DeMarzo Interview: It's hard to say what my sound is

Bank Holiday season is in full effect around the nation, as we've been inundated with a glut of options for us to spend the three and four day weekends indulging ourselves with. One such choice has come to our attention in the rave epicentre that is Manchester, with Frank kick-starting the four day weekend off early with a barnstormer of a showcase at Underdog.

Thursday 17th April sees them welcome in two of the hottest talents currently on the lips of many a house music aficionado. It further cements their status as readily picking off the up and coming superstars of tomorrow, with Skiddle mix favourite Cristoph, the man set to mix the first ever DFT compilation, one of the starlets.

The other is Hot Creations' DeMarzo, whose atmospheric take on deep house has already marked him out as one of the stars on a label crammed with them (check his mix for our mates Underground Source above as evidence).

Ahead of the event in Manchester we caught up with him for a quick discussion to find out everything going on in his world at present, including Balareic thoughts, production nous and more.

You're off to Manchester shortly to play at Frank. What previous gigs have you had in the city and how much do you en joy playing there?

I've not played many gigs in Manchester, but every time I have the crowd have always been brilliant. I think one gig to remember was at Avici White for Dv8. The atmosphere was great and its close to home so my pals always come a long.

How is your summer shaping up; any festivals or Ibiza dates you can let us in on?

This summer has a few great tours in the making but since they're not confirmed I maybe shouldn't disclose. The US and Ibiza are both in the works. Gigs coming in the UK in the next few weeks are, as well as this one, in Wolverhampton, Lincoln and London. 

How did you get into production and DJing? Was there a certain record, or certain night that made you realise that this is what you wanted to do?

I used to play in bands when I was young making my own samples for live shows so I got into computer production and just played around not really knowing what music I was making. Turns out it was electronica of sorts. Always been a fan of the warpy techno stuff like Maetrik (listen to 'Bottom Heavy' below).

What do you think your multi instrumental talents bring to your productions?

I think it does help but it's not that important. It allows me to grasp the musical side to the productions more than anything and I suppose it broadens my creativity.

How would you describe your sound, do you have a set ideal for each record you work on?

I don't follow a used template from a previous production so that's why my tracks tend to take longer to make, and they all sound pretty different. So it's hard to say what my sound is. I love techno, house, funk and all the stuff in between, so i just try to make something that makes people dance with elements that are different from what is usually heard in the clubs.

I get great feedback from my gigs, people telling me that what they hear just doesn't get played anywhere else, so I'll stick by it.

You’ve already released on a number of different labels. Do you tailor your records for each label?

No. Maybe I should. Sending out tracks can be a tedious job.

If I tailored tracks to labels I might have more success but I think, for me its best to make what I like and what I would want to play live. If a label feels this also then brilliant.

Have you any new releases in the pipeline that we can look forward to?

My next EPs with be on Materialism, which is owned by Mahalis Safras and a label I love so very happy to be a apart of it. Second one is on Sincopat, another label I have always respected.

Both are three track EPs and I can't wait for people to hear them. I also have remixes on Highway Records and Dialtone. All these will get released early summer.

And finally, hypothetical question… You have the power to throw the ultimate rave. You can play alongside any DJ from the past or present. Where would you have it, who would be on the bill, and what track would you play to define the evening?

Always hard these questions. These guys put on a good show with the vibe just right - Martinez Brothers and Shonky. It would be at the beach Cala Gracio in Ibiza and the track i love at the moment; Sames' 'Badcat' (stream below).

For more information on the Frank event head here.

Can't catch DeMarzo in Manchester? He also plays London next month.

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