in electronic music. Big labels have bigger budgets than ever and with such a plethora of new labels popping up every day, the competition for up and comers is brutal. This is problematic as many people now avoid anything not charting in fear of being overwhelmed by a sea of unregulated and often poor releases. New labels have got their work cut out now because it may be easier than ever before to start a label, but growing one is a whole different game.
Peak Time
One label that’s taken full advantage of the boom is Peak Hour Music – the name says it all. In a sector that’s dominated by a handful of labels that monopolise the top 20, Peak Hour is rapidly becoming the place to go for new and exciting dance music that’s designed solely for the peaks of a party. You’d be hard pressed to find a label of this kind with such a quality discography in 2013 that isn’t endorsed or owned by a global superstar or megabrand. Big-hitters like Jason Risk, Vlad Rusu, DJ@War, Manuel Galey and DJ Exodus are offering some of the best dance music alternatives that aren’t already being hammered by every festival, club and radio in the EDM world. From the outside, some see the new world of dance music as over-controlled and uninspiring and it can be, but take the covers off and look beyond what’s thrown in your face by the top 10 and their imprints. There is a wealth of talent that are releasing seriously strong records that are going to be here long-term and you can start at Peak Hour’s roster. If you love big-room music, but find yourself complaining about the repetition of names topping the charts – support the underground and pay attention to some of the gems surfacing from around the world. Buy their releases, go to their shows and tell your friends about them. The industry might be richer than ever before, but the upcoming artists don’t see much of it. It’s not just hard work to break through any more, it’s expensive too, so when you hear talent emerging, show your support, it’s what keeps our scene evolving!
Hell Yeah
Production partners Ignazzio, Sixty69nine and Calum C know all about the dance music world’s big-room love affair and between them, are supplying some of the biggest new releases in the genre. Make no mistake about it, if these releases were on ‘insert celebrity DJ’s record label, you’d already be whistling their tracks on the way to work already. The trio are all set lift-off for their first release with Peak Hour ‘Hell Yeah’, so we pulled up a chair with the boys to hear all about it and to talk dance music in detail.
Welcome guys, thanks for having us. There are three of you behind this record, so introduce yourselves first and foremost and give us a little intro…
I: “I’m a 25 year old Belgian DJ / producer. I’ve been in the business for 7 years now. Sixty69nine and I already work together and have done for 3 years. When we produce together, we make progressive / EDM tracks, but when I produce alone, I’m more comfortable in the Deep House scene right now.”
S: “My name is Sixty69nine, real name Wouter. I’m a 29 year old DJ/producer from Belgium. I’ve been in the music business for almost a decade and played at several Belgian and international events such as Tomorrowland, City Parade and the Yacht Week. With 1 of my first releases ever called ‘Music in my DNA’ I had my first number 1 hit in the official Ultra Top Dance charts in Belgium back in 2008. Nowadays I’m doing a lot of originals, remixes and other fun projects with my friend and colleague Ignazzio. I also enjoy making my monthly radio show called Home Sweet House Radio. My biggest goal is to share my passion for music with as much people as possible.”
C: “My name is Calum Cowie (Calum C) and I come from the UK. I currently live in Northern Ireland although I originally come from Scotland. I have been making electronic music since I was fifteen; I’m now eighteen and finally getting to work with some great artists and labels. I started off making deeper “Techy” tracks and started exploring the more Electro/clubby sounds towards mid 2011 and haven’t really looked back since.”
How did you guys hook up for the record? Do you work via the internet?
C: “Well I got in contact with Wouter and Nick earlier on this year. I heard about them through a couple of record labels we had all been working for. I loved the sounds and general musical styles from these two guys and after getting in contact with them – we decided to work on a collaboration.”
I: “Calum sent us a basic idea for a melody and a drop. Sixty69nine and I sat together in the studio and turned it into an EDM banger. Calum’s fantastic idea fused well with our typical BIG sound.”
S: “Yeah, Calum and I started talking on the internet. He was shooting some ideas at me through his Soundcloud page and I instantly liked the hook and the drop. So after a few Ignazzio & Sixty69nine studio sessions and a whole lot of internet mails and Facebook chats with Calum, ‘Hell Yeah’ was born.”
How do you approach a three-way collaboration? Was there a game plan or did you just chip away at it?
I: “It’s basically sending a lot of e-mails, new ideas and approaches. I think I have about 6 different versions on my laptop. But there was only 1 we all liked, the ‘Hell Yeah ‘that’s about to get released.”
S: “I think when making music, there is no such thing as a game plan. Ignazzio and I have spent a lot of time together in the studio and our production set up is configured the same way. We both work in Ableton live and more or less have the same plugins installed. So even if we can’t get into the studio together, we’re still able to work together on tracks. After sending us a basic idea, Calum had his input through a whole lot of e-mail and Facebook conversations. So basically, the internet has made working on collabs a whole lot easier.”
What are you individual musical qualities that you feel shine through the track?
I: “The biggest influence I had, was the way we worked out the percussion elements and beats. That’s by far my strongest production skill.”
C: “I think the individual quality I have which can be heard throughout the track is my ability to create contrast between a breakdown melody and a drop but still make them sound good and fit together. Basically I try to make my drops as unexpected and surprising as possible to make the track more exciting for the listener.”
S: “One of my best qualities is making sparkling lead sounds. I love emotional and epic hooks and I hope people can hear that in the track. I’m also a freak on details: fx, eq’s, mixing and structure have to be absolutely spot on and I can spend hours listening to productions on various systems (in the car, hi-fi speakers, laptop, headphones, monitors) before finishing a track.”
EDM seems to be getting harder this year, where do you see this going into the next year?
I: “EDM is nice on big festivals and large clubs. But I don’t think you can play it in a smaller, cosy club. Also, I’m not a big fan of the loudness war that’s been going on.”
S: “Actually, using a huge kick doesn’t automatically make your track sound like hardstyle tune. Hell Yeah has been in the making for quite a while. Even before everyone was doing these huge hardstyle type kicks. In fact, I’m not the biggest fan of EDM getting harder and harder. But you can’t deny, that when done right, the magic combination of an epic melody in the breakdown followed by a hard hitting drop, can cause some serious dance floor damage.”
C: “I love how genres are now starting to blend together, for example Hardstyle kicks are now being implemented into house tracks, which in itself is amazing. Next year I hope to see more of this happening with all different kinds of genres.”
If you could change one thing about dance music, what would it be?
I: “The loudness war. Where are the limits? Too loud is too loud. A ‘controlled’ mastering sounds way better on a big sound system than the big sausage waveform stuff they’re doing nowadays. Hell Yeah is also mastered pretty hard, but you don’t have the choice these days.”
S: “Even though everything got bigger and more commercial since the worldwide explosion of dance music, there’s still more than enough quality stuff out there in any EDM genre, so I don’t see a real reason why I would want to change something.”
C: “There’s not a whole lot I would change about dance music right now. I think it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves on a worldwide scale, which is amazing! But if anything, I would perhaps like to see a little bit more diversity in the Beatport top 10, not because I dislike any of the music, but I just don’t want to see any genres or sub-genres being overshadowed.”
You guys are perfect examples of upcoming producers making an impact in the dance music world this year. What are the toughest things about trying to break through at the moment?
I: “You can’t get to the top without knowing the right people. If I could give 1 tip: don’t try to make it on your own. You won’t get there without knowing some people who know their way around in the scene.”
C: “One of the tough things about trying to break through these days is that a lot of the popular music is monopolised by a small group of artists/labels which can make it hard for less known artists to get their music heard, that being said though – every so often you do see a new set of artists making big breakthroughs without overshadowing anybody else, which is uncommon in music and I see it as a positive thing.”
S: “Let’s say: getting into ‘the inner circle’. You have to meet the people that can pull the right strings at the right time.”
Do you feel that talent rises to the top automatically still, or has the way of the dance music industry changed?
I: “Nowadays it’s not all about talent. Like I said, it’s about knowing the right people in the industry. But still, without hard work and talent, you won’t get there.”
S: “The dance music industry is a business just like any other. And I believe that just like in any other business it’s not only about talent but also about the right entourage, making the right investments, working your ass off and sometimes just plain luck. But if you don’t do all the things mentioned before, luck won’t help you.”
What would you say to up comers trying to work their way up the food chain? Any tips/advice?
I: “Keep sending your stuff to labels, DJs…they won’t send you an e-mail themselves to ask for your music. Get your tracks out there. Someone will pick it up one day.”
S: “It’s quite the cliché but: Never give up.”
C: “To new artists all I would really say is to work hard and keep at it, I have been doing so since I was 15 and am now seeing bigger releases and opportunities now and in the future. Even when you think you don’t understand some stuff it will always come to you eventually. I also think it’s good to try and make something that sounds cool and is a popular sound, but also try and make it sound original and to use your own style of mixing and FX to make it sound recognizable.”
What’s the best thing about working with each other?
I: “Sixty69nine and Calum are very, very good with working out melodies. I’m more a percussion and beat maker. Changing those little things that change the whole feel of the track. I love it!”
S: “Being able to complete each other’s skillsets. If you get stuck on a certain part of the track, the other guys can help you out and come up with something creative.”
C: “The best thing about working with Wouter and Nick to me was the way they knew what to do and came up with awesome ideas. Every time they made something new and let me hear it, I was always excited and amazed by how great the track was starting to sound.”
What about the worst?
I: “Calum lives too far away (he should move to Belgium) and Sixty69nine calls me more often than my girlfriend!”
S: “Indeed, Calum should move to Belgium and Ignazzio should stop complaining about the fact that his girlfriend doesn’t like to call him that often. But for real: I think there is no downside on working together with friends on something that you love. The only thing that is a little bit hard is to find time in our individual schedules to actually get together in the studio.”
C: “For me, there isn’t anything bad I can say about working with these guys..I wish I could work with them in person rather than over the internet, that would be cool!”
What have you all got lined up next for the Autumn/Winter season?
I: “We just keep on producing new material. I’m also very busy making edits, mash-ups and bootleg. There’s also my Deep House side that needs a lot of attention. Also I have a lot of bookings, so there’s much to do. Hard work, but I love it every single day!”
S: “I’m constantly working on new stuff together with Nick. I’m also working on a solo project. I also plan to keep working on my monthly radio show called ‘Home Sweet House Radio’. Gig wise I can’t complain either. My residency club The Factory in Belgium is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and it will be the biggest season to date. I’m also looking forward to continue and expand my own ‘Home Sweet House’ club nights.”
C: “For me I have a few releases/remixes lined up over the next few months, some original stuff too. I am planning on maybe releasing a two or three track EP at some point in the near future so I will keep everyone posted on my social networks.”
Thanks guys. ‘Hell Yeah’ is available exclusively at Beatport now. Be sure to crank your speakers up for this one, as the drop will blow you away. Hell Yeah!
http://www.beatport.com/release/hell-yeah!/1173242
LISTEN TO THE PREVIEW NOW
https://soundcloud.com/sixty69nine/ignazzio-sixty69nine-calumc-hell-yeah-preview
CHECK OUT THE ARTISTS ONLINE
Sixty69nine
www.facebook.com/official.sixty69nine
www.twitter.com/sixty69nine_dj
www.soundcloud.com/sixty69nine
Ignazzio
www.facebook.com/pages/Ignazzio/24757867185
www.soundcloud.com/ignazziomusic
Calum C
www.facebook.com/calumcofficial
