Hot Waves

How did you get into Dance music and who are your main influences?

I love to party very much so I guess that is the main reason why I get into dance music. My passion began in London, I was introduced to it through my buddy from home, Guilhem Monin. He showed me some of the Novamix from Radio Nova, he kept on showing me amazing stuff since and always has been a very important influence in my music.

I met Matlar and FB Julian after a few years I lived in London, I totally fell in love with the music those guys play. Saving enough money at the beginning allowed me to buy my first laptop and toÂ install logic and start producing, that was nearly six years ago.

I’ve had so many influences growing up from all different paths, however 70’s disco, 80’s hip hop and great Chicago house are my main powers and inspirations in production at the moment.

You have already released music on Hot Waves and La Vie en Rose. Tell us about how you got your signed to such prestigious labels and your relationship with them?

I have known the Hot Nature crew from being out in London, they are wicked people, I’m always happy to see them. The first time I signed on Hot Wave happened after Richy Ahmed listened to my track in Ibiza when Guilhem was playing it, Richy contacted me and ask if I wanted to sign up in their label, I remember that day so well I was over the moon.

La Vie en Rose is Terrence Terry’s label, my friend Matlar that was my production partner at the time introduce me to him as well as showed him some of my music. He actually showed Terry a track I would have never shown, Terry loved it and wanted to do an EP. Unfortunately I have not seen Terry in years, we sometimes chat on Facebook, I really like the guy and I think we both fancy the idea of doing it again soon.

Your latest release: I Felt This Way Before EP is for Colors brand new label. Can you talk us through how you produced one of the tracks from it?

“Les Merguez” is the latest track i’ve produced from this EP.

Using Logic as sequencer, first I made the beat, all the drums are samples recorded mainly from 909, 808 and Linn drum. Then created the rhythm in logic then redone it on the MPC to sound nice and tight. Next I have written the bass line on my Triton and processed it through the MPC. I’ve made the vocals simply by pitching down my voice (sometimes sounding too much like a little girl). The rest of the track was made using a Triton, then sampling a few sound effects and a string. I’ve also done few more sound effects with a Juno 106.

https://soundcloud.com/colors-ep/b1-les-merguez-remi-mazet

You were one of the first DJ’s to be resident at Colors. Can you tell us how that came about and what makes the night so special for you?

It happened very naturally as we are rather close friends, not only are we friends but we are synced artistically. This night is brilliant simply because the promoters are popping this party for the right reasons, they have a real passion for music and the vibe, they make an amazing effort. Therefore there’s no need for me to explain why they’ve got such a cool crowd following them, I’m glad to be part of the project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XKagr63ZwQ

Your music blends together a number of different styles. What for you is the most important quality for music to have? (And do you have many influences outside of Dance music?)

Good melodies, very cool bass lines, amazing grooves, cleverly produced technically, twisted and surprising ideas but most of all I like music to be appropriate and true to the moment and compliment your surroundings.

Yes I do have influences outside of dance music. The truth is i can be inspired by anything, even something I don’t like but it’s just got to be something that has its own defined identity, even if it’s something I’m not into then it can bring in new sounds and spark ideas.

How was Eastern Electrics, and can you tell us about how your â€˜live’ performance works?

Eastern Electrics was lot of fun, I played in an area run by kubicle, they did a great job, and lots of friends showed up, I had a brilliant time.
About my live performance, I’m using Ableton to play my songs, using one channel for the kicks, one for the snares, one for the drums, one for the bassâ€¦ I use my pads to play around with that.

What are your plans for the remainder of 2014 and beyond?

I’ve got a few EP’s in the pipe line and obviously working with Colors in September but also other really exciting stuff I can’t wait to share.

My new studio space in Hackney Wick is pretty exciting too, working with FB Julian, Clive Henry, and Matthew Keating. Being in the studio is by far my favourite thing to do, being able to share that with good friends is the ultimate cocktail mix of work and fun combined so i’m sure this is where I’ll be spending most of my time for the end of this year and the years coming.

https://www.facebook.com/remimazetmusic
https://twitter.com/RemiMazet

â€˜Back To The Tower’ is your new single for Jamie Jones & Lee Foss’s Hot Waves. How did your relationship with the label come about?

I have known Jamie for I guess around 6 years or so now. We met really through Jamie doing regular guest slots for us at Back to Basics and I first met lee about 3 years ago in Leeds when some friends brought him to play a house party for their birthday. Also it was round that time that Jamie had remixed a track that I made with Jon Woodall called Kitsch n Sync, which was the 1st release on the Basics label that had started up again after 15 years. Although, I had already sent Jamie and Lee some tracks that they were digging and interested in for Hot Creations but then they chose this for Hot Waves – even though I already had the connection with the guys it was really Richie Ahmed who made sure they heard it.

The track features the vocal of Ives St Ange. How did you meet and can you tell us about what the words mean to you?

I 1st met Ives in the summer of 89, we were both 18 and in Bridewell police station, which is closed now, but used to be underneath the Leeds town hall. We had both been arrested for nonpayment of some stupid fine which we had both managed to pick up along the way for some nonsense or other, and that was really the 1st encounter. But by the end of that same summer we were pretty much hanging 24/ 7. A big group of us would travel to Manchester every Friday for the Hacienda and then pretty much crash at Ives place all week, which was a block of high rise flats in the Little London area of Leeds, called Lovel Park Towers. Which is why I called it: Back to the tower, as in back to them times.
At the time though when this was going on they were a crew who we were friends with, who used to rap and write rhymes round at Ives place, and of course Ives was one of them. Fast forward 20 years and there I am, I haven’t seen or heard from Ives in maybe 10 years (and before that another 5) so basically twice or so in 15 years. Anyway, I was making what started out as an album at the time and I found myself well out of what was then my comfort zone. All of a sudden I was working with singers, writing/recording lyrics, bringing in sax players, pianists and while all this was happening I randomly seen that Ives was on facebook. And, as I’m in the studio I said â€˜hey do you want to?’, actually what I really said in a jokey way because it had been so long, and thought it maybe a funny ice breaker was: â€˜Yo! Are you still spitting rhymes’ like I was all down and ghetto! By time I got him down to the studio I already had the basis for the track written and laid down with the bassline on it. I suggested that it might be cool to rap about what we did back then in a kinda tongue â€˜n’ cheek way and touch on where we were when we didn’t see each other too much, then bringing it back to today and where we are now, and what we are doing. He totally 110% nailed it for me. It was the most fun and easy track I’ve ever made. I wasn’t even thinking about anyone liking it let alone signing it. It really did just come from the heart; I wasn’t putting any limitations on it. I just went with the flow and that’s how it turned out.

Can you give us an insight into the process of producing Back To The Tower?

I laid down the kick at 115 BPM as I knew he would come and rap over it. So didn’t want it too fast, this is all in my head at this point as he’s on his way to the studio. I already had the big clap which I wanted to use so played that over the beat, loop-edit and then played the bassline over it and that was all I needed for that point. We recorded the vocal then Ives left and I worked with it, as in putting some arrangement on it, getting a nice feel to it and it was there. It was like it wrote itself, as in it was easy to hear what I needed to do next. It was a great experience and being back with Ives after all this time, just for that project and then pretty much back off our separate ways we went. I loved it.

When/ where did you first begin to DJ and who initially inspired you to do so?

I bought my 1st pair of Technique 12.10s in 1990 from Sasha. The speed pitch was knackered at a certain point and the arm on one of the decks was bent, he had me over bless him. It took me about a year to realize it was the deck and not me! The story though, was that Sasha had been dj’ing at an 808 State gig and they fell off the stage, and that’s why it was broke. So I thought that was a quite funny history to have behind the decks, but it was 2 years later in 92 that I started to play clubs and was lucky as my 1st residency was at Renaissance, and by 93 the Hacienda so I had the best training ground ever to DJ. But without doubt my biggest DJ influences at that time were Mike Pickering and Graeme Park

From your perspective how would you say Dance (House) Music has evolved from the 90’s until now?

Its evolved in the way that technology is now available to make music on, which is much more out there, but I would say there have been many styles and fads that have come and gone, and still continue to do so, but for me the roots of it all are House. And even at the time when it looked like House was having trouble staying for good, it didn’t and it’s still here. But I do think the spirit of House Music from the 90â€²s to now is still the sameâ€¦

You can hear a range of influences when listening to your productions. Can you tell us about some of the most significant to you?

That’s a tuff question really because I feel those influences are just in me naturally from years of playing and listening to music. It’s not like I’m always trying to do an old-school flavour or anything like that, or thinking I’m going to make a track like something that is a direct result of wanting to make a certain type of record. They just come out the way they do, but mainly always with moving the dance floor at the forefront of my mind.

Where you are currently Dj’ing? And what are your forthcoming plans for 2013?

As well as regular guest slots up and down the country, as well as around the world, I would like to play at DC 10 again and at as many festivals. I’m also resident at Back to Basics which I’ve held for over 10 years now. This year I intend to release more music and I have an EP coming out on Future Boogie around April time, plus I have a couple of irons in the fire that are yet to be unleashed! More tracks also for Extended Play – I have already released 5 tracks with them last year through a sampler and on my own EP.
I’m also really looking forward to working closely with the Blueprint Artist Agency who Ive recently signed to. So all that combined with as many holidays and staying happy, and healthy, and true to myself…..that’s my plans for 2013.