Angelala is an American singer/songwriter originally from Flint, MI but now is based in NYC. After going to a Detroit rave years ago, she started to find a connection to techno. She also found more musical connections at the widely known Miami Music Week, where she started listening to house music. Angelala talks to 6AMÂ about creating a new music video, working with DJ Dove, and upcoming collabs.
Brennen Grey has established himself as a well-respected techno artist who pushes boundaries while honing a sound both dark yet progressive. He’s garnered respect and support for his tracks from big names like Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Chris Liebing and Pleasurekraft. Grey also appeals to the underground artist community where many have supported his discography. His sets weave a tale of high energy, deep, driving techno. They’re equally at home at festivals heâs played like EDC Vegas, Movement Detroit, and ADE or any number of sweat-laden warehouses and clubs. Having been a great friend to the 6AM family he’s brought the energy to many of its warehouse parties. Get an up-and-close look at this artist before he takes the stage at RE/FORM (April 2, 2022) and Ultra’s Resistance Megastructure stage.
Two Guys Plus Machines performs spontaneous, improvised, and unrepeatable live act sets. The brothers’ sound is defined by a combination of 90s vibes and Latin percussion, and they achieve this sound by using a small setup of machines and controllers that allows them to create songs from scratch while performing live. All of the duo’s productions and performances take listeners on a sonic arch across genres like breakbeat, acid, house, and techno.
The live techno act is made up of brothers Esteban and Santiago SaÌez. The project was born as a result of the interest that these two brothers have acquired in technology, machines, and how they can enhance creativity and imagination in human beings. The duo is releasing their latest track “Two Brothers & a Dog called Pipa” as an NFT on March 11th and talk to 6AM about their style, workflow, creative process, and touch a bit on the world of NFT’s.
How would you describe your style of music/sound?
We would say that our style aims to go beyond electronic music subgenres. We like to combine 90ÂŽold school vibes with Latin percussion and mix them with modern techniques. At the studio, we have developed a taste for good old sampling, just like 90’s hip hop style but also focus on sound design, especially on bass lines and drums.
Is there a workflow you follow when it comes to your productions? Whatâs your creative process like?
Yes! We like to divide our creative process into stages. At first, we record and test the elements of the song and combine them all. Second, we make the arrangement part, and in another session, we mix the track. We believe that every track is unique and has its purpose, so we rather go step by step than do a whole track in just one sitting. In this way, we can get more conscious about our emotions and how we express them through our creative process.
Whatâs your favorite thing about being an artist? Whatâs the hardest part?
For us, our favorite part of being an artist is the joy and happiness that it gives to us. Every time we jam or do a song is like meditating, it gives us so much positive energy! Also, we like the entrepreneur side on how to manage a project.
The hardest part would be the huge amount of stuff that you have to do as a modern artist. It is not just about making music, but also working in PR, marketing, business strategies, and acquiring new knowledge- plus all the things we do in a normal day in our lives.
How do you come up with track names? What inspired the name for âTwo Brothers and A Dog Called Pipa?â
It is a fun process, we call it the âsix-second challengeâ as the names need to be attractive and get attention quickly but still express the emotions of the track. For this one, our main inspiration is our 8-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog called Pipa, she has been our loyal companion for these years and has taught us how to love unconditionally, so the name of the track summarizes this journey with her … and is also a funny name!
Courtesy Two Guys Plus Machines PR
Youâre releasing the track as an NFT on March 11th, why did you choose to do this and is this your first time going into the NFT world?
Yes, it is our first time going into the NFT world and we are doing it with the help of Atlanticusmusic.com, a web3.0 platform that allows to buy and resell exclusive and unreleased music from artists of all genres as NFT. The main reason for doing it in this way is to understand how technology can create value in music by digitizing ownership rights. Itâs a little experiment to grab objective data and learn about this world which sooner than later would be part of our daily lives (as NFTâs can represent more than art, there are use cases in many other industries like real state our consultancy services)
It is also an opportunity to make new friends and build a community around art, music, and technology. We did a few weeks ago with other local brands (THC, Origen Magenta, Raw Quarters, and Massive)Â an electronic music party plus an NFTs gallery to create a different clubbing experience.
Anything else youâd like to add?
New technologies represent new ways of engaging with our community, we believe that as electronic music artists, we must develop curiosity and seek to continuously innovate in our music and our brand. It is not just about relying on technologies, but also how we use them to create knowledge and share it with the world.
Avision grew up around the rich club culture of New York City, and is now part of a new wave of artists defining the contemporary techno landscape. He recently released his debut album In My Mind on Maceo Plexâs Ellum Audio imprint, and now presents a documentary of the same name chronicling his background as an artist. Avision sat down with 6AM to discuss his new documentary celebrating the release of his debut album and New York City club culture.
You can win a vinyl copy of Avision’s debut album In My Mind by subscribing to his YouTube channel and signing-up for 6AM’s e-mail newsletter. Follow the giveaway instructions below to be entered for a chance to win.
Hey Avision! We canât wait to learn more about you and your work as an artist. What first got you into electronic music, and at what moment did you decide you wanted to do this as a career?
Hey guys, thanks for having me! My whole life, Iâve always been surrounded by music. I grew up playing the drums and piano by ear, and I started getting into DJing around 12 years old. I was surrounded by electronic music since I was born, and my father who is a singer/musician was into disco and house, so it was inevitable for me to get into it. The minute I decided to start DJing in nightclubs as a teen was when I realized that this was going to be my life.
For you, what makes our dance music community so special?
For me, I always felt our music community is something you canât explain unless youâve experienced it. Itâs a really beautiful moment when you can bring people of all kinds together on a dance floor, and create memories for everyone.
Congratulations on your debut, In My Mind, on Maceo Plex’s Ellum label. Walk us through your inspiration behind the album. Â
Thank you very much. In My Mind was written during the pandemic, so a lot of emotion was bottled up for me. A lot of the inspiration came from New York in the 90s, along with everything that surrounds me. It was super important to represent where Iâm from and the sound Iâve established over the years. Working with Maceo Plex is something I’ve been wanting for a long time, and to be apart of his Ellum family means a lot to me. Being that Maceo gave me the green light to do whatever I wanted to do, I was really on a mission to put out a sound that you haven’t heard from me before – something that plays along with my past and also represents my future. Working with Ellum is a blessing, and I can’t wait to do more with them.Â
Alongside the album, you were featured in your own documentary filmed and produced by Danny Drew. Thatâs pretty sweet. What was the process like making the film? What sparked the idea?
The documentary was something I wanted to put out to show the process behind everything, give my followers the story of how it started for me. A lot of artists tend to just put out music without any background or story, and I felt since this was my album I needed to tell the story that led me to where I am at today. I wanted to show another side of myself. Starting it off in Staten Island where I was born and spent my childhood, was such an amazing moment for me. It made me feel like I went back in time, all of the childhood memories came back to me, and I felt like a little kid again. Those moments transpired to where I am today, especially the moments that I had at the two clubs (Deko, and Club Abyss) that started my career, going back to the rooms that started it all was such an amazing moment.
âThis documentary is all about showing how it started for me. From my first club gigs, to the inspiration of the first track I wrote for my album, it captures the little details that played a huge part for me so far in my career. I wanted to pay homage to my beginnings, and I wanted everyone to know who I am as an artist and a person.â
In your opinion, why is it important to remember our roots?
Remembering our roots is so important as an artist. Itâs a constant reminder to where it all started, why you are who you are. The beginnings of every journey play a part, and for me my childhood made me the man I am today.Â
Tell us a little more about the new brand collective that youâve launched, Ground Rule.Â
Ground Rule is a collective I started to be an outlet for clothing, music, art and my party brand as well. The collective features many key parts in my life – youâll see a lot of baseball influence, a lot of New York old school vibes with music, and clothing. My goal is to tie in the fashion, music, the branding and art to all work together but still be its own entity. I wanted an outlet to show whatâs inspired me over the years, as well as an outlet to push quality over anything. I feel like this day and age everything is so disposable and I donât want that with Ground Rule. It will take me time, and Iâm going to start off at my own pace for now. There is a really big picture with this, and I plan to approach it differently then the average norm. We just had our first show in New York, and I couldn’t have been happier. Everything just felt right for me, and it makes me excited to start planning the next one!
I think the biggest lesson Iâve learned is thereâs never going to be a moment where I feel like ‘I made it’, thereâs always bigger, and better.
Stay hungry!
From when you first started to now, what has been one of your greatest lessons?Â
I think the biggest lesson Iâve learned is thereâs never going to be a moment where I feel like âI made itâ, thereâs always bigger, and better. My career has changed immensely over the last few years and if I told myself where I would be right now two years ago, I would have thought that was it – I finally did it. In all reality though, I donât ever see myself saying that anymore because there is so much more to do, and so much more I want. At the end of the day itâs about staying hungry.Â
Any advice you have for aspiring DJs and producers?Â
Stay humble, work your ass off, donât let anyone ever tell you that you canât do something. Push your talent, and back it with hard work. Lastly, care about your craft, and learn it to the best of your ability. Do it properly!
What are you looking forward to most in the future? Any new music or other projects on the horizon?
Iâm looking forward to so much this year. I have a bunch of shows lined up for March, including Chicago, Montreal, New York, Miami Music Week, and in Austin. Iâm also headed to India for the first time in the beginning of April for two shows â one in New Dehli, and the other in Goa. Musically, I just dropped my single âParty Startedâ feat Strafe, which is also a part of my EP coming out on March 25th. Iâm also looking forward to heading over to Europe this summer, and dropping more music!
Anything else youâd like to share? Â
Keep On Dancing, Keep On Smilinâ.
Hailing from Guam, Jia has had a deep affair for Techno & House. As the Founder of 6AM, Jia has been championing the worldwide electronic music community for 13 years, all the while honing his craft as a track-selector with wide range, able to take dance floors from ambient, deep and textured hypnotic states all the way to peak-time frenzy. His collaboration with Synthetik Minds promotion, also known as WORK, has been a house and techno powerhouse in the Los Angeles area. Read more
Known as this generation’s new, prolific techno composers, CELIC has reached top positions in charts. He’s supported by some of the most well-known artists in the industry and his music has homes in respected labels such as Terminal M, Form Music, Transmit Recordings, Night Light Records. CELIC is constantly experimenting with new sounds and exploring various ways to push boundaries with music. His newest EP welcomes a collaborative effort, and he shares more about the creative process.
Since starting his music career from his humble freshman dorm room, the Los Angeles-based Producer/DJ, Justin Jay, hasnât lost any momentum as he continuously thrives in the dance music world. Starting off with a bang, Justin made his first debut on Dirty Bird Records and has gained the respect and support by the likes of Jamie Jones, Disclosure, and of course, Claude Von Stroke and many more. As a testament to his talent, Justinâs artist journey continued into the success of different genres joining Patrick Toppingâs Trick label, Nicole Moudaberâs techno-powered Mood Records, while finding a place with more avant-garde music curators such as Shall Not Fade and Childsplay. On top of all this, Justin Jay just recently celebrated the fifth year of success of his own label The Fantastic Voyage. Since its inception, the label has been known to gather a wonderfully eclectic catalog mirroring Justinâs own taste and artistic odyssey.
Raw, energetic & emotional Techno… that’s how DJ and producer Nur Jaber describes the force that is her music and sets. Berlin by way of Beirut, Jaber is a climbing force within the global techno scene. Growing up in the small war-torn country of Lebanon, Jaber channeled her past experiences into one of the most promising techno acts to emerge in recent years. With regular gigs at Berghain, her label OSF, and a growing global fanbase, there’s no question Nur Jaber is making a name for herself with her tense and emotional music.
Mary Jane, an Electronic, House, and Indie DJ/Producer living in Miami, Florida who finds her inspiration to create music from nature and art. This young artist is dedicated, versatile, and passionate about her music. Her career has been growing at a fast pace, having the pleasure of performing at amazing venues in the US, Greece, and Mexico alongside top-tier DJs like The Martinez Brothers, Diplo, Amtrac, Elderbrook, Lubelski, Yulianiko, DJ Tennis, Paul Johnson, Stacey Pullen, Audiofly, Birds Of Mind, Unders and Moon Boots among others. Today, we sat down with Mary Jane to get to know her on a more personal level and find out what her plans for the future are.
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Officially beginning her professional career as a producer and DJ in 2017, AYN (aka Aya Nasif) has been working non-stop releasing music. Born and raised in the Middle East (Amman, Jordan), she incorporates her heritage within her music. Forming a unique style of sound in techno is a mix of deep, melodic, and electronic. Music has always been a passion, she would play at local parties and bars for fun. She has created her own path in the industry as she searches for seamless mixing techniques to blend her worlds into one. Her hard work as a professional helps her create authentic music strictly for the love of it. The techno DJ and producer talks about her goals as an artist, her new EP, and musical inspirations and on life.Â
