MAU P X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [MUSICAL DIRECTION, SHOW RITUAL, FUTURE PROJECTS]

Credit: Tommy Reerink

‘Drugs From Amsterdam’ originator and city native Mau P has made a major impact on the house music scene in a remarkably short space of time. 

He set an incredibly high bar with his thumping debut single, the aforementioned Drugs From Amsterdam, which rocketed from the underground to become a huge global hit with millions of plays racked up since its release. 

The track cracked the charts on Shazam, Spotify, Billboard and topped Beatport’s prestigious Top 10. In the midst of Drugs From Amsterdam’s monstrous success. Mau P’s first North America tour kicked off, selling out venues across the continent, from Miami and NYC to LA and San Francisco. 

Beginning of this year Mau P added the eagerly awaited Gimme That Bounce to his musical arsenal. With previous heavyweight industry support from the likes of Calvin Harris, Diplo, DJ Snake, Fisher, Dom Dolla, John Summit and Tiësto Gimme That Bounce quickly became a mainstay on dancefloors all over the world. 

As one of the freshest faces in the underground scene, Mau P has quickly demonstrated his versatility through his discography and unmatched dj sets, he’s definitely an artist worth keeping your eye on.  

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Maurits; how are you doing, and where are you chatting from? 

MP: Hi, I’m great hope you are too! I’m in my apartment in Amsterdam right now.

CR: You have been creating killer track after track; inspirations come from many things or moments. What was the inspiration behind your recent track ‘Your Mind Is Dirty’?

MP: I made the idea for ‘Your Mind Is Dirty’ on a flight. It was a super simple sketch but it already had the melody for the vocal and I remember I wrote down those lyrics already too cause that’s just what I heard in my head. The whole idea to put in the moaning samples came later when I was still in need of a “buildup” haha. 

CR: What made you change your style of music as it is entirely different from what you used to create, why couldn’t you keep both Maurice West and make Mau P as an Alias like lots of other artists nowadays?

MP: I made me change my style. I just create whatever I’m into the most and I got bored with the older music I used to do. I get bored pretty easily, so I try to keep things interesting and boundary pushing at all times. I didn’t want to be two different names when I’m just one person creating, and I didn’t feel like doing two things at 50% while I could be doing one thing at 100%.

CR: You recently did the Show at CODA and it was phenomenal, what is a ritual that you have before playing a show?

MP: I drink tequila.

CR: What is some project that you might be working on that you can tell our followers about?

MP: I’m designing merchandise. 

LIGHTNING ROUND

1.     Favourite Fast Food? A Shake Shack burger

2.     Favourite drink to order? Tequila ginger beer on ice

3.     First Rave as an attendee? Awakenings at the Gashouder in Amsterdam

4.     First celebrity crush? Mila Kunis

5.     All-time favourite song? Sade - Kiss Of Life

6.     Go to vacation spot? Greece

7.     What is your guilty pleasure? Babybel

8.     What is your hidden talent? Latte art

9.     Which social platform do you use a lot? Instagram.

CONNECT WITH MAU P

HBZ X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [STORY BEHIND THE NAME, HIGHLIGHT AT IKARUS FESTIVAL, MUSIC SCENE IN GERMANY]

The German DJ duo HBz, comprised of Nils and Niklas, has taken the German music scene by storm in recent years. Their remixes and original tracks have gained immense popularity, accumulating over half a billion views on YouTube and propelling them into the top 10 most-listened-to YouTube artists in Germany.

With their distinctive style ranging from Bounce to Hardstyle, they have secured a permanent place on main stages as well as in the hearts and Airpods of their fans – the #hbzfamily. Their songs have been streamed over 530 million times on Spotify. The single "KING KONG" was featured in the German Top 100 Single Charts for half a year in 2021, earning the duo their second gold record following their award for the single "DEINE AUGEN." Their remix of TREAM's "LEBENSLANG" was another major success, having been played over 63 million times on Spotify. After being honored with their third Gold Award at the beginning of the year, they soon celebrated their next chart success with "TATTOO," a collaboration with FiNCH.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Nils and Niklas, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?

HBz: Hello, thanks for having us! We're doing great, just keeping busy with music and touring.

CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what is the story behind your stage name ‘HBz’?

HBz: HBz stands for "Hamburg Boyz," a nod to the city where we were both born and raised. We chose it because it represents our roots and the love we have for our hometown.
No, just messing around. We are not from Hamburg, but from a small town near Hannover and the meaning behind HBz is a secret. In every interview we give a different explanation, but we kind of running out of creative answers.

CR: The track ‘Forever’, tell us a little bit about the producing process, and how did you connect with VIZE and ItaloBrothers to create this masterpiece?
HBz: The track "Forever" was a collaborative effort. We had been fans of VIZE and ItaloBrothers for a while, and the opportunity to work together came up. The production process was a fantastic experience of brainstorming, swapping ideas, and refining the track until we all felt it was perfect.

CR: We see you are on a massive tour this year. How was Ikarus festival and what was the highlight for that?
HBz: The Ikarus festival was phenomenal! The energy from the crowd was incredible. It was our first major festival show of the year and it felt amazing to celebrate outdoors with the crowd again after such a long winter and indoor season. We had a huge firework at the end of our show, which gave the set that grand finale. It was an amazing experience.

CR: What is the best advice you both have received while pursuing your career as a DJs/Producers?
HBz: The best advice we've received is to stay true to ourselves and our music. Trends come and go, but authenticity is timeless.

CR: We know Dance music scene is huge in Germany how did that influence you as an artist? Also, which club in Germany is your favourite to attend.
HBz:The German dance music scene has had a massive influence on us. Germany has such a diverse and amazing club scene and there are so many clubs that we love to play at, but also love to just be there as guest. Our favourite clubs to attend has to be Bootshaus in Berlin and Neuraum in Munich; the atmosphere in both venues is unparalleled.

CR: Who has been your biggest supporter since your guys started your producing career?
HBz: Our biggest supporters have been our families and our team. They've always believed in us and our music, even when we were just starting out.

CR: You guys are busy as it is, what do you like to do during your down time?
HBz: In our downtime, we love to explore the cities we're touring, find good food spots, and catch up on sleep. We also hit the gym, try to stay fit and healthy and we love to just take a drive around and listen to some new tracks.

LIGHTING ROUND

1.      Favourite Fast Food?
Hamburger

2.      Go to meal when you’re sick?
Water and chicken soup.

3.      Favourite drink to order?

Milkshake

4.      First Rave as an attendee?
Yellow Claw in Berlin

5.      First celebrity crush?
None

6.      Favourite comic book character?
Spiderman

7.      All-time favourite song?
Oh, there are too many.

8.      Go to vacation spot?
Austria!

9.      What is your guilty pleasure?
Cars.

10.  What is your hidden talent?
Still looking for that one.

11.  Which social platform do you use a lot?
Insta & TikTok.

IOMA X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [THE HISTORY BEHIND THE NAME, TALKING ABOUT THE SET, TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE]

Camille Luciani stands as one of the most exciting and authentic rising DJ/producers on the melodic techno scene, fuelled by an innate desire for originality and progression. From minimal beats to epic apex moments, Camille has ventured beyond genres and possibilities, building a distinguished back-catalogue founded on both emotion and technical knowledge. 

With releases on Steyeoke Black, MOOD Records and Renaissance Records, Camille has caught the attention of many a-leading artist and his cuts have proven commonplace within the touring playlists of such artists as Pan-Pot, Dubfire, Paco Osuna, Joris Voorn, Sasha, John Digweed, and many more. His most notable release comes in the form of his remix of The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition”, which received staunch support from Tale Of Us, Adriatique, ARTBAT and more. Choosing quality of quantity, Camille’s humble discography is reserved for only the most innovative of cuts. As a result, the flourishing star was chosen by Tomorrowland as one of the Top 20 artists of 2020. 

Levelling up his impact in 2023, Camille’s new IOMA persona showcases a fresh perspective on his sound palette, and with a host of Track IDs already circulating the community, this year is already proving to be his most emphatic and fruitful to date.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Camille, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing and where are you chatting from?

I: Hey guys, thank you for your kind invitation and for sharing the Livestream. I am genuinely appreciative of all that you have done up until this point. I am doing well, and it feels great to be back. I was a bit anxious, as it has been three years since my last appearance, but the time away allowed me to come back stronger. I am now prepared and delighted to share the results of my three years of hard work. I am currently in Corsica, enjoying the warm weather with a peaceful mind while having great productivity.

CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, your musical journey, and where did the name ‘IOMA’ come from?

I: I grew up here in Corsica with a musical education (mix of Classical, rock, rap, and electronic music) until I was 18. After that, I was in Nice for my studies until 2016. The next step for me was to enjoy and discover festival experiences as I had never been to a festival before 19. I wanted to go abroad and discover some of the most famous festivals in the world, such as Time Warp, Sonus, Off Barcelona and more. After 24, I decided to return to Corsica and focus seriously on music. I started as Camille Luciani with releases on Steyoyoke Black, Mood Records and Renaissance. However, after a long reflection, I  decided to change my name to something shorter and easy to remember, which also had meaning to me. The name is my father’s family name I never had the chance to have. Luciani is my mother’s name. My father is the person who really helped me with my musical education, and I wanted to honour him for that. I switched the Y from Yoma, the original name, and I switched for an ‘I’ in order to mix my mum’s European origins with my dad’s Colombian/Asian roots. That’s how the name IOMA was born.

CR: Tell us a little bit of the story behind the Idea of playing in the middle of the solar panel field, the process, the hurdles and what made you choose this location.

I: Ecology is getting more and more attention in the music industry. I wanted my comeback to have the most positive impact possible. Not only within the music community but also for the world. Also, the project represents a modern and futuristic aesthetic. We thought that playing in a solar panel field could be a great opportunity to showcase something we had never done before, so we did our best to find the perfect location. It was very challenging, to begin with, to find the contacts of some of the people who were working at the solar panel site, and we didn’t know how to start.

We first contacted a company, but we didn’t get any replies. So we tried another the same, but nothing happened. After that, I wanted to explore new locations with municipalities, but the project didn’t interest them. I was discouraged when suddenly, out of nowhere, we managed to contact Corsica Sole and set up a meeting. It appeared that they liked the project, so we set a date for the set. The next challenging part was the weather, as we needed to find a sunny day for the occasion. The problem is that the weather at that time constantly changed daily, so it was very challenging. We had to change the date 3 or 4 times before getting a good one. And even on the day of the set, the weather was very cloudy, which was not the best for the vibe we wanted for the stream.

I remember being so disappointed after all that work had been done to get the perfect weather conditions. With so much luck, the sun started to appear a couple of hours before recording. I still don’t know what happened except that it was a small miracle. But in the end, we can say that the result was worth it. Indeed, we were amazed by the reaction from people. It is very overwhelming to see all of the positive feedback. By inspiring others to improve the world, I believe our mission with the stream was complete.

CR: A lot of festivals and artists are taking the initiative for sustainability these days to reduce waste. What is one thing that everyone should be focusing on that can help change the environment?

I: It really depends from one region to another in the world as we might not have the same environmental awareness. However, reducing the consumption of single-use plastics such as straws, plastic bags, and disposable cutlery is an absolute priority. Indeed most of them end up in landfills and the ocean, harming wildlife and ecosystems. Bringing reusable bags, using metal straws, could be an alternative. These small changes make a big difference, and I am glad we have made significant improvements. I think we are going more and more in the right direction.

Cigarette butts are also a major source of environmental pollution. According to the Ocean Conservancy, cigarette butts are the most commonly collected type of litter during beach clean-ups. Proper disposal of cigarette butts in designated places could reduce pollution. Education could also teach smokers about the negative impacts of cigarettes on the environment and encourage them to dispose of their cigarette waste responsibly.

New Zealand is doing an excellent job of reducing cigarette consumption and I am sure we will follow their steps.

CR: For your tracks, is there a method you follow or just create based on playing around with the instruments or picking up samples and loops?

I: A bit of all of them. I like combining analog synthesizers and virtual instruments to create melodies and chords while utilizing samples to create percussive elements. My go-to synthesizer is the Prophet and other vsts, but I'm currently exploring the Roland TR-8 and other analog drum machines in order to have a new approach to making music.

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

I: I don’t know if I am the right person to say what things should be changed as I am new to this scene. However, stopping categorizing underground and mainstream, I would say, could be something to try. Those etiquettes tend to block people from using their full potential. Also, it could lead to stereotypes and judgments like “mainstream djs do this kind of music for the money or for the fame”, which might not be the case. In the end, if what you do makes you happy and has a positive impact on the world, that is the most important thing. It’s all about knowing your musical tastes, getting inspired by them, and supporting what you like.

Additionally, a more inclusive scene regarding minorities would be great. Significant improvements have already been made, and we are on the right path.

Prevention of drugs is also essential, even if there are more and more security and medical aids present at festivals. It is very important to sensibilize people as it can lead to addiction and harms your well-being and personal life. I have been through that, and I know how difficult it can be to get out of this because of your environment and pre-designed ideas.

Also, we could work on more meaningful experiences for audiences rather than just focusing on commercial success. That means prioritizing creativeness and authenticity over formulaic productions. Also, inviting the local scene to some of the most significant festivals in order to propose something different is a plus. There is so much talent everywhere that we don’t need to invest such a huge amount of money to make people have a great time. Sometimes, a great new concept with unknown artists is all we need.

CR: Aside from DJing and Producing music, what makes you happy?

I: I like taking care of myself through exercise, reading, learning, and spending time with my friends. I used to travel a lot 3 years ago, but because of work commitments, I haven't had much opportunity. However, I am planning to do it more in the upcoming years as it is something that helps to open your mind and be more tolerant of the world and its diversities. I am also actively working on being happy with the simple things in life, such as watching the night sky or being more conscious of the present moment. This is a very challenging process and probably the hardest for me, but I am working on that daily.

CR: What has been your biggest accomplishment of 2023, personally and professionally, besides this live set?

I:  We are at the beginning of 2023, so that’s very tough. But I would say quitting cigarettes for more than a year now. I wish never to go back there anymore. It’s significantly increased my confidence and well-being. There are only positive changes to come with quitting cigarettes. The DVD from Allen Carr was the solution for me as it breaks all your beliefs on why cigarettes are essential. This 1-hour dvd can change the lives of so many people. Regarding the pro, I am on my way to making a concept store in Corsica. It’s a very challenging process, but I am on my way to also making it happen next year, hopefully.

CR: Now, to wrap it up, anything our followers should know about regarding the rest of 2023?

I: I have worked on so much music for the past 3 years that I want to share it all through my socials shortly. The goal is to give as much as possible to the community.

LIGHTING ROUND FOR IOMA

1.      Favourite Fast Food?

None.

2.      Go to meal when you’re sick?

Never.

3.      Favourite drink to order?

Mojito Myrthe all the way.

4.      First Rave as an attendee?

Chantier 109 Crossover in Nice. Dusty Kid as headliner. Unbelievable energy.

5.      First celebrity crush?

Natalie Portman.

6.      Favourite comic book character?

None. I don’t read comics.

7.      All-time favourite song?

There is no favorite record as it really depends of my mood and my listening periods. However  these records still follow me after many years : Pink Floyd - Echoes / Daft Punk - Touch / Nicolas Jaar - Took Me Out Of The Dark Rain / Nils Frahm - Re / Nina Simone - I Love You Porgy

8.      Go to vacation spot?

Peru and Cairo was an amazing human and spiritual experience. I would like to try Easter Island also at some point.

9.      What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate Fondant.

10.  What is your hidden talent?

Making unfunny jokes all the time while being optimism.

11.  Which social platform do you use a lot?

IG, Soundcloud.