DJ/producer Tez Cadey drops by to give us the lowdown on his latest two-track EP ‘Everysingletime,’ delving into this musical influences, and the pressures that music producers can face to stay in one genre lane.
Let’s find out more about your story so far, Tez. How did you first get into making music?
My first contact with music was through the piano and the guitar when I was just a teen. I soon dropped it though because playing and learning songs on an instrument didn’t feel very exciting to me, and I wasn’t very good at it. However, I loved playing around with computers and when I discovered FL Studio at the time and made my first song on it, I knew I had found something special. The song was terrible of course, but just the fact that I could sit there on my bed and write and produce a song on a laptop, in just a day, felt amazing to me!
Which artists have had the biggest influence on your sound and music career?
I’ve been influenced by many artists over time: Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Avicii, the Swedish House Mafia, Justice, Breakbot, Boys Noize, Skrillex, Kevin Parker, Supertramp, MGMT, Daft Punk, Mac DeMarco and the list goes on. But the one artist that keeps coming back and has influenced my sound and career the most is definitely Calvin Harris. There is just something about his songs that hits the right strings for me. I love the production, the creative freedom he takes, and I think he’s just a great artist overall. Even the choices of visuals and artworks appeal to me. I’ve been a fan since his first album ‘I created Disco’ and have never been disappointed.
You recently dropped new EP ‘Everysingletime.’ Can you tell us about the writing process behind the release?
The process behind ‘Everysingletime’ was a very free one. I had no expectations of how I wanted it to sound because I wasn’t even planning to release the tracks then. It was all about having fun and make a record that could make me dance, in a very random and chaotic way.
Have you had the chance to play either track from the ‘Everysingletime’ EP live yet? If so, what were the crowd reactions like?
Yes, I’ve had the chance to play the EP in front of a few crowds this summer. The reaction was amazing each time, whether it was in an underground club in Paris or in front of a big audience at a festival. I look forward to that moment in my sets now because I know the tracks will lift the people up.
What part of being an artist do you find most challenging and most rewarding?
The most challenging part of being an artist, I feel, is feeling constantly compared to other producers and, most of all, to your previous releases. There is a lot of pressure for success and to keep something that’s working going. It’s sometimes hard to make what you really feel like making and not what the audience is expecting of you. And let’s be honest, no one wants to make the same record over and over again. But, being able to overcome that pressure and release something true to yourself is also one of the most rewarding and liberating experience. I love all types of music, whether it be pop, hard trance, psych rock or rap. I hope one day I’ll be able to produce anything I feel inspired to do. I’m working towards that goal one small step after the other.
What’s your favourite piece of studio kit?
My favourite piece of studio kit is a refurbished Juno-106. But it mainly collects the dust now unfortunately. I like to work directly on a laptop and on the go with just a pair of earphones nowadays. I feel freer by doing so. I’m not fond of recording, I like tweaking VSTs around. Even when I’m recording some guitar, I’ll go chop it up and rearrange it afterwards.
If you hadn’t pursued a career in music, what job do you think you would be doing?
I was studying to become an engineer originally and wanted to study architecture afterwards. So, I’d probably be an architect if there hadn’t been the music. Something creative for sure.
What upcoming events do you have planned?
We’re working on an event with my friends Majeur Mineur and Khamsin in Paris in September. We just released two tracks together this year (‘Movin’ On ’ and ‘ About That ’) so I’m looking forward to this show with them.
Do you have any more music releases coming out over the summer? And if so, what sound can we expect to hear from you?
I’m finishing up two singles for the end of the summer so I hope they will be ready by then. The two songs will be more pop oriented and I’m very excited about both.