‘In a sense, I’m settling the score with myself’
Moralz beams in from the States to discuss the unique flow of his sound, most recently manifest in the (green, demonic, planet destroying) visage of his forthcoming ep on FLD. About all of which + more we spoke.
Hi Moralz. How are you doing?
Excellent! I’m excited to have a few words here to share my latest developments with the DNB Arena community.
Outside of music, how are you creative?
Well, I wear many hats. I remain open to the circumstances the universe unfolds for me! Besides music, I also provide body work, trauma release and life coaching. I used to work full-time as an art director which put a strain on my music. So, I took the leap and became independent.
Inspired to serve others, my intention was also to create more space to develop my music. I still implement my design skills for releases and freelance work.
I now offer mastering services to other producers as well. Not too long ago, I started a mentorship initiative called the Step Up Collective. I may look into setting that up as a non-profit. I’d like to provide music production instruction to young people, who lack access to resources, sometime in the future.
Tell us about the new EP for FLD. When did it start to take shape?
Well when I started Moralz, my intention was to let my creativity flow to allow for whatever sound to come out of me. I accumulated a lot of projects that remained in development for some time. As I was releasing a few songs on my own, I began rapidly finishing tunes and subsequently, compiling the best for an EP.
My focus was to be diverse, yet still emphasizing an aesthetic that dovetails off my background in Drum & Bass. The BPM’s vary from 150-170. I’d be hard-pressed to classify the Moralz sound with a genre tag but, I like to think of it as a hybrid style of Half-Time, Footwork and Jungle.
When it came to choosing a label, I’ve always loved everything that Free Love Digi has released. The catalog that Quentin Hiatus has curated is quite diverse. The symbol for Moralz is a knotted geometric heart so when I saw the FLD heart character, I resonated with it.
I reached out to Quentin who was introduced to me through a very close friend, a DJ/Producer named Thomas B.
He is also on FLD and will be featured on the remix EP that follows, as well as artists like 6Blocc, E-Sassin, Siskiyou, Neuropunk, DLX, Kloak & Jeff Devoe. I love supporting my friends!
When you settle into the driver’s seat, as it were on the production front, what are some familiar things that help you get the vibe started? Could it be some familiar software, hardware, settings, instruments… ?
I’ve presented a few production tutorials online. Those may be of help to some people. I was on Cubase for a while before switching over to Ableton. I was actually running it on an Atari 1040ST computer when I first started. But in my perspective, my productivity in the studio is directly correlated to the quality of my attitude going in and remaining open to what comes through.
A lot of times, producers will intend to carve out a specific sound with an objective in mind.
You may be a Drum & Bass artist trying to make a name for yourself by getting on a certain label for instance. But to be recognized as talented by your peers, you must be unique.
The only way to be unique is to disocver new ways of creating. This is only possible by allowing the unknown to come through you. If you’re fixating on technique, then you are simply attempting to validate yourself. To me, that is not art. Art is an appreciation for the process! It used to take me a year to complete a track.
Now I’m writing whole songs in six hours! But certain techniques I’ve picked up recently include mid-side processing. In order to get that fullness you want, begin exploring processing your stereo field separate from your mono field. Other than that, I’ve actually been stripping down my processing. I hear too many songs that are over produced or limited too hard. Start with better quality sounds, stray away from technique and synthesize your own patches. Be unique!
How did you learn to create music? You have a significant background in beats.
Most would be familiar with my work as Jo-s. I’ve been active in the Drum & Bass industry since 1995, most notably for my vocal work on labels such as Shogun, Metalheadz, Hospital, etc. My first set of tunes appeared on the legendary Rawkuts label. Shout outs to Wally Pish-Posh, The Burner Bros and Graham Oliver RIP!
I came up in the NYC Jungle scene and eventually re-located to Los Angeles in 2001.
And Moralz?
I started Moralz about two years ago with the intention to explore electronic music outside the confines of any particular BPM or aesthetic. I mainly taught myself. In the beginning I had a whole rack of external analog hardware such as an E-Mu Ultra 6400, with 8 output extension.
That was running into the first eight channels of Mackie 24/4 bus console, alongside the next 8 channels coming in from a Supernova rackmount synth. I also had two DBX compressors, one on each bus. This is where I would route my drums and bass respectively. I also had only one effect unit on my sends for delays and reverb. Other pieces of kit came and went.
Going all internal obviously speeds up your workflow.
Take us into the title track. What inspired it… and the title?
There are a lot of rules in D&B that I intended to break under Moralz. Hence the name – staying true to my talent that goes beyond a genre. In my 20 year tenure as Jo-s, I’ve reinvented myself three times over. Sometimes in the creative process, letting go becomes generative.
By embracing what my intuition was telling me, it was time to explore other avenues of sound. Before Moralz I also started a Trap group named Slick Trilla. Once we split, I decided to keep the momentum by going on my own.
So in a sense, I’m settling the score with myself, by embracing this new side of me, but also consecrating my presence as a formidable producer – staking my claim in the ranks of other progressive artists who I admire.
Speaking of, the cover and the title track is ominous. Can you tell us about the concept?
While conversing my concept to the FLD artist, Aaron Smith, I expressed I wanted him to develop a character who is infiltrating our planet with his sound, spreading his frequencies throughout the universe.
I’m very interested in cosmology, theosophy, evolution and the nature of UFO’s and Exo-Politics. I’m also a fan of anthropomorphic art and animation.
Take us into another tune here of your choice.
My favorite cut off the EP is ‘Get Em’. My influence was ‘Bambaata’ by Shy Fx. I was thinking about being in the jungle, running away from or hunting a lion. I was really trying to capture a dancehall dub wise vibe, in Half-Time structure, but clocking in at 160 BPM. I had fun incorporating the verbed out Reese bass stabs!
I also intended to incorporate a lot of change-ups in the arrangement that happen more readily, as compared to a typical D&B tune that has a 64 bar intro. In that sense, the structure is similar to Hip-Hop. This may be a reflection of my quick mixing when I DJ.
What tune inspires you the most? How does it reflect your values?
My happy song is the theme to Karate Kid! Not only was ‘You’re The Best Around’ written by a man who shares my name – Joe Esposito – but it’s simply uplifting! And when I think of the final scene, when Mr. Miyagi demands that Daniel let his guard down and make a stand for himself, I think about my intention going into life – whatever I create exemplifies my authenticity.
With that said, you can expect a vibrant, varietal, creative output coming from me that will always be true… Moralz loves you too!