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Let’s go back to 2018. More specifically to June 21st. Yes, that was the day I released my last EP – Be The Best & Fuck The Rest.

It’s hard to believe that more than 4 years have passed! It’s true that in between I released an album – Yin Yang – and a few singles, including Single Collection Vol. 1. But to be honest, I already missed releasing an EP, something more complex. I know I repeat myself but I say it anyway: for me music is not just music. It’s a story! And in this case, the story I wanted to tell wouldn’t be possible to tell in just one song.

I’m perfectly aware that I’m not the type of artist who is constantly releasing new music every month. I’d like to work that way but I’ve already made my peace with it. It’s just that my creative side takes time to create something, to make sure that each song has a meaning, arouses an emotion and that it’s not empty content. Obviously, I want to create music that makes people dance, but more important to me is to make people think, to relive a moment from the past or to help support a situation in the present.

So, in this post, I will explain the story behind my new EP called Troubles In Paradise.

WHY ‘TROUBLES IN PARADISE’?

In fact, I created the project in FL Studio maybe more than a year ago, but it was one of those projects that I felt inspired by, I created the basis of the song (first loop with the main instruments) but then it got lost in the middle of the 27 unfinished projects that I have in FL Studio.

A curious fact about my creative process is that usually before creating a song, I already have the track ID in mind and that helps me to have a direction when I’m developing it in terms of mood and rhythm – darker or more melodic.

I came up with the title ‘Troubles In Paradise’ because it’s a paradox, just like the basis of Melodark – the light in the darkness, the melodies in the gloom. But as I said, the project got lost because I’m kind of addicted in starting new projects before finishing the old ones. Not a good addiction…

Anyway, earlier this year I was listening to all my unfinished projects and I realized that ‘Troubles In Paradise’ had a huge potential. I liked the bassline. And so, I decided to finish the track, already with a vision in my mind to an EP that could portray a life situation.

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE EP

One would think that now that I have gigs all over the world, tracks with millions of views and streams on digital platforms, that everything is fine and that I live a good life. But it’s not always like that. We all have everyday problems.

This EP focuses on the problems of a romantic relationship and that’s the main message. I wanted to take the listeners to live the emotions associated with the darkest side of love, through beats and melodies.

I created it with the intention of portraying a ‘less good’ life situation, which can lead listeners to think that, in general, it is a depressing EP. But the truth is… it’s a common life situation in people’s lives, even though they think that they are the only ones who are suffering. And I think that ‘Hey, don’t worry, I’m going through the same thing too’ kind of solidarity is, somehow, uplifting.

A STORY TOLD IN 3 PARTS

Each track of the EP represents a different stage at the end of a relationship. When everything seems to be going well, problems start to arise (Troubles In Paradise). Then comes the grudge and consequent hurt and damage to the significant other (Paradise Circus). Finally, the realization that no matter how hard we try, the end is inevitable (Wrong).

As many of you know, the single Troubles In Paradise came out on August 12, while the full EP only came out on September 16. Thus, Paradise Circus and Wrong could be considered as a sequel to Troubles In Paradise.

Musically speaking, the second track of the EP – Paradise Circus – follows a similar record as the first track. This is a song inspired by the original track of Massive Attack that I absolutely love!

The third and last track of the EP – Wrong – is different in all aspects. It’s a more experimental track, with piano sounds, orchestral elements, and the amazing vocals of Odarka, a talented singer from Ukraine. It’s a song inspired by movie soundtracks – something I’ve always loved and that I wanted to try on this track. There’s a beat in the second part of the song, something that could be more related to my usual musical style but still… different!

THE DISTURBING ARTWORK

The artwork of this EP – originally called Spaggy – was painted by the Danish artist Laust Højgaard.

To be honest, I didn’t know Laust or his work. The label for which I released the EP presented the idea of using his painting as an artwork. Initially I was reticent about using a cover art that wasn’t my idea, because for me the artwork is a continuation of the song and I like to have control over its artistic process.

But the truth is that I found Laust’s work interesting and confusing, maybe a bit disturbing, specifically this painting. And I thought that what can be confusing and disturbing for me can also be for my fans and listeners, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it leaves the artwork open to different interpretations. And that’s what art is all about – not to be obvious, to let everyone have their own interpretation. Right now, I’m definitely a huge fan of Laust’s art.

'Spaggy' by Laust Højgaard

WHAT’S COMING NEXT

I consider this EP a preparation for the ‘big thing’ to come, like a “get in mood for what’s coming” kind of feeling. Because if Troubles In Paradise EP doesn’t arouse the best positive emotions (open to interpretation of course), the album will be even heavier and more dramatic. Not everything in life is sunshine and rainbow and when producing the album I’m just being myself and letting my emotions out. And that’s all I have to say for now.

Before the year ends, I will release a track in collaboration with my good friend Droplex, a track that has been the intro to my sets and that has been well received by the public. The track is called Sitting In This Cage.

As you might know, I am currently on tour. You can follow the dates here and, who knows, have the experience of seeing me live.

Finally, I hope to release my fourth DJ Mix later this year. The bar is high after the huge success of DJ Mix 03 at Jardins Efémeros (Viseu) but I believe that this will be even better, a more thought out and quality set. But as I said at the beginning of this post, my creative side takes time to create something, to make sure that each song has a meaning. That’s why it’s taking a while to be released.

Troubles In Paradise EP is available on all major streaming platforms. Choose your favourite in the button below!

Stream / buy

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“One track. Two different vibes. The symbiotic contrast between the beautiful melodies and the darkness surrounding the synths and basslines. Mesmerizing vocals. Countless sensations.”

This is what defines my brand new single Honey Trap. With this track, my goal is to reinforce my artistic identity, in an attempt to enter another orbit of creativity and to break the rules that existed before, in order to elevate even more the Melodark – that many of you already know as my musical style.

Let’s dig into it so you can have a better understanding about the backgrounds of this song.

WHERE DOES THE TITLE AND ARTWORK COME FROM?

Inspiration can come literally from anywhere. I remember that the day before I started producing this track, I was watching a documentary series – Spycraft – that talked about a spy stratagem in which an attractive person entices another person into revealing information or doing something unwise, called “honey trap”. I guess I liked the term and said to myself that one day I would produce a track with that name, inspired by this spy technique. At some point, I say in the song “I surrendered to your beauty, in my naïveté. And I fell, on the honey trap”. That sentence is the literal explanation of this song’s artwork, where someone seduce me to get something from me. In this case, something very important like my mask. Therefore, I fell into the honey trap.

Hozho - Honey Trap GIF

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Honey Trap was one of those tracks that I didn’t need to think too much to put the idea into the DAW. It flowed very naturally. If I remember correctly, I was producing another track when I decided to take a break and I started playing some notes on the piano I had in my old apartment. Something sounded right in my head and I went to the studio to develop the melody. I felt the muse. Then I remembered the documentary I saw the night before and came up with the idea for the vocals. From there, I think it took me about a week to finish the song. Usually when I spend a long time producing one track, I start having doubts and second thoughts about whether the track is really good or not. For a perfectionist like me, finishing Honey Trap was one of those rare moments where I actually felt really happy with what I had created.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Despite Honey Trap only being released on February 25th, it’s been almost a year since I produced this track. To be honest, there’s no reason why it took so long to release it. Somehow, it was good because during this whole time, a huge hype was created around this song, since I first performed it on my Quarantine Mix 3 recorded in April of 2021. For that reason, I know that many of you already know the song very well. Now you will finally be able to listen to the full version on streaming platforms. I leave you the link below. Hear it, feel it, share it with your friends and on social media. In these times of chaos, pandemic and war that we are experiencing around the world, these small gestures of support, gratitude and love are more important than ever. Be the best & fuck help the rest!

listen honey trap

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A few days have passed since the release of my latest single Something Else and it has been a good feeling to see your reaction. I’m very happy that the big majority of you like this track, despite being a little different from my usual stuff.

Some of you believe that I have gone out of my style too much and I understand why and respect your opinion. So let me explain a little bit about the origin of this track.

THE NEW SINGLE: SOMETHING ELSE

You know, when you create a music style that defines you and you grow that style and you start influencing other artists, you start to feel that you are now a prisoner of that genre, because if you no longer produce the kind of music for which you have gained recognition, you are no longer the artist who your fans once admired.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. There’s nothing in the world that makes me more realized than producing this style that I affectionately called Melodark. But at the same time I don’t want to be a prisoner, my creativity cannot be limited within a genre. Otherwise I go crazy.

That’s why I decided to explore other sounds but trying to keep the genre that always defined me at the same time. And yes, it will be perfectly normal that from time to time you will hear different sounds from my music because I’m curious, that’s who I am, I like to try things.

Now, some people will like it and others won’t. That’s life. One thing that I learned is that we cannot please everyone. So do what you wanna do and have fun doing that. That’s why this song has this name because it is in fact “Something Else”.

But you can be sure that Melodark is here to stay and you can keep expecting those introspective and traveling melodies in my upcoming tracks.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

I admit that in 2020 I was a little bit “dead”. The fact that I only released two songs (Time To Move On and Full Measures) proves how much I could have done.

The truth is… I didn’t react in the best way to what happened in the world, with the COVID situation. I went into a negative spiral, frustration, anxiety. And that blocked my motivation to make music.

But I like to think that everything happens for a reason and I believe that all the negative things that happened to me last year gave me the necessary inspiration for the projects that are coming.

If 2020 was a year of stagnation in my career, 2021 is a new beginning. I can tell you that, if you see me out from social media for a while, it means that I’m focused on the studio and making music. I like to disconnect from the world, make a kind of detox from the digital world when I’m in a creative mood.

Many songs are being produced, not only to be released but also to be able to play them in my future sets, starting with my Quarantine Mix 3 that will be recorded very soon. It will be my last Quarantine Mix because I want to believe that things will return to normal little by little and “quarantine” is something I never want to hear again in my life.

Plus, in 2021 I want to release my second solo album – Psychological Issues. It’s still at an early stage but I believe it will be ready to be released by the end of the year. It will be another very special project for me and I want it to reflect everything I experienced during this whole pandemic phase, my “not-so-good” times.

And yes, something that you have been waiting for will also be released this year: my DJ Mix 04. Right now, we are studying the place where it will be recorded. I want it to be something big, better than DJ Mix 03, which already has almost 5 million views. 5 MILLION! That’s crazy.

In addition to these projects that I just mentioned, you can count on the usual singles (or maybe EP’s) that will be released from time to time.

I have many more ideas for the future but I don’t want to write too much on this post, I know your time is precious. I guess some things will be a surprise.

Once again I wanna thank you for all the support you have given me, not only in this last single but throughout my career. Today I can say that I live only on music but it wasn’t always like this. With persistence, faith and hard work, anything is possible. So if you are a producer, DJ or you want to be an artist, whatever your craft is, never give up. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Music projects take time to be recognized but it’s a journey worth taking.

Be the best and fuck the rest!

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“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise don’t even start.”

This was the quote that inspired me to compose my latest single – Full Measures. This track had been in the making process for about 3 years. Back then, the structure of the track was already more or less assembled: the melodic idea, the bassline, the back vocals and the mood in general. But I felt that something was missing and as it often happens to me, I left the project on standby and I started producing other tracks, the same tracks that would later become part of my first album Yin Yang.

It turns out that I was almost to delete the project permanently. In fact, I deleted it but years later when I was organizing my stuff on Google Drive I saw that the project was still there and I decided to restore it again.

Almost every producer knows this cycle:
1. Start a new project
2. Spend some time and effort to build the first loop with the main elements of the track
3. Listen to this loop infinitely because it’s fucking awesome
4. Start developing the track
5. The song no longer makes sense because after all it doesn’t sound so fucking awesome
6. Back to step 1

And one day, maybe weeks, months or years later, we listen to this project again and we say “Hey, this shit is awesome”. And that’s what happened to me in this case.

So I decided to finish this track. I was developing the track very well, having good ideas but still I felt that the “story” of the song was missing. The name of the song was already defined by the time I started the project, three years ago (maybe more).

You probably know that I’m a big fan of Breaking Bad. The name “Full Measures” came from the name of one of the episodes. Basically, Mike tells Walter White (Heisenberg) a story in which the moral of the story is that he chose a half measure when he should have gone all the way. And he concludes the sentence by saying “No more half measures, Walter.”

So that was the story I wanted to tell in my track. We all want something, we have our goals, but for some reason we often don’t get what we really want. We only choose “half measures”. And I was angry because I wanted to change. I was sick and tired that the life and circumstances we are experiencing right now across the planet were dictating the direction of my life.

And when I was researching more about this kind of mindset, I discovered Bukowski. Charles Bukowski. A writer, a poet, an inspiration.

Charles Bukowski

I don’t see myself in his behavior at all: he smoked a lot, drank a lot, he just wanted “putas e vinho verde” as we say in Portugal. In the end, he had self-destructive behaviors…

… but, his philosophy of life is simply fascinating. His poems “Roll The Dice” and “The Laughing Heart” are the most inspiring for me. In a shitty year like this, discovering Bukowski and especially these poems, was a breath of fresh air.

The voice you hear in “Full Measures” are excerpts from the poem “Roll The Dice” (click here to read the full poem).

“If you’re going to try, go all the way”, said Bukowski.

“No more half measures, Walter”, said Mike.

Different quotes but the same philosophy. As you can see, it’s not so much other songs or other producers that inspire me. Moments, quotes, moods, philosophies… These are the kind of things that inspire me. Melodark is simply the way I tell the story.

“Full Measures” is available on all major digital platforms and you can listen here:

stream / buy

Go all the way!

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You are an amazing producer! Your songs are mental! But for some reason, no one invites you to perform at clubs or other events. You begin to ask yourself: Am I really good? Where am I failing? Do I need more marketing?

One of the biggest challenges for rising DJ’s and producers is to find their place in the market and music industry, and consequently, playing in clubs, festivals, weddings, whatever your thing is. I’m not here today to tell you if your music is good enough to start playing in gigs. You need to have that acuity to understand if your music is worth playing in a good club sound system. Trust your ears!

So, how to get more DJ gigs? (more…)

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Thank God (and thanks to my hard work, of course) I have been rewarded with a lot of luck in my artistic life. Apparently, the Universe has insisted on giving me the best fans in the world and there is nothing that makes me happier to know that I am an inspiration to some producers, DJ’s and other musicians out there. A lot of people ask me questions about my adventure in music production. Here are some of them:

Well, this won’t be a tutorial post but all of these questions made me think about what is essential and not essential in what we are doing here. For that reason, I want to share with you my opinion as a music producer on the million dollar question:

What is the hardware gear required to produce minimal/techno music? (more…)

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Yesterday, a friend of mine asked me: “Hey, can you give me some tips to grow a YouTube channel?” And that question inspired me to write today’s blog post. You see, all artists want more subscribers, likes, views and comments. We live in a time where numbers are very important to gain notoriety.

Since there are many people listening to music on YouTube, how to be discovered among millions of videos and how to grow a channel? (more…)

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In this blog post I won’t write too much because a video is worth a thousand words. In this case, there will be three videos. Each one explains a different way to make a bassline, like the ones I usually produce in my tracks. Creating this kind of basslines is a very simple process as you will see, even for an amateur producer. It’s simple but effective! So let’s get down to business.

(more…)

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Videos – they’re everywhere! Some become viral, others can transmit a powerful message. Increasingly, videos have a big impact on social networks and consequently on people’s lives, which is quite understandable because videos are very interactive. Let’s look at the example of YouTube channels like Cercle and Boiler Room. They had a great projection thanks to their originality. They managed to create a concept that is currently recognized on a global scale. It’s not just about the music, it’s the way it is shared to the public and fans. I’ve already realized the great advantage of videos in the musical success of an artist and I keep in mind that it was thanks to my DJ Mixes on YouTube that I got a lot of fans. That’s why I decided to write this blog post and present you 4 reasons why you should make more videos. (more…)

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Let’s get straight to the point! Nowadays, if you (artists) don’t have a strong presence on digital platforms you will hardly get anywhere. Increasingly, people live on the Internet and wouldn’t be a smart move if you didn’t have an artistic profile on social networks. When I say people, I say fans! However, it’s not enough just to have an artistic profile because nowadays, almost all the artists have one. If you want to build or increase your fanbase you should think outside the box. You will hardly arouse public interest if you do the same thing that thousands of artists do. And I’m not just talking about music but also about communication, the way you interact with the audience.

Continuing the topic of my last post, I will talk about the importance of social media to increase your fanbase, approaching two main factors – Presence and Difference. (more…)

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To talk about Melodark is to talk about my journey, my story, my inspirations and the desire to create something different. My passion for electronic music came at an advanced stage of my life. However, music in general has been part of my life since I was born. At that time, in an unconscious way but now I’m fully conscious. And it was that musical awareness that led me to define my path and my musical style, through the different influences that inspired me throughout this journey. I’ve always been a creator and I decided to create something that is more than an electronic music genre. It’s a movement. A philosophy. A musical story. It’s Melodark. (more…)

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Another post, another dose of motivation! This time I will talk about a rule that I think is key to the growth of any music artist. This rule, in practice, doesn’t exist. It was created by me and therefore, it may not be consensual. It has been appearing over the years since I created my project Hozho and so far, it has worked quite well for me. One day I woke up and I thought that made perfect sense. In the future, I would like to develop even more this rule. Maybe even write a book. But until then, I leave you here the basics of the 3P Rule: Psychology, Production and Promotion. (more…)

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“Done is better than perfect” – A quote from Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer (COO) of Facebook. I learned this lesson when I was studying Marketing at the University of Aveiro and since then it has been one of my life mottos, especially at an artistic level. And it’s around this sentence that this Blog Post #5 is going to be based because I believe it’s a plus for all people who want to achieve their goals. However, as would be expected, I will address this theme by focusing primarily on electronic music and more specifically, the production process that all music artists love. But of course, this learning can be applied to any area, you can get the idea. I sincerely hope that this post will help you to find the light that you need to take a step forward towards your dreams.

(more…)

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Producers: Have you ever wondered how that artist you idolize made that transition in that song you love? Or what effect did he/she use in build-up / drop? Or how does he/she do that punchy kick? Well, I confess that many times I don’t even know the answer because in electronic music we have endless ways of doing things. And that’s good! After all, the production of electronic music is a continuous learning, we are always evolving and that’s what makes it so interesting, the fact that we can explore every detail, every transition, every moment of the music in order to transpose our emotions and mood. (more…)

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Being my first post of this electronic music blog, I think it makes sense to tell, in first place, a little bit of my story. Despite having created Hozho only in 2015, my path through electronic music production had begun a few years ago. However, I will try to summarize everything that happened until the day I decided to create this project that today is an integral part of my life. (more…)