[Interview] Domeno Talks New Record Label, Evolution as an Artist, Among Much More!

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[Interview] Domeno Talks New Record Label, Evolution as an Artist, Among Much More!

 

On March 2, 2019, we had the exciting opportunity to interview a rising musical superstar who had the second most played track on Quebec's airwaves last year. Some of you might have guessed it, the incredibly down-to-earth DJ is none other than Domeno!

It was truly a pleasure to get to know the Canadian producer. We dug deep and discussed his highly impressive evolution as an artist, the story and creation process behind his brand new record label, what he believes is the most important thing in life, among much more.

We are itching to share his answers with you all. The way Domeno spoke from the heart and shared his insight was nothing short of captivating and has resonated with us since that day. Without further ado, let's jump right into it!

 

1- How has the success of 'Lies' affected your evolution as an artist?

I have to say, I am really happy that this journey is happening a little later in life as opposed to it occurring when I was younger. I feel like I know how to handle and appreciate success. I am also taking steps back to realize all of the things that I have accomplished, thus far, and am really enjoying this experience as a whole. 

I've decided, "the hell with genres!" I just want to make the music that I love - it could be a big room banger that I want to put out on the Revealed Recordings' record label, or making a sweet and romantic song with a girl in mind that goes to another label.

2- Can you describe what your mindset was in the early stages of creating the compelling track & what were the emotions that you felt when you slowly saw the piece come together.

It's a very personal song. It was written and sung by Zagata. It talks about insecurities. I wanted to create it so that everyone could relate and it could be interpreted in different ways. Everybody who's in the arts could also feel the emotions portrayed in the song. For example, sometimes you feel like you're in the shadows, and other times you feel like you have to be in the spotlight, but don't want to be.

Also, the melody is incredible and leaves room for interpretation. I hope that when people listen to this song, they can feel the related emotions that we tried to convey through the track. 

3- Your latest endeavor to start your own record label christened Elisa Recordings is an extremely impressive undertaking. Can you tell us about how it got started & what we can expect from the label in the future?

The label is named after my sister. She has always supported me. I told her, "One day, I'm going to do something in your honour". 

The reason why the label was born is that no one was wanting to release the music that I have been wanted to create! It's one of those things where it was created because of a need - it was a necessity, in my opinion.

As an artist, not everybody is going to believe in your projects. We are constantly being told "no" - the faster that one gets used to being told "no", the easier it gets.

In this case, no one wanted to put out this song. I knew that I had a smash hit on my hands! I really believed in it. So, I did it myself. 

I started my own business. Now, I am proud to say that I have my new single out on the label called 'Alleys' with Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan. That said, to have these big features trust me as an independent company is major! I am very thankful.

I also have a few artists that I will be featuring down the road. For example, Karl Sylver was previously in a dance music duo, but things didn't work out. He's a young guy that prefers to be in the background producing, and has a really bright future. I'm helping him write music and we'll also be collaborating in the future. He's one of my main focuses. I want him to succeed.

Another artist to look out for is Profex - he's a Latin artist from Montreal. He straight up a badass, and people are sleeping on him. My goal is to take him to where I want him to be; for example, I am helping him understand the business aspects behind the industry.

Furthermore, there's also a duo called London2Monaco. They are also from Montreal, have killer remixes, and are excellent producers. 

This label won't just focus on dance music, it will lean more towards the pop side. Of course, I will still be putting out the big room bangers that I am known for (shout-out to the Revealed crew for shaping my productions), but you will be seeing me and these artists switching things up!

4- Your new single 'Alleys' is a hit! How did you & Pierre become acquainted, & how did the idea of working together spark?

Pierre and I are childhood friends. We lived on the same street in a small town. Ever since we were 8 years old, we were doing everything together; like skateboarding. 

Pierre got into music a lot earlier than I did. He took it very seriously. At one point, we grew apart; not only because of his musical career but also because he is slightly older than I am and that created a bit of a gap between us. 

Before Simple Plan, Pierre was in another band called Reset. It was a punk band that was starting to make some noise in the scene. At this point in my life, I didn't even know that I was going to get into music full time. 

Over the years, we'd see each other at his shows but I would always tell him, "one day, I'm going to bring you a hit record and you're going to be a big part of it". You could tell that he was interested, but he would need a push to believe it.

When I finished 'Alleys', I called him and said, "remember that song that I told you that I was going to bring you? Well, here it is!" Following that phone call, it literally took 3 days for us to pull it all together. 

I had to produce it from afar because he's out of LA. We had to Skype and make it work through the use of technology, and that's exactly what we did. 

5- Can you tell us about the French version of the track?

The French version is really cool because it's with French legends Kaïn. To have them be featured on the track, and for them give me all of this freedom, was insane!

They came into the studio and allowed me to run the show and produce them. It's very important for me to have this liberty. I am very hard on my singers and all of the other people that I work with. In the end, they really appreciate it and are over the moon! The results speak for themselves.  

6- We’d love for you to compare some of the differences that you’ve noticed within the pop and dance music genres, specifically when you’re playing those styles to the crowd.

First of all, you have to get out of the mindset of "pop" and "dance music". When a DJ first starts to branch out to the pop music genre, one feels they're alienating their fanbase. As a DJ, you always think, "I want to do this, I want to do that, etc.", but the people who are buying the tickets and that are coming to see your shows have expectations. You have to, sort of, step out of that mindset that they have these expectations, and remember "I matter too. What I feel counts", and you can't let yourself focus on pleasing everybody. It's really about saying to yourself, "I want to do this. If you don't like this track, then that's cool, maybe you'll prefer the next single" - most importantly, not to be upset with the people who are supporting you for having a preference in genres.

I put my heart and soul into making this new single, and I'm happy. That's all I want to be in life, happy. So, it's one thing to feel like you have to cater and feel like you want to do what's current, but you have to do what makes you happy. Then, hopefully, the people, no matter what their musical preferences, will follow your musical journey. If you do the opposite, you lose yourself. As an artist, this is the ultimate way to feel lost. 

We'd like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to the hardworking musician for his contagious kindness, energy, and hospitality.

Furthermore, we absolutely can't wait to see what the future holds. We're willing to bet that Elisa Recordings will skyrocket its success, especially with such a beautiful tribute and a soon-to-be impressive list of tracks behind the label. 


Author

Brittany Provost

Valley girl taking the city life by storm! You'll never see me happier than when I'm dancing at a music festival.




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