ContirbutorMagno – My sound has always been heavily inspired by movie scores, so when I started working on this track, I knew I wanted something very aggressive for the drop, while favouring a more dramatic break to go with it.
MI4L – This track explores new sonic and songwriting terrain for you. How did the creative process differ from your debut single, “Zeus”?
Magno – “In the Air” is the first track I made in collaboration with a singer. The creative process to make it was very different from “Zeus” as I only had a one minute demo sent to the singer (Shelley Harland), and needed her vision and vocals to make the rest of the track. It was important to make the rest of the song after receiving vocals, in order to have the most coherent result. Whereas when making instrumental tracks, you don’t need to wait for anyone’s input in order to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.
MI4L – The track features an angelic vocal hymn. What role do vocals play in your production style, and how did you select or create this particular vocal?
Magno – I feel like vocals play a huge role in music in general, they can really alter a song’s energy and is in my opinion, the highest form of electronic music track you can produce. I contacted Shelley Harland for this track, as I knew she had the right voice and writing skills to bring it home. She did a stellar job and had everything sent over within 3 days.
MI4L – You’ve described “In The Air” as precision-targeted for the world’s most exciting dancefloors. How do you balance emotional depth with club functionality?
Magno – When I make these types of hybrids, I try to make sure that the drops are as energetic as can be, and for that, you need the kick bass balance to be perfect to constantly drive the dancefloor. I try to make breaks no longer than one minute, serving as a short emotional pause that leads back to the high intensity drop.
MI4L – What was your reaction when you first heard Judgemxnt’s take on “In The Air”? Did his remix bring out any elements you hadn’t originally envisioned?
Magno – Judgemxnt’s remix was halfway done before I could even send him the vocals! So I knew from the start that it was going to be very different, since he didn’t want to use any stems. First time hearing it was amazing because he took it in a very different direction. He turned it into a more chill yet powerful version that really works for easy listening, just like on dancefloors.
MI4L – Judgemxnt’s remix seamlessly incorporates orchestral tones, afro rhythms, and progressive house. Do you see yourself exploring similar genre crossovers in the future?
Magno – I definitely want to do different things with my music, I produced mostly festival tracks so far, but I want to explore other genres and blend them with my own.
MI4L – Releasing music through your own creative platform gives you full control. What are the biggest advantages and challenges of self-releasing?
Magno – The advantages are that you don’t have to wait on anyone to release your music, and you get to be out there and grow your brand early, without needing a label to do it for you. This is great, however, you need to do some serious promotion if you want to see plays on your music, and that’s not an easy thing to do, especially when just getting started
MI4L – Following the success of “Zeus” and “In The Air,” what can fans expect next? Are there any upcoming collaborations or projects in the works?
Magno – I teased ten tracks during my set in Marbella (you can find it on YouTube), so I am focusing on releasing those songs first, while also working on new music, with some collaborations in the works currently.
MI4L – How does your studio process translate into your live or DJ sets? Do you tweak your productions specifically for performance settings?
Magno – So when I make music, I tend to naturally gravitate towards big room sounds, but I also do have some tracks that could work in any kind of setting. It really helps to have this balance because you’re not always gonna be playing in massive places, so depending on where I am mixing, I have different tracks for each situation, and I try to make sure that I work on the type of song I need in my catalogue in order to always have a good balance between both vibes.
MI4L – With two singles out now, how do you feel you’ve grown as an artist, and what’s your long-term vision for the Magno sound?
Magno – I have definitely learned a lot about self releasing music and how to properly launch a project like mine. I want to branch out to other labels, and have at least half of my productions coming out on those in the future, so that I can roll out releases consistently through the year.
Download Magno’s latest releases here – https://www.beatport.com/label/magno/125694