Australian DJ, Producer, Audio Engineer, and founding father of document label Sorta Kinda Music Damo Cox is a real sonic maven with an unapologetic captivation for all genres of music. At present residing on the sunny shores of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Damo delivers his tunes straight from the studio to festivals together with Splendour within the Grass in addition to golf equipment & bars from Cairns to Sydney.
His music speaks for itself and his newest EP ‘Wub Me’ is yet one more gem so as to add to his toolbelt. It’s a improbable musical rollercoaster that takes you on a wild journey by the world of home music.
The primary observe, “Get With Me,” is pure dancefloor magic that provides rumbling bass grooves and seamless sampling that makes this one irresisable. “Deep Wubs,” follows and pans out to be the coolness counterpart. It slows issues down, supplying you with an opportunity to catch your breath and get misplaced in its mesmerizing melodies. One factor that Damo Cox but once more proves is his potential to create such totally different but cohesive tracks.
We had the possibility to talk with him about his music and this EP. Take pleasure in!
Are you able to share some insights into the inspiration behind the Wub Me EP?
I wrote each at a degree once I was going by a troublesome time with my psychological well being. It was a little bit of a curler coaster! There could be some darkish days, and there could be some actually good days. I needed the EP to showcase the sunshine and darkish, so ‘Deep Wubs’ has these darker undertones and a deeper vibe, whereas ‘Get With Me’ is on the lighter aspect, particularly with the bouncy bass line.
Across the time I used to be engaged on “Get With Me” I got here throughout a video breaking down all of the totally different samples Liam Howlett utilized in The Prodigy’s album “Jilted Era” which gave me some concepts to experiment with once I was engaged on the vocals for the observe. I used to be listening to a good bit of Paul Karkbrenner which I really feel was a little bit of an inspiration behind the deeper vibes that got here out in “Deep Wubs” and the The XX’s observe “The Intro” was what I used to mannequin the sound design for the synth plucks I used within the observe.
How would you describe the general vibe and sound of the tracks on the “Wub Me” EP?
I believe the vibe of the EP displays what I used to be going by on the time, with the sunshine and darkish, I assume you would say. “Get With Me” being the extra membership targeted observe, has a enjoyable, bouncy vibe to it. Whereas “Deep Wubs” has that darker, deeper vibe to it.
Had been there any particular objectives or intentions you had in thoughts with this launch?
I’ve been difficult myself to push my sound into totally different genres and actually let the concepts and creativity circulation once I’m producing. So this EP was actually about showcasing among the totally different sounds I’ve been creating.
How have you learnt when a launch is ‘accomplished’ and prepared for exporting, are there indicators you search for or sure emotions you get?
Every time I discuss to different producers, all of us say the identical factor, that it by no means actually feels “accomplished”! You’ll be able to drive your self mad by frequently making tweaks and altering totally different parts in a observe. Being an audio engineer as nicely, I believe that makes it even worse at instances as a result of the usual needs to be very excessive for me to be pleased with it. Giving a observe the dancefloor take a look at is normally one of the best ways to know whether it is accomplished or not, I believe. ‘Get With Me’, for instance, I truly hadn’t meant to ever launch that observe. However each time I drop it in a set, the individuals on the dance ground like it! So I assume that’s the final word approach of understanding a observe is prepared.
What was your artistic course of like for this launch? Was it clean and fast or maybe more difficult than anticipated?
“Deep Wubs” creatively got here collectively fairly easily, and I truly held on to the observe for some time pondering it wasn’t completed as a result of I felt it wanted a vocal to deliver all of it collectively, however in the long run I ended up bringing the synth ahead within the combine and making it the function of the observe.
“Get With Me” was positively a protracted course of that by no means appeared to finish. I attempted and examined it out so many instances, and dancefloors like it, however for me, there was all the time one thing that felt off. Simply earlier than I performed on the Initiation NYE 2022/23 Pageant, I ended up transforming among the percussive parts within the observe and testing them out in my set on the pageant, and when it dropped, the vibe from the group was off the chain! So it solely took two years, however I used to be lastly pleased with the observe haha.
Do you favor being within the studio versus on stage, otherwise you don’t have a choice?
These are two utterly totally different modes for me. I can disappear into the studio for days, completely immersed in a artistic headspace, barely making contact with humanity, however in a completely completely happy place. Being on stage is nearly the polar reverse; it’s a shift in gears the place it’s all about reference to individuals by music.
The energies are completely totally different, however you want that in life, proper? Plus, being on stage offers you the chance to really witness how these introverted hours within the studio have an effect on individuals. It’s arms down one of the best ways to know whether or not you’ve hit the mark with what you’ve created. Charting and stuff is good, after all, however the final kick is seeing individuals vibing with and responding positively to one thing you’ve created. That’s happiness proper there!
What are some business or cultural adjustments that stand out from if you began the Damo Cox mission till now?
Since I began out, there have been so many adjustments within the business. COVID was clearly one thing that flipped the business utterly on its head, which put a pressure on festivals, golf equipment, and venues in the previous couple of years, particularly right here in Australia. Regardless of the downsides, there’s been loads of positives although. I believe it has pressured lots of people to assume otherwise about the way in which they placed on their occasions and the totally different areas through which they’re held. Which is cool as a result of I believe there may be an superior underground scene constructing right here in Australia that would put us on the map and make Australia a top-notch music vacation spot over the subsequent few years if it continues to develop on the price that it’s.
One other factor that has modified through the years I’ve been within the business is the speed at which music is consumed and the way shortly kinds, sounds, and genres change into the “present sound” one week and inside a couple of weeks it’s moved on to one thing else. The business has all the time cycled by totally different genres and sounds, however within the digital age of music and with how carefully everyone seems to be linked, it’s loopy how briskly it strikes now. In a approach, it’s unhappy as a result of there may be some actually wonderful music that’s getting misplaced within the noise due to how briskly paced it’s, however it’s introducing an increasing number of individuals to totally different sounds within the digital music realm.
