Hi Michael, welcome back to DMC! How has 2026 been for you so far?
It’s been a great year so far. I always start with a Sultra event, because it’s a real buzz to be able to play exactly what I want and all of the music I’ve made to a really educated crowd. I’ve had some amazing other gigs too though. Starting with a real surprise in Rome, playing there for the first time to a really young crowd and they were so up for the new album tracks. I then went on a fantastic tour of Australia and New Zealand, 7 gigs across two weekends, 5 of them sold out. The feedback from everyone about my music was great to hear. I didn’t realise just how many people listen to my radio show and hear all of the new music I have been making. Tracks such as “Gravity”, “Universe” and “You & Me” went down particularly well. The music production side has been going great too. I’ve just reached 3.4m a month listeners on Spotify and that’s mind blowing and my latest track “Gravity” went to number 1 on Traxsource.
You’ve just released your superb third artist album, ‘You & Me’, on Sultra Records, what can we expect to hear and are you pleased with the results?
I’m really pleased. I’m even happier with this album than I was with my last one “Optimism”. There’s a real blend of music from the slower ballads such as “Beautiful” to the tougher sounds of “Universe” and lots in between. I think people will be particularly surprised by “Shake” as this is a bit of a different sound for me.
How does it differ from you previous ‘Optimism’ album?
I think the range of sounds this time is wider. I’ve also used a lot more male vocals this time. I’ve worked with Bran Mazz and Errol Reid a lot on this Album from both a vocals and a writing perspective.
Which album tracks “break the mould” from your traditional style of production and sound, and what inspired you to take those risks?
That would definitely be “Shake”. I loved making this track with Tania Foster. Real Latin vibes and definitely a track for the summer. Music for me doesn’t necessarily have to fit a mould. If it sounds good and especially if it’s uplifting then it doesn’t feel like a risk for me.
Vocalist Bran Mazz features on several tracks on the album including your brand new single, ‘‘Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)’’. What drew you to his voice and energy, and how did your working relationship develop during the album?
I’ve known Bran for about 4 years and he has a really unique and distinctive voice. I’ve worked with both him and Errol Reid before and we work really well as a trio writing lyrics. So that alongside the fact he’s an amazing singer, made it a no brainer to work with him. We started out with a cover of Ascension, but then the ideas just kept coming for writing new songs.
In addition to Bran, you’ve brought in an incredible lineup of vocalists including Tania Foster, Sian Lee, Kelli Sae, Phebe Edwards, Dyanna Fearon and more. How do you decide who fits which song, and what do you look for in a vocalist?
Character in a voice is really important for me, but most importantly I want someone who is easy to work with. I don’t need drama in my life as I’m far too busy for that, so a bad attitude would put me off working with someone again. I’ve worked with all of these fantastic vocalists before and have a really good range. I tend to produce a number of backing tracks and then I send these out to a range of singers I enjoy working with and I ask them to try out vocals over them. Sometimes when they come back, I can completely change the music to fit the vocals then I may use the original track on something else. Other times I have specific vocals in mind that I want them to sing and I have a specific sound I’m trying to achieve. It doesn’t always start with me producing the music though. “Gravity” came to me as an acapella after I’d worked with Sian Lee before on “Another Holiday” and I set about putting the music to it. “Shake” also came to me as a demo from Tania and her Brother and I then produced it. I’ve worked with all of these singers before, so I know just how adaptable and talented they are.
The title track, ‘You & Me’ with Mike Dunn is fantastic. How did that collaboration come together, and what was the process of building a new record around the Freeez ‘Flying High’ sample?
I’ve always loved the band “Freeez” and I felt like the line “Flying high” could sound really cool on a modern track, so I went about producing one. As it came together I realised that the addition of spoken words would add to the character more and Mike immediately came to mind. I’ve always admired him as a producer and DJ, so I invited him along to the studio and it all came together really quickly. In fact it took less than 2 hours start to finish recording with him. This has been one of the most popular tracks on the album so far.
You’ve reworked Maxwell’s ‘Ascension’ and Cleo Sol’s ‘Life Will Be’. What’s your approach to honouring the originals while still making them unmistakably “Michael Gray”?
Both of these tracks I really admired. Great vocalists and amazing music but not something I could personally play out as a DJ. So I originally remixed their tracks into House versions. I always try to get clearance first to release, especially when there is so much demand as I had with these. But sometimes that just doesn’t work out and this is where I will get the vocals re-sung, whilst still crediting the original artists. I was looking for singers who could maintain the integrity of the original vocals and Bran Mazz and Phebe Edwards had the right vocal range for this. It can take a long time to get the sound just right but we stay working in the studio together until it’s perfected. When working with Bran I also had the support of Errol Reid in the studio who can hit some of those real high notes.
‘Universe’ is a surprise track and leans into a jackin’ house direction and is heading for its own single release on Toolroom soon. What made you want to include a more club driven instrumental on an otherwise vocal rich album?
Whilst it’s not what people particularly know me for now, I have made a lot of darker tracks over the years. Back in the day many rave tracks with Friends of Matthew for example and then later with Full Intention. So it’s always been something I’ve experimented with, but this just came together in the studio.
How important was live instrumentation in shaping the feel of the album?
It’s always been a big part of the music I make. It adds a lot of depth to tracks and people notice that.
Did you use AI in the creation process at all?
No, I think AI has its uses. For example, stem separation if you want to remix an older track and you can’t get hold of the stems. However, I much prefer to use real vocalists and instruments as they have a much richer sound. You can often tell if a vocal is ai with its wobbly sound.
This is your third artist album and your second album on Sultra. How is running your own record label going and how has it shaped the way you create, release your music?
I started my own record label so I could get my music out quicker and when I wanted to rather than having to wait and fit around everyone else’s schedule. It means I can produce my own sound without having to obtain anyone else’s approval and put it out when I want to. That’s been really important to me and that follows through into the Sultra Brand generally. My Sultra gigs are all about being able to play the kind of music I want to play, and especially new releases as most of the music I play is my own.
What’s been your favourite gig of the year so far and where are you most looking forward to playing this summer?
There are so many that it’s hard to choose. I loved Rome, all the Australia and New Zealand gigs m, Joshua Brooks where I played an extended set and of course my own Sultra event at ACanteen in January. However, if pushed I’d say my favourite was Sky Disco in Melbourne. It was an afternoon event in the bright sunshine with the most perfect setting and that topped with a longer set and the ability to play all of my latest tunes to an educated crowd, really made it special.
With a decades‑long career, global DJ schedule and being Traxsource’s #1 artist of 2024, how does ‘You & Me reflect where you are now, and where you want to go next?
“You & Me” reflects my ever-evolving sound. I think it’s important to keep evolving and not get stuck in a rut. The music industry and dance scene relies on us recreating and putting out new music. There are only so many old tracks which we can remix over and over again. So without it the dance music scene would eventually die out. I plan to keep producing new music as the ideas come to me. I don’t think I will ever stop. It’s part of my DNA and it’s what truly makes me happy.
You’ve just launched your new Sultra Records app, what inspired you to set it up and what can subscribers expect to find?
We set up a “Sultra Family” group on Facebook over a year ago to enable people to share their experiences from events footage, pictures, etc. This was an extension of the Twitch Community that came together with “Thankful Thursdays” during lockdown, as I’ve had to cut back on the number of streams as I don’t have the time. It gained traction quickly and we now have nearly 4.5k members. When the Album started to come together and with the experience of my last album 2 years ago, it was clear there was going to be a lot of promotional activity and it would be helpful to be able to share everything in one place. So my Fiancee Mel came up with the idea of a Sultra App. Engagement and feedback on the app has been great and we had over 10k requests in the first few hours. It’s easy for people to miss the updates in stories etc on socials and with so many radio shows, press articles etc, it enables the fan base to view at their own leisure and helpful to share information as we increase the number of Sultra events. Go check it out!
You’ve got an album launch party taking place in London on May 30th, what have you got lined up for us?
I’m really looking forward to the Album Launch at Night Tales Loft on 30 May. Not only will I be playing an all night set 9pm to 2.30pm, but I also have my Son Ethan Gray lined up to join me for a B2B and I have live PAs from Errol Reid (China Black) who sings on “Detonate”and Tania Foster (Roll Deep) who sings on “Shake” on the album.
Michael Gray ‘You & Me’ album will be released on all platforms on May 29th 2026 on Sultra Records.
https://altramodamusic.lnk.to/WgFEid
