Lessons of love, understanding, choices, perseverance, and adaptability are some of the themes that comprise Demsky’s singular sound. A Canadian beatmaker based in Tokyo, Demksy has quickly gained momentum with his captivating ambient and downtempo soundscapes in Japan and Europe.
‘Continuum’ sees Demsky flex the more club-focussed side of his production capabilities. Built around a 4/4 rhythm and throbbing bassline, it’s purpose-built to evoke the sublime, with its celestial synthlines and epic, soaring pads creating a deep sense of reverence and poignancy as track unfolds.
‘Contiuum’ is the lead single from his forthcoming new EP. Landing early 2024, ‘As Your Heart Beats’’ consists of six tracks covering different parts and aspects of our world including our own psyche via a wide range of musical influences, including electronica, jazz, ambient, techno, downtempo and more.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today! How has the year been treating you?
It’s been a learning experience to say the least. Have gone to a lot of new places and met some amazing people that embraced me and my music. I’m grateful.
Where do you think the impulse to create music comes from for you?
I am always going on my computer and playing around with concepts and ideas. Most of the time it’s from me learning about a new instrument and tweaking with the settings. Other times, it’s just from my surroundings. Every year I go into the mountains of Nagano, relax and just write. It’s always inspiring.
Japan’s electronic music scene is both unique and influential. How do you see your work contributing to and evolving within this landscape, and what impact do you hope to have on the global electronic music community?
The people who have hobbies in Japan, obsess about them and forever stick to just that one hobby or craft aiming to master it. They have a word for this called Otaku, which means nerd. I’ve always appreciated that. A lot of the electronic artists I meet are the same. I love learning how they deep dive into their craft and what avenues they take and vice versa. They usually just stick to one sound and there is nothing wrong with that. When I write music, I don’t aim for one sound. I just let the sound progress down the genre it sees fit and hopefully a beautiful story emerges from it. I don’t want to just play music on stage. I want to tell a story where people can reflect and learn like a good book. The setlists are always different so this novel I’m creating for them can feel like a choose-your-own adventure sometimes. That’s what I contribute.
Your music often integrates complex soundscapes and textures. Can you walk us through your process of layering sounds and choosing the right elements to create a cohesive track?
When I write, I try to see how many layers I can create first from a 4 to 8 bar loop. All layers should pair well with each other in some way or another. This makes it easier later to arrange. I take the Joni Mitchell approach. I just want it to sound beautiful in my ears and keep it simple. The simplest layers are the ones that can later become more complex with intriguing layers of grain delays and reverbs.
A ‘continuum’ is defined as “something that keeps on going, changing slowly over time” – this sounds like it could be the blueprint for progressive house music in general! Was this something you were keen to explore on your track?
Continuum was built from me learning about a new instrument and me wanting to create something with the sound of chimes. The tool had this amazing rotation to it that reminded me of the gears in a clock or someone turning the pages of a book. This with my infatuation for 808 beats led to the house-style beat you hear today. Maybe it’s also me reliving my 90’s as well hahaha.
Tell us about your current studio set up – any particular bits of go-to kit you find yourself returning to?
I try to keep my set quite minimal for the most part. It makes it easier on me while touring. I am actually in the midst of updating everything. I have been getting more offers for my ambient set so I’ve upgraded my card to a Babyface pro fc and am going to introduce my microcosm into the mix. I absolutely love my midi twister fighter. It makes it so easy to manipulate my tracks on stage.
Which artists are currently exciting or inspiring you?
I am currently listening to a lot of Soulive, Corey Mastrangelo, Fruition, and my fellow Canadian Mikael Tobias. I try to listen for passion and feel more than technicality. That’s why I always veer back to funk and folk a lot. There is an extra rawness there.
What have been some of your more memorable live performances from 2023?
Cryroom in Kuala Lumpur, Editor’s Cafe in Niigata, Environment 0g in Osaka and Sakajam Base in Onomichi. All the crowds were so different, but all so attentive. I thank them for lending their ears to me.
What should we expect from you for the rest of 2023 and into next year?
I am going to be playing in the oldest bathhouse in Tokyo. It’s an all day event with good friends.
I’m also ending the year with Wonderfruit in Thailand. A fully immersive sound stage with yours truly. I’m excited for the challenge.
Demsky
SC: @demsky
IG: www.instagram.com/demskymusic/