EXCLUSIVE ARTIST INTERVIEW

Following on from “Snake Eyes” the latest release from Diamondz we spent some time to get to know the artist a little more. Reflecting on the bouncy slap House track that takes listeners on a journey; whilst exploring the nuances of love, lust, and passion amidst the complexities of modern relationships, ultimately finding that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Below he tells us more about his background, growth and recent release.

GETTING TO KNOW Diamondz…

Introduce yourself and your project

Hi, thanks for this opportunity. It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you today! I’m Diamondz, I’m a DJ/ Producer based out of Miami. I’ve been rocking crowds for over a decade at some of the best nightclubs in the US and I’m now on a new journey, evolving as a DJ, creating my own original music. My project ‘Snake Eyes’ is my fifth single and came out May 21st everywhere.

On this track, I challenged myself to produce something where I had to reach back in time and find a vibe that resonated with me. My older brother was big into Synth-Pop/New Wave music and as a little kid I have great memories of hanging out with him, listening to his favorite tracks.

The instrumentation for Snake Eyes is an homage to my brother’s musical influence on me, to the 80’s synth-pop/new wave movement as a whole and to the song, “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell that really sparked that sound and defined a decade of music. They were pioneers in the early stages of synth electronic sounds that can also be attributed to the beginnings of the electronic music movement as a whole. I feel some of the sounds in ‘Snake Eyes’ embody that vibe.

Soft Cell are an English duo, so I naturally gravitated in that direction, ending up working with a talented singer/songwriter from the UK. Playing off the idea of a broken love, the concept of ‘Snake Eyes’ developed naturally in the writing process. Writing lyrics to this was a lot of fun, collaborating across the Atlantic and knocking out demo after demo until we got it right. It was so rewarding to find that perfect sweet spot where I knew the song had achieved the style and substance I envisioned.

I think the story will resonate with a lot of people. We’ve all loved deeply and there’s a very specific hurt that comes with a situation like this. It’s relatable at its core. It’s a sad and bitter, hurt-filled situation, with a tinge of satisfaction in the end; knowing you were actually the better choice and they messed up. So, f**k em! Now you’re up! You’re good!

Explain what musical genre fits you best

I produce a wide range of styles that cross the spectrum of Electronic Music, Hip Hop and Pop. As a DJ, I’ve never subscribed to the idea of boxing ourselves into a single genre. We’re people, like everyone else, with eclectic tastes and an array of life experiences. People are generally not one-dimensional and, for me, I can never turn off the emotion I’m feeling while creating just to force a “genre” on myself. I make music that I am feeling in the moment, I pour my soul into my art and hope it resonates with people.

Were you connected with music from a young age and did anyone inspire you?

I was connected very early to music through a wide variety of sources. My parents, my grandparents, my older brother, my friends and their families. I listened and loved everything. I grew up with so much variety, from 60’s/70’s Rock, Country, Soul and Funk, to the Great American Songbook with my grandparents, tons of show music, Jazz and Blues. I was definitely connected to decades worth of music. I talked about my brother being big into the New Wave/Synth-Pop movement in the 80’s and he listened to everything 90’s as well. I listened to so much Hip-Hop, early Techno and House music as a kid. My childhood was rich with musical influence.

What kickstarted your music career?

By the time I was 14 I had been playing drums and DJing in my basement. I was terrible! Haha.

I joined a band, as the DJ, with my friends. We started playing shows at this interactive games place that also had an arcade. It was a place our friends and other people our age would hang out at on weekends. We just set up on Saturdays and would play the most mediocre covers of songs, but it was awesome.

That led to me taking on the lead DJ spot at a popular arcade/bowling alley/bar where I met tons of people and ended up parlaying that into opportunities in the local club scene. That led to an amazing internship at a major radio station that helped me secure gigs at some of the top clubs in town where I headlined my own sets and opened for major touring DJ’s and artists.

Tell us more about your sound and how it’s evolved over time

I think my sound is constantly evolving. I walk the line between what’s hot in the moment and what I feel is the next wave. Balancing those perspectives allows me to keep my finger on the pulse and truly connect with people.

The distinction in my sound is my love for dirty basslines, powerful lyrics and unapologetically crossing genres, playing completely outside the rules. I’m a sonic disruptor and damn proud of it. It comes from a genuine love of connecting people through music; and that’s achieved through understanding what people are vibing to in the moment and creating the next vibe from that. I’ve always had an affinity for spinning and producing different styles of music without handcuffing myself to anything specific. I’ve been on stages dropping amazing House music sets, club and festival EDM, straight Hip-Hop and open-format sets, Afrobeats, of course Reggaeton in Miami, Deep House afters, pool parties with a mix of Electronic genres, so much. It’s allowed me to walk into ANY room and rock ANY crowd, no matter the situation. That’s my superpower.

Any words you want to share to encourage other artists or producers?

My biggest pieces of advice is: just get started and fall in love with failing! Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect for you to start working toward your dream, conditions will NEVER be perfect. The sooner you start the better you’ll become. There is nothing smooth about the process, so just get to work and make progress. Hard work and long hours should be expected.

Probably the most important aspect is to embrace “failure” as some call it. It’s inaccurate to call it that, as the only real “failure” is giving up or not trying at all. If you start working toward your dreams, there is no real failure. You will meet two outcomes, success or lessons, failure is not part of this equation, only lessons. Falling in love with failing means falling in love with the lessons you will inevitably learn, because they are helping you grow and become the artist you want to be. It’s attainable, but you have to be willing to walk the path and be willing to put in the work.

Lastly, be kind. That’s more of a humanistic thing than encouraging, but seriously, be kind. Spread love and positivity.

How do you nurture your industry relationships?

The number one key is being authentic. Just be yourself, be kind and be selfless. People will move mountains for friends and family, so be true to yourself, be authentic and build real relationships without expectations of others. Be selfless and offer your skills, expertise, assistance or any other way you can help them and build a relationship from there.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank that’s been crucial to your journey?

There are honestly so many people that have been instrumental in my success. It starts with all my family and friends. The influence, the help, the trust, the support has been so crucial to me having the freedom to start and continue this journey. My wife has been my biggest cheerleader, and is the most supportive and encouraging person in my life. Her contributions to this journey are immeasurable. My Grandparents and my Dad helped me get to Los Angeles and into music school. Those years changed the scope of my career and left me with experiences that have shaped the trajectory of my entire professional journey.

There are some people in different parts of my career that I don’t think know how impactful they were and how they helped give me the confidence to keep going. They believed in me and helped me find a way to break into parts of the industry I never would have normally had access to. Some of those people were DJ Latu (Angilau), Michael Gura (Kevin Cruise), Pat Clark, Mikey Monteiro, Tina T, DJ Irie, DJ Triple XL and DJ Iron Lyon. Each of them gave me advice and opportunities above my reach at the time and I’ll forever be grateful to them for that and pay it forward.

All the club owners, managers and talent buyers who have trusted me to facilitate the soundtrack to people’s experiences at the events and venues.

The biggest thanks to every single person that listens to my music, follows along my journey and supports me. There is a special synergy that exists between the DJ and the people dancing, it’s a high I’ll continue to chase my entire life and I appreciate every single person that I share those moments with.

Name 3 songs you love and what they mean to you

Oh wow, such an impossible ask of a DJ when there are so many incredible songs that have such deep meaning…everything from ‘Levels’, ‘Clarity’, ‘Alive’, ‘Don’t You Worry Child’, ‘Cinema’, ‘Lean On’, ‘Wake Me Up’, ‘I Can’t Stop’…I could seriously go on forever. Some songs that had a really large impact on me and my growth both personally and professionally were:

Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki Remix) – Kid Cudi

This track was important to me on so many levels. It came out while I was living in Los Angeles. I used to live a couple blocks from LAX nightclub and I’d go to Banana Split Sundaes all the time and just tuck in by the DJ booth to watch Aoki, DJ AM and Thee Mike B rock the turntables. I met them all but on just a very basic level. I honestly should have tried to network and be cool with them, but I was just a snot-nosed kid; a fresh newbie in LA, didn’t know anyone in the city and these guys were living legends in the scene.

I chickened out! :face palm: My biggest takeaway from their sets was affirmation that people love it when you give the middle finger to norms and play however you want, however you feel the vibe should be. It gave me the confidence to rock all genres and styles and just have fun with it. From that point on I followed everything from those guys. Right at the end of that Banana Split era Aoki flips this Cudi song

that I absolutely love and connected with so much…those years I was already dealing with anxiety and escapism issues, that song was basically my life’s anthem…all the sudden here comes this nasty, heavy bass, swirling synth version from Aoki that immediately became a staple track to so many sets of mine for so many years.

7 Years – Lukas Graham

This song just hit home on such a personal level. I connect with it because I feel like so many aspects of it are speaking to my life, the way I’m sure it makes so many people feel. It caused me to pause and reflect on everything that’s really important in life and reflect on my ability to cherish every memory I have and soak up every moment I’m in. It reminds me how short life really is and that motivates me to grind hard, love harder and be as present as possible.

BAD! – David Guetta and Showtek

When I first moved to Miami I had this vision in my head that I would build up this network over time, get into the scene, build these relationships and get the plugs at all the cool spots. I figured it would naturally take some time, but in the most unlikely of situations a girl who ended up being my roommate, sight unseen, and is now one of my best friends, she had connections and got us into LIV, the biggest club in Miami and at the time the #5 nightclub in the world.

David Guetta was spinning that night and ‘BAD!’ hadn’t come out yet, officially. When he played it, it was the most memorable moment of the set and the song ended up being the anthem of the summer. It was a guarantee to hear BAD! in every nightclub in Miami at least once per night, every night of the week, the rest of the year. The whole night was insane! We had VIP entry past hundreds of people outside trying to get in, full bottle service, an insane show. I wasn’t even in Miami a full week, my things aren’t even unboxed yet and I’m in the midst of this impossible-to-get-into nightclub, vibing to arguably the biggest DJ in the world and that song was basically the soundtrack to my first summer in Miami. It was a massively motivating moment for me and I knew I had to do everything in my power to get into the scene here and into Miami DJ booths. To this day, I hear that song and it floods my mind with all the memories of that night.

What’s your favourite piece of studio equipment or software?

Probably a tie between my Technics 1210 M5G turntables and Pro Tools. Pro Tools is the DAW I learned in school and its ease of use for me is so perfect. I’m so locked in with the hot keys, my work flow is too good working with Pro Tools. As for the turntables, they’re the best decks ever made, period. They look good, feel good, they’re legendary!! I love em!

Name your favourite club or festival and how it makes you feel

Omnia or Tao in Vegas for nightclubs. They have a really impactful and immersive visual and sound at Omnia. As for Tao, I have been there so often and have so many great memories with friends, it has to be in my favorites!

Festival wise, I would definitely have to say Ultra. Aside from it being in my backyard, here in Miami, I actually have a deeper connection to it. A few years back one of my best friends, DJ Dolph, and I were given some Artist passes and had full access to everything. Although I wasn’t actively playing it was such an incredibly motivating experience. It was basically experiencing full access to exactly where I wanted to be in my career. To be immersed in it all was surreal.

I remember catching Guetta play the most incredible set and while we were leaning on a railing, listening to Knife Party, just soaking it all in, we started this unforgettable conversation that really sparked my dream to become a big enough DJ/ Producer to rock the festival circuit. Since then, I’ve worked relentlessly to make that a reality. I’m excited to cruise around all-access again, but I promised myself, the next time I rock that Artist band at Ultra, I will be on the lineup.

Name an outlandish rider request?

If you’re talking about my rider, I don’t necessarily have anything outlandish. I do get a pretty legit bottle service set up in clubs. I like to have a lot of people around me when I’m DJing in a club setting. I try to create an atmosphere where I’m part of the party with everyone. It fuels that synergy, that connection and makes for an incredible night.

If we’re talking about crazy riders I have seen, there’s been quite a few. One crazy one that sticks out though, I was performing at a big club, during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival is the second largest film festival in the world after Cannes, so over 100,000 people converge on this tiny ski town, that comes into play for this story. There was a huge artist, I won’t name, that was the headliner that night. He asked specifically for 20 Burger King cheeseburgers with ketchup only and no cheese. So many levels to how weird it was.

First of all, why specify a cheeseburger with no cheese instead of a hamburger? Then to just get burgers, no fries or other sides was odd. And lastly, no other variation of the burgers for such an extremely specific order…did that mean ALL the burgers were for him? Or did he have an entourage of people who all only ate cheeseburgers with no cheese and ketchup only? It was hilarious. The talent buyer was telling me how crazy it was to make it happen. There was only one Burger King in this small town and it was swamped with people, so they ended up handing out some $100 bills to a few of the workers to prioritize their order. They were able to get the 20 burgers and brought them up in time. The green room had this pyramid of burgers on a tray and smelled like a Burger King. He was really cool though and his people were all awesome – just a funny rider request.

Favourite clubbing memory and who or what did it involve?

Hands down, the night I met my wife! I was DJing an event and she was working at the venue. I was walking past the area she was in, noticed her, and knew I had to shoot my shot. For whatever reason I decided doing “The Robot” dance move was gonna be the icebreaker. It ended up becoming a hilarious, recurrent thing throughout the night. I was there for hours and any chance I got, whether she was busy or not, I’d pop into the area she was in and just hit a quick robot and bounce, no words. Eventually we talked more and ended up spending the rest of my weekend in town together. It was hilarious and definitely worked! After some long distance dating, we figured everything out and the rest is history.

What famous quote represents you best?

I’m a huge quote person, I’m OD about it. I used to share them every day on my Daily Diamondz Instagram segment, so I love this question. I’m looking to expand how I will deliver Daily Diamondz from here on out, but to answer this question, if I had to run with a single quote that sums me up I’d say:

“Love your family, work super hard, live your passion” – Gary Vaynerchuk

If you could play at any venue, where would it be and why?

Oh man, this list is huge! I’ll try to keep it short. I think the most poetic answer would be Ultra Miami. It would bring that moment I mentioned earlier full circle for me in my career and it definitely means I’ve been moving right. The obvious other festivals would be EDC and Tomorrowland.

As for clubs, earning a consistent residency at Space here in Miami would be amazing. Playing HI or Ushuaïa in Ibiza are pinnacle moments for any DJ right now. I would also like to go back to Bali and play at Savaya – gorgeous venue, incredible setting and Bali is still one of my favorite places to visit!

Music is….. (explain more)

LIFE. I owe my life to music. Dealing with depression and anxiety most of my life, music saved me when I was younger, in so many ways. It helped me as a listener to feel a connection that ushered me out of some dark times. Music was there for me in moments where I needed it.

When I was young, I would write songs and lyrics, but really that was just my version of therapy. I’ve gone back and read my notebooks a few times. It not only reminds me how important music has been to me, but also how far I have come from those dark moments. There are efforts we can make, perspectives we can find to dramatically improve our ability to cope and in turn our ability to live happy lives.

Music has always been a catalyst for healing for me. Then, as I entered my college years, it not only facilitated great friendships and connections for me, some that last to this day, but it has become the center point of my professional life. I have traveled all over the world, met some absolutely incredible people and had some of the greatest experiences of my life thanks to music. I owe music everything.

One song you really couldn’t live without and why?

Juicy – Notorious B.I.G.

This was one of the first genius works from the rap world that I listened to. It’s been a staple in almost every hip-hop set I’ve played. It has such a powerful story about coming out of the struggle to become something bigger than your current self. The chip on his shoulder is representative of so many people out there, seriously great song in a hip hop environment. I have a couple phenomenal remixes of it that are perfect for Big Rooms and Pool Parties! Always gets the crown hyped up!

Namedrop your favourite 5 artists or DJs (past or present)

This is so hard to narrow down, but I’ll give my five in the DJ world, in no particular order: DJ AM, David Guetta, A-Trak, Diplo, Calvin Harris

What was your first music memory and how did it fuel your fire?

I’m not sure which came first, but my two oldest memories of music were my Grandpa playing the piano and going to these outdoor concerts with my Dad. My Grandpa was a world class piano player and I spent summers at my Grandparents place and probably sat with my Grandpa for hundreds of hours listening to him play and digging through old vinyls with him. Going to those outdoor concerts with my Dad as a kid, I have great memories running around the grass, dancing with other kids, vibing to the music and just having an amazing time. Live music has always had a huge influence in my life. There’s something special about performing, feeling the reciprocated energy from the crowd and the raw realness that comes with playing live. Performing live is just an incredible experience. I’ve carried that fire over into my DJ sets and it’s the single greatest feeling in the world to me. I live for these moments.

Tell us more about your plans for the future

Having made the transition from DJ to DJ/Producer has been an incredible journey so far and I’m just getting started. I have a ton of new music already finished that I’ll be rolling out on a consistent basis over the next few years and a lot more I’m currently working on. I’ll continue playing gigs, of course, and plan to expand the markets I play in. I’m hoping to continue making amazing connections with fans worldwide and bring them value with my art and my energy.

Any worldly advice you’d like to share?

Be kind. It takes so little effort to be a good person and it will truly leave you happier. Life is too short to not live happily and that can all start with you being kind, to yourself and to others. Be real. Be a genuine person. Lastly, the most important currency we deal with is time, not money. You can spend money and earn it back, you can’t spend your time and earn it back. Be conscious how you spend your time and energy and who you spend it on. Tell everyone important in your life you love them and tell them often. Spend as much time as you can with those you love. That’s it.

@diamondzcartel

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