Mauoq roughly translated means ‘multifaceted’. Producer, presenter not to mention prolific on the pasta front. Primo!
Hey Mauoq, how’s 2016 been? Been really loving 2016. Barmy.
Hi there! It’s been pretty good to be fair. The label’s output has slowed down a little bit but all for a good cause. I’ve been spending more time in the studio this year, especially in the first half when I treated myself with a couple of studio bits that have kept me jamming for a good few weeks.
I really enjoyed a slightly new approach to writing and hopefully some of that stuff will come out in the new year. I’ve also done loads of planning for the label’s [Mauoq Music] future releases and I can tell you 2017 looks pretty good!
You are busy with your podcasts as ever… when do you collate the material for these and execute them? Always sound like so much work gone into them and you are such a natural presenter too.
Thanks man, much appreciated, especially because yes, there is a fair amount of work that goes into it even though I seem to get faster and faster at putting it together every time.
In terms of collating the material, I tend to keep up to date with what’s going on in the scene as much as I possibly can.
With the amount of music available out there, some of which directly thrown at me on a regular basis, filtering out the stuff you know you are not going to like making sure at the same time that you are not going to miss out on some hidden gems, is crucial.
If I that’s done properly, then compiling the tracklist is a joy. If, on the other hand, I don’t do a good job – if I’ve been away or too busy doing other stuff – then I’ll find myself listening to as many tunes as possible last minute and trying to pick the best ones and making them work together. So the process is basically the same, what changes is just how stressed out I am.
Keeping on the tip who are people you would hear on radio etc and be inspired by? I have so many favourite presenters, stretching back through the decades.
I’m not sure I’ve got anyone I’m strongly inspired by to be honest. Also I believe that live radio is something different from an actual pre-recorded podcast and I think when I started mine six or seven years ago I was inspired by other podcasts more than actual radio shows.
I wanted to have a platform that would allow me to regularly showcase my D&B taste without having to deal with an ‘on air’ microphone – in fact, the first three episodes are just music – but at the same time being able to build an audience having a solid distribution platform to feed with quality content at regular intervals. The podcast format seemed appropriate.
However, it’s obvious that radio has had and still has a massive influence in all of this, my first relevant experience being back in the late 90s in Italy and listening to the only guy in town – the late Riccardo Petitti – who would play non four-on-the-floor electronic music, anything from Squarepusher to Aphrodite, from Boards of Canada to the Bristol sound.
Then once in London pirate radio as well as Fabio & Groove on R1 were my introduction to the real thing. I also used to love the 1Xtra shows by Bailey and Flight from a few years back.
The new ep sounds so rich and full of life… take us into ‘Both Worlds VIP’? It has a beautiful vibe, so fresh… also reminds me of the older Manchester sound from early 00s, maybe it’s the synth and the lovely late nite vibe.
This tune is one the first tracks I actually considered finished. However, being something that happened a very long time ago, when a few years later I came across it again, my ears and production technique had fortunately refined a bit and I decided to give it a whole new fresh and final lick and make it part of my own label’s catalogue as I could feel a very personal attachment to a track I had spent so much time on over the years.
So it ended up in a single for the third release on the label early last year alongside Mannoy, a deep roller with a similar story behind it.
Now it’s the next step for the tunes. Kozmo from the States reshuffled Mannoy and I decided to give yet another twist to ‘Both Worlds’ which together make the VIP/Remix release that is MQM007.
What inspired the title? The personal v private? The secular v spiritual? You tell us.
Yeah, basically it’s really as simple as that. At the time when I wrote the first version of the track I was working a 9 to 5 job in the city and writing beats 5 to 9… well, not exactly, but close. Those were my only two worlds for months, hence the title.
Kozmo’s remix of ‘Mannoy’ is full of invention, it sounds like a lot of fun was had in the making of this… Can you intro us to Kozmo?
He’s a very talented producer from a town in the Seattle (WA) area called Tacoma.
His productions are full of 808 sounds and jungle/hip hop elements which he combines with tons of funk and shattering bass synths. He’s quite involved in the underground festival scene too, firing explosive DJ sets in woods, warehouses and proper clubs around the west coast.
If you live in that area make sure you check him and his crew out!
So many great ingredients here… are you a great cook? I bet you are.
Ok, I’m Italian so by default I have some skills, but I’m no where near what many of my friends back there can do and definitely very far from what my mum would have hoped for.
I can tell you I had some simple ‘pasta al pomodoro’ for dinner but I’m looking forward to cooking my next pile of chicken escalopes with steamed veggies very soon.
What artists are inspiring you right now?
Ah this is a difficult one..I’m just gonna throw a few names who’s art I’ve recently or consistently noticed and appreciated: Cai Guo-Qiang, Mark Rothko, Kimyan Law, Quiet Ensemble, Francesco Totti
What tune is in your head right now? any genre. One that amazes you. Makes you want to just do nothing and listen.
The tune that pushed all those buttons for me earlier today was ‘Highlander’ by Calibre. Deep jungle roller at its best. Absolute beauty.
‘Mr Maverick’ on the other side is just as brilliant, definitely a must have!