We caught up with London born DJ, A-Minor, to talk about his new track, his career highlights, fashion & what’s in store for the rest of 2017. Here’s what he had to say…
How did you first get into music?
I’ve been playing piano since the age of 4, but didn’t really take it seriously until much later. When I was 16, I went to a pub with a couple mates, and they played me this dirty grime track they had made the night before. I was blown away at the fact that they had created this from scratch – it sounded like it could be on the radio. I made them leave the pub and take me straight to his place to show me how it all worked. He gave me a pirate copy of the software “Fruity Loops” and that was it. I have been producing music every day since.
When was the pinnacle moment you realised you could make a career in this industry?
Probably when my first dance record came out, a track called “Thinking Bout The Things”. I had no expectations for it at all, especially as it was one of the first house tracks I had made. In just a few months it hit over a million plays on YouTube and the major labels started knocking on my door. It really opened my eyes to how fast things can move (in both directions) in this industry.
Where was your first ever gig/set and how did it go?
My first set was at a house party at Uni. I was pretty wasted so not much to recall.
Can you describe your sound?
Feel good driving along the beach in the middle of Summer music.
Who influences you musically?
Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, Timbaland, Rich Harrison, Kanye West to name a few.
Name three artists you had on your playlist growing up?
Kanye West, Donell Jones, Montel Jordan
You’ve just released ‘Stars in the Shade’, where did you find the inspiration for the track?
I feel like I have found the best things in life in my darkest moments.
Did you face any difficulties creating Stars in the Shade?
This is one of the first releases I put out with me singing on it, so I was pretty anxious about the vocal when I was making it.
How excited and pleased are you with the finished product?
Really excited – I think it has something different than most vocal house tracks out at the moment but it’s still really accessible.
Apart from your new track, what other song have you got on repeat at the moment?
Jessie Reyez – Phone Calls. THRDL!FE & Kelli-Leigh – For Love
Name your guilty pleasure track, one that nobody knows you love…
Christina Aguilera – Genie In A Bottle (actually everyone knows I love this)
What’s been your biggest career highlight so far?
My first BBC Radio 1 spin on Pete Tong’s show.
If you could collaborate with one other artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Rihanna. She turns songs into classics. I would love to do something really left field with her, because she can make anything sound accessible.
How do you spend your time when you’re not recording or performing?
I read a lot of popular science books about behaviour and humanity. Sapiens, all the Malcolm Gladwell books etc.
What has been the most memorable performance you’ve ever played?
I played a back to back set in a mixed gender toilet with TCTS, George Kwali, Blonde, Just Kiddin, Fabich & Parx last weekend at ADE. That was pretty surreal – the toilet was rammed and people were trying to leave the club just to get in.
What has been the most memorable performance you’ve ever seen?
Jay Z – Glastonbury Main Stage 2008
Favourite film/TV series?
Entourage
Drink of choice on a night out?
Old Fashioned
Can you explain your fashion sense? How would you describe your style?
Simple, monochromatic, no obvious written labels/brands.
What advice do you have your any aspiring musicians?
Make as much music as you can, whenever you can. Creativity is about volume. All the greatest artists, from Mozart to Picasso, produced thousands of compositions, only a handful of their works are considered classics.
So what’s next for 2017?
The remix package for Stars In The Shade comes out in a few weeks. My collaboration with Marvin Humes called “Girls On The Floor” is also out now. Then back to the studio to finish a whole bunch of new music.
Thanks for chatting to us A-Minor. You can listen to Stars In The Shade here.
