Blending deep house rhythms with intricate sampling, the insanely talented Model Man fills our dance floor on 1st February, so we sat down for a chat!
Hey Model Man! How are you feeling ahead of the tour?
I’m feeling great. New year new me haha. No, I’m same old introverted piano electronic weirdo but that’s fine. Can’t wait to play though. It gives me life!
Nottingham is a really creative and inspiring place to be in, do you find that your surroundings impact your creative process?
Oh absolutely. That’s why I always try to write wherever I am. Not just in the studio.
Nottingham has a lot of history and I have family here too. It’s a definite vibe.
Your new string of singles are sounding amazing and they’ve been met with a lot of positivity, how have you found the reaction to be?
It’s a relief when you put music out and people like it. I was in NYC supporting LF System last month and the reaction to my songs was amazing. Makes you feel elated. I often take a long time over my tunes so seeing people vibing over them is a beautiful thing. People have sent me really personal messages too about how my tunes have helped them in hard times. That means so much knowing that I’ve had a positive effect on someone’s life. It gives me purpose.
How did you make the transition between being introduced to the rave scene and then taking the leap and producing your own tunes? Was it something that felt quite natural?
I’ve been surrounded by every genre of dance music since I was at school. Most of my class mates were aspiring DJs so the transition into making tunes myself felt very organic. It was the realisation that I could use my skills as a pianist alongside electronic music production that was the blueprint for me and the dawn of Model Man.
How do you begin to write music electronically? Is there a certain routine in the way you craft melodies and find samples?
I often start with piano. Lots of improvisation. Sometimes I hear exactly what I want to do and can just play it in. Occasionally I find a sample and work around that. No rules or boundaries. 😉
There’s a lot of emotion in your music, do you think that there’s an importance in elevating a dance track to more than just something more than to throw some shapes too?
Oh for sure. Without sounding too melodramatic, electronic music is so much about escape for me. However, I’ve been through a lot in my life and it’s impossible for me to not carry the pain joy and emotion into the music. It’s just the way I’m built. I put my heart and feelings into every note and beat I make.
Catch Model Man here at The Bodega on the 1st February, tickets available here.
