Michael Nighttime is a Philadelphia based DJ/Producer. This long time performer and storyteller was born out of the northeast regional Burning Man culture and seeks to bring emotional narrative music experiences to people all over the world.
Michael Nighttime is a Philadelphia based DJ/Producer. This long time performer and storyteller was born out of the northeast regional Burning Man culture and seeks to bring emotional narrative music experiences to people all over the world. Never limited by genre or bound by expectations, Mr. Nighttime’s music is constantly evolving and invites the audience to take a step inside the world as he feels it. It’s Nighttime’s hope to give the listeners an aural portrait of expression, community, and living a life worth telling.
“Nothing to Lose” is the steady walking orchestra in the sky-alley, a glitchy groove with spatial insights and hard geology. Featuring giant moon-bells and architectural funk, it stands to provide the fevered dance with just the right medicine – pushing through into the multicolored oblivion. The b-side, “Glory,” is a simple exercise in the focused application of Will, Absolution, and the Rise of the inside animal. A story of Balance, told with Drums, Bliss, and Grime.
Michael Nighttime Interview by John Reinhold
Nighttime, how long have you been involved in producing music?
In 1995 I would have been in 4th grade. That was about the time I convinced my teachers to let me install Digital Performer on the school computers. I had gotten a hand me down copy from a relative and my computer at home couldn’t run it.
I had no idea what MIDI was, or the first thing about mixing or frequencies, but I knew I wanted to make music. Thousands and thousands of drum patterns and basslines later, I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.
What are your major influences when it comes to music in general? And what has influenced you in producing electronic music?
I was always on stage in school growing up: musical theatre, a cappella groups, choirs, plays, opera; I was even the drummer in the school jazz band. Music has always been a part of my life, so there’s that foundation there, certainly. Meanwhile, I had a friend who played Crystal Method’s Vegas for me and it blew my mind wide open. I remember just wanting more of those sounds and energy. I felt there was a secret story behind that album that I was missing, too–not only did I want to be at that party, but I also wanted to read the book. There was, to my knowledge, no book, but there was a lesson there that continued to be rehashed and refined through the years: Music is storytelling. Sometimes only an emotional snapshot, but always some kind of narrative gives soul to the music. I found myself collecting electronic music, mostly in the form of soundtracks. The cinematic narrative scope continually was what appealed to me–this was what I wanted the soundtrack of my life to be.
Years later, I started to explore traditional party music. People wanted to celebrate and party long before there were sound systems. We’re the not the first ones to want to have a crazy night out with friends and drinks. Rage, turnt up, going wild, whatever you want to call it, I believe the desire for that hedonistic expression of community and vitality is ingrained in us, and so too will you find traditional “dance music” that seeks to explore and encourage those feelings. I have found it interesting as a DJ and producer to try and incorporate some of those older sounds into what I know now about modern dance music and the newfound power of our sound systems and subwoofers.
Those are the major facets of my current musical leanings. Before I DJ, people ask what I am going to play; my standard response is “whatever’s necessary.” Usually I wink or something. I’m terribly and irritatingly charming [laughs].
Is this your first major release of music on large sites like Beatport? What brought about this release and working with Party Time Society Label?
This is my first major release and I am very excited about it. I have known Josh and Jex at Party Time for years and years, and they are two of my dearest friends. They have always been very helpful in the development of my musical abilities, as well as being just being lovely people. We have often run new work by each other; I have worked with Josh as a DJ many times before, and with Jex in the circus world. When I played these tracks for them a few months ago, they told me about the label and asked if I would be willing to have this music released. We got to work and got it done. Between the label runners and the other artists on the label there is a vibrant community of supportive co-creation, which is exactly the kind of environment I yearn for. I am currently working on a few remixes for other artists on the label. It is good to feel so inspired by the people you work with.
Tell me about your approach to each song on this EP, and how they were developed.
There are the stories you hear of great composers sitting down with pen and staff paper and writing out whole symphonies without ever hearing a note — they hear it all in their head. My approach to producing has always been exploratory and procedural, sounds inspiring other sounds that inspire more structure and different rhythms. For “Nothing to Lose”, I decided to try a different approach. I imagined myself standing in front of an orchestra that would change to fit my sonic needs, and play whatever it was I wanted – I imagined the players playing their parts in a room, and I imagined myself conducting them. This song is borne out of that mental exercise, I feel that it is imbued with the physicality of a lot of these instruments, both real and imagined. I would love to someday have this piece adapted for five or six live musicians.
The second song, “Glory,” was written as a counterpoint to the first. Slightly less dance directed, more of a rock feel, but still echoing the horns in the first track. Harmonically it is more of an expression of certain types of joy when they are felt so much as to seem to pour out of you. I find myself repeatedly drawn towards the juxtaposition of “pretty” elements against other “dirty” or “grimy” elements. This song is absolutely an exploration of that; the horns and bells played off of the bass and glitch sounds. To be honest I struggled with [this] song for several months of revisions. There were definitely moments where I came close to scrapping it for good, but I’m glad I didn’t.
Seems that the EP is doing well on beatport – what are your plans for upcoming releases or remixes?
Yeah! Peaked at #7 on new electronica releases, so I’m pretty happy about that, and the support and exposure it represents.
As for the future, I know Party Time has a busy release schedule coming up, so I’ll be focusing on doing remixes in the coming months for as many other artists as I can. There’s a particularly interesting song from Subatomica I just got the stems for that I’m very excited to get to work on. I’d also like to get out one or two free tracks soon for the winter, maybe one banger and one more melodic wintertime track. After that I don’t have much of a plan. I suppose I should start working on another album. I’ve always enjoyed the process of writing full albums, and I think now, given everything I’ve learned, the results would be pretty special.
Michael Nighttime:
http://www.michaelnighttime.com/
https://www.facebook.com/michaelnighttime
Party Time Society:
https://www.facebook.com/ptslabel
