THE PROJECT: ZACK ENTWISTLE... Interview!!

Wednesday, 13 August 2014

ZACK ENTWISTLE... Interview!!

He's starting to cause ripples on the underground house scene, hails from Wales and is heavily influenced by his love of hip hop and 70s funk music. To us, that sounds like a recipe for success!

We caught up with Zack Entwislte to ask a few choice questions and got some rather revealing answers... Read on!!

It says on your Soundcloud that you are from Cardiff. What is the scene like there?

I live just outside of Cardiff but Cardiff has long been my home turf or "stomping ground" for the best part of a decade now. I've seen how it's changed over the years and how popular culture always takes its hold on all the clubs and night life here! I was young when I first got in to the club scene and back then clubs here mostly played either hip hop or Dance music like electro etc, which was really big back then, and played a big part in tightening my love for the 4/4 beat!

Anyway as time went on my tastes in house music had become more refined and dance and hip hop was phased out of the clubs all together and replaced with tacky generic pop music..."Big Surprise" – not! But this wasn't a bad thing, this helped drive the underground movement to set up their own brands and put on nights were people alike could get together and enjoy the positive vibes that house music brings and move away from the pretentious "VIP" culture that so many people are victim to.

These days there are no shortage of good events lined up on a weekly basis dotted around the city, the scene is thriving especially over the last 2-3 years were we've seen local brands like "memorex" "Delete" and "Mood" bring some of the most respectable artists around to the city along with great resident DJ's . All have a very loyal following and great atmosphere, and as always packed with the friendly faces of the veterans and newcomers alike.

Have you always been into house music? Who would you say are your biggest influences?

Urm I'd have to say yes and no to that if I could! Haha I'll explain… I have always from as far back as I can remember been heavily influenced by music. Growing up I was lucky enough to have parents who were very much in to alternative music and had a huge collection of CDs that I would sift through and listen to, which is what really opened my eyes or "ears" to the diversity music offers. I would sit there and listen everything from soul disco and funk to blues, rock, jazz all the way to hip hop!! U name it, if it was well made and had some substance behind it I listened to it!

Some of my biggest influences growing up and still now are like Curtis mayfield, cypress hill, the fugees, rage against the machine, snoop dogg, N.E.R.D and the neptunes to name a few. My passion for the music is the reason I studied it at school and to play the drums and base at a young age. Both of which are the foundations of house music, so when taking it upon myself to begin to produce music I already had a very good idea of how to create a beat. There's also no denying that my productions are heavily influenced by my love for hip hop and 70s funk music.

What do you prefer, DJing or producing?

That's a hard question that. I suppose if hypothetically somebody said to me I could choose either or for my remaining years I would say producing. DJing is fantastic I absolutely love it but the reason I got in to producing was because I wanted to do more with the music. If you are producing you are limited only to your imagination and can create something truly individual and forge you're own sound! That's what I love about it. Oh and seeing a floor full of people putting they're "bass face" on and throwing it down! To one of your tracks when it come on! That's an awesome feeling!

You describe a lot of your music as g-house… What does that term mean to you?

Hmm G-house is a term that gets thrown around a lot now, and can be interpreted so differently by many people. So here's my interpretation of it… G-house to me is that classic 4/4 beat of house with a more predominant baseline than typically used in most house music also with some catchy usually hip hop influenced vocal that oozes attitude and just make you want to dance! House and hip hop when done well go so well together, because let's not forget they both started from the same place at around the same time.

What do we have to look forward to release wise from yourself?

As far as release wise there's a lot going on at the moment, I've just recently put out my "Urban Flow" e.p out on Italian label Chaungo records. Which is 3 original four to the floor house tracks from myself ,and also the very popular "Nice Junk" is just out the brand new label House Of Hustle VA which is currently sitting at #6 in the indie dance top release! Very pleased with that! There's an e.p in the works coming on House Of Hustle in the coming months with 3 very original tracks + remixes that's already drawing a lot of attention which I am exited about! All will be revealed. And last but not least an e.p to come on East Projects new imprint, all in the coming months.