Mauoq’s captivating back catalogue reveals a particular take on D&B. In fact it’s really screaming for some form of solo compilation treatment, be it album, playlist, CDr… just to get a feel for the way he works: check his Bandcamp for a glimpse, and also a snapshot of some pretty life-affirming collabs with some of D&B underworld’s finest. As he drops the wicked ‘Aerosolid rmx/Free The Past VIP’ on Mauoq Music it was a great opportunity to catch up with him in East London cor blimey and to get chatting properly in depth, especially on the production front…
Hi, first off I feel that 2014 was a busy one for you Mauoq. What’s been new with you of late?
Well 2014 has been a great year for me, starting off with my first international booking, and followed by a string of releases I’m pretty proud of via Dispatch, Diffrent, Absys Nurtured Beatz and more. But to answer your question more accurately, I’ve released a single, Grey Scale/Itchy Way on Terabyte Records back in December and started the new year getting my hands dirty with releasing my own stuff.
Now to Mauoq Music: what did you want the label to rep, what sort of vision have you for the label?
The label is more of a personal channel to release my own material, so there’s no real A&R going on except for the one between me myself and I… which sometimes can prove to be more difficult than the normal one!
Working closely with people running these kind of operations in the past few years has given me an insight of what it takes to do it in a way that doesn’t make you ‘just another label’.
There’s very many layers involved in running even just a digital label and I think the way you approach each one of them is what makes the difference in the long run. So another reason for Mauoq Music is to have a training ground to start exploring these layers in total freedom and without too much pressure.
Can you talk us through the Medika remix of ‘Aerosolid’?
I wrote the original version about five years ago and it’s massively inspired by a pretty popular Computer Music video online where Alix Perez would record percussions and weird noises in his studio and assemble them in Logic in a pretty straightforward and simple way. That video actually inspired the whole release.
Medika’s remix of ‘Aerosolid’ came out pretty quickly. She’s always liked the tune and we have been working on various beats together over the past year or so. I’ve also done a remix of one of the tunes from her 7 Days ep so when it came down to find a remixer for this release I didn’t have to look too far!
You mention Medika, and you have worked with people like Dexta over time, who else do you work and collab with?
I have recently finished a track with Romanian producer Dyl for his forthcoming EP on Terranull Recordings and have another couple of collab tunes – one with Dominic Ridgway and one with Owl – that just need the finishing touches. In terms of studio collaborations I had some nice jam sessions last year. Notably one full day with Bredren during one of their usual ‘Tony The Tiger London Trips’ ha ha.
I had few jams with Dexta and the Amoss boys of which you will see some results hopefully at some point this year and the occasional catch ups with the Kolectiv gang, always willing to get busy in the sound cave!
… what past collabs would you suggest people listen to, to hear what you do?
Here’s some:
Now to ‘Free The Past’, wow, what a stormer! It is a beautiful tune and I love just being in that world… I keep rewinding it.
Ah thanks! I’ve been meaning to revisit some of my oldest tunes for quite some times but when I am in the studio I tend to either finish something I have on the go or start something new. Opening an old project that’s been finished and released just doesn’t come to mind when I’m in the studio. It does when I’m not though, so I ended up making all the edits for the VIP over two or three flights to Italy while testing the (then) new Logic X on my laptop.
I didn’t learn much of the new software’s functionalities as they are more about creation and performance than basic editing, but I think I came up with a fairly decent ‘variation in production’… though it sounds more like I made it under water than up in the air!
You mention so much about production, so what’s your favourite aspect about producing?
Not playing any real instrument to any decent level I personally find the technical side of things quite entertaining, being that sound design or mixdown, I like the creative element embedded in those aspects of production and how they can really inject a new life to a basic musical idea. I sometimes like to randomly pick a bunch of sounds from my folders without even listening to them and start messing with them until they sound good together.
If you have ideas, some technical skills and more importantly not too much crap in your folders, you’re very likely to make something interesting sooner or later.
My favourite aspect has to be the buzz I get when I come up with a super rich sound, a clever and interesting edit or just what I call ‘the pleasure loop’, the one that makes you skank on your chair and you never want to stop. Unfortunately then completing a finished musical product is a completely different story, but I don’t think you asked me what’s the least favourite part of production did you? Just joking, it’s just less immediate and it takes longer to master but if you want to play this game you have to learn this skill too so better get on with it.
Plus, there’s beauty and excitement in that part of the process too, when your ideas come together and you start seeing the track as a whole, shaping up before your eyes. Or ears.
The image of the release is nice… makes me think of the Pantheon.
Thanks, that is in fact the actual Pantheon, more specifically the interior of its dome. I like geometric shapes and I’ve always been fascinated by this ancient building and the peculiarity of that big hole right at its top. It provides ventilation and cooling and allows for that fat beam of sunlight to constantly move around and hit the boxy structural decorations of the walls creating nice and bold shade effects.
The front side of the building was also one of my first technical drawing assignment as a kid at school and back then I was somehow tricked into the idea that some mysterious laws of physics involving heat from the inside would prevent rain to come through the top hole. That’s clearly not the case as I had the opportunity to witness myself once, but that idea stuck in my head and eventually inspired the ‘Aerosolid’ title.
Got a suggestion for coffee near yours?
If you’re in the area and need a good espresso, come round mine!
What tune is in your head right now?
A VIP version of ‘Bun Ya’ by DRS and the Manchester lot that Marcus played at the Sun and Bass closing night last year. Vibes!
Right. To tie it up, what is happening for the 2015, what can we expect?
In terms of releases, I expect this year to be a little quieter than last as I want to concentrate more on writing than signing. Definitely there will be at least a couple of solo releases on Mauoq Music and some more collabs.
The new podcast will also be out towards the end of the month.
Make sure you follow me on my socials or even better, sign up to my newsletter to keep up to date with what’s happening over here.