Exclusive Interview: MC Flipside

This week in the artist spot light we bring you MC Flipside! He is also our SURPRISE GUEST THIS COMING THURSDAY FOR OUR CHARITY EVENT WITH RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES!! Flipside has established his name within the underground house music scene through years of hard work. He produces music and also is a songwriter and vocalist. He has worked with well known names in the industry such as Deadmau5, Armand Van Helden, Bob Sinclair, David Guetta, Wolfgang Gartner, Laidback Luke, Josh Wink, Swedish House Mafia, Kaskade, Axwell and Paul Van Dyk. Flipside also owns his own record label called PBR Recordings and has had over 50 chart-topping tracks on Beatport, iTunes, Track it Down and Stompy, in the last 5 years. We caught up with Flipside and here is what he had to say:

 

What made you want to start DJing/producing?

I started DJ’ing and producing once I had a strong grasp on songwriting, and rapping . I used to be in hip-hop battles throughout my teenage years and when I turned 17 I realized that the next evolution for me would be to DJ while I rocked the mic! It felt right since a lot of other local DJs in the Toronto, Ontario region wanted me to get on the mic during their sets. I figured why make them look hype when I should do it for myself 😉 The production bug bit me once I got mixing down because I didn’t like how certain songs had weak breaks and or top-lines and hooks… It was a natural progression.

 

Who is your biggest influence(s)?

I have many influences in terms of my musical influences. In terms of electronic music I would have to say my biggest influences are Green Velvet, Masters at work, Daft punk, Larry heard, Etc… I am also a die hard fan of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, among other soul artists!

 

What’s you’re favorite record of all time?

My favorite record of all time? Hmmm… Homework for house music as well as Timeless by Goldie for drum and bass! In terms of soulful beats… Thriller by MJ and Purple Rain by Prince… Also any album by a Tribe Called Quest!

 

What was your favorite party of all time that you have played?

My favorite party to play would have to be gay pride in Toronto, and anytime I play at Beta in Denver! Just amazing how the crowd reacts and knows their shit! Toronto has an educated scene so you have to always have fresh tunes!

 

Who is your favorite artist to collaborate with?

I would have to say collaborating with George Hatiras is by far my favorite! He is one of my dearest friends and our minds just melt into one, creating memorable tracks each and every time!

 

Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?

I would love to collaborate with disclosure, I would also like to work with Timbaland and RL Grime… I’m an animal on trap beats and have a knack for pop writing!

 

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you at a show?

The most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me at a show is…hmmm… I recall rocking the mic at a skate park in 2003 and I fell down the half pipe lol… I also remember hitting the wrong button on the CDJ 2000 a few years back in Vancouver and luckily for me I had the effects on so it sounded like I did a well timed trick haha! I had good karma that night!

 

What do you like to do when you’re not working on music/DJing?

I love to exercise , I love to watch soccer, I love to cook, read interesting books and watch films.

 

What is your opinion on the current EDM scene?

My current opinion on the EDM scene is positive…. I think it’s amazing that North America has finally embraced Edm the way Europe has been supporting it for the past 20 years. It’s amazing to see festivals in places such as Las Vegas, and parties from coast-to-coast that are full and the attendance numbers that are growing steadily. The downside is there are a lot of Muppets who are false prophet type characters representing the mediocrity of dance music… I think soon you will hear a deeper more beat oriented sound going back to house music and proper big room like the early days of subliminal records and proper Soulful party house! I think the groove is going to come back big time because you can only hear so much spin cycle music which makes you feel like you’re about to have a heart attack with no purpose and no soul. The groove will always win in the end! Since the dawn of civilization the drums lead the tribe!

 

What do you think will be the next big thing in EDM?

I think the next big thing in Edm will be the music going back to its roots, proper club music. Let me put it you like this, there’s only so much banging on the door someone can take before they open up and say what the fuck is this nonsense! It’s absolute nonsense and to be honest it’s insulting to people’s intelligence…. You can make hit albums like Daft punk, the prodigy, and basement Jaxx and still sell units while having integrity!

 

What do you think about all these “frauds” in the EDM scene using ghost producers, buying likes and purchasing their own tracks on Beatport?

You’re asking me about what I think of the frauds in the EDM scene using ghost producers? Anytime people are making grandiose amounts of money, get famous, have a large following on Instagram, twitter, etc. etc. Record labels want to cash in and take a chunk out of it… We live in a very ego driven society, where everybody wants to take a selfie and be an overnight celebrity so as a result people are hiring well-trained engineers to make their tracks if they have money to pay for them, purchasing a fake fan base and pretend ing to be famous and some agents are promoting these lies to club owners and promoters but eventually the truth comes to the surface and they it will pass… The whoring of popular music has been going on since Elvis Presley and it won’t end but true talent stands the test of time i.e. James Brown until the day he died put on a better concert than any of these aforementioned Muppets! Full respect to the producers in the game making amazing big room selections and underground beats… They get all the love and deserve it… but I’m confident they would agree with me that some artist/actors are not legit… Can a fake mc win a rhyme battle lol? Never in a billion years…. As they said back in the day…. You can’t fake the funk!

 

Is there any upcoming releases/shows we should keep an eye out for?

Look out for my new track homage which is available on Beatport currently featuring remixes by Ninjury, Mr. Rich, and Lucky Robot. I also have a monster bounce track coming out on One Love called Ping Pong with Ryan Riback, Lowkiss, and Stef Cima an artist I manage, via the Aussie super label! Finally a killer new monster dedicated to Frankie Knuckles which could be one of the best tracks I’ve ever been involved with!

 

Charity Event: House Music Saved My Life w/ Ronald McDonald House Charities

 

http://www.iamflipside.com/

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