The city’s party-hearty would be
hard-pressed to find a racier gig than
the fare promised by DJs Congorock
and Felix Cartal, the two superstars of
international dance music, for a real
long time, writes Anand Holla
In this musical age of blending genres, most artistes fall into the trap of serving up bland, run-of-the-mill cocktails. Italian-born DJ Congorock and Canadian-born DJ Felix Cartal, however, stand out for their signature fusion sounds that cut through the club clutter and ride high on the new electro wave.
As part of their Middle East and Africa Tour, this month, the two superstars of international dance music are scorching up everything from packed clubs in Dubai and Nairobi to a massive block party in the streets of Johannesburg.
Their high-octane music may meet its venue match only in Doha though, as they get ready to rock the towering Strata Restaurant, located on the 55th floor of Intercontinental Doha The City, tomorrow night. Doha’s party-hearty would be hard-pressed to find a racier gig than this one for a real long time.
Distilling inspirations from sci fi, futuristic, fantasy, cyberpunk and alien fiction, Congorock or Rocco Rampino’s brand of electro house music, or tribal electro, is known mostly for its hard, groovy swing. It’s not hard to see how this underground phenomenon rose to a globe-trotting, in-demand DJ.
His willingness to experiment with anything from tribal drums to hardcore bass sound has earned him the support of top artistes from across genres — Afrojack, Diplo, Tiësto, Benny Benassi, Steve Angelo, and even Rihanna, who roped him in for her 777 tour that hit seven countries in seven days.
His emphatic chartbuster 2009 single Babylon, along with cool remixes of Somebody to Love (Boy George/Mark Ronson), and One (Swedish House Mafia), and his successful collaboration with Sean Paul on Bless di Nation, have been key in propelling him to such remarkable fame.
DJ and electronic music producer Felix Cartal — original name Taelor Deitcher — has only gotten better and bigger ever since he made his mark in the circuit with his 2009 debut EP titled Skeleton. Like Congorock, Felix is known for delivering powerhouse concerts, and loves to tour relentlessly.
Big names like Steve Aoki and MSTRKRFT have been some of the earliest supporters of Felix’s distinct heavy electro sound that fuses electronic genres by throwing in everything from cool frequency variations and abrasive sounds to rousing instrumental build-ups.
Among other reasons, Felix’s trend-setting move of collaborating with a wide range of vocalists in the dance music scene — like Maja Ivarsson of The Sounds and Johnny Whitney of The Blood Brothers — has made everyone take note of his talent.
A day before Congorock and Felix Cartal kick up a storm in Doha, Community caught up with them for a chat:
Electro and dance music today is everywhere and in several variations. What do you think makes your brand of music stand out?
Congorock: I feel that a lot of influences from different worlds and arenas are continually seeping into my music. So I like to incorporate elements of other genres into my style of dance music.
Felix: I think I have gone back to focussing on actual songwriting and trying to make songs that are infectious and timeless, rather than just focussing on a “drop.” As much as I love music with great drops, it can pigeonhole you as an artiste, despite you wanting to move forward.
What would you call as the turning point in your career, and why?
Congorock: When I got signed to Fool’s Gold Records in 2008, because that’s when I quit my job and decided to become a full time DJ producer.
Felix: I guess I am still working towards that moment.
How do you keep up with the changing face of electro house music and adapt yourself to it?
Congorock: I spend lot of money on records. I am not a collector, but I do search for new stuff, especially with dance music. I am aware that electronic music evolves at a fast pace, even more so when it’s dance music, but I have always felt like I have stuck to my own style. I like to think I have influenced and still influence people around me rather than following new trends.
Felix: I do that by listening to everything — and not just dance music. The idea is to borrow from things outside of your world and apply them to your own creations.
How has collaborating with various artistes enriched your musical journey?
Congorock: It was great working with a singer like Sean Paul because for the first time, I had to shape my electronic music into a real song. It was definitely a different perspective for me than just writing dance music. It’s like making two worlds come together and create something nice out of it. I have also learned how it is to be totally into a studio session with an artiste, follow the path of mutual inspiration and see magic happen. I have also collaborated with other DJ producers like Daddy’s groove, Nom De Strip and Clockwork. It’s a lot of fun if you get along in the studio, you know, if you are actually already good friends.
Felix: I think just collaborating with different types of artistes has helped me a lot because it brings forth new challenges and excitement to each song. For example, on the Credits EP, I think Koko Laroo and Ofelia have a near complete opposite style of vocals, and to figure out a way for their voices to both work on the same record and make it all sound like one project was difficult but fulfilling. I am always trying to do new things rather than try to recreate something I have already done over and over.
What sort of joy does performing live give you? How do you feed off your audience’s energy?
Congorock: Sometimes, because of all the touring, I get on the DJ booth and I feel really tired or jetlagged. But the energy I feel in front of the people just wakes me up. I don’t have any explanation for that. I think as an artiste I live off these kinds of feelings. There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing people reacting to my performance.
Felix: Well, there is no better feeling than an audience singing along to a song that you wrote at home. That feeling will never get old.
Share your most memorable performance and why it was extra special.
Congorock: The first time I went to the EDC Festival (Electric Daisy Carnival) in LA, I could hear, at every stage, my music being played by other DJs. That’s when I realised that I was doing something good!
Felix: I played a festival after-party in a museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. A completely surreal and unique experience, it was a bit of a pop-up party where they covered all the paintings with black curtains and kids just raved on the museum staircase. It was so cool!
