How CamelPhat created the hit of the summer!

The music industry is one of the toughest industries in the world. It's hard enough to make a living, gaining a regular income while performing and being creative and motivated enough to create new music. If, as a musician, you manage to achieve the above then that's pretty impressive. But it's quite the achievement (mind blowing in fact) if you find yourself nominated for a Grammy!
We guess it can help if as a musician you have a partner in crime with you along the journey. We wondered initially if that was the secret to the very international success of the British DJ and production duo CamelPhat. When most of the time we are used to famous single DJs, it's refreshing to see something different on the scene. But the fact that CamelPhat are a duo isn't exactly why they've "made it." Their success has a lot more to do with their passion and drive.
Mike Di Scala and Dave Whelan came together as a DJ and production duo in 2008 and have been gaining a reputation over the last nine years for creating quality house music. This year they also created the number one track of the summer Cola which demonstrates the full strength of their unique style which we love! Cola was the duo's collaboration with Elderbrook and gave them a number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart as well as a nomination for next year's Grammy Awards!
CamelPhat were passing through Dubai to play another epic gig at Zero Gravity where we managed to catch up with them and have a chat about the music industry, working as a duo and their musical influences.
 
How did the two of you meet and why did you decide to work together as opposed to working as solo DJs?
We met at 3 Beat Records in Liverpool, UK, we both bought vinyl there at the time. In fact Mike was also the security guard (laughs). We got chatting about music, had very similar tastes and eventually started to go see each other play at our local nightclubs as DJs. From there we got in our makeshift studio & started putting down very under produced basic ideas. I guess you could say we were learning our craft, as we still are to this day!
How does the creative process work between you?
We have no definitive way of making music - it's just whatever we are feeling at the time. Sometimes it's a bass pattern other times a kick drum! Obviously we have other tracks from various artists which we love so they inspire us in one way or another.
What are your thoughts on Dubai so far?
It's our home from home. We absolutely love it here, we've been visiting the city for 10 years now. Dubai has so much to offer, it never gets old. It's a really beautiful place with all walks of life bringing something unique to this incredible melting pot.
Where is your favourite place to perform in the world?
Ibiza - clubbing capital of world. When the music's right and like minded individuals connect it's like no other party on the planet.
Tell us about how you came up with your hit Cola and the idea behind the track.
We met Elderbrook at Dairy Studio in Brixton, London. We had the idea of an indie dance track that was reflective of our mood at the time. It was a freezing cold morning in February '17 so the Track was meant to be dark and discreet. Little did we know it would become one of the biggest dance tracks of the summer! We didn't have much time but some how managed to get the track down. Elderbrook is super talented, he made it light work for us as producers & the whole track was put together in less that two hours!
How excited were you when you found out you were nominated for a Grammy for the track? How did you find out?
It hasn't sunk in yet... it's all a bit crazy right now. We were actually in a meeting with one of the most important and influential festival promoters in the world then we got a message with a screen grab of the nominations and a message saying get your suits ready (laughs).
How important are awards like the Grammys for you?
We are truly overwhelmed by the nomination, I guess it's like a musical Oscar. For pretty unknown artists/producers like ourselves it's as big as it gets (apart from winning of course). It can really put us on the map and open doors to work with even more talented writers and producers.
As successful DJ s what percentage of what you do goes beyond music and more into the business/marketing side of things?
That's a good question... Managers & PR teams will tell you social media is everything these days and to a point they have a case but ultimately it's all about the music.
Many artists and DJs really depend on their social media platforms to engage with their fans and to promote their music and live shows. So how would you say your relationship with social media is?
We pride ourselves on not buying any followers across the social media spectrum which has resulted in our supporters/followers being genuinely interested in CamelPhat. So yes it's cool to stay active on the socials but being active in the studio is far more important!
These days it seems that anyone who thinks they can turn tables, or download a few programs to mix a few songs are calling themselves a DJ. What do you think makes a "real" DJ?
You don't have to be a producer to be "real" DJ, just a serious passion for the music and a good knowledge of the genre/genres you are playing. A great DJ will have the patience and the guts to take you somewhere with his or her music. They will decide for themselves what's hot without jumping on the bandwagon and most importantly have fun.
What advice do you have for young DJs out there trying to make it in the region?
Set up a Soundcoud account, get your mixes up online for the world to hear. Consider a random and ridiculous name (like CamelPhat) to potentially make you stand out from the rest. Go visit clubs and bars playing the music you're interested in, connect with the DJs and promoters there. It's as much about who you know as it is talent.
What's coming up for you over the next year?
Next up is our Australian tour which includes Fiji & New Zealand. Then Columbia in early Jan & fingers crossed a trip to New York for the Grammys 2018. Once January is out of the way we'll be hitting the studio hard and who knows maybe a potential album could be on the cards autumn time.
What can audiences expect from a live show with you?
We just wanna have fun, hopefully that transcends to the dance floor and we can take the audience on a journey and open people's minds to electronic music!

Who were your musical influences growing up?
Wow so many... The Doors, The Beatles, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, New Order, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Prince to name but a few.
Which contemporary DJs or musicians do you like?
The XX, London Grammar, Drake, Kings of Leon, Eric Prydz, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Carl Cox, Chemical Brothers & Daft Punk.
maan@khaleejtimes.com