INTERVIEW : Demarkus Lewis
There’s no stopping Demarkus Lewis. With over 1500 tracks and remixes to his name, the American producer releases high-quality music at a cadence that’s practically unparalleled in the world of electronic music. His latest album features the track About U - a vibey house single out today via Eyedillic Music - as well as remixes from South Africa’s Erefaan Pearce and Eyedyllic’s co-founder Mik Santoro. In an attempt to get to the bottom of Demarkus’ endless creativity, we had a chat with him to learn more about his workflow, his current inspirations and the art of the remix.
How have you been doing lately? What has kept you busy these past few months?
I'm good, thanks for asking. The studio and the hats I wear in here has kept me really busy all of 2020.
You're releasing About U. Can you talk a bit about this record? What was your mindset when you produced it?
Yes About U is a gem. I wish I had something cosmic to say about its creation, but the truth is I just let the song form organically without any forethought into it. I will say that I was in the mood for a bit of a love song that day, I think.
Being so prolific, do you have a creative routine or steps you follow when you produce a new track?
I have a template on startup in Ableton where I already have set in place a kick, hi-hat, and clap. This allows me to jump right in which starts with finding a chord progression that vibes right for the mood I'm in.
I never sit down and think I'm writing a specific genre. I usually just let the track do what it do and flow like water.
What's your favorite production tool at the moment?
Ableton Push 2 is my bestie as it allows for such a quick workflow. There are so many things this box does, but the main thing is the workflow. I like how it also gives the option to tweak things with a bit more hands on.
About U features a spoken-word sample. How was it chosen or created? What does it represent for you?
I often have Netflix or YouTube running in the background when I write and I tend to grab samples as I hear them. Most times the samples I find aren't specifically chosen for any particular track. I just stack up samples to use for a later date.
This one just seemed to fit the mood of the day and vibe of the track so I rolled with it.
Your release features 2 remixes. What do you look for in a remix of one of your tracks?
Well, I usually don't have any say on who the label wants to remix my tunes. To me, the remix needs to add a bit of flavour to a project while retaining a bit of the vibe of the original without just copying the original and just adding new drums.
What was your reaction when you heard the About U remixes by Erefaan Pearce and Mik Santoro?
They absolutely killed it and did so with style and grace!
In a recent interview, you said that there's always something to learn. Can you share a few of the things you've learned or reaffirmed recently?
I've been learning many things in regards to mixing and mastering. I've spent the better part of 2 years gathering the right tools such as plug-ins and techniques that have upped my game 10 fold, I believe.
It can feel a bit much having to teach yourself the proper way of doing things. Special shout-out to all my peers out there that share their knowledge with each other.
Do you have any recent music discoveries that you can share with us? Which tracks have kept you inspired lately?
I'm always inspired by Atjazz .. the guy just never ceases to amaze me!
What's next for Demarkus Lewis?
That’s a great question. I think there will be more tunes to share as well as a lot of behind the scenes activities as I'm now doing a lot more mixing and mastering services for other artists.
Demarus Lewis’ new release About U is out now on Eyedillic Music.
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