More reasons to hold on to the dancefloor
Ree welcome to DMCWORLD Magazine. How was Latitude at the weekend?
“Well thanks for inviting me! Latitude was amazing! I stayed in the little pod pads, kind of like a garden shed but so much cuter! There was lots of dressing up and crazy face art with some very friendly people. I love Latitude as its one of the festivals that is just so laid back and chilled out with a great atmosphere. And everyone loves a party in the woods!”
A big new release coming from you in the form of ‘Hold On’. Tell us the history of this massive tune…
“‘Hold On’ has a hypnotic and head-nod inducing dutty vibe which really worked with the melody and darker theme of the song. I haven’t always been a Dubstep artist but I’ve always had a major thing for genres that are slightly darker, moody and mysterious. This single in particular was inspired by the producers I was working with at the time – they played me some beats that I became drawn too because they felt strong, current and fresh. I think after hearing such tunes as BREAKAGE feat. Jess Mills ‘Fighting Fire’, Skrillex’s ‘Bangarang’, and obviously Katy B’s first album which brought Dubstep firmly into the mainstream, I have felt a stronger pull towards this type of music. The Dubstep rhythm feels powerful and laden with attitude which I love. I think the style of music production an artist chooses, whether it be Dubstep, House, Drum n’ Bass, Trance or Pop depends heavily on the sentiment of the song you’re writing about. At the moment I love artists such as Sub Focus, Knife Party and Rudimental who are doing an amazing job of merging different styles and genres together and coming out with cutting edge new exciting sounds that really make you want to move!”
The Bellatrax mix is currently doing the most damage but there are an abundance of other reworks of the track. Why did you choose these producers to remix the track and what is your favourite mix?
“Yes the Bellatrax mix is totally blowing up! I chose to work with these producers for my remixes as my team and I felt that these guys were ahead if the game in the genres they work in. To be honest I can’t believe how lucky I am to have these names associated with REESON. It’s such an honour to have them like my track enough for them to work on a remix. You can’t ask me for a favourite! Ha! (…you may see me rocking out to the Pyramid Breaks remix in my bedroom!) Seriously though, all this mixes totally hold their own, they’re all wicked! We wanted to make sure we had a remix to suit any dancefloor in order to reach a larger audience with the song. It’s brilliant to know that the original turned out to be such a versatile record.”
Who were the artists you were jumping around your bedroom to growing up that send your down dance music avenue?
“Going way back, my Mum used to play a lot of Whitney, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and good ol’ Wham! In my teens I became a ‘tom boy’ rock chick! Often found getting dirty in the mosh pit to Green Day, System of a Down and No Doubt. What really turned me into more of a dance chick is hearing tunes such as Armand Van Helden ‘You Don’t Know Me’, Freestylers ‘Push Up’, and the awesome Daft Punk. I remember me and my best mate dancing round and singing our heads off to these tracks – the beginning of my lustful affair for electro music!”
What was your first break in the music industry?
“I got into my first project straight after studying at ACM in Guildford which was a girl group called Crush! It was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever done but I learnt so much about the music industry from being involved and how it works. Plus being able to sing and dance every day with 5 other girls was mucho fun! I think my first major break though came when I met Cassell the Beatmaker (current drummer and songwriter for ‘Plan B’) and Red 1. Two great producers and songwriters who I worked with as a solo artist. They really helped me grow as a songwriter and taught me a great deal. Casell still remains a great friend and I love him to bits….he is always on the end of the phone when ever I need him!”
How did the whole deal with Natomic Management come about?
“Head of management, Nat Thorpe, got in touch with The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford asking them if they knew of any vocalists that would suit the project Natomic were auditioning for and they thought of me! As soon as Nat and I met it was like we’d known each other for years. We were on the same wave length and had the same vision which I think is incredibly important when you choose a manager.”
You claim that the artists you currently like are “peeps with hard beats, rocky riffs, heavy bass and a bit of cheese”. Who are we talking about here…?
“Haha I don’t like to give too much away do I?! That description came about because if I tried to list every artist/band I loved it would have taken me days! Taking into consideration what I was listening to growing up, I still love all those genres. I love to throw on a bit of Whitney as I’m getting ready to go out – or even (dare I say it) a bit of Wham while I’m driving along! (that’s my cheesey side shining through). It really depends on my mood – like everyone I guess. I will always get down and dirty to anything with a rocky riff or a heavy bassline!!”
What is coming out next from the Reeson studio?
“At the moment I’ve been in the studio a lot writing and recording my new single ‘Midnight’ alongside some fantastic producters from Funkatech Records. Funkatech and their artists have won loads of awards over the years for their superb in-house music production and incredible DJ talent. What I love most about these guys is that ALL the music that comes out of the FunkaFam stable is aimed squarely at the DANCEFLOOR! When I found out that the guys had some beats for me to hear I just KNEW things were about to get seriously good. I went to visit their studios in Chiswick and felt like a kid in a sweet shop as Nicky D’Silva played me a selection of beats they had created as ideas or my new single. I wanted to stuff my face full of all the wonderful music, but then I heard ‘IT’ – the song which I KNEW was going to be my next single. These boys are so talented they take coolness to a whole other level. We got to work straight away playing around with melodies and lyrics. The guys inspired me to create a more upbeat summer dance floor smash The track is called ‘Midnight’.when things get a bit more wild…”
Where can we find you live on stage this summer?
“We are gearing up now for a big showcase at London’s ‘THE BOX’ in September, where I’ll be showcasing my new material and putting on the hottest performance of my career so far with lots of super scary critics, journalist, music labels and publishers are coming down to watch me! The show will form the basis of the set we plan to tour with for the rest of the year and we’re in talks with booking agents now about some work abroad. My single ‘Hold On’ will be released around the same time – August 20th – so this event will be a celebration of the release as well and a chance for guests to have an exclusive listen to the new follow-up single ‘Midnight’! We are also perfuming in Ibiza for the closing parties late September – putting on a few shows at various clubs and show those party people what REESON’s all about.”
Where were the early clubs you were jumping around in back in the Day?
“Back in the day you would have caught me at the most smallest rock club in Surrey, The Agincourt!! I loved it there, you knew you could wear what the hell you wanted, rock out till you were covered in sweat, about to drop and no one battered an eyelid. To get my cheese fix me and my mates used to frequent Reflex! You got to love a bit of 80’s. I apologise in advance for having no shame and I can’t deny that I was never really a ‘cool kid’ as such. It’s all about having fun. I never really went out to some of the more pretentious city hot spots to sit on the side-lines posing.”
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