Wemoto Radio - 017 - Manuel Darquart

Manuel Darquart is a DJ and producer duo based between London and Auckland, currently run by Louis Anderson-Rich. Having already made a huge impact in a very short space of time on the electronic music scene, following releases for Coastal Haze, WOLF Music and Infinite Pleasure, they now have a new EP coming out on Slam City Jams. Drawing influence from classic Italian house labels such as Irma, Antima and Palmares, they have been putting their own twist and interpretation on the regular house track by joining the dots between yesterday’s golden era classics and today’s club bangers. We got a chance to ask them some questions about their workflow, how they'd describe their own music and what the future holds.
Wemoto Radio welcomes Manuel Darquart!



Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background, maybe where you grew up and what first got you interested in electronic music?
My name's Louis and I was born in the UK but moved to NZ when I was 6yo. It was probably the Chemical Brothers and Groove Armada circa 99-00 that got me into dance music (not that I really knew that's what it was called) + my mum and step-dad listening to an NZ radio station George FM on Sundays.

What made you move to London and how did this city influence you musically and personally?
I moved to London because NZ is small. I wanted to live somewhere that didn't have one good night every two months and be somewhere people were genuinely excited to hear dance music. NZ is absolutely getting there now, it's cool to see but London still influences me everyday because of its nightlife. Seeing what works in clubs and hearing new music constantly it's just a real good energy that keeps me engaged and motivated.

What’s a typical day in the life of Manuel Darquart? Do you have a daytime job or do you make music full time?
I have a fulltime job so it's working that and then coming home in the hope of making some tunes. I'm pretty sporadic with producing. I'll go weeks not working on anything and then in three days have 6-7 new tracks.



How is your studio looking and which pieces are your favourite at the moment?
Studio is looking pretty messy lol honestly cable management stresses me out so much! I just set up my first ever patch bay so i'll say that's my favourite piece cos it lets me play all of my rack gear in a compact space haha.

How do you start a new tune? Do you have a particular workflow?
No particular workflow but I find the tracks I most often finish start with a kick drum. Then it's straight into layers of instrumentation because I have a terrible memory so if I'm thinking of how the whole tune should go I have to get all the music bits down in that first 15 minutes. The common thread is probably always hearing something in another track and thinking 'can I do that?' though.

Which artists made the biggest impression on you lately and why?
Pender Street Steppers basically constant influence always and forever. Their production is just so crisp and something I strive for. Mystic Jungle and those Napoli cats are a big one. Paula Tape. Space Ghost. Again just super tight mix downs and vintage sounds. Also a lot of old forgotten records from that Balearic/euro pop kind of crossover. I like making someone genuinely think the music came out 30 years ago.

What have you been listening to recently at home during these difficult times?
Basketball podcasts and Max Zuckerman's 'Corner Office' EP.

How is your release schedule looking right now? Do you have anything on the horizon you can share with us?
Yes we have an EP coming out on Rhode & Brown's label Slam City Jams + a remix for their album on Permanent Vacation. Maybe a couple more things cooking on the back burner too ;)