Q&A with English DJ + Producer – BURNS

BURNS is proving himself to be one of the most exciting producers in the Electronic scene right now with a string of Beatport hits on various A list labels such as Spinnin, Fly Eye and his recent ghetto sounding booty clapping monster hit ‘Make It Clap‘ on Doorn / Spinnin Records. He also worked on music for artists such as Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Elliphant (interview here ) and Charli XCX as well as co produced records with Calvin Harris.

With his mix of indie leftfield style vocal chops and weird/ dark guitar plucks in ‘When I’m Around U‘ and his top 5 smash ‘About U‘ with big room heavyweight Tommy Trash, BURNS sets himself apart from the crowd as he pushes the boundaries with each release with consistant success and support from all the biggest players in the game. And with a 2016 residency at Omnia, Las Vegas and an appearance at Lollapalooza just announced, 2016 looks likely to be BURNS’ biggest year yet.

All Access Music writer, Nicole DeRosa had a chance to catch up with BURNS while in the studio. Enjoy their chat below!

Hey there Matt! Where does our interview find you and what’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

Hey Nicole! I’m in the studio here in L.A. right now. I’m working on finishing up a bunch of new music and also writing with a bunch of other pop acts for their projects. 

So, first things first, you are returning to the Fly Eye (Calvin Harris’ record label) fold with “Beauty Queen” (now available on Beatport here ) . The track has already been supported by Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Showtek, R3HAB, Nicky Romero and many more. How did that track come about?

I’d had the instrumental version of the track made for a few weeks before I had the idea of stripping it back even more and using a vocal loop as the break down.

I wanted to make something that was in keeping with “Make It Clap” which was the previous release and has been getting amazing reactions when I play it live. I’m really feeling the blend between hip hop and house music at the moment.

For those that are not as familiar with you in all your DJ musical gloriousness, from recent booty clapping monster hits like “Make It Clap”, and weird / dark guitar plucks in “When I’m Around U” and Top 5 smash,“About U” you began making music around the age of 12, is that right? Who or what was the catalyst for you to want to live the life of a musical DJ gypsy?

“I don’t think there was a specific catalyst for me wanting to be in music, it was a combination of just having an obsession with electronic music / music in general and I think my parents broad taste in music that helped. That, paired with my fear of getting a 9-5 job.”

BURNS with R3HAB

You have collaborated with so many talented artists such as Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, Elliphant, Charli XCX as well as co-produced records with Calvin Harris. Who would you love to collaborate with next? (I’m talking wish / bucket list!)

I’d love to do some stuff in the hip hop world. I’ve been doing a lot of pop style production the past year and I really have an urge to go back to making more beat based sounding stuff! I really wanna work with Vince Staples right now. He is amazing!

You incorporate lots of various genres and styles into your set. How do you curate your set? Do you stick to the original plan (setlist) or do you infuse new stuff as you feel out the crowd’s energy on that particular day or night?

I’ll usually have a rough playlist of stuff I think might work, but then I’ll read how the crowd is during the set and switch it up accordingly.

What has been your most favorite / memorable show thus far and why?

“Hmmm…. That’s a hard one. I’ve had some great shows recently. EMF in Guatemala a few weeks ago was amazing. I love playing big festival crowds!”

Today everything is so instant ala Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes etc. You push a button and it’s yours. What was the first album (that you can remember) that you saved up your hard earned money to purchase?

I remember the first thing I bought on cd was “Rewind” by Artful Dodger featuring Craig David.

What was the first song you fell in love with (or made a lasting impact on you) and why?

I remember loving “Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac when I was a kid. I think it was one of my dad’s favourite records, so I heard it a lot and I loved it! 

 

Who is in your current playlist? What artists or bands are in current rotation for you? Any genres we would be surprised to find in there?

Bryson Tiller, Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples, Lido, The 1975, The Neighbourhood, Earl Sweatshirt, Mura Masa

What’s on tap next for you? What are you most excited about for this year?

I’m excited for a bunch of production stuff I’ve been working on to come out… As well as some new solo stuff and collaborations with other producers! There’s a lot coming…

“Lollapalooza was just announced too which I’m excited to play for the first time this year! And you can catch me at my residency at Omni in Las Vegas this year too!”

 

To stay connected with BURNS , visit his socials below!

   Facebook  /   Twitter  /   Instagram  /   Soundcloud