Mixmash’s founding father Laidback Luke has collaborated with Steff Da Campo to bring the uplifting summer vibes to the speakers that we desperately need these times. So bring the festival feeling to your living room with ‘We Found Love’! We had the pleasure of interviewing both artists to celebrate the release of this fire collab.
Speaking about ‘We Found Love’, how happy are you both with the finished product and how both styles have meshed?
Laidback Luke: “I’m super happy about it! I’ve been trying to push that Twisted House sound for a while now and I noticed Steff was making a lot of that too. So finally we join forces and it sounds awesome!”
Steff Da Campo: “I feel super happy about how this collaboration turned out, in my opinion, this is a perfect combination of our styles, making this track suitable for a lot of different areas in music.”
With a rise in talented vocalists, how important do you both feel it is to work with vocalists to give tracks that extra identity and personal touch?
Laidback Luke: “What I love about vocalists is that they turn a track into a song. It has a beginning and an ending. And now you have something to sing along to as well. Lyrics can be a powerful thing and the message will give that personal touch.”
Steff Da Campo: “A lot of tracks are not perfect when there’s not a perfectly fitting vocal in the track, complementing the instrumental production. Music can speak a thousand words, however, certain words can be 110% of a track, and finish it up completely.”
With numerous collabs already released in 2020, how enjoyable do you find the process of working with multiple artists at any given time?
Laidback Luke: “I like it a lot. They keep the fire burning. Sometimes you have days where you’re uninspired or you forget to focus on a project. The other artist will pop up on email or DM and it will give you that little fire you need to tackle the track and properly finish it.”
You have released multiple collabs over the years, how important do you find it is to work with other artists compared to working solo?
Steff Da Campo: “I feel that a collaboration can give something extra to a track, as there are two (or sometimes even more) totally different artists looking at the same product, while both giving their own touch and style to it. That can sometimes lead to amazing results!”
In terms of collabs, what is the number 1 thing that you both enjoy about them?
Laidback Luke: “What I think is most important is smooth communication, a good back and forth and in the end a result you both can be proud of. Your name gets to be on there, so you better identify with it!”
Steff Da Campo: “Mixing together various styles of different artists in one track!”
If there was only 1 collab remaining in your career, who would you like to do it with?
Laidback Luke: “It’s still my dream to do a song with Justin Timberlake once.”
Steff Da Campo: “Tiësto!”
What advice would you give other producers during the process of a collaboration? (how to share ideas, workflow, who does what, etc.)
Laidback Luke: “What I think is most important is is that you emphasize and use the elements in the track you like most. You really need to identify with a track. Your name will be on it and it will stick to you for life. You better be happy with it! Keep communicating with the other artist. The best way to share ideas is to send links of examples of existing tracks, to explain the angles you’d like to take. But don’t be afraid to send stems back and forth multiple times to be able to finish the track properly.”
Steff Da Campo: “Never try to force ideas! Sometimes it’s best to leave a track untouched for a while and work on it later, instead of rushing to finish it. Patience is key, sometimes.”
As producers, you may want to perfect every single detail within a production. How do you balance this art of perfection with each other to finally know when the finished product is ready?
Laidback Luke: “If it works it works. That’s the end-all for me! Obviously, when comparing it to other tracks or playing it in between your sets, it needs to stand out and sound amazing. The details add up but at a certain point, you’ll have to say it’s done. I would usually judge this by playing it out a couple of times and hear how it sounds over a loud system and how the crowd reacts to it. “
Steff Da Campo: “The perfect way to see if my tracks are one-hundred percent finished, is by testing the track in the club. That way I can measure the energy of the crowd I’m playing for, their first reaction, and of course, you hear a track differently in a club.”
Stream this collab below.
