Interview | Miyagi Floats into Dreamworld

This Satuday , the dark stone walls of Velvet welcome back Miyagi‘s evocative branch of deep house, for the second installment of the new Dreamworld series, an immersive night where open minds and reveries are more than welcome – they’re home.

The Lost Diaries label founder is currently coasting through clubs in Europe, gradually branching out to North America. Miyagi [Katermukke, Einmusika] pauses to chat with Husa Sounds before what promises to be a hypnotic evening, where eccentricity is highly encouraged…

Husa Sounds: Hey Miyagi, we’re looking forward to seeing you again in Montreal! Can you start by telling us where the name Miyagi originates from? 

M: I was a big Karate Kid fan when I was a child. Some years later the movie was running at an afterhours at a friend’s house and I started imitating some karate moves… People called me Miyagi later.

HS: Talk to us about the idea behind your label “Lost Diaries”

M: The aim of the imprint is to become a collection of various musical stories, stories of the night that leave room for interpretation. The label could be said to have a tendency towards melancholy. But at the same moment, a moment of bliss can also hit you while listening. It’s up to the listener to decide in which direction they wants to drift.

HS: When making music, what sparks the original idea? Do you conceptualise a song in your head and transcribe it or does it flow from spending time jamming and creating?  

M: I mostly start with jamming for melodies. I try to create something special that leaves a mark on people in some way. I also really like to spend hours just fine tuning a song. To me, both are the most interesting parts of music making.

HS: What are your non-musical inspirations? 

M: I can be inspired by many things. These might be people from my daily life, travelling, movies, photography or just other music.

HS: Being a touring artist, event organiser in Hamburg and a full time producer, how do you balance everything to stay on track with all that you’re involved in? If you had to give advice to young aspiring artists who live a similar lifestyle, what would you suggest to them? 

M: If you have a good team around you, then you manage to get a lot of things under control. That includes my events, bookings and music. The whole thing wouldn’t be possible if I was just a one-man show. But it’s also very important to have some free time to take a breath, to look at things from a distance or just to let things pass in review. My suggestion for younger artists is to just take your time and do what you love. You should try to avoid putting yourself under too much pressure.

HS: You came to play our event last year in January, one of the coldest months of the year, and managed to turn Velvet into a sweat box… People really did enjoy your performance. If you had to describe Montreal in 1 word, how would you put it?  

M: Beautiful.

HS: What’s to come from Miyagi for 2019? After the success of your past albums, do you have any more in works? 

M: I’ve signed new music on German labels like Katermukke or Einmusika, but also on Audiofly’s Supernature label and Behrouz’ Do Not Sit label. A new album is not planned for 2019, but maybe for 2020. Let’s see how things go.

HS: What underground artists, records or labels have caught your eye recently? 

M: I’ve been a big fan of Innervisions for years. This label constantly manages to get my attention. But at the moment there are also many young artists and labels who are doing good job.

HS: Where do you see the deep house scene, sound and culture evolving in the next few years?

M: In recent years, the deep house scene has had an enormous hype. It’s always difficult to say which direction the whole thing will take next. I just always let myself be surprised and go with flow.

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Catch Miyagi on the dance floor this Saturday – tickets available here.

Interview by Adam Husa & Lola Baraldi