Italian producer Flashmob has had a number of landmark moments already in his successful ten year career, but he now marks yet another milestone with a stellar EP on Jamie Jones‘ Hot Creations imprint.
> For the people reading this who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your style, and the key elements that define it?
It’s hard to define my style, especially in this phase of my career because I have the ability and enjoy writing different kinds of music. I like to make old school raw house (that’s where I come from), current house / tech house and light techno such as my recent releases on Kompakt or Gigolo Records. So, I’d say I am an eclectic producer that is a little undisciplined.
I’ve had managers half my career telling me I had to stick to one style but imagine being in a studio day in and day out doing the same thing for ten years. I’m always evolving, changing and improving my flow so it’s hard to define me. I think that the way I like to sample, my bass lines and my high hats are distinctive, but I feel the house music happy element is the one that always leads me in my tracks.
> Your most recent release was on Jamie Jones’ infamous Hot Creations imprint. How did that collaboration come about and will you be working more with this team moving forward?
It’s very hard to sign for Jamie because I can’t even think of how many promos he gets a day, literally every established and upcoming DJ is sending him demos from all over the world and there are only x spots available in one year. Meeting him and playing with him in Dublin certainly helped me understand more of what he likes and expects but it was hard work.
The day after I signed my EP I was already working on something new for him, but I must say Jamie is a really nice guy but the thing I love the most about him is that he pushes me to get better and better; I love that, I love competition, I’m a sports man after all.
> Could you talk us through your creative process for the Lone Brazilian EP, and list any specific equipment you use to bring sounds to life?
Recently I’ve updated my digital workflow using a bunch of new synths that I route to virtual busses in my DAW. In particular, I’ve found the new IKMultimedia SYNTRONIK very useful as it brings old school synths with an additional new millennium treatment. My new routing works with Drum, Bass and Synth busses in which I treat the sound with harmonic distortion that’s typical of the analog domain using plugins such as j37 tape, Acustica Audio GOLS, or even Sound Toys Decapitator to reach a warm and rich sound.
It is essential for me to give this treatment to every track in my session/project in order to enhance the sound of the entire track. But the added value to every mix of mine is the SSL DUALITY located in the House of Glass studios were I mix a lot of my tracks with legendary Gianni Bini who is one of the highest rated sound engineers in Italy. You might all remember House Of Glass – Disco Down (Bini & Martini Mix) a piece of House music history. I’m sure I can sonically reach the highest level in every track I release this way, half of the job is InTheBox but the it’s also important to processes OutOfTheBox adding real outboard gear on Kick, Snare, Drums, Bass and so on….
> You have also released on world class labels such as Kompakt, Get Physical, Gruuv, and most notably your track “Need In Me” on Defected which became a huge anthem. Do you think this was the turning point in your career or have there been other key moments, gigs, or releases that have made the difference?
I think everything makes the difference and as in life then it all comes together and something stands out like a symbol of it all. “Need In Me” has now 21 Million hits on YouTube and is considered a classic of house music so certainly it’s been a super important step in my career but there have been many other important things.
Music and gigs are only a reflection of where we are with our mental game in my opinion, so there have been many other much more important things in my life that have taken me were I am now. A part from determination and hard work and never giving up, it’s a very challenging job.
I think that the most important moment of my career is the moment I am currently living, signing my music to labels such as Snatch, Glasgow Underground,Toolroom, Underground Audio, Sola, Gigolo, Elrow, Kompakt, Madhause and Hot Creations all in one year is a little more than I expected to be honest but to be able to achieve all this I feel it’s a turning point now that I am alone, surrounded by the right people and in the perfect state of mind to do this at my best, I feel I can be consistent.
> Could you give some advice or words of wisdom to any aspiring producers who would look to your music for inspiration?
I feel the most important thing to understand is why you want do this and understand what the important tools are that you need to do it at your best. The world loves you if you love the world so you have to be happy, and to be happy you have to be prepared and learn music and learn about the industry, otherwise you’ll be overtaken by insecurity and we all know that that leads to drugs.. that leads to mental heath problems.. that leads to unhappiness.
It’s all about hard work and keeping your ego in your pocket, the only moment were it needs to come out is on stage.
> Do you have any other big projects you are currently working on, or exciting tours or shows in the pipeline?
I have a tour in Argentina in August/September and will be heading to South Africa again soon. I also have a tour in Ireland between October and November that will be huge.
I am releasing on Sola in May and Underground Audio in June, UNDR THE RADR in July and then Gruuv and the legendary’s Kerry Chandler’s label Madhause after the summer and then on my Flashmob Records again. I’m also playing Blue Marlin Ibiza live on Beatport’s Instagram in May, I’ll be playing an old school set and looking forward to the Ibiza season and its first chapter.
> Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today, we like to finish our interviews with a couple of questions that are a little bit light – hearted… without getting too personal, could you tell us something most people won’t know about you?
I am addicted to Tennis and Sushi.
> You don’t need to mention names, but what’s the most “outrageous” thing you have ever seen in a club… was it something outrageously brilliant, like a blindfolded DJ mixing seamlessly and scratching with their elbows, or something outrageously cringe-worthy, like some embarrassing drunken raver urinating on the dance floor?
It’s a good thing, it was James Zabiela using the Pioneer effects, I honestly couldn’t understand what he was doing, he’s that good!
> You can buy the Lone Brazilian EP HERE.
> You can find Flashmob on Beatport HERE and Soundcloud HERE
