Mitzi.

Mitzi has been one of Disco Unchained's most admired bands for years now. Some of you are probably familiar with their work. They've produced with Future Classic for a long time now, and are notorious for their inconceivably melodic synth-pop tracks. Some of our favorite tracks include "Down" and "Morning Light", both of which are automatic summer essentials, so be sure to give them a listen.

We got in touch with Dominique from Mitzi earlier last week and asked him a few questions about the band, its origins, and its direction. Check out the exclusive interview below, and be sure to support Mitzi here!

Mitzi.

Shazeb: How did Mitzi start? Where are your origins?

Dominique : Before we started Mitzi in late 2009, we were all playing in other bands around Brisbane. Dom and Jad already played together in an electro outfit whereas Charles and myself came from more of an indie/punk background. We all knew each other from club parties that were happening towards the late end of the 2000's in Brisbane and had similar interests in club/dance music.

Dom and Jad initially started Mitzi as a production duo side project from their other band BMX with an interest in creating disco and house music with a deeper more chilled vibe. Anyway... to make a long story short, they won a remix comp held by Bang Gang 12 Inches and Spank Records and the prize was a set at Parklife music festival. Rather than DJing, the boys wanted to play a live set and thats how Charles and I became involved. And so they say... the rest is history.

Shazeb: What's the band's all time favorite place to play?

Dominique : We would have to all agree that our favourite venue (so far) is the Tivoli Theatre in our hometown Brisbane. It's an old converted theatre, with great sound that manages to cram a lot of people in a relatively small space. Its got a Mezzanine level that sits quite close to the stage so its really intimate for a decent sized venue. We've supported some of our favourites there (Chic & The Whitest Boy Alive) so the place holds some great memories for us. There's also something special about playing in the same venue that we grew up watching our favourite bands in. 

Shazeb: Aside music, what other passions to do guys have? Do any of the members of Mitzi have any side projects?

Dominique : We all work on other musical projects when we find the time. Its good to develop songs, ideas and skills that we may not use in Mitzi. Apart from that haha um... Jad's a pretty good surfer, I played a season of Football (soccer) this year for my local club, Dom has started a Food Van with a friend, serving up some  pretty epic deli sandwiches and Charles has been getting pretty into his golf this past year. 

Shazeb: Where do you see Mitzi 5 years from now?

Dominique: Continuing to record music and playing live shows. For us, thats the best part about the whole thing. Theres defiantly some sort of chemistry when we play live together, and since we've become such close friends, you get this great sort of indescribable feeling onstage. 

Shazeb: As a collective vote, what's the band's all-time favorite track (We're known for this question)?

Dominique: Would have to say Chic - I Want Your Love. It's just an absolute Jam. Chic have been one of our biggest influences since we started writing together.

Shazeb: Do you have any EPs, albums, or singles in the pipeline?

Dominique: This past year we've been writing and recording a fair bit. The plan is to release a single so we just have to decide which song. We are pretty close to putting some new music out though. 

Shazeb: Is there anything you'd like to shout out to your fans?

Dominique: Thanks for buying or downloading our music, coming to our shows or showing us to your friends. We will be back soon with new music and live shows

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Be sure to check out some of our favorite Mitzi tracks below!

Barretso.

Here's an interview we've been waiting years to do!  Barretso, a Disco Unchained original favorite, has produced some of the craziest, most uplifting electro music I've ever come across. All of his earlier tracks come highly recommended from us, including but not limited to, "Chase", "We Won't Stop" and "Bright City Lights". 

We recently got in touch with Barretso and wanted to do a piece on him before he releases his newer stuff (Yes, there's a lot of new stuff in the pipeline). Barretso will also be doing an exclusive guest mix for us soon, so be sure to be on the look out for that (there'll be some surprises in that hopefully!)

Frankie AKA Barretso

Shazeb: How did Barretso start? Who is Barretso?

Frankie: I’m a songwriter/singer/audio engineer from Viña Del Mar, Chile. I’ve been making music under ‘Barretso’ since 2009, before that I used to play instruments in a variety of bands from metal to classical. 

Shazeb: Where would you say your strongest musical influences have come from?

Frankie: I grew up listening to a wide range of musical genres because of my dad. I guess that was when I developed a thing for music in general, when I was about 4-5 years old. The genre that instinctively attracted me the most, though, was the late 80’s/early 90’s pop. Listening to all those synthesised catchy little sounds was pretty amusing when I was a kid. I remember being in my room listening to ‘Mecano - La Fuerza Del Destino’ having the best time ever.

Shazeb: What's Barretso's all-time favorite dessert?

Frankie: Hmm, I’m not really a dessert guy but if I had to choose one I would choose a freshly traditionally made tiramisu.

Shazeb:  Where do you see Barretso 5 years from now?

Frankie: I don’t really know where I’ll be with Barretso in 5 more years. The last 5 years have been a journey full of surprises and unexpected paths both musically and personally. So, I wouldn’t know. Hopefully sane enough to keep making music haha.

Shazeb: What's your all time favorite synth-based track (This is hard, and we're known for asking this)

Frankie: Hard question. I’ve got heaps. I’ll just choose one off my favourites randomly. Deftones - Rocket Skates (M83 Remix)

Shazeb: Do you have any new EPs, albums, or singles in the pipeline?

Frankie: Yes, I have. I haven’t released originals in ages but that’s about to change. I’m planning on releasing new material next month. Excited!

Shazeb: We're big fans of your track "We won't stop". Tell us about that. How did Barretso come up with that track?

Frankie: Magic man, magic haha. Nah, If I remember well I was pretty heartbroken at the time I made that song. Making an uplifting synth pop song was the perfect way to counteract all of that.

 Shazeb: What's Barretso's all time favorite horror film?

Frankie: Gravity; that movie is horrible!

Shazeb: Haha! Yes, that movie is on Disco Unchained’s never watch-list! Alright, last thing, is there anything you'd like to shout out to your fans?

Frankie: Thank you for supporting me through all these years. I know I owe you big time, you all will be rewarded soon!

Here's some of Disco Unchained's all time favorite stuff by Barretso: 

 

Who is BronSon?

BronSon, a Nu Disco/ Synth Wave artist from Paris, France, recently came up on our music radar. His music features an array of sounds ranging from funk to outrun. Our favorite track, Vengeance, features pristine vocal samples and a beat that could keep your head bobbing for days. Be sure to check of Vengeance and many others like it on SoundCloud.

A few questions for the artist

Who are the artists who you would consider most influential to yourself?

“I think we have all been influenced unwittingly by Daft punk, Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder more recently Kavinsky.

I listen to a lot of music (80's funk, metal, hip hop, electro, G-funk, rock and more). So I think all these styles influenced me, involuntarily.

Currently artists like: Bestrack, Starcadian, Daze, Besnine, to go even farther. I have tremendous respect for their work.”

 Is being a musician a full time thing for you, or do you make music on the side of having a full time job?

“I make music with pure passion, that's why I do not have a Bandcamp. Warning, I do not mean to offend any artists who possess a Bandcamp page. Instead, I try to share my music with all the people who like my music and I regularly send my songs to people who ask for it!”

 When did you become interested in becoming a musician?

“I have always been more than interested in music since I was young, but I got into it seriously 5 years ago. I used to play sports at a high level so I used trained a lot, but I hurt myself so I had to take time off and that’s when music became evident to me. “

Do you have a favorite scary movie, if so what is it?

“"He is back!” I believe the English title is "It" This movie traumatized my whole generation!!!”

Any new work on the way? EPs, singles etc.

“I am working on several projects at the moment but I will not say too much, as I would like to keep the suspense. ;-)”

 What do you do for fun, besides make music?

“Nothing.”

Sunday Interview with Luke Cuerel (Pigeon)

Disco Unchained managed to get an interview with Pigeon front-man Luke Cuerel.  Pigeon, an Australian electronic dance band, has been making jams since 2011. Their music is fresh, and their beats are phat. 

Shazeb: Alright, let's start with the basics. What got you into music?

Luke: We all got into music in different ways, some of us dabble in jazz and roots stuff while some of the other guys are DJs and into rock and pop. Now we're a mish-mash of different styles under the umbrella of electronic indie dance.We all have been to a life changing gig early on that sparked interest in music making. Probably would be some embarrassing gigs in there too.

Shazeb:  Life changing experiences you say? Hm, I think i get what you mean. Anyways, what would your top 5 favorite bands/groups of all time be?

Luke: As a band, I'd have to say we draw so much influence from Royksopp, Friendly Fires and Delphic. Of all time, we might add in The Beatles and Daft Punk. I'd love to through the wildcard in there of Eminem, he has the nostalgia factor.

Shazeb: All hail Daft Punk! I personally am a fan of Friendly Fires as well, and enjoy their music. I guess i could see some of their influence on Pigeon. Now, if you could change one thing about the music industry as a whole, what would it be?

Luke: I would love to see more help for artists to develop their craft/product, however it's pretty lucky to be able to make music for a living. We're all pretty stoked. We're starting careers in the music industry.

Shazeb: Speaking of careers, what advice would you have for upcoming independent synth artists?

Luke: Do what you want! Go crazy with synths, the possibilities are endless with electronic music.

You guys can follow them here!