FEATURE: Dutch DJ MASON talks about his musical inspiration!
Mason
1992 - Dr. Dre: Dre Day
I was still a young kid when this came out, as it was one of the first records I bought. That whole West Coast G-funk era had such an impact on me and still has subconsciously on my music I suppose. Dr Dre still is a semi-god obviously...
1995 - Brainchild: Synfonica
...By this time I was DJ-ing for a year or so, making shitloads of mixtapes in my bedroom - a hobby I'm not sure my neighbors appreciated.... This record was released on Eye Q - who were releasing very outspoken and musically pretty savvy records around that time, and I was always on the lookout for new stuff by them. Trance music back then wasn’t the big room thing it became later on. In the early ninetees, it was much closer to techno nowadays...
1997 - Green Velvet: Destination Unknown
...Around this time I had my first DJ residency. A dark attic of a pop venue nearby. We were playing on way too loud volume, so usually when someone walked in the room they straight away walked out again. But me and my DJ friends had the best of time - playing records for each other and smoking pod basically. This one by Green Velvet comes to mind thinking back to that period...
2002 - Mount Sims: How We Do
...Ok this was a game changer for me. I knew electro a little bit - appreciated Anthony Rother and the likes, but when I heard this stuff changed. Electro all of a sudden could be warm, happy and cozy! Not long after I became part of ‘Electronation’, the main electro parties in The Netherlands - and we threw a few hundred parties over the next few years. For the first time I was part of a musical family and it was a great period for me. From aroud this time I gave up my daytime job and started to play and make music fulltime ever since...
2005 - Mason: The Screetch
...The second record I ever released (let’s not mention the first one) and it kinda says what I’m about. I’ve never cared much about trends, did my own thing to find new sounds and musical areas and I guess this record says all that. I think too many DJs are producing records to make something that sounds like the stuff they’re playing from other people, and I find that a dull way of going at it. I wanna do something different, something fresh that’s not already out there...
2006 - Mason: Exceeder
...I released this as a B-side to an Italo tune on a small Dutch label and weird things started to happen. The b-side got picked up, licensed onwards to a bigger label, became an Ibiza anthem, got licensed onwards and before I knew it my life got turned upside down. I had to find a manager, publisher and booking agents in all corners of the world, and started to be on tour constantly for the next years to come. I’m obviously super grateful it gave me an audience and the possibility to do all the stuff I’ve done since...
2009 - Mason: Frontrow Chemistry
...By this time I had set up my own Animal Language label. The idea was to be able to release what I want, when I want it - without compromises. This tune is one of the first ones I released on Animal Language, and I still play it from time to time. We’ve also been throwing Animal Language raves throughout Holland ever since, in weird places - as well as our traditional Animal Language Kafe Rave pub crawl. The label itself is now around it's 70th release...
2012 - Loulou Players: Saturday Night Beaver
...I’ve always felt musically close to Kolombo, Sharam Jey and Loulou Players, and we all go way back. This was a record Loulou released on Animal Language, but we've all been releasing on each other labels ever since. Right now there’s a bit of a scene around it, and we occasionally throw parties together or collaborate on records. It’s a niche, but a pretty nice corner of music I like to think...
2016 - Mason feat. Stefflon Don: Fashion Killa
...This record unexpectedly blew up for me, and made my life quite a notch busier. Around this time I started to work more with vocalists as I’m a big lover of pop music, as long as it’s done right. Working with Rappers and MC's comes easy for me, probably cause I started out in hip hop myself, and I've been blessed to work with quite a few heroes, like Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, Stefflon Don, The Manor, Sway and others...
2018 - Mason feat. Alex Clare: Reminders Of You
...That brings us to today. I reached to Alex Clare, who I love as a vocalist, and he was up for collaborating. The idea was to give this pretty serious jackin' house track I made a cotton-field / chain gang song kinda vocal. We’re happy with how it turned out, and those folks at a little boutique imprint called Spinnin’ Records released it this month.
about mason himself
After an idyllic childhood surrounded by fellow creative, Mason gravitated to his own exploration into electronic musical madness. Mason’s epic flow of studio creations boast equal parts groove and melody but they make sure to hold utter eccentricity. Previous works have seen electric genres blended with elements of hip hop, house, electro, funk and disco. Rising to every musical challenge, Mason produces an unusual balance of utterly credible house bangers, alongside some more commercially viable radio hits. Known for his break out single Exceeder back in 2007, Mason’s most recent release Stop Start Slow Fast with rapper the Manor saw underground house flips by up and comers Parx and ZDS. Since the inception of his career, he’s collaborated with the likes of Stefflon Don, Roisin Murphy, Run DMC, Sway, Jocelyn Brown and Kurtis Blow.
Known for his talent in picking inimitable vocalists, Reminders of You holds a gritty vocal from the well-respected artist that is, Alex Clare. This experienced singer shot to our attention with pop tinged single Too Close that’s amassed over 49 million views on YouTube alone. Over his career Alex has racked up an impressive roster of collaborations with the likes of Sub Focus, Bakermat and Rudimental.
Mason is the genre perfectionist that fills the track with a funk infused groove, and an assortment of unusual rhythmic fills. Used to delving deep into the unknown, Mason’s new release is a dark slice of house that will fit perfectly into everyone’s afterparty playlist this winter.
You can follow Mason
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