LAMP Weekly Mix #150 feat. Durante
LAMP Weekly Mix #150 feat. Durante
It gives us great pleasure to present our 150th Weekly Mix featuring Durante.One Hundred and Fifty!! We could not be more grateful for all of the amazing artists that have graced our mix series over the last 3 years. As we've said before the quality and originality of every mix has been stellar, and the bar is constantly being raised with every passing week's guest. Durante was first featured on our series over a year and half a go and coincidentally just over our half way mark to 150: https://soundcloud.com/lamp/lamp-weekly-mix-76-feat-duranteIt's no secret that we are massive fans of Durante's work here at LAMP and have featured several releases over the course of the last 3 and half years since his debut EP 'Challenger' on OWSLA's Nest platform. His tenacity for quality productions have been fueled by a robust understanding of musical composition, sound design and pure love of music. Each releases improves on the last and always adds an element of surprise and diversity to the ever growing catalog of music Durante is putting out. We are honored to call him our friend. MR PUZL catches up with the LA based producer below.MR PUZL: Welcome back! We’ve missed you! What have you got in store for us this week?Durante: Ayy!! Thanks homies I've missed you guys too. I was actually really honored that you asked me to do the 150th mix. Ever since my first time in the desert with the crew I knew that it had an impact in the way that I create & view music. The first mix I did for you was quite special for me because I was able to attach a feeling to an entire mix. It wasn't something that I would normally play out, but I was able to create a body of work using a selection of songs that I thought fit really well together and captured the beauty & range of emotions I felt while playing music at LAMP. For this mix I went back to that same feeling of wonder & adventure and tried to recapture my original feelings of the party, which still have an impact on me to this day. This mix is about losing yourself, finding yourself, and anything in between.MP: Coincidentally you did our 76th weekly mix, which is practically the halfway point of where we are today! For that mix, you created a piano intro from scratch. In this mixtape you’ve brought something a little bit different to the table with a really cool recorded sample. Can you tell us a bit about it?D: Just over 2 years ago, I somehow managed to finesse a way into the release party for Flying Lotus's album "You're Dead!". They had a bunch of weird projection mapping art installations & dressed up actors; the vibe was cleverly cool. Just before he went on, FlyLo had an incredible string quartet play some beautifully emotional music. I was in Denver this past week, and I recorded something on piano for the mix, but nothing I recorded felt as honest as the original piano recording I used for mix #76. After some digging, I remembered that I had this gut wrenching clip from the string quartet. I've tried to flip it into a song multiple times, but nothing I tried making ever captured me as much as the original recording. Really glad I was able to bring that moment into the world with this mix.MP: Time flies. You released your debut single ‘Slow Burn’ over 2 years ago. How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since then? What were some obstacles early on that helped you formulate a sense of creative direction with your music?D: When I put out Slow Burn I was in a completely different musical place then I was now. I was inspired by classic house music of the 90s such as Kerri Chandler & St. Germain. Now I feel it's more important for me to create something fresh and original. It's important to keep pushing the boundaries in that sense; staleness is a way of quickly losing your spot among those that work tirelessly on music. One of the biggest obstacles at the time was that I was working for a full time job as a production manager for a record label. There was so much to do, that eventually there wasn't much time to spend on music. I felt drained creatively, so I had to do the unthinkable and take a leap of faith for my music. Looking back it's hard to believe that I would just quit what many would consider a dream job. But when you're able to realize your own dreams, the decision becomes very clear.MP: Saw some dope photos from your show in Lyon, as well as a few other stops in Europe recently. How was the trip?D: Trip was great! Actually very short this time around, 1 day in Paris and 2 in Lyon. Earlier this year I went to Malta, Paris, & London for a couple shows as well. I love playing in Europe, the music is understood in such a different capacity there. Also the scenes are so grandiose. I feel like my instagram is always more popping when I'm traveling and taking photos of the sights I see. Maybe the grass is just greener, who knows...MP: ‘Full Moon’ makes it into my sets from time to time. It’s hard to resist playing certain tracks when they show up while you’re scrolling through you music library on the fly. Do you have any tracks that you’re really enjoying playing out at the moment apart from what we’ve heard in the mix?D: For me right now I almost always play the SIS edit of Salif Keita - Madan. That vocal gets me every timeMP: In your interview with Wonderland Magazine back in July you were discussing the creative inspiration behind your latest single ‘Goddess’. You mentioned that there are “so many incredibly hard working and talented females in music”. Who are some women that inspire the art that you make?D: Magda, Nina Kraviz, The Black Madonna, BLANCAh, ANNA; these are just a few of the names of women in house/techno that are absolutely crushing the game (and even brought it into fruition). I've been lucky enough to see both Magda and Nina Kraviz DJ, and let me tell you they have a magic touch in the way they spin music. They don't seemed to get bogged down by pretentiousness and just play really fun sets. It's so refreshing to see and there needs to be more of this energy in music in general.MP: You have an affinity for house and techno music and often bridge the gap seamlessly when you’re playing. On the production front you’re obviously exploring your artistic identity, and try to avoid being pigeonholed into one type of genre. Who are some other artists that reflect a similar sentiment to their own productions?D: Well I guess it's that I'm not trying to avoid anything. I like the music that I like, and I can't help it if I happen to like techno as well as house and choose to make both (or something that falls in between). I think some artists that are great at bridging worlds together are guys like Amtrac, Yotto, Jewel Tones, Karma Kid. These guys are all doing it completely differently, but I feel they all have really interesting takes on music. They do it in their own way, which keeps the scene fresh & exciting.MP: Cooking is an important part of your heritage and something you clearly enjoy when you’re not working on music. What is your favorite type of dish to make?D: I really enjoy making dishes that require a lot of time and effort. The labor intensive dishes such as eggplant parmesan or bolognese ragu are always the most delicious. Even though the ingredients are usually very simple, the way they're cooked together makes the sum greater than it's parts. The process is therapeutic... Wait is this about food or music??? lol
Tracklist
1. String Quartet Intro2. St Etienne - Ever Or Not3. Lancelot - As It Were4. Chus & Ceballos, Leonardo Gonnelli feat. Gigi - Absinia (Synthless Mix)5. Whitesquare - Someone Else6. Andre Hommen - Bassari People7. Matador - Rizzle (wAFF Remix)8. K.A.L.I.L. - Clouds And Star (Victor Ruiz Remix)9. Yves Murasca, Rosario Galati - I Don't Need You (Simone Vitullo Remix)10. Pete Oak - Askja11. Oliver Schories - Metris (Solee Remix)12. Hector Toledo - Indigo13. Rafael Cerato - Sekater14. John Monkman - KISOMMA (Sandeman Remix)15. Sandboards - Pinnk Slippz16. Bonaca - Our Story17. Luke Garcia, Th3 Oth3r - Ellipse (Nicone Remix)