Interview by Maya-Rose Torrão
Toronto-based wave musician Memphis. has always immersed himself in music. Using this passion, Memphis. has honed his craft and now makes emotive wave music that is reaching far and wide, as his dedicated fan base continues to build exponentially.
Memphis. is part of three online music collectives that are crucial to the steadily growing wave scene, namely Sekai Collective, VIOLET TIDES and Restricted. The Sekai Collective boasts support from a range of acclaimed tastemaker music channels, including The Accidental Poet, FOHM and WAVECOLLECTIVE, while Restricted counts important wave musicians such as \\ Myth // and THÉOS as part of their collective. Making music like he does, within a strong community of musicians like this, there is no doubt that Memphis. will continue to go from strength to strength in his music career.
Listen to another exclusive premiere from The Playground, ‘POSEIDON’ by Memphis., below.
We caught up with Memphis. and chatted about trial and error, collaborations and getting in touch with inner emotions.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts? Why music?
Since I was a little kid I have always loved music. Music has been a form of therapy for me. It has been an outlet for me which helps me navigate through this journey of mine called life.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
When I am in the studio, I like to have a blank state of mind where I really focus on my inner emotions. Whenever I am producing and start thinking about the approach that I’d like to take then I normally end up with writer’s block. Once I get in touch with my emotions is when my music comes out naturally.
What’s on your current playlist?
I love listening to my own music ( :
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
It’s been basically trial & error up until now but as far as my technique goes, that’s between me and Ableton ; )
Take us through a day in the studio.
I like to sit down and be present with my music without having any thoughts. I feel like whenever I get in touch with my inner emotions and just allow things to be natural is when my music sounds the best.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
When I saw Stooki Sound perform live in Toronto it felt as if something clicked inside of me and I just knew that this was what I was meant to be doing.
What do you keep close by while you’re creating music?
I really love to produce music in my studio since I have my Notorious B.I.G poster hanging right in front of me. This poster is very symbolic and inspiring to me as it reminds me to never give up on my ambitions and to always work hard.
Any emerging/unknown/upcoming artists on your radar?
I have been really inspired by an artist who goes by the name of PAAUS. I really love how he blends trap music with melodies. He has created the perfect balance between making his music hit hard as well as making it enjoyable for your ears.
Which sub-genre of music do you think is underrated?
I definitely think that wave music is very underrated. I feel as if wave music can be classified as an emotional type of music. This genre tends to have a lot of heartfelt emotion.
You’ve brought out some exciting remixes and collaborations recently – how do you find the process of collaborating with other musicians? What’s your favourite part?
I feel like there is a certain type of energy that is similar in all of my collaborations. The only way that I can describe it is that it’s an instant click as if I know the other person. The thing that gets me most excited about collaborations is the fusion between two unique artists and their style of producing.
If you could collaborate with any artist, alive or not, who would you choose and why?
I would love to collaborate with Zeds Dead. This duo has been my biggest influence and inspiration for me. I really love how their music incorporates all genres.
What gets your creative juices flowing? What puts you in the mood to make music?
It’s definitely my own emotions. I like to sit down and just let my emotions roll and translate into my music. I also love to listen to new artists and new music, this also allows my mind to come up with new and refreshing ideas.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
I work with a very simple setup. I produce my music on Ableton and use Yorkville speakers to test my sound.
Any side projects you’re working on you can tell us about?
I have a project that I am collaborating on that I believe will be my biggest release in my journey thus far. I don’t want to speak on it too much but expect great things!
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
You can expect big things from me by the end of the year. I have so much unreleased music that you soon will be hearing. By the end of the year you will be able to hear my biggest release up until now ( :
Famous last words?
MEMPHIS MAN!
Follow Memphis.:
Soundcloud // Spotify // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube
