We’ve got two killer free downloads for you today from up & coming Virginia producer M.Vaughan. The young American has been turning heads in the last year with his unique House & Garage blend. His admirers include renowned UK producer and Purp & Soul Chief Ben Pearce, who named him among his top 5 rising producers alongside the likes of Real Connoisseur and 2ndSun.
What’s more, we caught up with the producer to get the lowdown on the new cuts, recent travels to our capital and plans for 2015. Both tracks are available as free downloads!
WWD : Michael, give us a little background with regard to your introduction to producing and tell us a bit about the two tracks you have for us here!
I’m a 22 year-old producer from McLean, Virginia (which is where the CIA is headquartered, just outside of Washington D.C.). I have been producing electronic music for 5 years now, started off on Reason and now running Logic Pro X with shit-tons of plugins and a bright ‘n shiny new Moog Minitaur sitting on my lap. My biggest influences are kick drums, Animal Collective, and the r&b they play on Howard University’s radio station.
Both of these tracks are meant for the dance-floor. “Where U At?” is meant to be tongue-in-cheek garage whereas “Comfort Zone” is more of a spaced out warehouse vibe.
You’re from the States but spent some time living in Dublin recently. Do you find it much of a culture clash music wise?
Yeah I did just spend 4 months in Ireland, spent some time studying literature at Trinity. Weirdly, I listen to a LOT of house from across the pond, so coming to Ireland almost meant going to a musical home I’d never actually seen before. It was unbelievable choosing between some of these gigs. One night in particular, Detroit Swindle were on somewhere and Eglo Recs were doing a showcase elsewhere and of all the nights, I happened to be away.
Moreover, I made some of my tracks while in Ireland. “Comfort Zone” was actually made the day after a massive warehouse rave in Glasnevin. On a sunday with eyes rolling around in the back of my head I found myself really inspired by the dark, sweaty tunes I had heard the last night and wanted to recreate the feeling. If you listen in the background, you can actually hear birds and cars and nature sounds which are from a field recording taken by Portobello bridge near my old apartment in Rathmines. There is literally Ireland in that song. It takes me back.
What can we expect from you in 2015?
2015 is lining up to be very exciting! I’m working on a debut EP on a certain respected deep house label out of London. I don’t know if I’ll end up doing anything with Purp & Soul, but Ben Pearce named me in his top 5 up-and-coming producers last year, so that was a huge honor. Some things I am really keen on starting is both a set of monthly parties at my home school Wesleyan University (which has virtually no dance music scene) as well as a sultry r&b project with some good friends. I wanna stir some things up!
