IN CONVERSATION WITH ACRAZE
Acraze is the man behind viral smash ‘Do It Do It’, which went from first being coined as the ‘Song of the Summer’ to ‘Song of the Year’ for 2021.
Acraze is poised to take the scene by storm. Is skyrocketing in the electronic music world with his energy-infused sound and versatile style. The DJ/producer and songwriter has recently transitioned from his speaker-rattling Bass sound to more of a genre-defying House approach that will have any dance floor grooving. His latest label release, “Do It To It,” has been rising to the top as one of the best House tracks of the year with worldwide!
You were born in Staten Island, and now you’re one of the most listened to DJ/song-writers in the world. So we would like to know a bit more about you. What made you choose Dj career, was it something you always knew you wanted to do? Can you tell us a bit more of your motivation to become one?
Music has always been a huge part of my life. As a kid, my parents would blast classic disco tracks and I’d dance till I dropped. I just remember the pure happiness I felt freely expressing myself. I knew I wanted to become a producer after visiting my first ever music festival. I fell in love with the culture and the energy. I wanted to be able to make music that would give that same feeling I had when I was kid and at my first festival.. The feeling of freedom of expression and living in the moment.
Producing from Bass sounds to House music, and nowadays you are introducing an even more electric music style. How was your beginning and when did it all start?
The acraze project started in 2016. That’s when I began producing music. The things I was producing weren’t great at first, but I just kept trying and perfecting. I guess that’s how it goes for everyone. At first I was producing bass music, and that sound will always have a place in my heart, but during lockdown I just became addicted to making house music and the production process of house music. It felt so natural and everything I was making was sounding sick, so I decided to stick with it.
‘Do it Do it’ has risen to the top as one of the best House tracks! Congrats, It is indeed amazing! What was your inspiration behind it?
Thank you! It’s a funny story actually. I saw someone jamming to the original ‘Do It To It’ while scrolling through my Instagram and my phone started glitching and kept repeating the part where the lyrics go ‘Bounce With It, Lean With It’. I realised that the sample would sound great on a house record and so I got to work on it immediately. An hour later ‘Do It To It’ was born. The best part about this whole project is the support I’ve received from Cherish themselves since the beginning. They were just as excited as I was!
I just love bringing new life to classic tracks and merging two amazing genres. I enjoy the feeling of nostalgia it brings with it, and to be able to say that I had a chance to help showcase the evolution of music is a blessing. Nothing brings me more joy than being able to collaborate with legendary women like Cherish.
This year you’ve shown remarkable growth in such a short period of time, what can we expect coming from you in the future?
Four things:
- Lots of new music
- Lots of shows
- Lots of fashionable looks
- Lots of good vibes!
As a performer, you radiate energy and you have an aura that captivates the crowd! You performed at The Penthouse in Dubai, so tell us how does it feel to be able to perform to an audience at an event like that?
To be honest, I still haven’t gotten used to it and I don’t know if I ever will. It’s a blessing to do what I love and to have everyone there enjoy the present moment with me. Dubai was an absolute dream, I’ve always wanted to perform there, and what better way to make my Dubai debut than to perform at FIVE? Life is so different over there, but I love it. I love the culture in Dubai. A huge shout out to FIVE and The Penthouse for having me, I’ll be back soon!
We know that you are ready to blow the dance floor, you have a 2022 tour schedule! Where will that be?
We have a ton of USA shows planned which I’m super excited about, but I’m honestly most stoked to debut in all these new European countries I’ll be visiting. All of my announced tour dates are on my website acrazemusic.com, and you can follow my bandsintown account to see if I’ll be in your city anytime soon!
Are you excited as well for Mysteryland? Is it your first time performing in the Netherlands?
Yes! Mysteryland is about to be insanely good! It’s a legendary festival so I’m stoked to be booked there this summer. I have a few more tour dates in the Netherlands and am excited to finally play out there for my first time.
Our upcoming Número Spring issue is about Balance, so to close up this interview I would like to ask how do you find balance in your day-to-day life?
Great question and important topic! Actually, finding balance is one of the key parts of who I am as a producer and as a person. I love being able to give advice to those who need to find a work-life balance because it can get tough. Coming from a DJ, you know I can state from experience that it’s not an easy task being on tour, making music, doing interviews, having meetings, and also trying to squeeze in self-care and spending time with family and friends. The main thing that will make it work is being able to prioritize your life and making sure your mental health goes before anything else. You can’t fill anyone’s cup if yours is empty; don’t overwork yourself until burn-out! Make sure to find the time to recharge and then get back out there. Figure out what needs to go, and what needs to stay. Let go of unhealthy habits and get focused on what matters. And lastly, it doesn’t matter how busy you are, make sure you find time to spend with your loved-ones; they are your support system… Honestly, without them, who else would you enjoy your success with?
Author: Mariana Malheiro
