After releasing ‘Doug McQuaid’ and ‘Higher’ earlier this year, London duo My Friend deliver a brilliant vocal club track in tandem with Darla Jade. A sought-after ID from their sets for the past year, ‘Flash’ is a vocal-infused banger that will light up the dance floor big time.
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]The word Huge maybe is too small and not loud enough to describe how good this track is and definitely will dominate clubs and radio plays. My Friend well known for their quality sounds manage successfully to merge driving techno kicks, pounding drums and metallic basslines with cool dark synthy overtones and on top the superb Darla Jade singing the so inspiring lyrics that will speak to the hearts and minds of clubbers. The breakdown is the perfect time for Darla to put her message across and then the climax is the pure Flash and Bang moment to unleash pyrotechnics and confetti's while the crowd is jumping and prancing right in the middle utterly connected to each other hearts and souls. #PureGold Love IT [/content]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item] [item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item] [item value="10"] Melody [/item] [item value="10"] Synths [/item] [item value="10"]Breakdown[/item] [item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item] [item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item] [item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item] [item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item] [item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item] [item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item] [item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item] [item value="10"]Radio Friendly[/item] [item value="10"]Vocals & lyrics[/item] [item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item] [item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item] [/review]
British duo My Friend returns to Anjunadeep with their latest offering: a four-track EP titled ‘Holding Out’.
Over the past year, My Friend has released a string of successful tracks on Anjunadeep. They delivered a compelling and club-driven collaboration with Dosem titled ‘Blue Marble / Door To Door’, released two tracks in partnership with Simon Doty, notably ‘Follow Me’ (feat. Tailor), and presented their ‘Came Here For Love EP’. The pair's music has gained significant recognition, with support from prominent figures such as Danny Howard and Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1, as well as from DJs including TIBASKO, Eelke Kleijn, and Vintage Culture.
The EP's title track ‘Holding Out’ features vocals courtesy of the electronic band The Pressure. ‘Gosh’ kicks off with a resounding vocal sample and draws inspiration from 90s house music with its captivating piano chords. ‘Tasty Toucan’ features a bold driving bassline, while ’Swoon Tune’ utilizes breakbeat drums and gated vocals. My Friend’s latest release showcases their creative chemistry as producers.
Following their release ‘Doug McQuaid’ earlier this year, London producers My Friend return to Armada with 'Take You Higher’. Crafting an uplifting soundscape, the producers combine bouncy bass, alluring synths and soaring vocals, resulting in a certified club anthem that will light up dancefloors with its feel-good energy.
Dimitri Kechagias review: [review top="1"] [item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item] [item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item] [item value="10"] Melody [/item] [item value="10"] Synths [/item] [item value="10"]Breakdown[/item] [item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item] [item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item] [item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item] [item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item] [item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item] [item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item] [item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item] [item value="10"]Radio Friendly[/item] [item value="10"]Vocals & lyrics[/item] [item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item] [item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item] [item value="10"]My Friend - Take You Higher [/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]My Friend after their wonderful releases on Anjunadeep/Anjunabeats return on Armada Music with their stunning Take You Higher. Energetic 131 BPM bouncy house with old skool narrative and nostalgic motifs that really makes you time travel instantly to another space and time. With its distinctive 90's infusion of wonky bumping basslines, pounding techy kicks, trancy synthy riffs and super diva style vocals, it will be impossible not to make stadium size festival crowds and smaller sweaty clubs to jump around and feel its underground attraction. #PureGold Love iT[/content]
Arguably as iconic as the 21 Jump Street character it shares a name with, 'Doug McQuaid' sees London duo My Friend hit Armada Music after the mid-summer release of their collaboration with Richie Blacker on Armada Electronic Elements. Flaunting an infectious and sturdy groove as well as a contagious vocal sample and uplifting piano chords, this track is as suited for the club space as it is for an at-leisure daytime listening session.
Dimitri Kechagias review: [review top="1"] [item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item] [item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item] [item value="10"] Melody [/item] [item value="10"] Synths [/item] [item value="10"]Breakdown[/item] [item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item] [item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item] [item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item] [item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item] [item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item] [item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item] [item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item] [item value="10"]Radio Friendly[/item] [item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item] [item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item] [item value="10"] My Friend - Doug McQuaid[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]My Friend service the world another excellent piece of brilliant eclectic house music gem called Doug McQuaid. It's the kind of track that is pleasure to listen from start to finish as it captures your imagination and hook you instantly. Pounding tech house basslines, techy kicks, cool vocal chops and superb euphoric piano house riffs to make you feel nostalgic dreamy and out of this place with even middle section with breaks to make it even more outstanding. You press play and immediately you swim away and dance the night or day away. Classy eclectic smooth and beautiful track to shine any dj set for sure. #PureGold Love iT[/content]
Zerothree proudly presents an incredible sound clash from two unique progressive talents. My Friend & Dezza team up on the mesmerising Dream Weaver.
Tipped by BBC Radio 1’s Danny Howard as “Ones to watch” UK producer duo My Friend have been crafting a signature melodic vibe over the past 18 months, releasing on powerhouse labels and remixing for the likes of Icarus and more. Dezza equally has risen to the top of the progressive tree after his incredible In Tents EP owned the charts for months. To follow would be a feature performance at ASOT900, a debut album and a large progressive fan base.
Dream Weaver is something special. It builds, grows and evolves holding firm that REALPROG mantra. Big chuggy bass, hard hitting drums and a breakdown that takes euphoria to the next level (REALPROG style).
This is My Friend & Dezza. This is REALPROG.
We are super glad that the superb artists accepted our challenge to answer our in depth questions. This is a great interview to get to know their present, past and future.
PLEASE NOTE: To read the answers please click the + symbol.
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[item title="Dimitri: Did you have the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?"]Dezza: I am completely self-taught. When I started there was nothing like that available, barely even YouTube tutorials. Looking back, If the opportunity existed perhaps I would have been keen to take some sort of course. At the end of the day you just really have to have the passion for it. James: We are both pretty much self-taught in terms of producing music. Archie used to be in a few bands and did a degree in art history and music, which definitely helps. I haven’t really done anything musical course-wise. I did a little bit of piano lessons when I was younger but that's it! Ha. Luckily it seems that music comes fairly naturally to me somehow. It definitely helps doing a music production course and is probably quicker to get better at the whole production process. However, it’s by no means the only way in to becoming an artist/music producer.Sometimes, ignorance is bliss when it comes to making music as you can come up with some pretty weird and wonderful material.
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[item title="Dimitri: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?"]Dezza: I won a demo contest that Pete Tong put on called “Bedroom Bedlam”. After that I did a bootleg that made it into the hands of Tiesto and he played it out live many times so those two things caught the attention of some labels. [/item]
[item title="Dimitri: Please pick for us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career."]Dezza: Hefty - this was my first big signing. It was released with Spinnin Records and caught the attention of alot of people. It was made around the big EDM boom of 2010-2011. My sound changed direction a bit with the trends but I thankfully was able to make my way back into what we call RealProg!
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Dezza Bootleg) - I don’t often do bootlegs but this one was quite significant. It caught the ear of Above & Beyond and was the start of a great relationship with them and team Anjuna. After that they have supported me alot. Spencer Brown even hit me up to do his own edit of my bootleg and you can still hear it at many of his live shows today! Escapist - I had a goal to get on Zerothree from their very first release. This one caught their ear, and with the help from Z3 A&R Jamie, we had a winner. It was released along with a single from UK duo Kolonie, whom I am great friends with to this day.
Law Of Attraction - My second outing with Zerothree. It peaked at #3 on the progressive house charts and was the 5th best selling prog record of 2018 on beatport.
Cosmos Album - after 15 years of making music it was time for an album. Lots of hard work went into it and it has been amazing seeing the great response from everyone. 2 Million streams and counting!
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[item title="Dimitri: Let's focus on your latest release Dreamweaver with My Friend. Please tell us from where did you got the inspiration for the track and what kind of music influences is including?"]Dezza: Surprisingly, the idea of that track came together in about an hour, I don’t know where it came from but it was weird. Around that time My Friend had played “Law Of Attraction” in their ABGT guest mix so I messaged them and it turned out they like weird and different stuff too, so we collaborated on it and there you have it.
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[item title="Dimitri: Can you describe to us the steps that you went through the production of this track and of any other track?"Dezza: I always start with some kind of atmospheric pad or arpeggio that establishes a key center for the track. I am not musically trained so I just take it by ear from there.
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[item title="Dimitri: Please describe to us the studio that you have produced the track? What is your favourite hardware and software set up? Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
"]I think we will always keep the studio fairly basic. We feel it's good to get to know a few synths (whether they are analog or soft) really well rather than having too much gear and not using half of it![/item]
[item title="Dimitri: Do you master the track yourself or the mastering is task for the record label? Do you understand mastering as being essential?"]Dezza: The mastering was done by AMPM Audio. In my opinion they are the best in the biz, the best sounding masters I have ever had. They also mastered my album. [/item]
[item title="Dimitri: There is a growing trend of vinyl coming back for good. Would you like to see this track released on vinyl or any other of your future tracks? Do you prefer digital files or vinyl?"]Dezza: Lots of people ask if my music will ever be available on vinly. The problem is that it is a big expense for a label to do it based on a relatively small demand. I would love to have some of my stuff on vinyl. I learnt how to mix on vinyl, which I felt was very important back then but today, all digital. [/item]
[item title="Dimitri: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?"]Dezza: Always. Matt Fax and I are in the planning a huge project at the moment.
James: Yes we have a 2 track ep coming out on Fly Boy, Icarus’s label which we are super excited about. We definitely feel that this EP solidifies our sound.
We are also in the middle of another really exciting collab that we can’t talk too much about but are looking forward to sharing with everyone!
Dezza: Always. Matt Fax and I are in the planning a huge project at the moment.
James: Yes we have a 2 track ep coming out on Fly Boy, Icarus’s label which we are super excited about. We definitely feel that this EP solidifies our sound.
We are also in the middle of another really exciting collab that we can’t talk too much about but are looking forward to sharing with everyone! [/item]
[item title="Dimitri: Do you have any more DJ gigs planned for the next few months?
"]Dezza: I am playing at Dreams Festival in Toronto, Canada on June 29th, 2019. There is a high demand for me in the USA, so the visa process is underway. Later in the year I will be going back to Australia as well.[/item]
[item title="Dimitri: In 2018 the electronic music talent AVICII died and this has alerted several artists to become more health conscious. Are there any lessons to learn as an artist out from this sad event?"]Dezza: Tim’s tragic passing was a huge shock to the music industry as a whole. Mental Health is extremely important. Most people don’t see or understand the ins and outs of the music business. Some things that go on aren’t brought to light and that can weigh heavy on artists. I feel artists are beginning to talk to each other more, I have noticed it in my circle of friends. If I am stressed out or having a difficult time, I know there are friends in the business that I can reach out to, and that is very important. No matter how big or small an artist is we are all just normal people who want to reach people with our art.
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[item title="Dimitri: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better...."]James: Best advice would be….. Stay humble no matter what!
Always try and think outside the box when making music. It's good to sit back and think to yourself - will this get noticed? Will it cut through the masses of music that gets released every week?[/item]
[item title="
Dimitri: Can you give us your best travel tips in order to survive the long travelling hours?"]Never check a suitcase, always fit everything in a carry on, this makes things quicker at the airport. I absolutely love aviation and have worked in the industry for 13 years so I don’t mind travelling at all.[/item]
[item title="
Dimitri: Please note down your favourite Top 5 tracks at this moment!?"] Archie:Nick Lampos - Designed By Beauty Krystal Clear - Euphoric Dreams Tiger Stripes - Sneaking Hotdogs Into Peoples Pockets
Joris Voorn - Rio
Matador - Air [/item]
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Many thanks to Dezza and My Friend for this great interview.
Many thanks to Grace Ward at Additive Music PR for organising this interview and with her patience waiting to publish it.
This September, Anjunabeats welcomes London duo My Friend with their debut release ‘January Embers / Highland’. Recently remixed on Oliver Smith’s Anjunabeats Worldwide 08, ‘January Embers’ lays Lauren L’aimant’s soulful vocal over a lush progressive sound whilst ‘Highland’ steps it up a notch, combining celestial chords with a driving bassline.
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Vocals and Lyrics[/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"]My Friend - January Embers feat. Lauren L'aimant / Highland[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]My Friend land on planet Anjunabeats with two spaceships of tracks called January Embers feat. Lauren L'aimant and the instrumental Highland. January Embers in its original form is a magnificent slice of progressive house, tech house and of course deep trance as well. The vocal is so classy that manages to elevate the final result into the highest highs for sure. Dreamy driving balearic progressive at its most sophisticated and classy for sure. Oliver Smith takes the track in his proglifting territory and literally transforms into the mainstage big room spanker that wins hearts and will unite thousands of clubers and trancers worldwide to jump around and sing a long the fantastic lyrics. You can expect euphoric synths and pulsating basslines that will carry you above and beyond your dreams. Lastly Lauren L'aimant Twilight Mix is the perfect after club tune with chilling vibes, piano chords, cinematic strings and the soulful hair raising vocals! Thank YOU Anjuna! #PureGold Love IT [/content]
