Check out and share our On The Wax Interview. This interview is part of our new Tastemakers / Influencers / Bloggers / Journalists in the Spotlight Series. As always: Share & Support!
Please introduce yourself real quick…
I'm Cal, and I run and curate On The Wax! OTW was originally founded in early 2017 under a different name and we've worked extremely hard to establish ourselves as one of the go-to media websites/blogs in the fast-growing underground UK bass scene, alongside the likes of Selecta & Marimba. After we rebranded to OTW, things really picked up and our content has been of a much higher quality, drawing in well-known names such as UK Funky pioneer Roska and leading labels such as Southpoint, U Wot Blud? Records, 1Forty, Durkle Disco and more. We've also got a run of very, very exciting events on the horizon – stay tuned for info on that.
What kind of stuff do you cover mostly? And how do you typically discover and decide WHAT to cover?
We like to split content between our main website and our Soundcloud. On the website, we focus on mainly text-based content including the latest in reviews, previews, events, track selections, accompanying pieces for our Soundcloud uploads, news and interviews with leading figures in the scene – all hand picked by OTW. On our Soundcloud, we regularly upload guest mixes from the best in both new and established talent, monthly, multi-genre selection mixes from myself, premieres from leading labels & artists, free downloads and audio from our livestreams and a consistent stream of great, club-ready free downloads. When deciding what to cover, we always follow the age-old rule of quality over quantity. As a bit of a perfectionist, I'll never put something out until it's completely ready and the best it can be. Generally, we'll cover anything in the UK bass scene and beyond if it strikes a chord with us personally.
Can you give our audience some tips on how to get on your radar ?
There's a couple of rules for both, and I think these apply to pretty much the whole scene if you want to be noticed and acknowledged. First up, always take the time to introduce yourself. If you just drop a Soundcloud link and nothing else there's a 99% chance there'll be no follow up; we don't just upload tracks for the sake of it, we like to build rapport with our artists and contacts – that's a thing that really does show through in related content and uploads, it's painstakingly obvious. Above all, present yourself in a respectable way: if you're polite, forward-thinking and courteous you're more likely to get somewhere. Of course, this goes both ways as well!
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Sure”]
Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
This is an odd one for me as I'm still just playing around & beginning with production but I will say this, when I started I forced myself onto a music production course at Uni and honestly, being forced into it (doing assignments etc) really killed the vibe for me. I used to sit at my desk or at Uni while everyone else was sat there tapping away, and I used to get so annoyed, I ended up hating myself for it at one point. So, I made the decision to transfer to a music journalism course and now I've developed in other areas. My tip would be don't force yourself into it, it's not going to come to you overnight – put the work in, learn from others and be patient with it!
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you personally discover new music?
On a personal level, I kind of go about it like – "What would I listen to? What would I play out in sets?" – and go from there. If I love it I'll usually write about it. I'm not saying just because I listen to it it's good, more that I write about what I like because I have a huge passion for it and I want to share that. In terms of how I actually discover music, social media platforms like Soundcloud are obviously a blessing, I'll spend a couple of hours every day trawling through the feed and checking up on artists I know always deliver something cool and different. I usually make a list of upcoming releases for the month and then check them out when they drop. However, by far the thing that gasses me the most is when I get a message or email from an artist/label with a new tune or EP that isn't out yet, I'm forever thankful to those whose mailing lists etc I've been fortunate enough to be added to, makes my day when I get something like that through!
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“That's what OTW is all about really – the spread of music and the joy it brings to others. I love the simplicity of that and that key mantra is what it'll always be no matter what. No one is bigger than the music. In terms of sharing, if I'm really feeling a new artist or tune I'll always share it with my mates in between writing so they can listen too, seeing their reactions helps me out a lot actually. The idea that readers can find new music through OTW has always been something that gives me joy, and it inspires me to look beyond the pre-existing and pre-determined norms of the modern music industry; seek out the anomalies and you will find the real gems. Our monthly mixes and weekly track selections always feature some great new artists who are destined for big things in the future.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
We meet again in one year. What has changed?
Nothing's ever concrete in the world we live in, but ideally I'd like to have interviewed someone who I listened to when I first start listening to electronic music, someone along the lines or RL Grime – a producer who'd usually be snapped up by a bigger publication that has prints copies etc. To be able to get an interview with someone of that calibre would really put OTW on the map. I'd also like to be putting up at least one free download and one premiere a week, something that I'm working towards but it'll take time. However, I think my biggest goal would be to grow the events-related side of OTW to the point where we sell out an event and book someone in the genre/target-audience that I'm aiming for such as Alix Perez, Halogenix or Benny L.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
[/gravityforms]
http://www.soundcloud.com/onthewax
http://www.facebook.com/onthewaxblog
http://www.twitter.com/onthewaxblog
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
[/gravityforms]