Rounding out the summer with big appearances at DC10, Nox Club in Madrid, and a huge run of shows across South America, EMrec boss Eddy M is keeping his impressive run of releases and shows ticking as he looks set for a big close to 2022.
Returning to drop more heat on home turf, the Italian DJ and producer now readies his ‘Donkey Kongas’ EP on the label as he delivers three fresh dancefloor-focused cuts.
To celebrate the release of his latest EP, we caught up with Eddy and invited him to become the next artist on our Inside Five series:
Hey Eddy, thanks so much for joining us. Let’s start by talking about your label EMrec. Is there a particular ethos or vision behind the imprint?
The EMrec project came to life during a pandemic. When the lockdown started, I decided to review all the old hard drives I had stored in the house, just looking for musical stuff that could have inspired me. I found a folder dating back to 2010/11 (I was 18) full of samples and recorded sounds of my instruments (drums, basslines, flutes, pianos, etc.). After that discovery, I decided to start a label to be able to release music created with the same sounds found in the folder and, at the same time, bring a young Eddy M back to life. And that was the start. EMrec’s vision is to continue using the analog recordings of instruments made in the past, especially those of bass and drums, combined with old-school samples from breakbeat, hip-hop, R&B, funk etc… This is exactly what the ‘Eddy M’ project is at the end of the day.
Your latest release on the label is called ‘Donkey Kongas’. Was there any specific inspiration behind this EP?
DK – Donkey Kong was one of my favourite games in the house. When I was a child, my parents used to play it too. I’ve always been musically fascinated by the game’s soundtrack. A few months ago, while working in the studio in Sicily, I found some samples of pearl drums (coming from the hard drive) that sounded very similar to the percussion in Donkey Kong. After that, I decided to work on this idea, and three tracks came out of it. I hope you like it! 🙂
Tell us about your production process. Do you have any routine or template that you like to follow?
Yeah, first of all, feel happy with yourself. Sit in the studio and feel blessed to be involved with music. If you enjoy what you do, the results double. Don’t ask yourself ‘why?’, ‘what might happen if…’, or other questions while making music. Focus on the sound, and keep your emotions in sync with your heartbeat. Over the past few years, I have been doing what I like best, and this is the new template I am following.
What do you prefer, the studio or the DJ booth, and why?
This question is tough for me. I feel amazing emotions, both in the studio and live. I love being in the studio and getting lost in music… For this reason, when I can, I always rent a studio while I’m on tour. But I’d choose the DJ booth because to change DJ booths, you have to travel, and there is nothing more exciting than discovering new parts of the globe, learning about new cultures, and learning about the history and magic of the whole world.
Lastly, what can your fans expect from you across the rest of 2022 and beyond?
I will plan some new releases, and I’ve got a run of shows I’m really looking forward to. I have also collected new music made during these last few weeks on tour in South America. Honestly, I’m just enjoying the process step by step right now. I really like to surprise people. So alongside these things, something new will definitely come up too… stay tuned!
Eddy M‘s ‘Donkey Kongas’ EP is out now on EMrec; grab your copy HERE.
