Ibazz: The future King of Newy
Newcastle DJ Ibazz has dropped his latest track, a remix of Lost Frequencies ‘Where are you now’ which features Calum Scott and the song is gaining him lots of attention. While Ibazz is not only making his own and remixing music he is also the resident DJ at two of the region’s clubs, King Street & The Argyle House, which gives him the perfect platform to introduce punters to the tunes he is creating. We sat down to ask Ibazz some questions about ‘Where are you now’, the challenges involved in remixing, and the dream of collaborating with Armin van Buuren one day.
Thank you for interviewing me! I’m excited for people around Australia and worldwide to learn more about who I am and what the Ibazz alias is all about.
For those that haven’t heard you DJing before, how would you describe your sound?
Well well…if you haven’t been to an Ibazz show, you’re in for a treat when you eventually do come to one. The Ibazz sound encapsulates different musical elements that when brought together, create an uplifting and feel good experience. My unique sound draws on melodic, progressive, trancey, electro and house elements. I also love to draw on cinematic sounds or film-scorey type music because of the extra depth and emotion it adds. Music for me is all about the feeling, about getting out of your head and into your body, or “going with the flow” as people like to say.
You have just released your remix of Lost Frequencies ft Calum Scott ‘Where are you now’. Tell us about your new song?
I must say I was ecstatic to release this remix as I'd been working on it for about 2 months and finally reached the stage where I was very happy with the final version. My remix of ‘Where are you now’ pushes the energy up a notch from the original track with house drums, pulsating basslines and stabby leads all working together to give the listener the experience of the track swirling ‘round and round’ their head. The most exciting part of the production process came about when I decided to put a flanger effect on the bassline in the main drop. This simple effect changed everything. The track went from something that sounded static to being more dynamic and aligned exactly with what Calum’s vocals were saying. Once I passed this point, there was no going back. I was definitely finishing this remix and I'm super happy with how it turned out.
“When the original track of ‘Where are you now’ came out, I had it on repeat…I was, and to quote Mariah Carey, obsessed”
What made you decide to do a remix Where are you now ?
Funny story. When the original track of ‘Where are you now’ came out, I had it on repeat…I was, and to quote Mariah Carey, obsessed. I had found my new favourite vocal track! It was catchy, melodic and had a great vocal by the talented Calum Scott. These days if I’m going to remix a song, it’s usually because I love it ALOT and I feel like I’d be able to give it my own unique twist. Before starting the remix, I had taken a short amount of time off making music to focus on other pressing matters going on in my life. However, that first session I sat down and began working on music again, I had started designing sounds for my own personal library and then all these ideas started popping up. Almost effortlessly, I started to construct an idea out for my remix and it very quickly gained some traction after that. The rest was history.
What are the best and worst things about doing remixes?
In all honesty, I don’t mind remixes at all! I actually think they are in some ways, easier than doing original tracks, simply because the core idea (the vocal) is there, I just have to construct a track around that. The one downside being that once I have finished my remix, I can never enjoy the original track again the same way. This is probably due to the hundreds of times I have to listen and relisten to the track to make sure the mix is balanced and well produced. Everything has a downside right haha.
Do you ever encounter resistance from the original artists about releasing a remix?
I don’t generally, however that’s not to say it won’t ever happen. I’m pretty respectful when it comes to other people’s art so if there is any cause for contention, I'm happy to be patient and understanding.
Can fans look forward to original music from Ibazz soon or will you be concentrating on remixes for the time being?
Oh without a doubt, fans can absolutely count on some originals coming their way very soon! For me, remixes were a good way to get my foot in the door and get some practice writing music. I have honed my skills more and more these past 3-5 years so watch this space for some new original tunes!
You have DJ residency's in two of Newcastle's hottest clubs, The Argyle House and King St. Can punters expect to hear * Where are you now worked into your sets there?
Seeing as though the original track has had some decent air time on radio stations globally, ’Where are you now’ is very well known to people. My remix will be featured in virtually all of my sets in the near future so I think it's fair to say punters won’t be disappointed After receiving lots of great feedback, I believe many of the other resident DJs will also be backing it too so whether it’s me you see or another DJ, you can be sure to hear it played.
Do you prepare different sets for each club or are both lots of punters similar enough you can get away with using the same set?
One thing I’ve paid close attention to is that in Newcastle, punters are well versed in their old school dance classics, top 40 dance hits and tracks trending on tiktok or other social media platforms. I will definitely play similar music in each of my sets that people know and can dance to, however I do like to incorporate some variety and keep it interesting. It wouldn’t be any fun playing the same set over and over.
You have supported some big names including Odd Mob, MaRLo, Tyron Hapi, You have two residency's and you are releasing music. What have been the standout moments for you so far both personally and professionally?
Firstly I want to mention I am very grateful to have had these opportunities and I don’t mean that lightly. Being in the same room as many of these artists who you look up to is both an exciting and surreal experience because you come to learn why they are the best at what they do for a reason. One of the standout moments in my professional career was in my earlier years of living in Newcastle and supporting MaRLo to a packed out club at King Street. Hearing the entire club roar with excitement and energy very early on in the game was an incredible experience and why I believe I still continue to stick with music even after all these years. On a personal level, many of these artists were also kind enough to have a chat and point me in the right direction regarding advice relating to music. I won’t forget these moments, especially as I progress in my music career.
“Armin van Buuren sparked that flame in my 13 year old self”
Collaborations are huge at the moment and you credit Armin van Buuren as your major musical influence, is the hope to one day collab with the King of Trance?
Never say never right! It’s true, Armin van Buuren sparked that flame in my 13 year old self. Look, if Armin is still keeping up dance music and the opportunity arises, you bet that collab is on.
Where was your first paid gig? Was it a success or flop?
My first paid gig hey, well this is testing the old hard drive isn’t it! I remember it being quite a casual event and it went really well. I had the chance to network and socialize with lots of other musos and DJs. At the time I was just so excited to begin playing out in Newcastle and getting familiar with the scene. Either way, having the opportunity to play was a massive win for me.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
My dream team are important to me because without them, I wouldn’t be able to show up at my best everyday. One of the most important people on my team is my mum. My mother is a doctor and a very good one at that. She has helped me bounce back on my feet on so many occasions when my health has been in question. She has helped me realise that you can’t do anything without your health and that not pushing yourself all the time is important. She’s often the one person that doesn’t get a mention so I want to take this opportunity to credit her. Thank you for all your help mum, I love you!
What's next for you? What can fans look forward to from Ibazz?
I have exciting plans on the horizon. I am currently undertaking an artist mentorship over the next few months where I will be learning and working alongside some big names in the industry. Fans can expect lots of new original music as well as gigs in other cities beyond Newcastle. There’s lots happening in the background but my goal is to build a bigger library of released music and start touring nationally around Australia. I hope you are ready to join me on my journey!
Interview by Michelle Symes
June 2022