How do you define your sense of belonging to the electronic scene and clubbing?
Having a label (Hayes Collective) alongside some really nice and talented people makes me feel like I’m really part of something and it keeps me going especially during this last year, which was the worst year ever for our scene, no doubt. Also being connected with such amazing new talents and established artists that I truly admire and respect like Oscar Mulero, Pfirter, Bas Mooy, Lewis Fautzi and more, gives me this feeling of belonging to the scene.
On the clubbing part of things, I would say that what makes feel like I’m part of it is the fact that I have been blessed with some really nice gigs around the world and made some cool friendships with people from Spain, China, Germany, Belgium, to name a few. I always said that the best part of this music thing is to be able to make friendships with people that otherwise, I would never met.
How did the scene develop in your country and which events were the trigger?
The scene is constantly evolving in my country. Places like Gare Porto had a huge importance in my musical taste when it comes to techno and it makes me very happy to be able to share my music in that club from time to time (before corona of course). Lux Frágil is also a very important club to me as well, the professionalism, the way they carefully put together line ups, the respect they have for artists, it all combines into one of my favorite clubs ever, not just in Portugal.
But there is still work to be done when it comes to festivals and bigger events, I think there could be more opportunities for Portuguese artists, especially newcomers since we have been earning some respect and following within and outside our country, it would make sense to be appreciated by more promoters in our country as well. I’m pretty sure this will get better when this corona madness is over and these new talents will have the opportunities they deserve.
Which sounds and influences represent you?
I would say established artists like Reeko, Regis and Mulero influenced my sound and the philosophy behind my music a lot but some new talents like Divide and Quelza also had an impact on my music, can’t deny it, huge talents for sure. The way all of them approach their music, paying a huge amount of attention to small details fascinates me a lot and inspires me every day to improve my sound.
Which are the national and international labels that deserve a mention from you?Maybe you can also talk about your own Hayes.
In Portugal there are some new labels growing up that definitely deserve a mention like Elberec and Krad, it’s nice to see the Portuguese techno scene growing and so many new talents appearing every day. Internationally, I would say Evod Music, SRI-E, AWRY, Horo, Nonplus and Antiterra are the ones I’ve been paying the most attention to recently, quality and forward-thinking stuff from all of them.
Hayes is doing great at the moment, we have been releasing a lot of new music from new talented artists and for me personally, this is what makes all the effort worth it. This year besides all of the core crew being scheduled to release an EP on the label we will have some talented people making their debut and our new vinyl VA is coming out very soon, exciting stuff happening.
Among the artists, who do you think helped with the growth and the development of the scenes?
Between past and present
Good promoters are and will always be super important when developing a scene, especially in places where there isn’t a strongly established scene. Besides promoters I would say the music itself is very important because we need to show good, intemporal music to people who are getting into this style of electronic music. If someone gains interest because of a stupid 4/5 year trend they will be losing interest and get out as fast as they came in and that’s not good and there is a collective responsibility to push good music, from promoters, artists and everyone involved.
How are the present and the future looking for you?
There is a lot to talk about the present.
Firstly, it makes me very happy to see so many talents pushing good music in my country and all around the world. Let me mention some of these: A Thousand Details, Stndr, VHS, Fresko, CRAVO, Autrane, Brusca, Divide, Evod, Oisel, Quelza, Translate, Axling, Kwartz, Enkō, Lakej, Irazu, Arthur Robert, Conceptual, T-Kode, PWCCA, D-Leria and many more, probably forgot a ton of them but yeah, lots of good music coming out recently from these guys. The Future is in good hands and I hope promoters start to take a look at this new generation with a bit more respect and push them a bit more because they deserve it. I truly believe there is space for everyone if the universe aligns in that way.
Personally, this coronavirus period has been very productive, I’ve been learning a lot of new techniques and I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to my “dream sound” if that’s really a thing. I have my first album coming out very soon on Mulero’s Warm Up Recordings and it’s a very special release for me, it represents a period of my life and the end of a cycle while giving away some hints of what’s to come in the future after the album. Making this album was a very personal and insightful experience that I will never forget and I hope who listens enjoys it as much as I did making it.
About the future, I feel like there is a lot to be done still but I also believe things will take a new path after this pandemic period. There will be a stronger sense of unity between artists, labels, promoters, and booking agents because in the end of the day we are all in this together and hopefully with the same goal: giving good music to the world.
Thank you for having me and all the best for this new project guys!
Nørbak Top 10 Favorite Tracks:
Planetary Assault Systems - Rip The Cut
Claude Young - Concentration Factor
Ulwhednar - Cardinal Red
Ritzi Lee - Deflected
Mike Parker - Voiceprint: Voice Two
Reeko - Electrical Phenomena (Remake)
Jeff Mills - Incoming
Vil - Szandor
Volte Face - Lethologica
Antigone - Printers Devil
