Don’t get disheartened | Dean Demanuele

Could you give us a brief run-down of how you got into music, and how you arrived at the point you are now, in terms of your musical career?

I never expected to be where I am today and never thought I would actually be a music producer and live musician, much less do it for a living. I never had any connections with music whatsoever. I think I first started getting tempted into House and Techno music in my early teens. I used to go to clubs and get an energy rush which felt really different from what my friends had felt. I then started researching by myself and as time passed by I made it a point to pin down various music connections which I thought would help me find my path, and so I did.

I was hungry to know more, but since Malta was too limited, I started looking overseas and crossed paths with Pig&Dan – they had been already doing big things back then and to work with them was a big honour. We became very good friends and they invited me to work together on some material in their studio back in the UK. Later on, they released their album on Yoshitoshi, “the label of Deep Dish”. This led me to follow my instincts and move to the UK. I got to know how the music business worked and never looked back since then.

As time passed by I got invited to play in clubs all around Europe such as Berlin, Zurich, London, Barcelona, Lucern, Geneva and so on.

What made you go for the particular genre you are now practicing?

It was a natural process. I tried doing other kinds of music but I always went back to Techno and House. I love doing what I do and the good thing about music is that it’s constantly evolving, so you never do the same thing twice. I get bored quite easily, so that’s a big push for me to strive for perfection.

How did you manage to garner international interest, and begin collaborating with international artists in your field?

As I mentioned before, it was all about making my music, getting connections and travelling around. As time went by, I always tried to develop my style and be myself as much as possible, so it was interesting for other DJs and producers to listen to something different I guess. It’s also a matter of luck, being there at the right place and time also helps.

Could you tell us a bit about your label, Dazed & Confused Records? How long have you been going on for, and what do you specialise in?

Dazed and Confused Records started later on in my career. It was in the beginning of 2013 when I was based in Berlin. I was very expressive at the time and I was working constantly on new music. I felt the need to showcase the music I was working on by releasing my own singles.

This immediately caught the attention of some big radio stations worldwide including BBC Radio and other big international artists like Luciano, M.a.n.d.y, John Digweed, Paco Osuna, Pig&Dan, Lee Van Dowski and so on. Later on the label developed into a hub for various electronic producers and friends to release on, it became their home. Moreover, I managed to expand the whole concept and it became Dazed and Confused Music, which is divided into ‘Events’ – where we host our parties on a worldwide platform – and ‘Studios’, where we create sounds for various companies and individuals.

It’s an all-audio solution in one spot, and also includes ‘Records’, where we release avant-garde music, from Electronic to Techno to House. I also host ‘Into the Daze’ a bi-weekly radio show transmitted on Sceen.FM. A German platform, the show reaches an audience of 3,000 to 4,500 listeners from 40-50 countries worldwide.

What advice would you give to aspiring Maltese musicians who want to break into the international scene?

Listen to your intuition and don’t get disheartened when things get tough. If you feel you can do it, you will.