T.H.E Interview – Mason

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Mason Interview

Dutch talent Mason kicked off 2019 by dropping a unique new single on his very own flourishing imprint, Animal Language.

Not unusual for Mason’s work, Banzai boasts an impressive back story. Using elements of the original, the mix of historic names and forward thinkers make a delightful concoction of gifted artists. In 1970, Banzai called upon Daniel Vangarde’s stellar songwriting skills, as well as production legend, Jean Kluger. Jean is known for working with heavyweights such as Ottowan and the Gibson Brothers among others. Vangarde just so happens to be the father of one Thomas Bangalter, of Daft Punk fame.

We caught up with Mason to speak to him about “Banzai”, his plans including the label for 2019 and loads more. Read our chat below!

T.H.E – Hi Mason! Welcome to The Music Essentials. How has 2019 kicked off for you?

Mason – I was straight away back in the studio. Always enjoy these first few days after NYE, as people tend to be away and everything is much more quiet, so you can actually get some music done…

T.H.E – What did you do for NYE? Did you play any shows?

Mason – I played in a gay club in Russia, as one does, and had a really good time. It was an after hour place, so the party went on till somewhere the next afternoon. Took some time to recover ;-) Also despite the news on Russian gay suppression it was good to see clubs like this running without any problems.

T.H.E – What goals have you set out for yourself, to achieve in 2019?

Mason – I like to produce more pop artists behind the scenes. That’s a bit of a new avenue for me but really challenging. Apart from that, I’m looking forward to touring US, Brazil, and Asia again this year.

T.H.E – Let’s talk about your new single Banzai. When did you start work on this, and what was the best part of creating the track?

Mason – I cut up and sampled this old track by the Yamasuki Singers, which happened to be by Thomas Bangalter’s father. As he didn’t have a publisher I had to track this 80+ year old myself to get the sample cleared. Which worked out in the end! I turned it into a pretty left-of-center indie dance tune that does wonders in my DJ sets.

T.H.E – It has been released on your label Animal Language. How pleased were you with the label growth in 2018, and what plans do you have for it, this year?

Mason – Animal Language really is a labor of love more than anything else. So we don’t need to be the biggers in the world, we just wanna do our own thing and release fresh and different stuff from what’s already out there. Next up we have a pretty special EP coming up: we asked Endor, Hifi Sean and Kolombo to produce a record with only 8 elements. They took the challenge and the result is pretty dope.

T.H.E – Over your lengthy career so far, how would you describe the evolution of your sounds?

Mason – Been DJ-ing for 23 years, so it went through quite a lot of phases. From hip-hop to breakbeat to electro to disco to more housey stuff nowadays. I don’t care too much about what’s trendy – I find trends usually a bit boring – but do my own thing. Luckily there’s a loyal group of fans that support what I do, which makes it possible for me to continue what I do without compromising. It sounds soggy but I’m super grateful for that.

T.H.E – Lastly, which 5 artists would you say we should keep an eye out for.

Mason –

  1. Hifi Sean
  2. Malikk
  3. Volkoder
  4. Kolombo
  5. Melé

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