Written by Kylie Vesey

 

Welcome back to another edition of Behind The Decks Family Friday where we bring you some of the freshest local talents we have on offer in Australia. This week it is my absolute pleasure to bring you Gold Coast local and master producer, Deakin XD. 

 

Deakin XD is by no means fresh on the scene, he has been producing and pumping out tracks for over 4 years and when you listen to what he has created, it’s clear that this is someone who pours their hard and soul into each and every track. Having songs releases on world-renowned labels including Revealed Recordings and Teamwrk Records, there is no telling where we will be taken next.  

 

His progressive house sound is one that will suck you in and bring forward all of those happy endorphins you get when you find something you love. I got the change to interview him off the back of a massive release last month ‘Dream Together’ and just a hint, the catch up was all I hoped for and more. 

 

Come with me as I step Behind The Decks with Deakin XD.

 

Firstly, massive congratulations on track ‘Dream Together’ with your good friend Jake, better known as J-Dub.  You must be stoked having several DJs pick up the track and use it in their radio shows, as well as the track gaining airtime on Radio Metro since the release in July. What went into making such an intimate track with a great friend? 

Thank you, I'm really stoked with the response and the support so far! A lot went into this one, Jake (J-Dub) and I made about 4-5 different tracks with the vocals over a period of about 3 years, each track we made had at least 10+ different versions.

 

Last year saw you release your first track, ‘Take Me Back’, on Revealed Recordings. Can you take me through the process of being signed on such an iconic label? 

That was a massive accomplishment for me, Hardwell was the reason I started making dance music, so it was always my goal from day one to sign a track to Revealed. The process started with Wasback and myself making a few demos over a period of about 2 years until we made something we were both really happy with. When we sent the track in, Revealed liked the track but it needed a vocal added, so Wasback got in contact with Drew Ryn and we worked together to create the topline! 

 

Having already released on Revealed Recordings what would be the next label you would love to release on and why? 

I would love to try something a little different and release on Monstercat or Hexagon, I love all the music those labels are putting out and they definitely inspire me. 

 

Your tracks ‘Alive’ and ‘Coming To You’ have had the amazing vocals sung by our very own Aussie, Bianca, she truly made these tracks come alive. Having worked with Bianca several times now, what is the connection you make when using her vocals and can we expect to see more work with Bianca? 

I think she is a great songwriter with a fantastic voice, she writes and sings with a lot of emotion which really suits my production and songwriting style. I would love to keep making more tracks with her in the future! 

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You have had support from Spinnin' Records, Universal Music AU, Afrojack, Nicky Romero and Brooks just to name a few.  What was it like knowing that some of the biggest names and labels in the industry have supported your work? 

It was definitely very motivating and validating. Being a bedroom producer like most people, we don't really know if what we make is any good, so to get support from some massive names has really encouraged me to be confident in my decisions when producing now.

 

You have an absolute gift when it comes to producing, releasing music consistently over the past few years. What can we expect from you by way of production over the next year? 

Thank you! You can definitely expect some more progressive house music! I'm also branching out a little and doing some progressive trance which is super fun to make. I have also been doing some production and mixing work for a couple of big up and coming artists that I am super proud of. Hopefully, I will be able to announce that soon! 

 

I know personally what goes into creating a track and it’s a lot of work. When you begin to create a track, what goes into the creative process for you? Where do you draw inspiration from when you start?

I draw inspiration from many different things, sometimes it’s just hearing a new artist on Spotify or seeing my peers make something really fresh. Sometimes I find having an acapella to work with can be really inspiring or having a goal of making a track for a certain label can help with the direction that I go when producing. 
 

Being a real up and coming name on the Australian music scene, can you give our readers a peek behind the curtain of what Deakin XD has planned for the next year? Where are you hoping to push your music? 

I am hoping to have some more releases on big labels very soon and really push myself with the production side. Continuing to release a versatile catalogue of music is really important to me, as I don't want to confine myself to just one genre.

 

The Gold Coast music scene can be a little tough to tackle, especially when it comes to EDM. How did you work through the challenges of trying to expand your brand in a city that is not as big on opportunities when it comes to EDM? 

I think you need to surround yourself with like-minded people, that way you can actually hang out with in person and learn from each other. J-Dub was the first person in the EDM scene that I met and we always shared a very similar taste in music, from there I slowly started networking with other people in the industry through social media and also in person during gigs.

 

And finally, we ask all our artists the same closing question. What is the craziest thing you have seen from behind the decks?

No crazy stories really, but seeing the crowd really get into music the music I've made or been a part of is crazy for me!  

 

With so many tracks, bootlegs and remixes already released Deakin XD is showing everyone just what a producer he is and I for one cannot wait to see what comes next. When I first listed to Deakin XD, I was blown away with his tracks and I know it will be the same for many of you. There is nothing more exciting than watching someone who works hard and is so passionate begin to make waves, and trust me when I say he is someone you should be following, as I am sure there are big things to come.

As always I ask you to get around and show support for our Australian music community by giving Deakin XD a follow and showing your love. Keep an eye out as I am sure it won’t be long till we get another masterpiece from this legend.