Last week saw SUPERFETT release their 60th release with M.F.S: Observatory and Cami Jones linking brilliantly for the momentous occasion. We spoke to the pair to talk about their production process and their new record “I Want You, Soul Thang”.
Connect with M.F.S on Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud
Connect with Cami Jones on Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
Welcome! How are you? What’s good and bad in your world?
M.F.S: Observatory: Hey, thank you for inviting me for the interview, finally, we are almost out of the pandemic that is pretty good but the war is so bad and I feel so sad for all the people that suffering at this moment.
Cami Jones: Thank you so much and like Mattia said, thanks for inviting us!
I’m currently in London so I’m super excited to be able to travel again! I’ve been stuck in Australia for the last two years so it’s very exciting to get back on the road!
How was the pandemic for you and what effect did it have on your music taste and style?
M.F.S: Observatory: The pandemic took off me creativity-wise during the lockdown. I always go out for a walk or explore different places to get inspiration but with the pandemic, everything was so flat and without vibes.
Cami Jones: Wow, the pandemic for me was huge. I feel like I changed drastically as a person but also as an artist, becoming a lot more sure of my style and what I’m doing artistically. I started taking more influence from a wider range of genres but also started getting more comfortable expressing myself through my production and vocals in the rawest way possible. Being isolated from the rest of the world for so long forced me to do a lot of reflection and experimentation that I think has really helped me shape my sound going forward.
How do you evolve your own sound while staying true to your roots and own signature and not jumping on new hype bandwagons?
M.F.S: Observatory: I always try to evolve my sound, I try to mix different genres and make my own characteristic sound.
Cami Jones: For me, music has always been about self-expression and doing it for the love of it. Taking inspiration from all areas of my life means I always have new ideas. Combining those organic ideas with continuous improvements in my production and vocal skills helps keep my sound evolving. I also try to stay in my own lane- although I always appreciate the music other artists are putting out I don’t try to follow styles just because it’s fashionable.
Do you make music that suits certain labels or do you create first and worry about that later?
M.F.S: Observatory: I never focus on labels I create the sound and after I do label research and try to find the best label that fit the sound of the EP.
Cami Jones: Oooh I’m a little different to Mattia on this one! Sometimes, I will have a label at the back of my head while I’m creating a track. But I do find that stifles my creativity so more often than not I won’t. I’ll make what comes organically then think about what label it suits. It depends on my mood and what’s going on in my life at the time.
What are some of the key bits of music-making gear in your current set-up?
M.F.S: Observatory: My current studio set up is for drums. I always use the Roland TR8S. For me this is one of the best drum machines out there. I love the 909 and the 808 drums pack. The sound is really powerful. And for the bassline I use the Moog Minitaur. The Moog sound is just perfect for the powerful and fatty bassline. I also have an Arturia Micro Freak that I use more for melodic and for the more dynamic and energetic sound. Module 303 on my eurorack is something I tend to use.
Cami Jones: For my vocals, I just use a Rode NT2a. I’ve had the same mic for years so I feel like I’ve learnt how to control my voice to sound exactly how I want with that mic. In most of my tracks, you’ll hear my trusty TB3 in there and like Mattia, I’m also a fan of the TR8S.
Where is your best environment as a DJ? A small dark club or a huge outdoor festival stage? Late at night for the weirdos or early so you can play slow and eclectic etc?
M.F.S: Observatory: I prefer small and intimate clubs because you can feel the crowd and the dancefloor, I love playing and feeling the vibes of people. But also festivals with a big crowd are good different vibes. I always prefer playing in the middle after the warm-up I can a lot with my sound and play a lot of my own tracks that are between techno and tech-house.
Cami Jones: I’m definitely a small dark club person! I love feeling the energy of the room and controlling it! I also like the later sets where I can get really weird and play naughty things to get things real steamy!
How do you work, do you have an idea in your head you work towards or do you just experiment and jam and see what happens?
M.F.S: Observatory: I always start a project without an idea. I know more or less about the genre but I never know what will happen to be honest.
Camo Jones: Most of the time it’s experimenting and jamming. Unless the track starts with a vocal I’ve thought of. When I start with a vocal I often have an idea of where I want to take the track. And it just sort of naturally happens linearly where I hear the next element in my head and get it down.
Tell us about your Superfett EP – what inspired or influenced it, where and when and who was it written for?
M.F.S: Observatory: The EP on Superfett was inspired by a documentary that I watched that was talking about the Acid House scene in the UK. For this reason, the sound of this EP has such happy vibes. I love how the vocal of Cami floating on the tracks and give the EP the right to kick to destroy the dancefloor.
Cami Jones: When Mattia sent me the ideas that became the Superfett EP I loved them and knew straight away how I wanted to do the vocals. I wanted the vocals in I Want You to be surprisingly dirty but still sound underground and technically be ambiguous on the topic. I wanted them to sit really nicely on top of the track and highlight the addictive rhythm of the track. The piano riff in Soul Thing gave me the idea to create a vocal that sounded like a modern take on a classic 90s/00s house track so that’s where we went with that one!
What else have you got coming up/are you working on?
M.F.S: Observatory: I have a lot of music coming out I have Ep signed on Street Track, Food Music & Form Music.
Cami Jones: An EP on my label, nooghty, an EP with Gettoblaster on their label We Freak. Also, I’m currently working on music with Maxinne, Killed Kassette, David Lowe, Andre Salmon and many more artists!
Thank you.