Exclusive Interview: Hatiras
It has been approximately three years since FunkyHouseMusic.com last interviewed funky/electro house phenom Hatiras. We decided we were long overdue in our coverage on the Toronto, Canada native. Here is a quick five question synopsis on what’s poppin’ in the world of Hatiras/Hatrax:
FHM: 2008 has been another big year for Hatiras. What has been your favorite moment so far?
Hatiras: I don’t even know where to begin answering that. There have been so many amazing, interesting, frightening and wacky moments. Hmm’ I really enjoyed my most recent gig in Tokyo. The people out there are amazing. It was also cool to see the Panama Canal this year. I’m happy with the success of my new label Hatrax and the positive response my new music has been receiving. Getting a #1 on Beatport with ‘Get Blahsted’ was great. Every day really is a wild adventure so it’s hard to pick out a single favorite moment.
FHM: What’s in store for Hatiras and Hatrax for the 2nd half of 2008?
Hatiras: I’m getting flooded with remix offers at the moment and am going to have to pick and choose the most fun projects. I don’t mind doing remixes but they really do take me away from my original projects. When I get a minute to settle down again I plan to whip out many more raw, fun, diverse, club bangers. I’ll be collaborating with more of my crazy Canadian friends (MC Flipside, Jelo, etc.) as well as keeping up the solo efforts. I’m also planning a CD release for the fall and am trying to think of a name and concept for it at the moment. It’ll probably feature a lot of my recent tunes and some new material.
FHM: While we’re on the topic, what was the motivation to switch the label name from Blow Media to Hatrax in 2008?
Hatiras: A lot of things happened in 2007 that made me realize that I needed to shift my focus back into production and on my personal career instead of doing all the time consuming things involved in running a label. Initially, Blow Media was my way of releasing my own music and introducing the world to a lot of new artists (Adam K, DJ Ortzy, Macca, Chris Kaeser, Hirshee, Jeff Daniels, etc.) The label took so much of my effort that it didn’t leave much time for me in the studio and for myself. Although it was successful, my partner and I decided to part ways. He went into another industry and I decided to set up a new label. I could have kept the brand going but decided to set all the artists free, and more importantly, to set myself free from all of the burdens that come with running a big label and dealing with a bunch of artists. I decided to get back to the basics and rebuild a more personal label (Hatrax) for all of my crazy ideas and sonic experiments. When I look back at it, starting Hatrax was the best thing that I ever did. It’s allowed me to feel truly creative and free again. I don’t think about the profitability of a song when I make it. I don’t care about radio play, licenses, sales or format. With Hatrax I make music that feels right to me and is fun. That’s it. Ironically, my music is doing better than ever now.
FHM: Your recent singles are consistently charting in the Beatport.com Top 10 charts. In your opinion, what is differentiating your productions from the rest of the funky & electro house community?
Hatiras: There’s so much variety out there now that I don’t know where to start the comparison. I think part of the success of my music comes from the fact that people have come to know and trust my name and will give my music a chance. I try to be consistent with both quality and quantity without overdoing it either. Another big part of it is the fact that I put a lot of effort into making my tunes sound clean, punchy and well produced. I also try to keep things interesting, daring and a little crazy. People seem to like that.
FHM: Outside of your own efforts, what artists currently are inspiring your artistic view points?
Hatiras: I actually get to hear a lot of new music by simply listening to my own radio show. I feature a different DJ/producer every week and get to hear a lot of new and interesting tunes and mixes. I can’t say I follow any one specific artist but find a lot of cool elements and sounds in music by Justice, Twocker, Soulwax, Sebastien Leger, Herve, Laidback Luke, Heavyfeet, Bart B More, etc. Feel free to check out the show at hatiras.com if you haven’t already. I also like showing up to my gigs a little early to check out what the locals are doing. There’s a lot of undiscovered talent out there with a lot to offer.
FHM: We thank Hatiras for his content contribution to the FunkyHouseMusic.com portal. To learn more about Hatiras and his label Hatrax, be sure to check out:
http://www.myspace.com/hatiras
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