Michael Brun Puts His Spin On Feenixpawl’s “Blue Sky”: Idolator Premiere

Bianca Gracie | June 29, 2015 8:34 am
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Among the midst of heavyweight pop stars, we occasionally stumble upon some pretty awesome musical gems from up-and-coming artists! The latest that we are premiering today (June 29) comes courtesy of Haitian-born DJ/producer — Michael Brun.

The track, which is a remix of Australian DJ duo Feenixpawl‘s “Blue Sky,” finds Brun turning the energy levels of the original song way up. It is a tight, summer-appropriate house tune filled with whirling synths and a pounding bassline, which is interjected by soothing and emotive vocals courtesy of Mary Jane Smith.

Take a listen to the remix below, and keep reading for our Q+A with Michael Brun!

What made you choose Feenixpawl’s tune to create a remix?
MICHAEL BRUN: Feenixpawl sent over the track about two months ago, and I thought it was really cool because the vocals — especially in the chorus — has a spark that gave me the inspiration to write the melody. Whenever that happens with me and I song, I feel like I have to act on it. It was a really great experience working them, they’re good guys.

The original song has a house vibe, and you are also a progressive house DJ. How did you try to make your remix different?
MB: I’d say the main part about my remixes is that I focus more on the chorus than the verses. The chorus acted really nicely as a verse in my version, so I changed the structure of the track quite a bit and used a few of their samples. But a lot of the melodies and the chords essentially make it a completely new track. It was a rework of their tune.

You were born and raised in Haiti, so do you try to incorporate those island sounds in your music?
MB: I do try to bring it in any way possible. Usually it’s subtle, I don’t want to make it too obvious. It’s definitely inspired me quite a bit since I grew up in Haiti. I listened to Haitian music as well as a lot of stuff that my parents listened to, from ’70s to ’90s music. My style has always been this huge mixture of genres. It may not be obvious where I’m pulling [inspirations] from, but there’s definitely a melting pot.

Who would you say influences you?
MB: Earth, Wind & Fire are a huge one, and Michael Jackson. In terms of modern-day producers, I love Pharrell‘s stuff — I think he’s one of the greatest producers out now. Calvin Harris is also in my top three. Quincy Jones is up there too.

Currently there has been a throwback wave to the ’90s in dance music. Do you have a prediction of what will be the next trend?
MB: Yea, I think that has been a big one. I just feel like there’s a cycle every 20 years where things pop back up in music. In terms of the sound that I’m heading towards now, there’s a lot of pop-focused records with a lot of emphasis on the lyrics. So I think that’s going to come back. I also hear a huge focus on songwriting, like some of the vocals on the huge house music tracks are amazing! They’re getting really good. Just getting strong and really standout lyrics is the next wave, because at one point it was all about production. Then, it became a throwback to the early ’90s — which was more about the music. But I think now songwriting will be the big one.

I’ve seen that you have a lot of experience performing at music festivals.
MB: I think Coachella was a pretty insane experience for me. When I played last year, I closed after Zedd in the Sahara Tent. It was way bigger than I ever imagined and an amazing experience. So that’s probably my favorite festival I’ve played.

You’ve established yourself as a solid producer in this industry. Are there any up-and-coming DJs or producers you have on your radar?
MB: In terms of producers, there is this new kid called Eden Prince. He sent me this track that I’ve been playing at some of my sets. It’s a really big rework of an old Basement Jaxx record, and it’s been going off in such a big way. If there’s ever a DJ around when I play it, they always come up to me and ask who it is. So I’m excited for his stuff. I think it’s gonna be cool to see what he comes up with.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been posting our predictions of what track will take over the summer. What’s your pick for Song of the Summer?
MB: I really do like [Major Lazer‘s] “Lean On,” I think that’s great one. I also like Justin Bieber‘s “Where Are U Now,” “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like A Motherf*cker” [by Maroon 5] and The Weeknd‘s new one — “I Can’t Feel My Face.” I’ve actually been listening to so much pop music recently, and just analyzing and learning it.

Is there an album or another EP in the works?
MB: I’ve been doing so much music lately. In the last six months I think I finished about 25 songs. I produced part of Matthew Koma‘s upcoming album, so that was an amazing experience. That is really different music for me — I don’t think people are going to expect it. I’ve also been working very closely with Roy English, who is the vocalist on Alesso‘s “Cool.” I have a song with him that will hopefully be out in the near future. It’s pretty much done now, so we’re just working out the details. Both of those guys are incredibly talented. It’s a lot of vocal stuff, which is really exciting.

What are the future plans for your Kid Coconut record label?
MB: I’m always looking to sign new producers. What I wanted to do with the label from the beginning is even if we don’t do a straight up artist deal, then I want to help and nurture the artist who signs their records to the label so I can give them as much production advice as possible. I want to be able to help them develop into an artist who’s able to sustain a career. Getting the music right is the main focus, so there’s is a lot of new talent who are getting signed now and they’re all different genres too — not just progressive house. It’ll be cool to see all the sounds that come from the label.

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