Recently, trance/progressive house producer, OMAIR, took the stage at the Boombox Artcar this past EDC Orlando. This was the talented producer's first time performing at the festival and he sure gave it his all. If you are a Trance lover or even just a progressive house die hard, then it's time for you to familiarize yourself with his work.
EDM Sauce had the chance to speak to the impressive music maker at the festival. We spoke about his experience performing at EDC Orlando, his newly released EP, his new label, and how he entered the electronic music scene. He also gave us some great advice for potential music makers trying to make it into the dance music industry.
EDM Sauce
“First, I wanted to thank you for doing this interview with me. So I heard that this was your first EDC Orlando. How was that?”
OMAIR
“It was very cool, I loved it! It was my first time playing an Artcar so I didn’t really know how the logistics of it would work, but it was really cool.”
EDM Sauce
“You released your “A/S/L” EP yesterday. Can you tell me what inspired you to create it?”
OMAIR
“In the past two years, I've been super busy with my label and I haven't had a chance to put a proper release out. I’ve just been releasing singles here and there. I didn’t get the chance to put something well thought out together. I have so many singles I produced just sitting there, basically shelved, that I decided it would be a good idea to put something together that sounded very cohesive and that flowed well altogether. I hadn’t really released an EP in almost four years, so it seemed like the right time to do it. It's the first EP off my label, so I thought I should probably be the first artist to release an EP.”
EDM Sauce
“What influenced you into making music in the electronic music scene? Why specifically trance and progressive house?”
OMAIR
“I've been djing for almost 20 years. I was 16 at the time, so I would always go to these underground raves and those raves started turning into clubs, once I turned 18, and festivals, etc. I started djing really early and I guess the time had come where I’d done everything that I wanted as a DJ, as far as playing clubs and gigs and such. If you're serious about the industry and getting somewhere, I think you really have to produce, especially these days. You can't just be a DJ as you could have been in the eighties and early nineties. Today, you have to do a bit of both, be able to produce and spin. So that's how I got started into producing. Trance was like, my first love! First thing I ever heard was Paul Van Dyk and Tiesto. I bounced around from genres as times changed and tastes evolved, but 20 years later, I'm back into trance.”
EDM Sauce
“Recently, you released your collaboration with Lycii and Declan James and vocalist, Elli Keon. How did that collaboration come to be?”
OMAIR
“Elli lives in Dallas, which is where I'm from, so we've known each other for a very long time. We’ve always known about each other and always talked about music. She was more on the commercial side. She has some releases with some major artists. We always thought it'd be cool if we worked together and she would always come to my gigs and stuff. At first, it just never came about, but then a couple of years ago, she had sent me this track she had recorded the vocals for. Then Declan, who is also from Dallas, had produced a remix on my label, so we thought it'd be cool to collaborate together. We were actually working on a different project in the studio which never saw the light of day and we just started throwing these ideas around with Elli's vocals. This track kind of just came together, naturally, in over two years.”
EDM Sauce
“The end of the year is closely approaching, will there be any more new music released or any special performances before it does?”
OMAIR
“Probably nothing as far as performances. EDC Orlando is my last gig for the year. For the remainder of the year, I’m just trying to focus on releasing a lot of my own original music. Also, my second label launches at the end of this month. I already have 2 new tracks that I’ve produced on that label. I’ll also be releasing new music on my main label, OHM Music. I’m going to be focusing on finishing a lot of projects and collaborations I have in the works. Hopefully, in 2019, I can put together a mini-tour, some festival dates, and stuff like that.”
EDM Sauce
“Do you have any advice or any last words for any potential music makers trying to make it into the industry?”
OMAIR
“Oh, I could write a book about this. To be in the industry as a DJ-producer you have to definitely start producing. It's so much easier these days to start producing! Software is cheap, it can all be done on software. You can go to YouTube and find free tutorials, and a lot of producers these days are very open to mentoring others that they know are serious about it. It's a very easy outlet these days when you get into producing. Try to perfect your craft at that. Stick to your true sound. As far as making it into the industry, definitely network. To make it to a festival like this, Miami Music Week, EDC Vegas, and all the other main events, networking is the key. It's amazing how open people are in this dance community to meeting new people instead of country. They don’t shut themselves off as they would in some other industries who would think ‘Oh, I’m a big label exec. I’m too big to talk to some random person.' So introduce yourself! Talk to them and network. That's a major key.”
OMAIR
Check out OMAIR's new EP and some of his tracks below.
OMAIR – A/S/L EP
Lycii & Declan James vs. OMAIR feat. Elli Koen – Tonight
OMAIR – Fake News
Danilo Ercole & OMAIR feat. Bev Wild – In Dreams
OMAIR feat. Hydrah – Dreamcatcher
