Tell us more about your release with Dragonette, “Animale.” Are we going to go crazy on the dancefloor or what?
Absolutely! I had finished the instrumental version for “Animale” in the studio and sent it over to Martina, the lead singer of Dragonette. She loved it and had a primal feeling when she heard it the first time, so we came up with the “Animale” hook. When “Animale” was used for the opening choreography of this year’s So You Think You Can Dance show, the record exploded in Holland and Belgium and now it’s set for a worldwide release in early April. Make sure you check out the official music video for it on Youtube as well, it will change your perspective on oranges and bananas for the rest of your life!
You’ve remixed for the likes of Chemical Brothers, Cassius, Public Enemy and even Iggy Pop. How do you normally approach your remixing work?
I always try to look at what is best for the song, not what is best for me or what would be logical. The most important thing is that a remix actually has something in there that is still recognizable from the original track. That is also why I really have to like the original if I am going to do a remix for it.
The neutrals out of the music industry may not know how challenging it is. What are the pros/cons of being in the business?
For me it has always been about the music and never about the money or the business stuff around it. Unfortunately you will just have to deal with it, even though the music industry is changing rapidly. There is more competition and it’s easier for people to just grab your music from the Internet for free. The role and influence of record companies is getting less significant by the day and I actually think it’s a great development that people from all over the world are downloading my music, even if it’s for free and I don’t get paid for it. This has allowed me to tour all across the globe these last few years, even though I have yet to release my debut artist album!
What you are working on currently?
At the moment I’m touring a lot and in between I’m trying to finish off my debut artist album which I hope to release later this year. Besides that I have a new side project coming up as well called “Why are we whispering?” This is a collaboration between myself and an amazingly talented Canadian rapper called Ish. We just shot the video for our first single “Satellites” and the sound is a big fusion between electro, pop, dubstep and drum and bass.
What gets you mad?
I’m definitely not a big fan of bad warm-up DJ’s, screaming children on intercontinental flights, bad breath, cold showers, unprofessional people and sleep deprivation.
You’ll be rocking it at Zirca; what can we expect?
Lots of new music, a big mash-up of styles and a heavy dose of energy!
Soak up the party vibes with Don Diablo at Disco Vendetta feat. Inquisitive on Mar 18, 10pm. Zirca, #01-02/05 Blk. C The Cannery, Clarke Quay, River Valley Rd., 6333-4168. $15-28 includes two drinks.
