Future bass has blown up in the past year with huge artists like Cashmere Cat, Giraffage and Trippy Turtle. As future bass dominates at festivals and showcases, we’re seeing more and more variation of styles pop up. RaverRafting is certainly on the future bass bandwagon, and you should be too!
Women are starting to dominate the electronic atmosphere and we’re certainly digging their badass attitudes. If you haven’t heard of Vanessa Michaels, you will after this. Her tracks are light, bouncy and have a way of setting the dance floor ablaze. We recently sat down with the future bass queen to chat with her about her latest remix, her future, and how she got started.
Hey Venessa, thank you for doing this interview with RaverRafting! I recently received your new remix for Gallant, it’s definitely a refreshing sound. Can you tell us about how that all happened? And also about the track itself?
“My Pleasure. Lets rave on this raft! Well the original song is perfect and it’s very downtempo and beautiful with Gallant’s vocals leading it. So, I really just wanted to trick it out and make it more up-tempo and dancey. I heard a few remixes that held onto the downtempo feel and I really just wanted to make it something people could vibe to in another way.”
Can you tell us about your influences for the remix?
“I definitely am heavily influenced by Jersey Club, Baltimore bounce in general. I definitely have to pay homage to who has made a huge modern impact of the Jersey Club sound which is of course Trippy Turtle currently and Hoodboi, Falcons, etc.”
Ah, got some LA natives like yourself in there! So you’ve told us quite a bit about this remix’s sound, can you tell us a bit of backstory on you?
“I have always been involved with music and playing instruments. I started piano lessons at 3 and a half years old thanks to my Grandma (S/O I love you) and later her and my mom got me into classical guitar. I actually went to band camp AKA Interlochen in Michigan for a few summers and played guitar there. As soon as I got a macbook, the old school white one that had Garage Band on it, I started editing and chopping up tracks and vocals. A friend of mine gifted me Logic Pro which got me deeper into producing when I was around 17 years old. For my 18th birthday, I got a DJ set up and started spinning vinyl.”
Oh wow, you don’t hear a lot of 18 year olds dj’ng vinyl anymore!
“Yeah I’m grateful that I started on vinyl and records (S/O Mixmaster Yodah). At 18, I had a few residencies in San Diego and then went to college at UCSC where I had a residency at MOTIV and got to spin for my #bananaslugs. Once I finished school, I moved straight to LA and really started listening to music on another level, I was figuring out my sound and now I can finally say I have found it.”
Can you tell us a little bit more about that sound?
“2090, the future of the 90s. The 90s are filled with some of the best records in the world. I took my inspiration from the 90’s Hip Hop world and have been able to work with some extremely talented artists to create original songs. Tay Jasper, Kiana Brown and Leven Kali are some of those people to watch right now. They have been vital in creating this sound, because they understand it. We write toplines that are catchy and flow like the 90s, but I’ll create a production alongside their vocals that make it a future sound. It’s not completely 90’s, it’s also very modern. It’s something unique.”
That sounds awesome. You’ve been releasing originals from the get go. Almost the exact opposite of what most people are doing nowadays. With that said, who are some singers dead and alive you’d do anything to work with?
“Beyonce, Missy Elliot, Aaliyah. Actually all of Destinys Child, to bring that back would be legendary.”
Those are some awesome names. Can you tell us what you have coming up?
“I have some big shows coming up right now. This week I’m doing the Mixify party and Space Yacht in LA to support this release, kind of like release parties. Then next month playing some huge shows with Trippy Turtle, Stooki Sound, Astronomar, Promnite, etc. Just getting out there and spreading the music.
As far as music, I have a song I’m holding on to with Leven Kali that I feel really good about, it’s a special one for sure! I’ll be releasing some 90s remixes as well 🙂 I don’t wanna say too much, but I think I just said it all”
There you have it, the queen herself, Vanessa Michaels. You can now download her Gallant remix here. Make sure to look out for new and upcoming tracks and find her at local LA shows soon!
Connect with Vanessa Michaels:
www.facebook.com/CenessaMichaelsmusic
https://www.twitter.com/VenessaMichaeIs
https://www.soundcloud.com/VenessaMichaels