Miserez, a Swiss artist with a profound love for travel, creates a unique blend of deep, ethnic, afro, and techno elements in his music. His sets are pure moments of joy and freedom.
Photo credit: Miserez – Facebook
He has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Behrouz, Eagles & Butterflies, and Jon Blomqvist, which has brought him to vibrant destinations worldwide, from Miami to Berlin.
His discography features tracks released on Wired Records, Techafrique, and Circle of Life, among others.
In this conversation with Miserez, we explore his contributions to our EG Podcast series, discuss his latest release ‘Foutanke’ on the Eli Fola Label, and get a sneak peek into his upcoming projects and plans.
EG: Hi, Fred! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Miserez: Hello music lovers, thanks for having me here, I have been a big fan of EG for a long time. I am in Lausanne, Switzerland, my home town for now. After my winter tour in Mexico, Miami, Sri Lanka, and Dubai, I like to spend the summer in Europe.
EG: First of all, thank you for your contribution to our EG Podcast series. We really enjoyed it. Tell us, what can fans of the series find on this one? Is there a concept here? How do you usually go about creating recorded mixes?
Miserez: For this EG podcast series, I wanted to do something different to show that I like and play all types of house music, from deep to teky or afro rhythm. In general, in my sets, I like to put different colors and vibes and create a real journey.
EG: By the way, congratulations on the recent release of your latest single, ‘Foutanke’! What has the initial reception been like so far? Do you remember the first time you played this one live?
Miserez: So far so good. I am so happy and grateful to have released ‘Foutanke’ on Eli Fola’s Label. Eli is an artist I have been following for a long time and to be present now on Tech Afrique is for me a gift and an honor. I played it for the first time in Miami last March, I was very surprised how the crowd reacted and liked it. I usually don’t like to play my stuff that much, for me it’s like hearing my voice on a vocal…LOL.
EG: ‘Foutanke’ is quite a unique name. Can you tell us what it means and where it comes from?
Miserez: Foutanke means “Merci” in Yoruba. Yoruba is a spoken language in West African countries like Benin, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
“I wanted to do something different to show that I like and play all types of house music”
EG: And what can your fans expect to find on ‘Foutanke’? Is there a concept or emotional trigger driving this one?
Miserez: For sure I try to bring an African vibe to reveal the roots of freedom.
EG: So, how did you come across your distinct, deep, Afro-organic sound? Are you making the music that you thought you’d be making when you first started with production?
Miserez: I always like the color in the music, I used to listen to a lot of hip hop and funk when I was a teen, and … Black music, in general, was always there for me. I produced different sounds and music, I like all kinds of music more or less. I can play more techno but that melodic one I can’t.
EG: As a touring DJ, you must have noticed that bigger and bigger screens seem to be the norm these days. Does it take away too much from the music? Is there such a thing as “overstimulation”? What does the future of festivals look like to you?
Miserez: Those screens are bringing a different perspective and approach into the scene, it’s a fact! Electronic music is more popular nowadays and people like to watch those screens like the one on their phone, It’s more like a big show and maybe sometimes music is relegated to the second point. Personally, I like better small and intimate festivals, more human size. I would love to see more festivals with no phones and more sharing between people.
EG: And AI? What’s your stance on this? Has any form of AI been used in the release of ‘Foutanke’?
Miserez: I heard a lot about AI but for me, it’s still so foreign and new.
“I would love to see more festivals with no phones and more sharing between people”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Miserez in the next months? Where can your fans catch you playing live?
Miserez: I will be most of the time in Europe sharing my music here and there for the summer. Paris, Antwerp, Croatia, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, and for sure a lot of surprises that I don’t even expect. I like to escape European winter, you will find me somewhere playing barefoot for Christmas, and that would be my best present.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Fred! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Miserez: Thank you very much for hosting me on EG, the best platform for electronic music. Music never stops.
Miserez ‘Foutanke’ is now available on Tech Afrique Records. Stream and download here.
Follow Miserez: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
