Make Better Music in 3 Hours (feat. Josh Butler) | EF EP 143

0:00 I actually find pressure in the studio really helps and limitations, they've always said limitations with studio equipment is a massive way to encourage creativity. But actually with time as well, yeah, if you limit your time and you say OK, I've only got like 3 hours today in the studio, in reality, you can make a good track in three hours, you know, if you put your mind to it and you get going. Ever wonder how top DJs actually built their careers? I had to do 15 years of hard work to get any of the recognition that I wanted. Where I saw a turning point in my career is when I came true to myself. From marketing and mindset to networking and negotiation, I'm giving you the tools you need to build a lasting career in dance music. Give them bits of you and your everyday life you have to change.

0:43 The way you view. The word no. Like me, I'm encouraged. By IT Join me, Olivia Mancuso and industry leaders as we reveal what it really takes to turn your passion into profit. This is elevated Frequencies. This episode is sponsored by LILO, where culture drops first. LILO is the drop platform and CRM used by artists and promoters like Fisher, Chris Lake, James Hype, Mochak, Wheaton and tech support to create hype around big moments and build a Direct Line to fans. With LILO, you can capture phone numbers from social media and message your biggest supporters when tickets are merch go live, plus reward them with exclusives. It works across SMS, e-mail, WhatsApp and Instagram DMS with integrations like Shopify and Spotify, voicemail hotlines, and a complete tour suite.

1:33 When you're ready to hit the road, Laylo makes it easy and affordable for DJs to drop in your style and build a fandom that lasts. Use the link in our show notes for 15,000 free messaging credits with code Olivia 15. So the last time we talked was 2020. Three. And you've become a dad since then? Yeah. And how old did your baby just? Turn. Yeah. So she was two last week. Yeah. It was such a nice week yeah. Just took a few days off from any kind of work, music stuff and you know, just we went to like soft play and we saw a lot of friends and we did all the cake and it was just so nice. Yeah. Those are two completely opposite worlds. Yeah, it's it's already, I feel like hard for people who are not in the dance music space to understand what a DJ does. But then you throw like dad life into the mix. Is there any similarities between the two? Well, not, I wouldn't say between the two things, but The thing is, a lot of DJs my age have become dads around the same time.

2:36 So actually, Archie, who you said you've got coming in here later, believe it or not, he was one of the first people I told that I was having a baby because we went for dinner in DCI. Think it. Yeah. We played at Flash in DC together and he told me that he was having a baby or he just had one. And and so, yeah, I was like, well, me too. Yeah. You know, and I feel like toddlers sometimes, like, mimic drunk adults too. You know, you have to like, corral them and manage them around like sharp corners, expensive equipment, that sort of thing. Yeah, I've seen that at a few after parties. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Has it impacted like your music at all now experiencing this different range of emotions, like love for a tiny little human?

3:21 Does it? Does it influence anything in the studio? I mean, it probably does. I think just generally it's given me a new lease of life for music as well and found my mojo with music again, really and and in the studio. So I can't pinpoint like any specific inspiration, but maybe it's taking time away as well. And, you know, not being in the studio every single day and music doesn't just like consume my whole life anymore. I think having things outside of that is, is really important. And for a while, possibly even when we last spoke and I was like talking about slowing down the tour and stuff. Yeah, I think I've really found a new, a new lease of life with it all now actually. That's amazing.

4:05 So does that mean when you get in the studio, you know that the time there is limited so you can't take a scroll on your phone? Or like how does it change your process? I think I just block out time more consciously now, managing the time a bit better. And yeah, making it count when I'm in the studio. I actually find pressure in the studio really helps. And limitations. I've always said limitations with studio equipment is a massive way to encourage creativity. But actually with time as well, yeah, if you limit your time and you say, OK, I've only got like 3 hours today in the studio. In reality, you can make a good track in three hours, you know, if you get, if you put your mind to it and you get going. I bet it's interesting because, you know, obviously COVID forced everyone to work from home and then we got used to it and we liked it.

4:58 And I work for myself, so of course I have a Home Office. But I just realized like over time I was dragging workout because I would do a load of laundry, I would play with my dogs, I would just, I wasn't as focused. And so now my husband and I go to a Cafe and I have a, a park app on my phone that I pay 5 bucks for two hours or whatever. And that's my timer. I'm like, I'm going to get everything done that needs to be done in this. Time. Yeah, you have. You have to do it and it's still enjoyable. Like, I like the time limits as well because it's just like, oh, can't do that, can't scroll on my phone. Whatever really keeps you honest about your work ethic. Yeah, I mean, the battle with the phone is still ongoing.

5:40 Yeah, yeah. Always. I need to leave it out the studio. Really. Yeah. Yeah. Because when Whatsapp's pinging, that can definitely interrupt your creative flow. But yeah, that's part of the whole thing as well, isn't it? I mean, communicate because we try and not be on our phone. Me and my wife, we try not be on our phones around the baby too much. Very conscious about that. So I guess my studio is also my office. So yeah, it's a cross between making music and also like the necessary business stuff, chatting with my manager, all that happens in the studio, really. Right. That's not why did you decide you don't want to be on your phone or on the baby just to be more present? Or is it like you're mirroring the act you know no screen time for her?

6:22 Yeah, both. I mean, we're not no screen time. We don't do no screen time, but we do try and limit a lot. Yeah, we don't have ATV, but we will let her watch some YouTube and stuff now and then. And we just don't want to see, we don't want to see us on our phones all the time. And I don't know, it's just not a good habit, I don't think. Totally. Yeah, it's it's it wouldn't be good for her to. We didn't see our parents plugged into the phones all the time. So, you know, I don't want her to see us like that, you know, and when we're with her, we're we're playing, we're building Lego or whatever it is painting, you know, otherwise I'd just be, you know, you don't want to be scrolling on Instagram when she's around. Yeah, they've having a child kind of forces you to get back to some of those analogue activities and like working with your hands. I've been trying to do that lately myself, Not not, I don't have a child, but like just trying to craft or do something that is not a phone habit.

7:17 You realise just it, just you realise how much you're on it. Yeah, yeah, that's it. And yeah, analog stuff, I'm all for it. You know, even with my studio, my synths and stuff, and I love like plugging in the cables and rewiring it and probably rewire it three times a year. Really just for. Fun. Change the configuration of it all and yeah, just really, really like, I find it inspiring, yeah, being hands on with it, you know? Yeah. So are you going to be the type of parent that you want your child to like house music or are they allowed to listen to like, I guess Harry Styles just dropped an album today. Oh, did he? Oh, I guess, yeah. My my bar instructor was very excited about it. OK. Yeah, I mean, she's into all sorts of stuff. Like my wife listens to heavy metal so she loves that our little ones got a very broad taste in music from like dub reggae to heavy metal and obviously house music and yeah, anything in between.

8:11 You're a reggae fan? Yeah, Right. Yeah. OK. I used. I had a stint in college. I saw Revolution. Do you know who they are? They don't, actually. OK, I'll have to put you on to some reggae bands. I saw them at Red Rocks in college. What? What is it about reggae that that draws you in? The it's, it's, it's specifically dub reggae for me. I do like some of the vocal stuff, but it's the the instrumental dub stuff like the B sides, OK. And it's the production of them that really drew me in from the beginning. Like King, Toby, Prince, Jamie, people like this from the 60s, seventies that were pushing the technology and from, from what I know, the history.

8:52 So the BBC had some equipment in Jamaica and eventually, eventually they left Jamaica and left a load of studio gear there. And some of these dope producers got the hands on it and started making these stripped back versions of, of recordings, you know, band recordings. Yeah. And they were using like echoes and filters and all this kind of stuff to make these remixes essentially, you know, like, yeah, more dance floor focused remixes. And yeah, that, I mean, that's what we do now, isn't it? With, with house music is slightly different, but the principles are the same. Like double reggae is all all about the beat and the bass and the space within the mix is quite minimal, you know.

9:36 So yeah, there's, there's very few elements, but it's a, it sounds very full because of the the warmth in the production. You just, I don't think I've talked to and I'm sure there are, but I feel like nobody I've talked to loves music more than you do. And like your, your obsession with with production is so it's just so cool. I love when people just really love what they do and are obsessed with it. I feel like we don't have just in society in general, like people don't go deep with their and not saying this is a hobby for you, but their hobbies or their crafts or their loves. And like you have such a like, you know, the rich history behind the music too.

10:17 Yeah. I think it's just because I dedicated my life to it, you know, from an early age, I realised that I love music and just, yeah, just honed in and just dedicated so much time to it that yeah, naturally learning the history is just part of how you evolve as an artist as well. And knowing where some of this stuff comes from, it's really important for me. Yeah, and it deepens the connection. Yeah, too. And I love that your wife loves heavy metal. I also. Metal's great, too. Do you like metal? Yeah, I do now. You know, I've been to a few shows with her now. So we're going to see a Monomarth in a few months. Amazing. So that's. Going to be cool. Yeah, so much fun. I back in my college days, like I went to Rob Zombie concerts and Marilyn Manson before, like it came out that he was well, we always kind of knew he was a creep, but.

11:06 I don't know too much about about. Marilyn Manson. Oh, I mean, it's just typical rock star behaviour. But yeah, it's a different, like, it's just really fun to like, get your aggression out with some of those songs, you know, good gym music. But I love that. And also, it's just good to have variety. Music is all about variety. Some people are surprised when they say I go to like heavy metal concerts or I'm into reggae, hip hop or whatever. But I think if you only like 1 style of music, like how boring is that? Yeah, if I just listen to house music all day every day, like how boring would that be? Yeah, how? Would you get, how would you get inspired, you know? Yeah.

11:47 So the last time that we talked, I told you that, like, my favorite track of all time is bass play. Yeah. Wow. Which is still true. But I wrote down. So I'm curious because I wrote down not, I don't want to like glaze you and make you uncomfortable, but I do have more Josh Butler tracks in my Spotify than any other artist. We and I found that out because we went on a road trip a couple months ago and everyone's always asked me to make a playlist, make a playlist. And I've always been like, oh, it seems like a really big task to sort through all my music. But I felt, I realized like I added more Josh Butler tracks to that playlist than anyone else. So I wrote. I picked my my top five, which. Was worried for this. But I want, I'm going to say them in random order and I want to hear how you would rank them out of five.

12:32 And then I want to see if they match you. But you know, bass play is 1, so that's a freebie. OK. So I don't want you to see through the pin, call you back 19 Strata gym. That's how you say it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK. And something. OK, so you want me to rank them? Yeah, so you so well and also bass play I guess. So for you what? It's 12345. Number one, I'm going to say call you back because they obviously it's with Bontan love him to bits and that did so much for us such, you know, did it's so much for our careers and still play it today, you know, still it's still a great track. So yeah, that's number one.

13:16 Then 19, Yeah, I really love that. Again, still a vibe. It's just I think I made that around the COVID time actually. I had a little makeshift studio and in the back bedroom and that was one of the first tracks I made in there. So Big Up PM and Anna who did the vocals on that one. Vocals are incredible. Yeah, she's got a great voice. She she really does. Yeah. So yeah, that's number two. Then Stratagem #3 it's a close call. Actually that could have been #2 because I do really like that one. This is This is. Hard. Yeah. And then yeah, I guess 4-4 would be say something.

13:56 No, no, no, let's do 4 as bass play, OK. And then say something at the end. Interesting, we do not have the same but it was really hard. So I had you know, bass plays #1 something was #2 call you back. 3 something and and call you back. Neck and neck. The yeah, 'cause they scratched the same itch in my brain. So I was just like going back and forth. And I think it came down to what was the catchiest, like, you know, say something to me like that's always in my head, so always call you back, but say something to me just for whatever reason. Edged it out. I kind of forget about that track. I've made so much music over the years I forget some of it and it's not one I play out very often. Say something really well, maybe he should OK, and then 19 and then stratagem.

14:45 But honestly, I mean, I I do, I love them all, So I just want I was much. I was of course, I was curious what your what your rankings were. Bass play is one of the older ones. Too right OG 1 though. And that's with Darius Sarosian. Yeah. That was on the off recordings. Yeah, you have a lot of tracks with him. A couple, actually, not too many, but we did do a lot back in the day. Yeah, we did a lot of gigs together and. Stuff, Yeah. But we never made that much music together, actually. I guess I just however many made I have them all on my playlist. So it's it's skewed. Yeah. You guys have just similar vibe and I feel like ethos with with producing music. Yeah, yeah.

15:30 And that was a great collaboration, you know, and, and it was a big step for me actually getting something on off recordings back like 2012, I think that was released. And then so I went from from bass play into got a feeling, which was actually made got a feeling for off recordings at first. It was a good label at the time, you know, it was a hot label. And so I really wanted to get some more tracks on there. But he didn't like got a feeling for whatever reason. And then it got picked up by chasing status eventually. And I think it, you know, it worked out for the best. For sure. Yeah, that changed my life. Yeah, yeah. Which is also a great track that, yeah, it was really hard to pick what was on the top five.

16:10 So how long have you been making music then? At least 15 plus years. Oh, well, yeah, God, I was probably about 13 when I really started to figure it out. OK, playing around on reason and right, right. Different bits of bits of software. And gigging for. That was quite a few years later. Gigging probably came. I mean, like, it depends what your class is a gig, because I was playing like parties for my school friends, birthdays and stuff that counts. That would have been around 15-16, Yeah. And then slowly got like gigs in the local bar. And yeah, it just grew from there. So is there anything that's, I mean, being in the industry for quite a while now, is there anything that's winding you up? I just, I just, I asked because I just posted a video that's got people pretty ticked off about how recap videos are. I saw your story before, actually I was going to ask you about this.

17:02 Yeah, yeah, whenever I post about recap videos and how they're like tired, people get very mad, right? I mean, the recap videos where it's like a shot of the dance floor, a shot of a bartender, a shot of a hot girl, a shot and it's like slow motion and like has. Like a highlight reel of yeah, someone's night, Yeah. It's boring. It's boring, I agree. I mean, when, when you ask me that question, what would you say? How did you word it? What winds me up? Yeah. Is there anything about the industry that's. Gonna I was gonna say no because actually just try and keep a positive mindset about it. There has been times where a lot of things have have got on top of me like that. And because it's so fast to change and it evolves so quickly. But actually I do try and just stay in my little space, my own little bubble.

17:49 But now you've mentioned those recap videos. I'm going to go with you on that. OK, so thank you for the validation. Especially the like high production quality ones where they've hired a video team and like, you know, it's like a Hollywood trailer and it's like, mate, it's just a night out, you know? I mean, it should just be a rave and you've made a like a cinema cinematic trailer for it or, you know, whatever. And and you know, this is no shade to videographers on my part because they're very important, but that you can use them in a better way. It's not the, it's not like the artist right videographers or artist tool too. It's just the application and I think a lot of it, you know, Harkins from like, oh, trying to be cool, like, oh, here's a slow MO shot of me walking up to the booth, like high fiving, like whoever.

18:41 Just like we can do better than that now. And. You know, to play devil's advocate, I think the whole artistic space, it's about doing how it's about doing it how you want to do it. And the same with making music. Everybody's got their own vision and their own way of doing things. So, you know, if a highlight reel is part of your creative pursuit, then crack on. But, you know, it's not something that I do after every gig. I don't even hire videographers that much, to be honest. You know, if somebody's on the stage, I'll give my phone to take a few clips and I'll post that. But I'm. Yeah, I'm not too conscious about getting video content from every single show because it's not about that for me. You've always been pretty low key. Yeah.

19:28 And that's what I, you know, Yeah, I like to keep it that way, yeah. You're a low key guy. You know, I'm at a good level where I'm happy with what I've achieved and I'm in, I'm in an underground music scene at the end of the day. And you know, I like to keep it underground. And yeah, I don't want to be famous. And if they don't want to be on the Internet that much, on my face to be on the Internet, I always say I got into music because I wanted people people to know my tracks rather than me. Even though they're released under my name. It's like, yeah, I don't want my face splattered all over. It the music walks in the door first. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, Yeah, No, that's cool.

20:09 I mean, I think DJs, most DJs, unless they've like kind of crossed over into the pop world, have a level of just privacy that like pop stars or hip hop stars don't get because they're on the radio, You know, they're on the mainstream radio. So you can kind of like, I mean, I don't know, is there certain markets for you where you do get recognized a lot or are you able to kind of fly under the radar? Maybe on flights to Ibiza that, well, you know, people. Are looking for who? Like who's on their flight? Yeah, yeah. I mean, during the summer season, if I'm in Manchester Airport or something, you know, I'm probably going to get someone going up. But that's great because everybody's, you know, because it is kind of a small scene.

20:53 Everybody's in the same mindset and we've all got the same interests. But you know, if you go to that pop star level, every man is dog knows who you know they are. So it's there's no privacy. There is the at least when people come up to me on a flight to Ibiza, we can just talk about music and clubs and, you know, stuff that that interests me. Yep. Rather than people trying to like pry about, you know, or you know, you hear stories about famous people having dinner with the family and people coming up spawning selfies and stuff. Thank God that doesn't happen to me, you know? Yeah, I can't. I can't even fathom that sort of life. It would, yeah, be a nightmare. It absolutely would be.

21:34 I mean, and like you said, like on a flight to Ibiza, everyone's already in that bubble. Everyone who's going there probably 8090% of that flight is going there for the same reason. So it kind of, it's kind of a nice feeling. It's a. It's a. Community it is exactly. Yeah, that's different. Yeah, totally. So what do you have coming up on the horizon that excites you? I've just locked in an EP with PIV which I'm really excited about. Amazing. Yeah, Prunk's been supporting me for a good couple of years now, playing loads on my records. Yeah, we've just locked in a four track EP. Well, it's actually 3 tracks and a dub version of the of the A side, so yeah, very happy about that.

22:16 Some cool collaborations coming up as well, and I'm also launching a new label in April. Go get out. Yeah, that's so exciting. Congratulations that by the time when this is out it the label will be out. OK, cool. So what was the impetus for that? Well, it was actually a project, it just started a few years ago with with my friend Jose Rosa who actually sang. Got a feeling he's one of my like really old friends. We're still one of my best mates and we did a project a few years ago called Maritime Yacht Club and the idea was more like vocal LED commercial lean in music.

22:57 Nothing really happened with it. You know, we both ended up having kids and obviously like I've got my career and he's got a successful career in another industry. So it just sort of got left and forgotten about. And as I still really want to do something with this this name and this brand, so decided to turn it into a label and focus more on still going to be vocally ish house music, but it's a bit more dance floor focused now. So more like the more soulful stuff that I do is going to be going on this. That's very exciting. Yeah, NYC records, it's going to be called. Amazing. Well, I know I'll love it. I've loved everything you put out so far.

23:37 Okay, last question, if if your daughter sees this interview 10 years from now, 20 years from now, what's what's one thing you want her to remember about just this time in your life or know about this time in your life? That I guess I'm trying not to plan things too much and just sort of taking it as it comes and yeah, just trying to enjoy the moment, I think. The most important part. Love it. Well, thank you for doing this again. It's great. To catch. Up with you.