NATTY RICO X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [INTERGRATING SAXOPHONE, USEFUL ADVICE, MUSICAL IDEAS]

Natty Rico has been riding a wave of success over the past few years, producing tracks for some of the biggest names in the commercial music space, including Snoop Dogg, Frankie J, Willy William and Walshy Fire, as well as performing alongside music royalty, David Guetta, Jason Derulo, Major Lazer and Bob Sinclar, to name a few. The French native has mastered the art of remixing, delivering globally-adored re-works of some of the biggest tracks in recent years, including his smooth dance-inspired cover of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” and his saxophone-heavy rework of OT. Quartet’s “Hold That Sucker Down”.

Equally talented as a saxophonist and live DJ, Natty’s incredible performances have catapulted him to some of the most prestigious events and venues worldwide. He has performed extensively throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific, mesmerizing audiences of all sizes with his unique and charismatic performance style. Having secured residencies at some of the globe’s most renowned clubs including The Cosmopolitan, Natty has established himself as a household name in Las Vegas; the performance capital of the world. With millions of plays across his Spotify discography, Natty is a regular in the Billboard Dance Charts. His track "Frozen" feat. Melissa Molinaro & Frankie J spent a total of 9 weeks in the authoritative Billboard chart, peaking at #22. His more recent cover of “Hold That Sucker Down” is nearing 2 million streams on Spotify alone; a figure that’s likely to continue growing in the coming months.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Natty, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing? Tell us a little bit about yourself?

NR: I’m doing good thanks, currently in Vegas working in my studio!

CR: The track ‘If You Were Gone’, tells us a little bit about the producing process, as well as where did the inspiration come from?

NR: There is a funny story behind this track! I was with Chaz and we recorded a song together that was very pop-leaning. I came back in my studio, and I was listening to the acapella of Chaz and a few sentences on the vocal really touched me: “If I wake up one day and you were gone” “Just hold me tight” “never let go” “One day” and I made a full new song out of this! Chaz was surprised at first but then he totally loved the idea.

CR: When you first started playing the saxophone and when was the first time you integrating that in your music?

NR: I started the saxophone at 7 years old, I was surrounded by music with my family all my life. The first time I integrated the sax with my music was when I did my first composition, I was 11 years old! But the track never came out of course!

CR: As a DJ/Producer, what advice have you received that was most useful to you?

NR: To never give up on our goals, it will feel really difficult sometimes but Rome wasn’t built in one day, right?

CR: This is a 3-part question, Your first gig, your last gig, and your favourite gig?

NR: My first gig was with my brother at 7 years old on the street for our family and friends in my hometown of Nantes - France! My last gig was last week in Scottsdale at Bottled Blond and my favourite gig was in Angers France for a festival an hour away from my hometown 2 years ago: I hadn’t come back to France for a while and being the headliner of a festival close to where I grew up, and seeing all my friends, family and fans there was an amazing moment. I also booked my brother with me for the show as a drummer that was fantastic!

CR: For every DJ/Producer we interview, what is a must-have item on your rider when in the green room?

NR: I’m not too complicated so I’m don’t ask for a lot of things, but definitely a t-shirt. I sweat a lot when I performer and I always need a new t-shirt after each show!

CR: If you had the chance to play an opening set for any artist around the world, who would it be and where would it be?

NR: It would probably be with USHER at Coachella.

CR: As you relaxed and recharged, did the lockdown help you come up with new musical ideas?

NR: Being locked down didn’t really change my life, to be honest. I’m super grateful for what I have and I definitely worked a little bit more in the studio but I mostly took this time to reconnect with People.

CR: You guys are busy as it is, what do you like to do during your downtime?

NR: I live my life out of my passion, and I never really think I have downtime. I love to compose even when I don’t have to, just to keep my inspiration going and work on my skills. However, I also love to spend time with the people I love.

CR: Are there any projects that you are working on? Any exciting plans?

NR: I’m working on a winter tour that I’m really excited about and of course new songs. That will surely come in 2022

LIGHTNING ROUND

Texting or talking? - Talk

Coffee or tea? – Hot Chocolate

Hard liquor or Wine? – I never drink alcohol!

Cake or pie? - Cake

Hot dogs or hamburgers? - Hamburgers

Xbox or PlayStation? - PlayStation

Movie theatre or arcade? - Arcade

Guitar or piano? - Piano

Marvel or DC Comics? - Marvel

Dog or cat? - Cat

Hot weather or cold weather? – Hot weather

FOLLOW NATTY RICO

HUGEL X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [RECENT TRACK, CULTURAL INFLUENCES, FUTURE PROJECTS]

HUGEL, a certified gold and platinum DJ and producer, has made a name for himself, becoming one of the most popular house hitmakers in dance music. After releasing his first certified gold collaboration with Robin Schulz's 'I Believe I'm Fine (2017), Hugel reached new heights with a remix of El Professor's 'Bella Ciao', becoming one of the official summer hits of Germany. 2018 and subsequently achieved platinum status in GSA while achieving gold certification in France. Accumulating more than 500 million streams on all platforms.

A catalogue that includes collaborations with talents such as; J Balvin, Tiesto and Jonas Blue. HUGEL has engraved himself in the very fabric of the scene, performing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans every year, all over the world on some of the biggest stages in the world; including David Guetta's world tour, Tomorrowland, Parookaville and a monthly residency in one of the meccas of dance music, Ushuaia in Ibiza.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Hugel, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing and tell us a little bit about yourself?

H: I’m great man super happy to be with you today to answer these questions.

For the people who don’t know me, I’m a French DJ and Producer, who did a couple of songs you might already know.

CR:  Culture plays a huge part in musical inspiration can you tell us a little bit about your recent track ‘Morenita’ and where the inspiration came from?

H: ‘Morenita’ is my biggest track this year. It received support from Diplo, Fisher, John Summit, Vintage Culture, Roger Sanchez, Carnage, even David Guetta played it. I used to live in Ibiza before the pandemic and I think I just miss the island so much. That’s what inspired me to produce ‘Morenita’, you can hear the Balearic inspiration in the drums. 

CR: Can you describe the process from an idea to a song? How long does it each step take before you go to the next? Do you get an “in the zone” feeling when you do create a new track?

H: First I get inspired by a sample or something that I think I can turn into something for my DJ-set. Then after that the process of producing around this idea take couple of hours, usually 4-5 hours, and I have it. Then it’s just arrangement and mixing on another day. I can produce everywhere as long as I have my laptop, my headphones, my hard drive and the INTERNET!

CR: You grew up in France but learnt how to Produce/DJ in Cannes and Monaco, how did both cultures influence you as an artist and a person?

H: I think the type of restaurant/club called ‘champagne clubs that you find everywhere in the world now is based on the clubs in St. Tropez. This was a thing in the South of France a long time ago already before the Americans even set foot there for party reasons. Now it is a standard, you find these places in Miami, LA, Tulum, Mykonos, Ibiza, and so on. I learned how to DJ in the south of France so it is easy for me to bring the vibe promoters are looking for since we have been doing it since the beginning.

CR: Is there anything else about the current state of dance music that you’d want to change?

H: I really like the situation in dance music right now. Even though Covid changed everything, I feel like we are back to the roots. Back to the House Music and this is amazing. Be ready for the summer of love 2022 is going to be LEGENDARY!

CR: What is one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear it?

H: I think Cajmere - Brighter Days is forever that track for me

CR: This is a three-part question, your first set, The last set you played and your favourite set so far?

H: My first set was in Metal Cafe Marseille France when I was 16 years old.

My last one was in Dubai last week.

My favourite set I played was « hangout music festival » in Alabama USA

CR: You have played with a lot of artists already but if you had the chance to play an opening set for any artist around the world, who would it be and where would it be?

H: I think I would love to open for Diplo and probably in Vegas.

CR: What does an average day look like for Hugel when you are not producing or DJing?

H: Usually I wake up get breakfast and go to boxing class. Then my management is harassing me with tons of emails, hahaha. So I have to answer them. And sometimes when I decide to ignore everyone, I like a little Netflix and chill and eat a lot of cake on the sofa.

CR: To wrap it up, are there any projects that you are working on that our followers should know about?

H: Yes I have a lot of music coming up. I just signed new records on Defected / Toolroom / Higher Ground (diplo’s label) / Sweat it out

Also, a big collab with Jude & Frank & Twolate will be out 7th of January on Spinnin’ Records.

And I’m thinking of launching my own label « Make The Girls Dance Records » this year through Warner Music.

LIGHTING ROUND

Texting or talking? Talking

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Hard liquor or Wine? Wine for sure

Cake or pie? CAKE

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

Xbox or PlayStation? Playstation

Movie theatre or arcade? Theatre number 1 but i can only go to Paris ahah so Movie

Guitar or piano? Piano for me…

Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel

Dog or cat? I love both but when they belong to someone else

Hot weather or cold weather? Hot for sure

FOLLOW HUGEL SOCIALS

GIOLÌ & ASSIA X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [HOW THEY MET, QUEDATE,#DIESISLIVE]

Giolì & Assia are a young female Italian duo both producers, multi-instrumentalists, singers, songwriters, record label owners, and DJs, creating music that blends the styles of pop, electronic, house, indie, and dance that is uniquely their own. Giolì plays the piano, cello, drums, guitar, and handpan, and Assia handles lead vocal duties as well as the guitar.

They are best known for their #DiesisLive sessions they put out monthly, each shot in beautiful locations worldwide. The viral video of them performing on top of an active volcano at the Aeolian Islands in Sicily, Italy amassed over 20 million views and counting. Since their debut, the Italian multi-hyphenates have achieved consistent success garnering over 80 million YouTube streams, 15 million Spotify streams and coveted spots on Spotify playlists such as “Mint,” “Dance Rising,” and “New Music Friday Italia.”

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Giolì & Assia, Glad to have you on Canadianravers, how are you doing?

G & A: Hi, thanks for having us! Doing great, thank you! 

CR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves and how did you meet? 

G & A: We met on Facebook 6 years ago. Assia saw a video of mine while playing the electric drums and decided to send me a message. She told me she was very impressed, loved my music and wanted to get to know me better. We felt connected immediately and discovered that we had so many passions and life goals in common. We both loved music, travelling, art in general, and decided to work together a few months later. 

We know you get inspiration through different cultures. Tell us a little bit of the story behind the track ‘Quedate’, the producing process, as well as connecting with Pabllo Vittar?

G & A: Yes, we are constantly inspired by different cultures, languages and music genres. That’s the reason why we wanted to write a song in Spanish, with melodic and Mediterranean music production. We have listened to Pabllo for many years, so we couldn't be happier to finally release a song together. 

CR: We have seen you perform live in several different locations, which one is by far the momentous for both of you?

G & A: We both think our favourite #DiesisLive is the one recorded on top of the Vulcano island. We both have incredible and unforgettable memories about that day, the colours of the sunrise, the Vulcano’s smokes made it a unique and unrepeatable moment of our lives.  

CR: Growing up did you both play instruments? and how did that help hone your skills as producers?

G & A: Assia started playing the guitar when she was 16. I (Giolì) started to play the piano when I was a child, then learnt how to play the guitar, drums and cello during high school. For sure we couldn’t be here without all the things we learnt in the past, and our skills as producers are a direct  consequence of it.

CR: This is a 3-part question: Your first gig, your last gig, and your favourite gig? 

G & A: Our first show was in summer 2018 at Privilege Ibiza, our last show was in Washington DC at Union Stage. We have different favorite shows, to name a few: Montreal, Bogotà, Bangalore. 

CR: This question is for every DJ/Producer we interview, what is the one must-have item on your rider in the green room?

G & A: Coca Cola, Red Bull, Pineapple Juice and Pistachios 

CR: Outside dance music, what other styles do you like listening to?

G & A: We love and listen to different artists such as Billie Eilish, Stromae, Florence and the Machine in the Pop scene, The XX, Alt - J in the Indie Rock scene, Rosalia and Bad Bunny in the Latin Music. 

CR: DJs/ Producers travel with multiples of that one item, what is that item for you?

G & A: Hard Disks and Pen Drives

CR: We know you are touring now, but are there any upcoming projects that you are working on that our followers should know about?

G & A: Of course, new Diesis Live episodes are on the way, and some “rumours” say we are working on our new album, so stay tuned! 

LIGHTING ROUND

Texting or talking? Talking

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Hard liquor or Wine? Hard liquor

Cake or pie? Cake

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

Xbox or PlayStation? Playstation

Movie theatre or arcade? Movie Theatre

Guitar or piano? Piano

Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel

Dog or cat? Dog

Hot weather or cold weather? Hot Weather

CONNECT WITH GIOLÍ & ASSIA