London based DJ and producer Talal has been causing noises in the Dance music scene on a worldwide scale, thanks to his unique Progressive productions. The multi-talented artist, who’s busy touring schedule includes shows in Las Vegas, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and Bahrain, is the mastermind behind mesmerizing records such as: ‘Eighties’, ‘Northern’, ‘Fragment’, ‘Motion’, ‘Horizon’ and ‘Little Machine’ – it’s no wonder he has been grabbing the attention of tastemakers like: Joris Voorn, Laurent Garnier, John Digweed, Sasha and Petar Dundov.
We had the chance to talk with Talal about his summer plans and future releases.
Electronic Groove: Hi Talal, thanks for the time to chat with us. How did you get involved with electronic music?
Talal: Thanks. I was interested in some electronica artists that were involved in a range of items from soundtracks to dancefloor material. I began writing in 2011 and released with a London-based label that at the time was also featuring Max Cooper, Pig & Dan, among others. Took some time off but I have been releasing regularly since 2015.
EG: How would you describe your current sound?
Talal: I have been charted in chillout, electronica and techno. My releases kind of go between those 3 genres. I’ve also collaborated with a harpist and blues/rock musician on some tracks. So, it covers some ground.
EG: You are about to release ‘Control’ on King Street Sounds. What’s the inspiration for this track?
Talal: I was working on two tracks around December and they received interest from a number of labels, at the end the 2 tracks were split up and one went to a New York label and the other to a European label. These tracks were kind of the last of a certain type of sound setup I was using and my next 10 are from a completely different audio setup.
EG: This and other of your past releases has been supported by big names like Sasha, Maceo Plex, Danny Tenaglia, among other important artists. How do you feel about this?
Talal: I could be incorrect but I think it may be relatively common to get these names supporting tracks, but it is nice to see those 3 supporting my last 12 releases. Alternatively, it is interesting to learn about other artists that you didn’t know of previously when they support your promos because you get to learn about interesting labels, artists, promoters that are busy in many cities and countries.
EG: What’s the regular production process behind every new track you do?
Talal: I am not sure if it is something to do with how we interpret audio frequencies, but I always begin from the low end – the bass and drums, then work on the middle-level synths and then finish with the high-frequency sounds. Later on, I take time to consider the song structure for how they build up and breakdown.
EG: Do you have touring plans this year?
Talal: Some events are in the pipeline for Ibiza, UK, Bahrain and possibly some Asia stuff. It will be my first time in Ibiza and I’ll be playing at Amnesia Ibiza on the 6th, and at the Hostal La Torre on July 11th for a sunset gig, I’m very fortunate to get the opportunity to DJ with Pete Gooding who is also a regular at Cafe Mambo.
EG: Can you name some of your most important influences musically-speaking?
Talal: Cliff Martinez and Trent Reznor do great soundtrack work. Although that music is not the same structure as radio dance material – their design and selection of synthesizers sounds is always impressive. Although most of my friends don’t exactly “appreciate” it when I put it on, I regularly listen to this late 1800’s early – 1900’s gospel soul radio show on NTS radio.
EG: What’s in the pipeline for 2017?
Talal: So far for 2017 I’ve signed material for six labels and have completed a number of radioshow, mixes and podcasts. I’m trying to provide some mixes about twice a month to assist a show on The Deep Room. This new track ‘Control’ is going out on King Street Sounds which has a great history with some names from Larry Levan to Danny Tenaglia. Also, 10 tracks are currently completing mix and master process so an interesting release is looming soon, but first that needs to go through the label’s process.
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