This DJ and Producer from London, Monty Ozanne, first ventured into the world of dance music through his love of DnB, Dubstep and Garage and now finds himself producing a blend of house and techno including his much-anticipated release on High Tide Recordings alongside a remix from Denney. Monty reflects in the interview his journey into the world of dance music, his inspirations and how he dreams of a future full of hope and equality for humanity.
Monty Ozanne’s ‘The Deux’ out on High Tide Recordings
Connect with Monty Ozanne on Instagram | Facebook
Hey hey, thank you for your time? Hope all is well, now the world is slowly opening up again? Let’s go back in time. Was dance music always your main influence when you were younger, how did you ultimately end up in dance music?
Yeah, I’ve got a long history with dance music. When I was about 10/11 years old, a friend of mine gave me a copy of “The Fat Of The Land” by The Prodigy and “Hold Your Colour” by Pendulum and then that was me hooked.
I used to go raving as a teenager to lots of Drum & Bass and Dubstep events which really was my introduction to raves. But upon going to university in Portsmouth, I found a love for house and techno, especially at clubs like Switch and Junk in neighbouring Southampton. So, alongside my love for the bass music genres, I then made the step to begin DJing and producing.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up, and does it have any influence on your current sound?
Lots and lots of Dubstep and Drum & Bass as a teenager. Artists such as Chase & Status, Pendulum, Sub Focus, Skream and Benga were my particular favourites. Oh, they most definitely do. I love the sound design for basses and atmospheres from tracks in those genres and love seeing how I can incorporate them into my own Techno records.
When you’re working on a new project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas?
Good question. For me, it’s always a blank canvas whenever I start a new project. Sometimes I will start by making presets or new sounds and I’ll go from there adding in chord progressions or other melodic elements. Other times I will make a drum groove and then begin to develop the track around it. Usually depends on what sort of mood I am on the day in the studio session.
When it comes to your field, producing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?
The big influencers for my work are some artists I look up to. Think Sasha, Skream and Bicep. They all make a real variety of music across different genres and remain at the top of their games. I love seeing the work they do and seeing how they explore different areas in music and how it influences their original productions. Seeing them do that makes me study and listen to different types of music so to find new influences and see how they can change and improve my own original productions.
Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work? Do you have a fixed schedule?
To be honest my daily routine changes day today. I always try and get up reasonably early but that’s usually easier said than done haha. I’m currently working with the guys at Northern Texture from the North East of England on building their new projects. This usually takes up a big slice of my day. I try to get all those tasks done by the early evening. This makes that the other team members can work around me too.
Then I usually have a studio session in the evening and into the night. Sometimes a session will be straight-up writing new, original tracks. However recently I’ve been creating a sample pack so that’s been taking.
Oh, music pretty much IS my life. I’ve always got a mix playing, or I’m producing in the studio or searching for new music, looking for upcoming events. It never stops. For me, it’s something which I really enjoy. Being a part of and having an interest in that I dedicate literally all of my free time to it. I always want to be improving my productions or hearing all of the great new music that is out there.
Any new music you have been releasing lately you want to tell our readers about?
In terms of releases, I’ve only got the “Deus Ex’”EP with High Tide Recordings booked in at the moment. The release is due towards the end of February this year. I’m super excited about it as it has been picked up by some huge DJs such as Pete Tong, Joris Voorn and Miss Monique. There are also a lot of premieres for it which I’m really excited about. I can’t wait for it to drop and see how it does.
I’ve also got another couple of releases lined up but I can’t quite talk about them just yet. But throughout the covid lockdowns, I was very busy in the studio. So, I’ve got loads of unreleased music to go, so watch this space.
What’s next for you or your label? Wild plans made or being made?
It’s back to the daily grind of making more new music. I am loving being in the studio at the moment. And I’m loving all of the new music and ideas I’ve got lying around at the moment. Along with the guys from Northern Texture, we’ve got lots and lots of plans for 2022 and onwards. We can’t wait to share with you all on all aspects including events, label and music academy.
If you could solve one major problem in the world today – what would it be and why?
I would love to see an end to hate and discrimination against people because of their race, gender, sexuality, religion, skin colour, political agenda etc. I would love everyone to accept that people come from all walks of life and may well be different to them and that it’s perfectly fine to be different to you. I’m of the opinion that no one should ever be discriminated against because of who they are and should be able to live their lives in any way they want to.
I love seeing mediums like music and sport, as they bring together people from all walks of life together to enjoy the same thing. These are safe spaces for people to be who they truly want to be, and they should always be treated as such. I’d love to see this mindset spread into more aspects of the world today.
Thank you.