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Interview conducted by Dakova Dae of Beatsmedia 

Markus Schulz knew he was onto something in 2010 when he said “I must give a big shoutout to Melbourne’s very own Aaron Camz … He’s a name I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for in the near future.”

Having only entered the trance circuit in 2009, Aaron Camz is rapidly making a name for himself, the diversity of his productions having already attracted support from the likes of world-class acts, including the likes of Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz.

Aaron creates an edgy, tech-tinged trance; fusing minimal and progressive elements and deep, dark basslines; drawing you in with bold breakdowns and a fierceness of energy which transcends to the experience he creates on the dancefloor as a DJ. “I am creating music for clubs and big arenas; I’m out to create massive dancefloor bombs that leave you standing there, speechless,” says Aaron. “I’ve had these sorts of experiences hearing big tunes for the first time at a big festival or club night in my younger days. That experience is what I want to share with others!”

www.aaroncamz.com

Can you tell us about your earliest start with music? Who were some of your earliest influences that inspired you to begin your musical journey?

Well I started off playing in bands as a kid, I have never just been about EDM. My earliest non EDM influences were bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Blink 182 & Metallica. I was always interested in electronic music but it wasn’t until I was about 15 or 16 when I really started to devote all my time to it. Back then I used to listen to a lot of hard trance and really liked the progressive stuff as well. The producers I used to idolise then were completely different to each other. From people like Perry O’Neil to Mauro Picotto to Marco V and to Cosmic Gate!

Your sound exhibits influences from progressive to techno as well as trance. How important is having a sound that spans multiple genres in today’s musical climate?

In today’s landscape it’s very important. I don’t really know of many DJs that just play the one genre. You have to be versatile as DJ these days. My sets can start off real deep and progressive, at around 126bpm and I can also play what I’d like to call your ‘party style’ tech trance at 134bpm. Being able to play a multitude of genres will work to your advantage. My radio shows also differs a little to my live sets. A lot of the stuff I play in my show is stuff I truly love, but a lot of the time probably couldn’t fit into a live set. I just like to play whatever sounds good really and the stuff that usually sounds good can go from progressive house to techno to progressive trance through to tech trance and anything in between!

Having blasted into the music scene in 2009, how have you seen the Australian scene evolve in that time?

The Australian scene has definitely evolved in the last 2 years, it’s actually quite amazing. It seems these days producing music and DJing is a really cool thing to do, where as maybe 5 years ago it wasn’t so and producing music was for nerds (I have been called a nerd on numerous occasions!). In my hometown of Melbourne, there wasn’t many producers writing trance music a few years ago, now, I’m receiving tracks from young local producers daily. Some of the stuff I get sent is amazing too! It’s so much easier for young producers starting out now, as there was no such thing as YouTube tutorials when I started. Now you can learn about compression, EQing, Synthesis, LFO’s, the lot, in short 5 minute videos. I had to resort to books and playing around with my sequencer for hours on end! It’s great to see people from my country releasing music on some of the biggest labels in the world also, makes me proud and shows that Australia is an ever growing market for dance music. Not just the producers and DJs but the party scene has flourished as well. Just last weekend, Sydney saw 65,000+ punters at the annual Stereosonic festival and my home town Melbourne had 45,000! Dance music is definitely a huge part of youth culture in Australia.

Can you tell us a little bit about your studio setup at home. What one piece of hardware and one piece of software you couldn’t live without?

OK my studio set up is quite basic, only for next month though, as I’m in the process of building a dedicated, properly treated studio (keep in touch for pics). I’m a PC boy, I use a Sapphire Pro 40 for an interface, a midi keyboard, my monitors and a condenser microphone. I did have a Virus TI which I sold a few years back. Not much hardware anymore, as the software in today’s day and age is just as capable and in some cases much more tweakable than hardware synths. However, the one piece of hardware I can’t live without is my monitors. I use Yamaha HS80s and whilst they are probably not as popular as speakers such as the KRK’s, they are perfect for my environment at home. My first pair of monitors was a crap pair I bought for about $300-400 (I won’t mention the brand name!). The HS80s have probably been my best investment, along with my Beyerdynamic headphones, which is great for when the neighbours are asleep! I use lot’s of software to produce my music. I use 2 DAW’s (95% of the time FL Studio) and various audio editors when I’m doing things like chopping vocals, giving the track a quick master before playing at a gig, etc, but I’d have to say the one piece of software I couldn’t do without is my copy of FL Studio! I have it installed on my studio PC, laptop, I even have the iPhone app for when I think of something in bed! I have been using FL since it was Fruity Loops 3 or 4, so I have never completely switched DAW’s since I started. Special mentions go to VST instruments such as Gladiator, Nexus, Sylenth & z3ta.

Your productions and remixes have had consistent support from massive international artists, names such as Markus Schulz. Can you give us an insight into how this relationship came about and what such support means to you as an artist?

Markus is a great supporter of mine and I am truly grateful. He was always someone I looked up to as a producer and especially as a DJ. I used to download his radio show every week and I’d draw a lot of inspiration from that. Markus I guess got me into the darker side of trance. When he invited me to work on Coldharbour Recordings in 2010 it really was a dream come true. Markus had been playing a few of my tracks on his show and in his live sets constantly in 2010 so I guess that is what prompted him to contact me. The first track I did on Coldharbour was a remix of Mike Foyle’s ‘Space Guitar’ and ever since then I have been releasing most of my stuff on Coldharbour, as well as doing remixes for the label. Being signed to a label such as Coldharbour or Armada was something I dreamt of as a youngster and when I first started producing. To have it happen was very satisfying. There will be a lot more music from me on Coldharbour in 2012.

Your release “Distance” particularly has been getting some heavy support recently. What is the premise behind this track and why do you think makes this release so outstandingly successful?

Distance went really well for me, I was quite happy with how it turned out. It was one of the only tracks where I started writing the melody and the rest fell into place. I invited some friends of mine to remix the tune, Grube & Hovsepian and Raneem. I had done remixes for both of these guys on Coldharbour Recordings & High Contrast Recordings in the past and I thought that their respective sounds would work perfect for Distance, so we had 3 contrasting mixes. I think having the 3 contrasting mixes really helped the success of the release, as there is something for everyone Both Grube & Hovsepian and Raneem delivered massive remixes and gained some big support. I think on one weekend we had all 3 mixes played by Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery and Judge Jules! Stay tuned for a follow up.

Turning our attention to your remix for W+W’s System Overload, your remix really lifts the track to new heights! How do you approach a new remix project? Can you give us an insight into your mindset when launching into a remix?

OK there are a few things I do, which are probably different to some other producers. One thing I like to do which maybe is a bit outside the box, is put the remix parts on to a CD and listen to them in my car as I’m driving around. I’ll avoid listening to the original track at the same time, as it’ll just confuse me! When I listen to remix parts on their own it makes the ideas for my remix flow easier. The other thing I like to do is have a play around with the parts and edit the WAV files I’m sent. That is generally how I go about remixing a track, unless it is an older track or a bootleg I’m doing where usually I’d already have the idea in my head before I start.

Having remixed the likes of W+W and Mike Foyle, who would you most like to work with in the future?

There are already 3-4 collabs in the works to kick off 2012! In 2012 I will be working with great artists and friends of mine such as Basil O’Glue & Tucandeo and a couple of others which are top secret at the moment, but the ideas and sounds at these early stages are already getting me excited! I guess in the future I’d love to sit down with artists such as Markus Schulz & Sander Van Doorn. Both these guys have been huge influences on my career. From a technical point and producers I look up to and listen to a lot, I’d love to sit down with guys like Rex Mundi, Solee or Moonbeam as the quality of their productions are just top notch.

Your reworks have featured the likes of Metallica and the Smashing Pumpkins. Can you tell us a little bit about where this rock influence comes from?

My rock influences are really stemmed from my background. My father played in bands as did my older cousins and I was very much into heavy metal as a kid. I purchased my first guitar at the age of 12 and started playing in bands at about 14. From about 14 I also loved dance music, but only really got into the production side when I was about 16. I still listen to guys like Metallica and the Pumpkins today. It’s not just dance music I listen to. I like to take short breaks from it every now and then and listen to a rock CD in my car. My car CD played has a USB output, so on my USB I have all my latest unfinished productions and new tunes I’ve been sent, whereas currently in the CD player I am listening to an old Incubus album, ‘Morning View’. I am also currently recording some guitar parts for a new track of mine and it is sounding really sweet!

Recently you cracked into the international circuit with an outstanding gig in Malaysia! Can you share your favourite moment from that night with us, and how did the crowds there compare to your hometown Melbourne crowds?

Playing at the Twelve festival in Sepang was definitely a career highlight. The venue was unique, it was my first time playing in Asia too and the people there were amazing. The venue was in the middle of the Sepang F1 Circuit and set up production was top notch. The crowds really seemed to enjoy the music I was playing and the set went so fast I thought I had only been up there for about 15 minutes! I played some of my favourite tunes from this year, such as ‘Beat Service – Outsider’ and Tucandeo’s bootleg of ‘Tim Berg – Bromance’. I played a lot of my new stuff, as well as a few personal favourite tunes that always go down a treat, stuff like Phynn’s remix of ‘Opera of Northern Ocean’ and Maarten De Jong’s bootleg of ‘Coldplay – The Scientist’. Overall the vibe was amazing the whole night and there is a definite similarity between the festival crowds of Australia and those of Malaysia. They are just out to party!

You have recently supported Andy Moor and and also featured on the Stereosonic lineup. With those amazing gigs behind you, what are you most looking forward to in the lead-up to 2012?

Both those gigs were a heap of fun. Warming up for Andy Moor was great and playing on a stage at Stereosonic which also hosted guys like Dash Berlin, Arty & BT was a great experience. What I’m most looking forward to now is the New Year celebrations. I am playing a New Years Day party in one of my favourite cities in Australia to play, Adelaide and wait till you guys see what’s in store!

If you could pick one event anywhere in the world to headline, what would it be and why?

Wow, a tough question. When I first started out, one of my dreams was to play main stage at Trance Energy. I guess now that Trance Energy is no longer it would be an honour to play at parties such as A State Of Trance in Holland or Tomorrowland in Belgium. The one I’d love to headline though out of them all would have to be Electric Daisy Carnival. Massive 3 day festival that boasts a huge line up and attracts tens of thousands of punters each year. Now that would be something special!

Your radio show “Low Frequencies” launched earlier this year on Afterhours.fm. Can you tell us a little bit about the idea behind the show and when we can catch the next episode?

I’m really enjoying bringing the show to my fans each month. The good thing about it is that each month it’s different. As mentioned in a previous question I’m not one to stick to 1 genre. It really depends what sounds good and which tunes are rocking my sets during that month. I guess the one thing that’s consistent is that you can hear it on the 3rd Tuesday of every month on Afterhours FM. The listener base is growing month on month too which is exciting. It’s a great way also to introduce my latest productions as well as feature some stuff a lot of people probably haven’t heard. I do have plans for 2012 to expand the show to a 2 hour slot every month and I plan to feature a guest mix each month from my favourite producers, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for that. Check www.aaroncamz.com for show times in your part of the world.

Despite your ever-growing schedule, you have maintained a wonderfully strong focus to help the Australian music scene and particularly newcomers. How important is helping up and coming producers to you and how will this be a focus for you in 2012?

I know when I was younger I would have loved for a producer with a few years experience to help me out! This is one of the reasons why I do it. I like to help kids younger than me, who are in the same position I was a few years back. It’s also getting Australia on the dance music map. There are a lot of upcoming talents in this country and they deserve to have their music exposed to the world. I guess it’s a long process, it has taken me about 6-7 years to get to where I am and as far as I’m concerned, I’m not even half way yet. So anything I can do to help, I will. I realise that I am lucky even to be where I am at the moment and I always told myself I will never get ahead of myself and never forget my roots. By doing this I am staying true to myself.

With the fall in popularity of trance in polls such as the DJ Mag poll this year, where do you see trance heading into the future?

Hopefully it goes underground and back to the sounds of say 2004? 2007/2008 weren’t bad years either! I hear a lot of people slamming some of the tracks made today, stating that ‘this isn’t trance’. You know, a lot of the producers who wrote trance a few years back, probably don’t enjoy it anymore. I don’t know, I’m just guessing. I don’t have anything against producers experimenting with different styles, however the darker, techier and even the more epic stuff is me. I guess dance music is evolving though and everyone is trying to do the ‘in’ thing at the moment, which is your Avicii/SHM sort of sound. Guys like Deadmau5, I have respect for. The guy created his own sound and a lot of people followed suit. In saying all this, I have absolutely no idea where trance will head in the future. The trouse stuff looks like it’ll continue, but believe me, 6-12 months down the track something else will pop up and everyone will try to emulate that. From me, I can promise you that my music will be deep and progressive, dark and techy

Outside of music, how does Aaron Camz love to unwind? We hear you are a massive Aussie Rules Football supporter!

I love AFL. It’s funny trying to explain how it works to my friends from overseas. With constant rule changes, sometimes I think to myself wow it really is hard to understand for someone who hasn’t seen the game before. My other love is football. I am a big Liverpool fan and in Australia I follow Melbourne Victory. I keep a close eye on our national team as well, the Socceroos. As you can see here, I am a big sports guy. I can watch sports all day. Apart from the sports stuff, I like to eat out (Middle Eastern & Indian being my favourite) and catch up with friends. Yeah, I’m a simple guy.

Pop quiz: You’ve got 5 things to take to a deserted island with you, what would you take and why?

Hmmm OK ..
1.A generator to power my..
2.Studio set up, I really can’t live without music!
3.Probably my iPhone loaded up with games
4.I guess food to be cliché, although, not sure how I’d survive without it
5.And finally a boat to get back

Whats the most surprising lesson you have learnt about the music industry in 2011?

How hypocritical some people can be!

Finally, what are the 3 vital characteristics to make it in the music industry?

Networking, the right attitude, an ear for good music. Quite simple hey!

www.aaroncamz.com
www.facebook.com/aaroncamz
www.twitter.com/aaroncamzmusic
www.soundcloud.com/aaroncamz

Posted in: Interviews | Posted on January 1, 2012 by Beatsmedia