Still relatively new to the music scene, Nick Wilson is becoming an exciting talent in the world music.
With his latest single ‘Coming Up Slowly’ released, he joined us for an interview to talk about music and culture.
Hi, how are you?
I’m very good, currently burning my skin off in Portugal in the most British way possible, but I’m good. Hope you are too!
So, how did you get into music?
I don’t think there was ever a precise moment or reason I could pinpoint. I’ve always had a musical family, so growing up I was surrounded by different types of music. I picked up a guitar when I was about 13 and started from there really.
How did your song ‘Coming Up Slowly’ come about?
I wrote Coming Up Slowly for a friend of mine. Basically, he had ended a long distance relationship, and about half a year later, we were having some beers and binge watching Shameless, when he missed a call from her. I remember so vividly his face just dropping, you could pretty much see it all coming back to him. So obviously I wrote a song about it.
So with this song out now what are your goals for the rest of 2017?
To release more music and play more gigs. I’ve been writing a lot with different people lately, and I’m really happy with what I’ve been creating. As long as I’m making music and putting it out, I’m happy.
Describe yourself in one word
Cheese (I’m a big fan of the food. I couldn’t think of anything else)
Haha, that is fair. So, how would you describe your music in one word?
Genuine
If you could give any advice to any aspiring musicians what would it be?
As cliched as it sounds, probably just to keep at it and keep doing it if it makes you happy. The music industry can take a lot of time to navigate, so just keep going and making the best music you can, and you will get there. Also, set realistic expectations for what ‘getting there’ is. It will help massively when you don’t end up getting that platinum selling album in 2 months.
And finally what is your definition of culture?
I would say it’s what makes a society or personality what it is. It’s the traits and quirks that make something. One massive pot of different things, making one thing.
To find out more and to follow Nick Wilson click here.
With the film being released on November 22nd, 2017 the film Coco directed by Lee Unkrich who has directed films such as Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. has received a new trailer.
The film’s cast includes Alanna Ubach, Benjamin Bratt, Gael García Bernal, Edward James Olmos, Gabriel Iglesias, Jaime Camil, Cheech Marin, and many more.
The trailer gives us an overlook into Coco’s journey of discovery where he finds his family, leaving the spectators to speculate what will happen when the film is released this year in autumn.
Legendary DJ and music producer UMEK is considered to be on one of the best in the world of dance music.
With his latest single ‘Sneaking Unnoticed‘ out now, UMEK joined us for an interview to talk about music, life, and culture.
Hi, how are you?
I’m fine, thank you. You’ve just caught me on the way back home from the gig in Switzerland, which was really good and now I can’t wait to spend a couple of a bit more quiet days, which usually ends up with me welding new monsters in the basement.
So, how did ‘Sneaking Unnoticed’ come about?
From the strict technical point of view, it’s was very easy: I sat down in my studio, started developing some ideas I’ve had, laid down nice foundation built on base and kick, then I’ve put a good rhythm section over it and the work was done. But of course, good music is not only a technical product, it has to have heart and soul, a bit of creative magic, and in my case that usually comes from the energy I feel on my gigs, which I then try to capture in my productions. I get the most inspiration for my music from watching people on the dancefloor responding to my mixing and when I’m in the studio I try to imagine how people will respond to particular elements in a new track I’m working on. Will the fat bass get them moving or will I build a tension with it? Will a well-placed drop followed by strong build-up create a certain level of euphoria? And so on. The good thing about being a DJ and producer in one person is that I can road test my new tracks and demos at the gigs every weekend and I can pimp them so long that they’ll really do the trick.
When making music what kind of emotions do you hope to get through to your listeners?
Actually, I don’t pay that much attention to what emotional responses I’ll trigger as I focus mostly on how to create a certain level of energy on the dancefloor. My sets are all about creating energy in the club or on a festival on a physical, as well as spiritual level – that’s what makes people move to my music. Though when I perform as Zeta Reticula, I do play a bit more on emotions as that music is much more melodic, even though it’s electro. I like to see happy, positive people on the dancefloor, it’s just that I build the set on darkness and tensions which I occasionally break with an uplifting moment to trigger a burst of intense emotions. And it’s always weird when people tell me some track of mine appears a bit sad or depressing to them as I see all my music as quite positive and happy, even when it’s a bit dark and tense.
What do you enjoy most about being a DJ & Producer?
First of all, it’s great that I can spend my life creating and playing music. How can you even call this a job? It’s pure passion and I enjoy this very much. The job part comes when I have to travel from gig to gig, do the interviews, do all the work for my Behind the Iron Curtain radio show, meetings and everything else that I have to do to be able to create music and make people dance. The feeling when I step in the DJ booth in front of people who want to hear me play and that moment when the first bass drops is still amazing, especially as I can play music that I like and I don’t really have to do any compromises there. I’m mixing beats for people on the dancefloor for the better part of my life and I still feel rush doing it every single time. So nothing really changed there, while I can’t say the same for producing. I used to produce from desire to create some music. Now I do it because of the creative need. I can feel ideas boiling in me and I have to express that through my music. I was always curious and I wanted and enjoyed to produce music, but now I really feel I have to do it to express myself. And I wasn’t aware of that since only couple of years ago.
What are your plans for the rest of 2017?
The basic plot is to make music, tour around the world and enjoy some holiday time with my girlfriend in between the gigs. As I leaned to the darker side of electronica again I’m getting booked a lot by darker, techno oriented clubs and festivals I didn’t play before or at least I didn’t play for a long time, which is great for breaking the routine, but of course I’m also still doing big festivals like Tomorrowland and bunch of big gigs in Ibiza over the summer. I’ve just signed two EPs for two major techno labels, “Sneaking Unnoticed” with additional remixes by Steve Mulder, Durtysoxxx and hot French producer Jusai, I really like right now, just came out on my 1605 label and I’ve also just released “Shadow Tactics” on Form with additional remixes by Popof and Mar-T. And I’m putting final touches on Zeta Reticula EP vol. 7 for Billy Nasty’s label Electrix.
Describe your music in one word.
Energy
Describe yourself in one word.
Curious
What is your definition of culture?
That’s a tough one. Culture can be so many things … Last week I was reminded by my darling I’m a bit of a barbarian while dining at a nice restaurant and I was holding a fork in wrong hand. Well, that’s also culture. If you imply if techno is culture in the same sense as classical or jazz music – not necessarily, but it can be. I’ve seen drunken people attending a gala event and I I’ve heard and seen performances of electronic artists that are amazing pieces of work and that was the culture at its best. And no, music and events don’t have to be boring and dull to be considered culture.
To find out more about UMEK follow him here. To get his latest single ‘Sneaking Unnoticed’ click here.
Alex is again showcasing his unique ability to play within modern genre tags, while still sounding like quintessential Alex Bent + the Emptiness.
We caught up with him after the release of his latest single “Vanilla Blue”.
Hi, how are you? Good, thank you.
Good, thank you.
How did “Alex Bent + The Emptiness” come about?
I had been making music with several bands through high school and university, and eventually found myself without a band. I decided to start my own project and really put the emphasis on the fact that I was alone this time around.
When did you decide to get into music?
I’ve been playing music since I was 5. I started playing in bands when I was 12 and I’ve been pretty serious about it since then.
How would you describe your sound in one word?
Vulnerable.
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Anxious.
What was the inspiration behind your latest track “Vanilla Blue”?
Originally I was trying to think of a way to best describe my appearance but found those two words could have many different meanings. A friend interpreted the title to mean “a sweet kind of sadness” and that kinda kicked things off.
What was the process in bringing “Vanilla Blue” to life?
We worked on it off and on for 6 months or so. We demoed it out and took our time recording and mixing it. We just wanted it to sound right. It’s the happiest I’ve been with one of my songs so far.
If you could collaborate with any artist ever dead or alive who would it be?
Tyler, the Creator
What is your definition of culture?
Embracing who you are and sharing it with the world.
Doc Alliance has released the legendary filmmaker’s retrospective.
The retrospective of well influential director Chris Marker will be available until the 18th of June, 2017 exclusively at DAFilms.com. The viewers have a unique opportunity to watch seven key films by Marker which prove his timeless mastery. The collection includes La Jetée, Sans Soleil, Level Five, Junkopia, Sunday in Peking, Letter from Siberia and Description of a Struggle.
Our personal favourites from selection are Junkopia (1981) a short film which went onto to win a César award and La Jetée (1962) also known as The Pier, which is a film constructed nearly entirely out of still images, a film about a man in post World War III Paris.
To watch the selection of film at Doc Alliance you can click here.
Miner have been on the rise ever since they began. Formed by husband and wife Justin & Kate Miner the uplifting duo have created quite a name for themselves.
With their forthcoming EP ‘Headwaters’ coming out soon the duo joined us for an interview.
Hi, how are you guys?
Now that we’ve had coffee, great.
So, how did you guys form?
In 2012, sort of accidentally. We (Justin & Kate) recorded a couple songs in a spare bedroom, put them on the internet, and the response was strong enough that we put a band together and have been able to keep at it since then. Happy magic, basically.
How did ‘A Morning Song’ come about?
It started as a kind of meandering demo that had this one strong hook, which ended up becoming the chorus. But then for a good while we couldn’t figure out a verse we liked enough. Eventually we ended up pillaging another song we had never recorded called “Blue Skies” and adapted the verses to “A Morning Song” which worked out great. Once the demo was sorted, we ended up working with Matt Linesch in the studio, who had been involved with the Edward Sharpe records, and he really understood the energy and vibe we were looking for and was able to translate that to the recording.
Who/what are your influences?
Too many to count in this day and age, so let’s impose an arbitrary limitation. Sticking to the first two letters of the alphabet, and keeping in mind we sound like almost none of these bands but they consistently inspire us nonetheless: Andrew Bird, At The Drive In, Arcade Fire, Beach House, Beck, Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Marley, Bright Eyes, & Broken Social Scene. Tune in next week for the Cs and Ds.
Describe your music in one word.
Folksplosion.
Describe yourselves in one word.
Human.
What are your goals for 2017?
Just continuing make music and share it with as many people as possible.
What is your definition of culture?
Culture is what makes living on this planet with other sentient beings interesting – the beautiful, messy collage of ideas filling the metaphorical community swimming pool.
To find out more about Miner follow them here on Facebook.
Italian music producer Andrea Marchesini is back with another great club track.
Marchesini has become a household name for many dance music lovers. His music career has been going since 1993, but he is still producing some great music. Here is a taster of his latest release ‘Be Good To Me’, which is out now via Traxsource here.
Two-time Academy award winning filmmaker Ron Howard will be directing a documentary about the late Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.
Currently, the film has no final name and the release date has not been announced. Ron Howard’s production company Imagine Entertainment will be on of the production companies that will produce the film. The film will be written by Mark Monroe who won in 2010 the Writers Guild of America Award for the screenplay he did for The Cove (2009).
Having struck a strong chord with their fans JJasmine seem to be adding to the world of music with every key they use.
With their powerful single Demitasse released. JJasmine joined us for an interview to talk about music and culture.
Hi, how are you guys?
We’re super excited and happy. Thank you for having us!
So how did JJASMINE form?
In the autumn of 2016, Adnan came across an advertisement of a music competition that has “peace” as the main theme. He wanted to participate, but didn’t know where to start. He asked some musician friends in Jordan if they’d be up to write a song for the competition. A couple of sessions took place, but things didn’t work as planned and he was left alone again. Adnan thought he’d abandon the idea, but decided to give it one last chance, so he made a post on a Facebook group for musicians in Berlin asking if anyone wants to write a song online. Jill was one of the people who responded and they immediately had the perfect chemistry. Giacomo and Michel joined on board and we all collaborated on everything from lyrics to the video. We submitted the song 9 minutes before the deadline and won the competition later on. Since then, JJASMINE turned from a one-song collaboration to a much more serious project.
How did you come up with the name JJASMINE?
It was hard to come up with a name in two weeks, especially that we’d just met at the time and didn’t really know each other that well. We wanted something minimal yet powerful. “Jasmine” was initially suggested, inspired by the nostalgia and memories that pop up in every Syrian’s head when you ask what they miss the most. If you ask a displaced Syrian about what they miss, they’ll most certainly answer “the smell of jasmine”. Jill and Giacomo suggested that the name would look better and more original if we’d add an extra J at the beginning. We all agreed and loved the way it sounds and looks!
How did Demitasse come about and what’s the meaning behind it?
“Demitasse” was originally a little poem written in Arabic by Adnan back in 2011, when he first moved to Jordan. The poem is narrated from a refugee’s perspective and features many cultural references to the Levant region, like demitasse reading, which is a fortune telling tradition that evolved in Turkey and was very common in Syria among the elderly. The refugee speaks to their long lost grandmother and ask her to predict the future, hoping it’s a bright one.
Adnan translated the lyrics to English and sent them to Jill, who rearranged them to fit within the music that was mainly proposed by Giacomo. The older version of the song was so much different than the final product. We all composed Demitasse, recorded, mixed and mastered it. Using tons of emails, messages and Skype sessions.
Are you looking to make more music like Demitasse or is this one off?
We’re working on our debut album at the moment. We don’t think much about how the song will turn out while writing. We just go in the studio and start brainstorming! We don’t feel the pressure to fall under one sound or vibe. We love to experiment and try new instruments. Concept wise, we’re going more personal. The new songs tell our stories, or stories that happened with our close friends.
Describe your music in one word
Spontaneous
Describe yourselves in one word
Adventurers
What is your definition of culture?
To us, culture is an identity that’s based on one’s experiences in life. Unlike the common definition of it, culture is a very personal trait to us. And we express it the way we find best. For example, our own personal cultural behaviors may differ from those that surround us, or the places we come from. And by cultural behaviors we mean the things we do to define who we really are, whether they’re actions, sounds, images or words. And here comes our anti-stereotype attitude towards people who classify others based on where they come from and what “culture” is practiced there.
To find out more about JJasmine follow their Facebook here.
With the beautiful and warm weather the month of June is bringing us it is important for us to bring you great music that will make it just that much better.
Here are some songs we have selected for our Listen Different for the month of June.
Arman Cekin – Under My Fingers (ft. RONIA)
This new coloration between artists Arman Cekin and RONIA is a must listen for those that love some good trap music. Smooth bass mixed with stunning vocals, just what you need for a good summer’s day.
Oliver Tree – Welcome To LA
This uplifting song with great lyrics by Oliver Tree is perfect for those that love something different for their music playlists.
Cheat Codes & Cade – Stay With You
This stunningly produced song with warm vocals is for those that love a good electronic track with a great drop and flow throughout it.
Best Friend – Full Colour
Who doesn’t love a bit of chill hip-hop beats? This track is perfect for those want to chill out and relax in the sun or even vice versa to those that are studying over the summer. Great mix and production by Best Friend.
Ben Maxwell – Right Now feat. Aviella
If you are in love with music that has the summer vibe you want. This song by Ben Maxwell and Aviella is just the one for you.
Olsen – The Zone
If you are in love with dance music Olsen’s ‘The Zone’ is a perfect track for you. Deep kicks and bass supported by smooth vocals is a pure house track for those that love a bit of dance music in the summer.
Moglii – Fantasy (feat. Novaa)
If you love great vocals mixed with some amazing electronic music then this one is for you. ‘Fantasy’ by Moglii is a great track mixing vocals and electronic synths, that make you listen to it on repeat time and time again.
Foresteater – Very Friendly People
If you like great bands Foresteater is just for you. Their latest song ‘Very Friendly People’ includes great vocals and production, making them a band to follow.
Otzeki – True Love
‘True Love’ by Otzeki is a pure indie electro track that will keep wanting for more. Great production supported by great vocals makes this track a one for the playlists.
Piano Club – Esther feat. Lylou
If you want something to throw you back a couple of decades with a great vibe Piano Club’s ‘Esther’ is just the song for you. It features great vocals by Lylou, that will for sure make you added into your playlists.
VIRA – Death Song
If you like something different from the usual commercial summer vibe music VIRA’s death song is the one for you. This song has lovely vocals supported by nice production. It really talks for itself.
