With so much overwhelming hype posted all over streaming and social networking sites it may be difficult to keep in mind that Emalkay is a human being and not a talented cyborg with a penchant for musical chaos. The amusing promo video his label released of people on the street trying to pronounce his name, to varying degrees of success, and lack of biographical information has no doubt helped create the enigma that is Emalkay. Speaking from an unnamed restaurant back in the UK, probably dining on molten metal and engine coolant, the DJ and producer is in full gear promoting his heavily anticipated debut album Eclipse. Ready to set out on a tour, starting with a show in Dublin, he’ll be doing nine dates in Australia and New Zealand, including a stop at Melbourne’s Roxanne Parlour. Having last touched down in Australia two years ago, he’s clearly excited to embrace his new fans and witness the growth of the local dance community. “It’s liberating because the listeners are open minded and the DJs are too,” he says about Aussie audiences.
Having done back-to-back shows in his native land, he says, with a hint of glee in his voice “It’s been crazy. It’s all a bit of a mess at the moment.” The growth of his legend has seen a new legion of fans flock to his hot ticket gigs, “It’s been pretty mental since the album dropped. The crowds have gotten bigger, they’re more lively, it’s more exciting. There’s a massive buzz at the moment,” he confirms. Getting into the intense mindset his music creates is imaginably akin to an athlete getting psyched up before a championship game or a rodeo clown ready to be charged by bulls. “DJing is a completely different ball game [compared to producing], I always consider [track] selection the most important thing.” The tempo and energy of the tunes takes him to the place he needs to be. “I strive to keep the pace; I strive to keep the dark energy in every set. I don’t like to keep a standard beat, I prefer a sort of fluid beat and I try to keep that going throughout the set.” It’s not about a specific sound for him but a consistent, pulsating tempo. His customary glass of vodka and Red Bull before the shows doesn’t hurt either. In a similar way it’s about creating a mood when he’s recording in the studio, explaining though that he finds it less of a challenge to get the energy flowing. “At the moment I’m in the mood to hear big and loud things, so when I’m working on something I’ll tweak it and hone it. It’s almost like someone who does it for a hobby, just for the fun of it.”
Dropping his first 12″, the Code Red EP, in 2005 Emalkay has steadily built up a catalogue of rock solid dance anthems, ranging from drum ‘n’ bass to trance and of course dubstep. Transitioning to creating a full album was a natural progression for the Birmingham beat bruiser. “It’s always been in my mind to do an album. It was quite natural because I already had so many singles and EPs, it just made sense really. This album feels like a definitive moment in my career. It’s something you can look back on in the future and you’ll hear that it represents everything I’ve been doing up until that point. It’s really representative of that.” Getting listeners to connect with the album, particularly in a live setting, hasn’t been much of a challenge due to the fact that he’s been road testing the majority of the tracks live for the last six months. “They are predominantly dancey tracks, so it was important to me to see how it went down. Then once the album comes out you get a better reaction because people already know it. That’s a really good buzz to see that recognition.”
Usually opting to go on a solo mission, he is looking forward to hooking up some vocal collaborators in the future. “With the album out I’m getting so many new ideas now. I’m in the process of doing that at the moment but I don’t want to give anything away yet, but the people I’m working with are names that are household names.” Not one to be pigeonholed, Emalkay isn’t looking to stay in the same lane creatively, wanting to go beyond the dubstep brush he’s been painted with. “I’m trying different tempos and styles, basically going all out,” he sums up. The desire to keep things fresh and interesting drives his choices. “I’m kind of interested in messing with a tracks’ tempo, it’s structure. It’s nice to break away from that. Now that the album’s out the way I can experiment and dabble a bit more. Having started his career as a DJ and bedroom producer at age 15, that teenage enthusiasm and energy is clearly never too far away from his work. “I’m excited just to be releasing stuff now.” The appreciation is mutual.
