In Depth With…Moe Danger
Producer Moe Danger is a name very much on the one to watch list for 2017. Having moved to Berlin in 2014, he dropped his debut EP on Italian imprint Metropolitan Recordings, with a subsequent release on Metro’s sister label, Taste of Honey. Having since revamped his style, the Canadian artist went on to release ‘Chopsticks’ on Pure Records, hitting a #1 in electronic albums on iTunes Germany as part of the Zirkus Zirkus, Vol. 13 compilation. Last year Moe continued to fine-tune his sound with releases on Tach & Nacht and Tächno, and ended 2016 with a release on Simina Grigoriu’s Berlin-based Kuukou Records Moe is an artist we’re undoubtedly going to hear a lot more from for the year ahead.
With that in mind, we caught up with the producer to find out a bit more about his beginnings, inspirations, background, production set up and what 2017 has in store.
Hi Moe, How are you things with you currently?
Good thanks for asking!
We love your new release on Kuukou. How excited are you about it and how long has this release been in the pipeline?
I’m super excited about it. The release has been in the works for quite a few months, from the start of my collaboration with Bigasti to final release. And to get two superb remixers and a lot of positive feedback from the techno community, it’s been great all along the way.
How did you come to collaborate with Bigasti?
We’ve been friends for a while and both producers with our own styles, it didn’t take long for us both to wonder what a collaboration would sound like. So we started without any intentions, and it grew to be something cool, something that we’ll continue in the future.
You were born in Toronto? What was the dance music scene like there growing up?
I was in love with the 90s dance scene in Toronto; Jungle Music, Drum and Bass, early EDM with ear piercing genres like Happy Hardcore. The catch is I was too young to get into any clubs, so I’d sit at home listening to The Prodigy, and downloading the latest mixes from local DJs like Capital J. By the time I was old enough for the clubs the scene had changed and it was more about dressing up than about the music, I wasn’t into it so much. But lately I’ve noticed the scene has come back strong in Toronto.
How did you first get into Djing and producing? Was there one defining moment that triggered your passion for it?
I was always into music and computers growing up, so it was a natural progression. By the time I was 13 I got really into rap and started looking up to scratch DJs like QBert. I bought myself a mixer and a turntable to learn on, and at the same time I got some basic production software and started producing for fun. But the desire was always there.
Who or what would you say are your greatest influences on your current sound?
Such a hard question to answer, I would say early Prodigy, early Fatboy Slim. Those shaped me in terms of electronic style, but in the end I can’t pinpoint a direct influence, I love all music from funk, flamenco, jazz, you name it, and all those genres together influence the way I produce.
You’ve been living in Berlin for a few years now. How are you finding it and how would you say it has shaped you as a producer?
Berlin is a really artistic city. It’s hard to take a step outside your flat without getting inspired in some way. I would say Berlin has helped me to truly appreciate proper techno, and this has totally shaped my production style. When I first moved my productions were entirely fluffy and light, super melodic, and quite commercial sounding, but each track since has been getting darker, more techy, more Berlin.
What’s your current studio setup and your preferred equipment to use on productions?
My setup is super basic, I’ve sold all my old analog gear and mostly focus on sampling nowadays. So all I need is my MacBook Pro, Ableton Live, an APC40, an old M-Audio midi keyboard, and a pair of Mackie HR824 monitors. There are some go to VSTs of course like Sylenth and Massive. And an ever growing sample library. For now this is enough studio for me.
The EP features some great reworks of the track with the Rico Puestel and Patrick Ebert remixes. How did they get involved in the Ep?
Bigasti and I are both fans of their music, so we sent them the track and asked if they’d be interested, and luckily they both liked the original and agreed to do a remix. It worked out great, things don’t tend to always work out so smoothly. The remixes all have such a great individual vibe it really solidifies the release.
Have you been playing much recently in Berlin or other places?
I recently played at Suicide Circus that was a really cool venue, I also did Astra Kulturhaus for New Years 2015-16. But most of my gigs have been outside of Berlin. Next year I plan to play more thanks to my new booking agency NXTOU, and Berlin is definitely going to be a city of focus.
Any more releases in the pipeline from Moe Danger to look out for?
Absolutely, there’s a remix I did for Simina Grigoriu coming up on FORM, I’ve got a couple originals on Tächno and Light My Fire in the next couple months, and of course some releases under my own label MotherBot Records. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, there’s a lot more currently in the works.
What does the future hold in 2017 for you as an artist?
Playing more shows, releasing a bunch more music, and collaborating with as many talented musicians as possible. I’m looking forward to it