In town for the first time and in India for the second, English DJ Moto Blanco (AKA Danny Harrison) recalls his start in the music scene almost two decades ago and the changing trends in EDM (electronic dance music).
“The trend is definitely shifting back to underground parties, as opposed to big open clubs,” says he and adds, “That’s my favourite scene to play at — dark, low-ceiling clubs filled with sweaty people moving to some truly intense and heavy beats.”
While he loves playing at festivals, as playing for over 10,000 people is an experience in itself, Danny says the most fun he has is at those small intimate parties that go on for a lot longer than supposed to.
A soulful man at heart, Blanco truly feels that true artistes are the likes of Stevie Wonder and Prince, though he insists that he loves all genres of music, especially the Indian beats.Having always had a love for music, Danny used to work in a record shop in London and set out to produce his own track in 1988. "I used to see these artistes come in all the time and I thought, ‘hey, I can do this too you know’," he recalls.
Also a believer that you can’t turn up with a fixed set-list, as the crowd’s mood is unpredictable, he’s a strong believer in winging it and improvisation. “I’ll even switch the music off midway and start singing myself if I think that’s what the crowd wants,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}Also a believer that you can’t turn up with a fixed set-list, as the crowd’s mood is unpredictable, he’s a strong believer in winging it and improvisation. “I’ll even switch the music off midway and start singing myself if I think that’s what the crowd wants,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about an embarrassing anecdote, Danny remembers a festival he played at in Russia: “Russians are very family AND vodka oriented; so, we were all sitting around a table and we all had a shot each in the name of our mother and father and siblings.
And since I have a big family, this was NOT easy for me, but then they started saying have a shot for their family members. How I played my set after that is not something I want to recall, not that I could, even if I tried!”
Plans for next year? “To do more of my own original stuff; I’m getting a little tired of remixing other people’s songs,” says he.
The trends he believes for next year are changing club music and solo artistes, “Clubs don’t play one genre anymore; it’s a mix and I personally believe that people want good, strong solo artistes back, not just ineligible electro music.”
Talking about his plans for New Year’s Eve, he says, “See you all in Sydney!”