2018 was a breakthrough year for the young Australian music producer Dom Dolla. His hugely popular tech house hit ‘Take it’ gained him support from across the electronic music industry with the likes of Duke Dumont and Sonny Fedora getting behind the track. It’s no surprise then that 2019 has seen Dom grow to become a prominent name in the world of tech house, with appearances at Coachella and EDC Las Vegas to name a few. Earlier this year he transformed Purple Disco Machines famous disco production ‘Body Funk’ into a darker and heavier bass driven track, this merging of genres that rarely appear alongside each other gained the artist further plaudits. On the eve of his debut London appearance at EGG I was lucky enough to talk to him about his recent release of the music video for ‘Take It’, which is a very psychedelic representation of his biggest hit single. And ask the question, what is it really like to be Pete Tong’s ‘Future star of 2019’?
Your latest single ‘Take It’ has over 22 million streams to date, how has the reaction been from both fans and critics alike?
It’s well and truly blown me away to be honest, there was no way I was expecting the reception to the track to be like it is. Everyone’s been super positive and supportive of the record, I feel pretty lucky in that sense. It was a somewhat risky record to write conceptually, but I feel like the timing was right.
Production wise, how does ‘Take It’ compare to your previous releases?
Previously I’ve attempted to ride the line between writing dance records and records for people who don’t necessarily connect with club culture. My previous singles have always been quite soulful with a strong RnB influence. Take it was my way of writing a record for DJ’s and DJ’s only, but it appears it’s had a much broader scope than that.
Music videos are quite rare amongst the Electronic music world, what was the inspiration behind the idea to do one and its eventual aesthetic?
I wanted the video to reflect the tongue in cheek vibe that the track portrays, while keeping it fun and super engaging. We went through a few concepts before landing on this one. So I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out.
You chose Ross McDowell to direct the music video for ‘Take it’, what was it about his work that convinced you that he was the right more for the job?
I’d been a fan of his clips for a while! I’ve found quite often video clips can be just a simple visual aesthetic without having much of a storyline. I liked that Ross’ clips had great stories to keep you engaged, combined with abstract visuals and concepts that just made the viewer go “What on earth am I watching…” haha.
You recently released a remix for Purple Disco Machine’s hugely popular song ‘Body Funk’, how was it reworking a production for someone so prominent in the dance music industry?
Exciting! It was quite an honour to be asked, especially alongside the other artists on the remix pack (Carl Cox & Claptone), but I did my best to treat it the same as I would any other remix. Use the elements I connected with the most and create a sound that would translate to my sets.
You’ve played across the world but you’re now making your London debut at Egg on the 5th of July, has London always been a place you’ve wanted to visit?
I’ve visited London 2 or 3 times previously but I to be honest I don’t think I’ve stepped inside a music venue there before, previous visits have just been on holidays with friends. Sinking pints at the pub then heading straight to a festival, so I’m pretty excited to see what the scene has in store.
What should those attending your show at Egg expect who have never seen you DJ before?
Good hooks and a solid groove.
Pete Tong named you as the ‘Future star of 2019’, has this accolade added more pressure on you to live up to certain expectations now?
It was an honour! It certainly encourages me to keep doing what I’m doing. I believe the expectations of myself are high enough already; worrying about other people’s expectations probably isn’t worth the stress.
With ‘Take It’ adding to the list of successful releases you’ve now put out, what aims do you have for the future?
Working on as much music as I can while keeping the touring up! it’s a tricky thing to balance, but I’m getting better at it as time goes on.
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Words: Jake Wright