Mully has many strings to his bow. A so talented and hard-working producer, founder of the Canadian bass music record label Emengy, workaholic , he is on all the fronts. Working on his personal projects, helping new talents, he is also signing remarkable and great artists on his label which is definitely one of my favorites, and one of the best bass music label. I wanted to know more about his music, and obviously about the label Emengy. This interview is a complete demonstration of his extreme kindness, generosity, authenticity and his passion for music that characterize him.
How did you get into music? What inspired you to start music?
I really got interested about music in High School, probably around Grade 9 (2002) I think is when I started writing my own music and learning the production basics. It was quite a different process back then. In the early 2000's, I went to many of the Apex Project raves in BC (Canada) and just fell in love with the 'electronic sound' of the genre. Not too long after, there was actually a local electronic duo called "Limbonius" who I met and really looked up to. They wrote their first solo album, and I thought that just was the coolest thing. A local group putting out an electronic album. It was literally unheard of at the time.
Did you plan at an early age to make music your career?
That was definitely not the plan. I had a baseball scholarship and eventually got a degree in Criminology. So, I was certainly going in a different direction.
What are your musical influences?
I have way too many, and surprisingly from different genres. Musically, I would say early Delirium played a big role for me in the electronic music realm. Those guys are innovators and always will be.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Tough question. Most likely seeing people around me become successful in their craft. That's always inspired me.
What is a typical day of work of Mully?
Haha, well I've got my hands full with many different things, but keeping up day-to-day roles with Emengy is a huge one for me.
How would you define your sound and what do you do to develop it?
My sound has constantly evolved. I've never been stuck on one specific style. I grew up listening to a lot of ambient and deep progressive house/trance. So I think that has always stuck with me. Currently, I work closely with Shvman (Brendan Morris) and we write a lot of melodic bass/trance records. My solo work generally falls under the deep/progressive house umbrella.
Who are your favorite artists to listen to?
That's such a hard question for me. Apart from the entire Emengy roster and electronic music as a
whole, I listen to a lot of ambient and drone music. It's quite different from what Emengy and Mully
releases, but it's a nice escape. The Cryo Chamber label is where I find a lot of music I listen to.
Is there a dream collaboration?
I think there are many unrealistic collaborations, but I really would love to write some records with
Delirium. That would be so cool.
Do you have favorite software to use when producing?
Yes, I use Ableton Live for software along with some analog/modular gear.
What is your favorite venue or festival to perform at?
Well, 2020 has been pretty dry regarding events with Covid-19, but playing b2b set with DJ Gaba at
Shambhala Music Festival would have to be a special moment for sure, and playing
at the Emengy Sound Camp at Lost Lands in 2018.
We are living a very difficult situation with the pandemic; How do you cope with this period as
an artist?
Mainly just staying focussed on creating new content and new releases. It's the main focus a lot
of us are taking right now I feel. Live-streaming is also a super popular outlet for a lot of us.
I think keeping a healthy mental state is the name of the game right now. Working out and
pursuing other hobbies has also helped me out tremendously.
How do you see the future of music with all the restrictions around the world?
The future of music definitely seems uncertain right now, but I do believe things will resume back
to a certain degree of normal. We are unfortunately seeing a lot of venues and nightclubs shut down
permanently which will change a lot of things in different cities, however, I really do feel this scene
has the energy and motivation required to find new ways to perform and adapt. Who knows, maybe
this pause is really healthy for the scene.
What are the projects you are working on and what can we expect for the future?
Well, I have quite a few singles in the works currently. There's a lot more music with
Shvman on the way, Smiles Only, Maml, and Vortac to name a few. I'm also constantly working
on new material with my side project - The Coriolis Project.
You are also the founder of the label Emengy / Emengy Deep. How did the idea of creating
a label came to you? What is the direction of the label?
Well, Emengy actually took shape in 2010, but it wasn't until 2013 where we really got a bit more
serious and initially focused on house music. The idea primarily came from wanting to
showcase the many talented producers I knew and worked with at the time. Since then, It has grown to
a primarily heavier label focusing on bass music. Emengy Deep was founded so we could
maintain and still release everything from ambient to deep/progressive house. I think it's
important to evolve and work with artists that believe in each other and the label.
What are the major criteria to be signed on the label?
Generally our team really looks into if the artist is serious about their craft and if they've been
actually growing and receiving support on their music. Naturally, our goal is to sign bigger
tier artists, but we do work with a core group of up-and-coming artists we strongly believe in.
Also, (and this goes without saying), but our emails are always open for demos as our label
manager Nick Diduch is constantly looking for hidden talent to add to our roster.
What are the strengths of the label?
I'd say our strength is really the fact that we have a core group/family working with the label and
believing in it so strongly. This has never been the 'Vince Show' - It's always been the efforts of our family/
crew building the label up to where it's headed today. Recently, I had a good friend Dan Bartake
(Flatland Funk) join our Board of Directors, and that's really strengthened our team. I also need to give
a shout-out to Melissa Kravtsov and Roger Bissonnette - Those 2 have really stepped up this year.
Can you tell us a bit about the forthcoming releases on Emengy?
Not really, haha! But I will say that we have a lot of VERY exciting releases (and announcements) lined
up - Both singles and EP's.
What do you think of the bass music scene in Canada?
I think the bass music scene in Canada is great. Our neighbors down south have a very vibrant scene
as well and are obviously a bit ahead of us up here. I think 2020 has opened a lot of eyes , so it will be
interesting to see what 2021/2022 brings!
Who are the artists you are proud of the most?
That's a REAL tough question , and not sure I can answer it. There are so many that come to mind.
Every artist that has released on the label has really impressed me. Maybe the only example
I will say, is that I have been able to watch the Smiles Only boys develop and grow from their solo
projects right up to where they are at today along-side of Emengy. It's been pretty cool to see
their progress and help them along the way. their loyalty and persistence has always been rock
solid.
What is the signature you dream of to have on the label?
I think of having an Excision release would be awesome.
What are your new challenges?
I think there is never a time we don't have challenges. The main challenges now are to constantly
stay relevant and create new art. It's important to have a clear vision with certain aspects of an artistic
journey. We have lots planned and it's important we stay focussed in order to accomplish everything.
Any big shout-outs to give?
BIG shout-out to our entire family at Emengy - Desmond Parker, Nick Diduch, Dan Bartake,
Roger Bissonnette, Melissa Kravtsov and to you Isma for having me here.
Define Music.
It's just noise.
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