Singaporean maestro MYRNE is back with his creatively charge spin of ‘Ignition’, a bass heavy masterpiece with an undeniable groove…
Interview by Dan Prince
Dude a huge welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you right now?
Hey! I’m in Singapore at the moment. Headed off to play a cruise ship festival, which leaves from here in a few days.
The best piece of new music you have heard today?
Coastal – Money Isn’t Everything – hot tip from RL Grime’s Halloween V.
So exciting times for you sir with the release of your new track, a homage to a classic! Please talk us through the heavily R.Kelly sampled ‘Ignition’…
It started out 4 months ago, when Benzi, king of edits and professional dot connector (also 1/2 of TWRK) hit me up with the R.Kelly acapella, asking me to do a quick mash/flip of the tune for GIRL TRAPZ 10. It was intended to be a tiny 1-minute DJ tool but I admit I got a little carried away. Fast forward several months later I felt that it had been tucked away in my hard drive for too long so I decided to release it.
You are now rounding up your South East Asia Tour with dates in Thailand and Singapore swinging our way in November. Where have some of the highlights been on this stunning series of dates…?
I started off with eating week-old goat cheese and riding camels in Mongolia to playing parties from Vietnam to Indonesia. A month ago I played my biggest hometown gig to date, a headline slot on the Live stage at Ultra Singapore. There’s so much energy bubbling under the surface in Asia! Every date so far has just knocked it out of the park.
What has been your tune of 2016 to date?
Boombox Cartel & Quix – Supernatural (feat. Anjulie). It’s the only time I’ve heard crowds sing along to synth drops.
One of Asia’s first nights is your own Audible Visions party at Zouk in Singapore, one of the best clubs on the planet. Tell us about the night….
I grew up going to Zouk every other month, I couldn’t imagine that one day I’d have a show there. It was easy to see why it’s ranked #6 in the world – amazing management, staff, and vibes are always guaranteed. My first show there hit capacity really early, and the whole night was surreal. I had a few friends roll through to do dj sets (fzpz from Darker Than Wax, KRSTN from Attagirl), they played what they liked – it went from house and UK grime one hour to dirty trap the next, and everyone there loved it.
You exploded as an artist in the latter stages of 2015 via your debut EP for Mad Decent. Had you any idea just what an incredible twelve months lay ahead for you, it’s been a dream ride with support from the likes of Diplo, The Chainsmokers and Major Lazer…?
A younger version of me would have probably freaked out, but today I’m just thankful I get to do this for a living. To create priceless memories for thousands of people you don’t know personally – I think that’s the most rewarding job in the world. A month after the Mad Decent EP, I met Diplo for the first time at the Djakarta Warehouse Project in Jakarta and we talked about the state of Asian dance music. The main take away from that conversation was that a job needed to be done and I couldn’t be happier doing it.
Well let’s rewind for a moment and find out how this musical journey began. Tell us about your childhood, do you hail from a musical family
My parents never played instruments and were not intense music heads themselves, but they realized the importance of music in raising children. I requested for piano lessons at an early age and they were happy to oblige – then after, they did everything they could to cultivate and preserve the musical discipline it required to learn an instrument. I grew up with them only having the ‘oldies’ station on, so from there I was introduced to a lot of instrumentalist idols like Bill Withers, Billy Joel and Miles Davis who have had a profound impact on my approach to writing and instrumental accompaniment.
What is your earliest memory of music as a child?
Apparently my mother put on a lot of Bach while I was still in the womb! Other than that the first memories I’d have would be my father singing EWF’s ‘September’ anytime it came on, on the radio.
At what age did electronic music first enter your radar?
I was listening to a lot of electronic music (as I would define it today,) without even realizing it was electronic. 9 years ago Call On Me was stuck in my head, and I discovered The Fat of the Land. I thought they were just ordinary pop or rock songs. I had no idea what the whole ‘electronic music’ term meant until I saw a video of Richie Hawtin at Timewarp 2008 – I just wondered, ‘What’s he doing up there? Where are the instruments? Why are so many people just… watching this man?’ That’s when I was introduced to the culture.
Can you remember the first GREAT club and DJ you encountered?
I’m 21, so it’s only been a few years since I have legally been allowed to enter clubs in Asia. The first GREAT club was my first – Tiesto at Zouk in 2011 (go figure.) The first great DJ I had the pleasure of seeing was DJ Ruckus a few years ago. It was my first interaction with an open-format DJ: all of the previous acts I had seen were mainly producers/artists. DJ Ruckus really knew how to work a room, and there were so many crazy technical effects he employed that I didn’t know had practical use. That night really cemented in my head the difference between DJs and DJ DJs.
Was music always going to be your life mission or did your family want you to pursue something else?
I initially wanted to be a war journalist & writer when I was a little boy, because I thought the citizens in conflict-riddled countries had a lot to say, but weren’t able to say it. What I’m doing now is a little different, but it still deals with expression – something I naturally gravitate towards. I once took a sociology class that told us our personal successes are largely attributable to our demographics and the privileges we were born with; the one privilege I’m thankful I have is that my parents encouraged me to pursue this dream. They realized the importance of passion in choosing careers, and that being extremely happy in an uncertain field is always better than being unsatisfied but safe.
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…
Point Point – All This (AWE Remix)
Such a fun tune, reminiscent of 2011’s Glass Swords. AWE’s unique production outlook breathes fresh life into the genre.
Juelz – Whine & Kotch
This 2016 reinterpretation of J Capri sounds like it would fit perfectly in a DJ set in either era.
Oski – Super Hot
This banger represents the innovation this genre is known for.
Ta-ku & Wafia – Love Somebody (Mr Carmack Remix)
The man always delivers the vibes.
NONSENS – Phase
Released off the family’s Daruma Compilation #9. These guys have been on an insane roll recently.
How would you describe your production style?
One would expect otherwise, but I enjoy extremely organized structures and attention to detail.
Your favorite album in your collection?
I have a different answer every week. This week’s answer is Odesza’s ‘In Return’.
And finally, what is coming out from you studio wise?
I have an EP shaping up – but not before I drop some heaters, so we might be speaking again soon!
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