Q&A: VenessaMichaels - "Like That"
In the short span of a year, VenessaMichaels has accomplished to reel us into super fan mode with her infectious collection of singles - including her latest "Like That," 90s throwback remixes and current ones for artists such as Gallant, as well, and collaborations with Reid Stefan, MOONZz and Jackson Breit. All futuristic, all radiating insane amounts of energy, all baked piping hot with her signature #2090 sound.
Out of breath? Not us – we can’t get enough! Luckily, we had the chance to host a Q&A with VenessaMichaels to discuss everything from music to what's on her bucket list to her biggest DJ crush. Here’s how it all went down:
1. Having a classically trained background, when did your transition into electronic music happen? Would you say there's a particular moment that inspired the transition into your current sound?
There was definitely a particular moment. I remember hearing the A-Trak remix of “Heads Will Roll” and I was like “WHAT IS THIS!?” It blew my mind! I never was into techno or electronic music before that and then I started to dig deep into Soundcloud and found producers like Alvaro and Afrojack who were underground online at the time and were dropping crazy electronic remixes. That sound initially brought me into the whole EDM side of things. I was really into Dirty Dutch. That broken beat has always stayed with me hence the Jersey Club inspired sound. But it took a while of hearing all kinds of music from both the Hip Hop world, the 90s RnB/Hip Hop world and the EDM world to figure out what I wanted to create on my own. I wanted a blend of everything I loved, so #2090 came to life after some experimentation.
2. As someone who shares your passion for all things 90s, what would you say is your biggest influence that carries through in your style and sound today? Who would you say is your favorite artist and song from that decade?
Timbaland is my favorite artist from that decade. In my opinion, he carried the 90s into the 2000’s and made unique beats from weird noises and sounds. It’s hard to find producers and artists who do that now a day. He also worked with some of my favorite artists from the decade including Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, Jay Z, Usher and just so many more legends who paved the way for what music is today. The biggest influence of the sound are the toplines. It’s not as common to hear such detailed and musical toplines now. So, I really try and bring that back to original compositions and get some variety with artists. There’s many ways to write a song, but no one writes it like 90s, early 2000s topliners. For example “Cater 2 U” Destiny’s Child, it’s just so good. It feels like their vocals are gliding over the beat and blend so perfectly.
3. Walk us through a day in the live of VenessaMichaels:
8AM: Snoozing.. 11AM:Up turning up to some E40 and cooking breakfast burritos 1PM: Working on some new tracks and songs that need to be finished ayyY 3PM: You always gotta take a break and work it out so you don't go crazyyyy! 6PM: Back to making music and sometimes working on events with my crew Trip Eazy 10PM: Getting ready for the night and going out to support the homies. There's always something awesome goin on in LA in the music world.
4. From start to finish, share with us how "Like That" came to fruition. How did you link up with Jackson Breit?
I met Jackson through some friends in the studio. He's got such a soulful voice and we knew we wanted to write something about love. We came up with the hook first and then wrote in the verses of this story that we both could relate to. It's so fun working with Jackson, because he's wild and amazingly talented.
5. What have already checked off your musical bucket list, and what are the next line items who hope to check off in the next year?
Making a music video! Traveling on a tour. Next thing to check off is having my own tour :)
6. Who is your biggest DJ crush?
Nina Las Vegas, duh. Do I need to explain why :-p
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