LAMP Weekly Mix #149 feat. Stonehouse
LAMP Weekly Mix #149 feat. Stonehouse
It's all about House music for our latest guest Stonehouse. He had a chat with MR PUZL this week to talk about how BBC Radio 1 Essential Mixes from likes of Eric Morillo, Daft Punk and MSTRKRFT got him into DJing and talented friend like Prince Club helped nurture his curiosity to start producing. He also chatted with him about his recent set Amsterdam Dance Event for Chapter 24 Records and why his hometown of Montreal loves their music. Check out his interview below along with the tracklist from his awesome Guest Mix.MR PUZL: Thank you for being a part of our Guest Mix series, you've cooked up something special here. Tell us a bit about your track selection.Stonehouse: Thanks for inviting me! Whenever I play out at a new location I go digging for a variety of music because I never know what the crowd is going to be like. This mix is made up of some of the tracks I picked up before ADE. I wanted to play a groovy but melodic set for the Chapter 24 party. That's how I started and then I took it to a darker sound that I love, closing out with the Just Her remix of my new track Dance By You, which is a belter.MP: In your bio it says you started DJ’ing in college. What inspired you to want to pick up the decks? Did you envision yourself doing this for a living back then?SH: 3 Essential Mixes: Erick Morillo's 2005 mix live from Space, Daft Punk's 1997 Mix, and MSTRKRFT's Mix. Erick Morillo's Live Mix blew my mind, especially when he drops funky town. I became obsessed with being able to make people that happy and to be alive on the dancefloor. Luckily, I've been able to play at some killer parties in Montreal.When I first started it was for fun. But I only thought of doing it full time when I realized I couldn't deal with a life wearing a suit every day.MP: Each city has it’s own identity and connection to music in one shape or another. What do you feel best characterizes Montreal in regards to music? How have you seen the electronic scene in the city develop over the years?SH: Passion and good old fashion debauchery. Montreal has a die hard following for multiple genres of music, from techno to metal, house to dub step. Montrealers also love to go wild. I think it's the best city in Canada for partying.MP: I saw you on the lineup for the Chapter 24 x When We Dip ADE Showcase recently. I’m a big fan of what Chapter 24 brings to the scene, the quality of their releases are so consistent! How was the show and set? Is there something in the works with you and the label?SH: I love their melodic sound. The show was amazing. All of the DJs rocked it and there was a great variety of quality music. The crowd was into it all night and I had a blast. You will have to wait and find out about me and Chapter 24.MP: We’ve had a few friends come back from ADE beaming about the quality of shows and artists playing all over the city. What were your impression of it all? Had you been to ADE before?SH: To be very honest, I could only make it for 2 nights. But I can tell you that I've never been surrounded by so many people who have devoted their energy to music. That was what made the trip special for me. On my flight home, I sat next to a DJ / label owner. We chatted about our lives in music... Well I asked and he answered ahahah. Sharing stories and experiences with other people in the industry made the weekend special for me.MP: I'm a big fan of Prince Club, and really enjoyed your collaborations 'From The Heaven' and ‘The Remedy’ with him for Nervous earlier this year. How did the idea come about to work with them? Was this your first time working with other producers in the studio?SH: Thank you!! I'm chuffed you like them. I met Prince Club back in 2010/2011. He's one of the greatest producers / DJs I know. I had just started DJing back then, and he was charting on Beatport and playing EDC. I was just a fan boy dancing when he played at local clubs. When I quit my job in 2013, Max (Prince Club), had just moved back to Montreal. I asked him if he wanted to teach me how to produce, and he said yes. I wouldn't have gotten passed opening Ableton without him. I worked with him 1-3 days a week for 18 months. He helped guide me and took 2 years off my learning curb. Towards the end, right before I moved to Madrid, I brought him a couple of ideas that he liked, and he asked if I wanted to collab with him. I couldn't pass that up. Max is a Jedi drum programmer and hook writer. He just knows how to make tracks that will make you dance and that you remember when you wake up the next day.I also collaborated with Bender, a great producer / song writer from New York, earlier that year. It took about a year to finish 2 tracks we liked. We only had one session in person the rest was all remotely, and he's a pretty busy guy hahah. MP: Your single ‘Tru Water’ off your Cinco De Mayo EP has some wonderful arpeggiation going on along with a load of progressive runs with those horns you created. In your When We Dip interview you mentioned that it only took you about 3 days to hammer out. What’s the longest you’ve spent on a single track?SH: Hmmm. Probably 6 weeks!! Sometimes I'll make a groove that I like but then I can't find the right hook or vice versa.MP: Some producers have a specific way that they start to work on tracks; like building a drum rack and starting out with a basic groove. Are there certain things you like to work on first to get your ideas flowing in the studio?SH: You nailed it. I used to start with leads and chords. But I learned that the drums and grooves are the most important part of a song, so I start with that now. Once you got that done, it's earlier to come up with melodies, chord progressions, cool effects, etc.MP: You list Ableton as one of your personal interest and also seems you have a love for hardware. What kind of studio setup do you have? Besides Ableton have you worked with any other DAWs?SH: Ableton was more intimidating than Logic when I first started out producing. I bought Logic first but Max told me to get Ableton, so I did. I don't think I'll switch, mainly because I'm too old too be learning new tricks, and there are some functions and audio processing than Logic doesn't have. At the end of the day, the DAW doesn't matter; it's all about the person using it.I do love my hardware. I actually just got back from Red Dog Music with a Korg Minilogue. I'd be tempted to learn Pro Tools if I had a full hardware studio set up with mixing boards, analogue compressors, etc. But winning the lotto is a precursor for that. MP: You currently live in London correct? What prompted your move there? How are you enjoying the city?SH: I am living in London and I love it! Law school and music brought me here. As much as I love Montreal, I needed to move to Europe so that I could be closer to the scene. With balancing music and studying Law at King's College I don't get out much. I love the city though, especially the history. The museums and the architecture are my favourite parts. The local DJs here are amazing as well. Whenever I go out, I have a blast.MP: I’m sure things have started to get very busy for you especially after such a successful 2016. What are some ways you like to relax and unwind?SH: Making music, the gym, Netflix (lots of documentaries like the Daft Punk doc from BBC France and the 13th, and I just binged all of Red Dwarf), cooking, and eating.MP: As we get to the end of the year I’m sure you’re already looking ahead into 2017. Any releases or exciting gigs in store for the new year?SH: I have a 3 track EP coming on Subjekt early next year that I'm really excited for. It follows the Dance By You release, which is coming soon, November 22nd, on Marc DePulses's Jeahmon! Records. I also have a stockpile of music that I finished over the summer. I'm hoping that 2017 will be an opportunity to define my sound.
Tracklist
1. Breach, DJ Dust - Win Ugly (Original Mix) vs The Preacher (Ronappella) vs Good To You (Claptone)2. Flashmob - Do You Do (Wouter de Moor Remix)3. Matthias Tanzmann - Uptown Vitamins (Original Mix)4. Trevino - La View (Original Mix)5. Denis Horvat - Purple Fiction (Sub37 Edit) vs Cassius - Sound of Violence (Franco Cinelli Remix)6. Alberto Mantelli - Resurrection (Extended Mix)7. Gorge - Yemaya (Original Mix)8. Blondish - Endless Game (Patrice Baumel Remix)9. Audiojack - Turya (Original Mix)10. Bebetta - Shimmy (German Brigante Mucho Toms Remix)11. Alex Lario - Isolated (Dennis Cruz Remix)12. Stonehouse - Dance By You (Just Her Remix) vs Andre Harris - Uh (Acca)Check out more of Stonehouse's tracks and mixes below:Don't forget this Friday we're doing a latenight show with Rock It Science Labs at a warehouse in DTLA.