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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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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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Once upon a time, I was a guy who always started the tracks with the beat and the bassline, which makes sense because when you start a new song in this way, you already have the feeling of rhythm and dance from the beginning. Is this beat aggressive? Or does it have a chill vibe?

As a Melodark producer (subgenre of melodic minimal techno), for years I used this method but as I learned more about music, improving my technique and making my music more and more complex, my workflow changed.

I felt that I could set the mood of the track if I started with the melody. It makes sense right? If you’re under the mood you are more likely to compose a sad or melancholic melody. And based on the melody you created, you will be able to choose the instruments that you want to associate with that mood more easily. A track is a story and for me it’s in the melody that all the emotion of that story resides. The beat and the drums are what makes the “story” danceable.

For this reason, the melody is the natural place to start your track. In most of the songs you know and love, the melody is what keeps the song playing over and over in your head.

But Doc, can you be more specific when you talk about “melody”?

Well, melody can be the bassline, synths, pads, even vocals. It’s the part that you sing to a friend when you want to know the name of a song that you don’t know.

SO WHICH COMES FIRST: DRUMS OR THE MELODY?

I can only speak from my experience and opinion as a producer of Melodark (melodic minimal techno), and for me it’s better to start with the melody because that way you can set the tone when you start to develop the track. I don’t mean that this is the correct way. In fact, I believe that in music (and art in general) there are no right and wrong ways to create.

There are even those who start with vocals, if it’s the case. If you want to start with FX’s and noises, be my guest. Just keep in mind your mood and the story you want to tell in your music.

Many artists who start producing neglect the knowledge of music theory: notes, scales and shit. I don’t say that this is essential if you want to become a great artist but when it comes to creativity, you can bet that it opens many doors for you. Knowledge is everything!

Btw, stay tuned about my upcoming single Full Measures that comes out on December 25th. A melodark Christmas gift for you guys! Check the preview here:

preview full measures

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Yeah, yeah… You just started reading this post and you must probably be thinking “Why read books when Hozho’s tracks can tell whole stories in 7-8 minutes?” Well, probably you’re right. I like to think that I’m a storyteller, but I chose FL Studio instead of the pencil and paper to tell my stories.

In any case, much of the knowledge I acquired about music theory came from books: techniques, creating good habits, marketing, etc. He who does not neglect reading and learning will always be one step ahead.

But be careful! Don’t confuse knowledge with information. You should have the wisdom to distinguish what an author says is important from what is REALLY important. It’s all about putting it into practice, knowing what works for you.

The truth is… whenever I read a new book, I consider it an event in my life because, in one way or another, it changed me and I discovered a new way of looking at things, even if sometimes I disagree with them.

Following, I present 5 books that changed my paradigms, not only regarding my musical knowledge but also my life philosophies.

1. The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, by Bobby Owsinski

For me, this book is the ultimate bible about the mixing process in music production. Regardless of the music style you produce, this book gives you fundamental tips about several mixing styles, rules about arrangement, some secrets about EQ, as well as tricks to add effects such as delay, reverb, compression, etc. You will realize that with the basic tools at your disposal in your music software you will be able to improve the quality of your songs, with the best quality for distribution on digital platforms and others. Definitely a “must” to have on your bookshelf or in PDF on your phone, whatever suits you better.

more info

2. The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne

If I had to go to a desert island and could only take one book, this would be undoubtedly my first option. The Secret was a life changer for me. Before reading it, I saw life in a completely different way. I lived according to the paradigm that I didn’t have much control over my life and that in order to have good opportunities, they would have to show up to me, not the way around, i.e. I HAVE to create the opportunities. Focusing essentially on the law of attraction, this book shows you that you can have whatever you want in your life, as long as you keep your thoughts and beliefs in the right frequency. You are no different from the best producers and DJ’s out there, you haven’t had less opportunities. They simply believed it was possible and succeeded. As Napoleon Hill said, “whatever the human mind can conceive, it can achieve.”

more info

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey

Regarding to the mindset of creating good habits in your life, this book is one of the best, if not THE best. It’s not just a personal opinion. There are thousands of people around the world who share the same opinion, including the most brilliant minds, the most successful entrepreneurs and the top athletes. The author of this book – Stephen R. Covey – believes that winning or failing is the result of seven habits. They are the ones who distinguish happy and successful people from failures and those who sacrifice inner balance and happiness to achieve success. Good habits form our values and our values determine our destiny.

more info

4. Getting Things Done, by David Allen

Looking back on what I said in my last post about perfectionism, I felt the need to share this book with you. In fact, this was one of the books that introduced the motto “Done is better than perfect” in my life. David Allen’s premise is very simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are in the right place can we achieve good results and unlock our creative potential. For an overthinker and perfectionist artist like me, this book has helped me to overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety and being overwhelmed.

more info

5. Introdução à Engenharia de Som, by Nuno Fonseca

Like The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, this book also gives you important tips on everything related to sound engineering, from effects, equipment, acoustics, terms and music theory, etc. The only problem is that it’s only available in Portuguese but since I found this book super important, I wanted to share it too. Who knows, maybe it’s an opportunity for you to learn this beautiful language spoken by about 250 million people worldwide.

more info

BONUS BOOK – The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss

Because a healthy mind in a healthy body is one of the fundamental rules for living a better life, I would also like to share with you a book about health and body physics. However, we know that the life of a music producer can be very busy and it’s sometimes difficult to find time and motivation to take care of our body. And this is a HUGE mistake! You see, our body is like a machine and if we don’t take care of it properly, how can we get the best results? In The 4-Hour Body, you will realize that with just a few minutes per week you can achieve good results and consequently feel healthier and happier, even more creative. Your life is your life, obviously, but you don’t have to be the typical music artist or DJ always smoking around, taking drugs, neglecting the body. Say yes to some pleasures, life is too short but try to keep your mind and your body in shape. Trust me, it’s a game changer.

more info

In the end, you can’t buy happiness but you can buy music and books, and that’s kind of the same thing. So… headphones on, listen to my new track Time To Move On that is OUT NOW and enjoy life, always with a book by your side.

stream / buy: time to move on

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After a year without posting anything on my blog, I decided to start writing again. I felt the need to do it because there are things that you just can’t write on music. Some people say that when words fail, music speaks. But when there is no capacity to finish a new track, we need to go back to words – the basis of a communication that still manages to be objective.

Many of you wonder why I haven’t released new songs for more than a year since Yin Yang. The answer is in one word – perfectionism. And I’m not talking about the positive version of perfectionism. I’m talking about a version capable of causing chronic unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

We’ll return to this in a moment. First I want to share with you a brief summary of what was my experience before the pandemic.

My expectations were high after I released the album Yin Yang in June 2019. I believed that this was the “game changer” that I needed in my life to be able to achieve international recognition with my music. It took a while, but after a few months the email account started to fill up with booking offers and finally – my first world tour.

India, Russia, Egypt, South America… I was on fire! A guy from a small portuguese village called Rebordinho was touring around the world, make a living from music. What I always dreamed of when I started this project in 2015 was really happening. It’s impressive the support and love I received all over the world – fans who made thousands of miles to see me playing, who offered me gifts grateful for the impact that my music had on their lives… DAMN, fans who made tattoos with my logo and my mask. Unbelievable!

Hozho @ Montevideo, Uruguay
Hozho @ Montevideo, Uruguay

And yet, I thought the feeling was going to be different. I wanted it to be different, more intense, more lasting. I worked so hard to get here, it couldn’t be just that. I achieved so much and still it’s not enough. It reminds me the introduction song of the TV series Vikings:

This will never end ’cause I want more
More, give me more, give more…

I was on tour and I was just thinking about having a free week or two to be able to work on new tracks because I felt I was already being too repetitive on my sets, that the audience wanted to hear something new.

And then… the pandemic, the quarantine, the long days at home. I thought “Yes! Finally I have some time to produce new songs. When I get back to the gigs I will have a new set full of new music to present.”

“But not now. It looks like the pandemic is here to stay for a few months so I’m going to relax for a week and then I go back to the studio.”

A week has passed. Then two weeks. Then a month. No new songs were finished.

I felt inspired, I always did. My creativity has always been there, I can’t complain about that. The devil was in the details – the kick that didn’t sound right, the bassline that didn’t balance with the kick, the melody that didn’t have enough presence in the song, and when I realized I was clicking on the “Open New Project” button. It was easier to start a new project than to repair the old one. And then the cycle was repeated and I couldn’t get out of it. I was trapped.

Perfection – something that I had always seen as a good thing now wasn’t letting me finish a song. And I really believe that the song was good. You would probably hear it and say “Wow, this is great!”

But nooo! The kick wasn’t right and the bassline didn’t fit. At some point I thought “Am I getting commercial? Am I really good?”

Fucking stupid plague doctor…

Plague Doctor Quarantine

The great irony of perfectionism is that despite the characteristic of great motivation to achieve success, it can be exactly what prevents an artist from being successful. Perfectionism is strongly linked to the fear of making mistakes and self-sabotaging behaviors, such as excessive procrastination.

In fact, perfectionists usually perform very well. But in my case, there was a price to pay. In a way to try to reach the stars, I ended up chasing the wind.

And I know that I’m not the only one. Unfortunately, we are no longer a minority in today’s society that demands the best; we need to be number one in everything. The problem is that perfectionism can lead to much more complex mental problems and it’s sometimes difficult to get out of them.

If you are a music artist, or simply a perfectionist, you probably should be identifying yourself with everything I’m saying. And I’m not writing this post with the aim of saying that perfectionism is a bad thing. But it can immobilize you. In the end, done is better than perfect.

Which brings me to the last topic of this post – the release of my new single Time To Move On. Finally!

Inspired by everything I said so far, I decided to create and FINISH this song, regardless of the final result. Good reviews, bad reviews… it doesn’t matter! I just composed this track in a positive way of getting around the situation because there is no point in focusing on the doubts. It’s time to look forward. It’s Time To Move On.

Hozho - Time To Move On

Many emotions on this track, beautiful melodies, different beats, intelligent construction and mesmerizing vocals. In the end, it reflects the true concept of Melodark – the mix between light and darkness! You know… for me, music is not just music. It’s a story.

There is a female vocal during the song that says some of the following quotes:

  • You cannot get out of this.
  • Nothing is wrong with you.
  • Accept the situation and move on.
  • Guilt can only truly come from within.

All of these quotes are wake up calls for me. This is a song that motivates me and I hope it motivates you too during this atypical times.

Time To Move On is OUT NOW and you can stream or buy it here:

stream / buy

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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…)