Travel, Lifestyle

Good Vibes Festival 2018: 5 questions with Honne, SG Lewis and SaturdaySelects

 
Good Vibes Festival 2018: 5 questions with Honne, SG Lewis and SaturdaySelects

Malaysia’s own long awaited Good Vibes Festival is returning with another jaw-dropping edition this year, recruiting first class acts the likes of Lorde, Sza, The Neighbourhood, Honne, SG Lewis, SaturdaySelects and many more. Before they head up to The Ranch, Genting Highlands to steal the hearts of everyone at the festival this weekend, we kicked back with three headliners – Honne, SG Lewis and SaturdaySelect’s Roshan Menon – and had them dish on what fans can expect at their show, as well as their style tips, latest projects and more.

 

Honne

honne (1)

How did the two of you meet and what led to the creation of Honne?

We go quite far back. We met on the first day of university seven years ago, the day that people meet each other for the first time. Within a couple days, we were writing music together and, well basically, haven’t really worked apart since then. We spent those years working on songwriting and production. Then, four years ago, Honne started.

You guys have a series of tracks scheduled up till August, when all the tracks will be compiled into an album. How was the concept for the record and its release conceptualised?

Yeah, we’re going to be releasing two tracks a month for the next six months. The songs will be released at the end of every month. Basically, the concept is that we’re showing two sides of the heart, light and dark themes.

Is it safe to say that you will be playing your new materials at Good Vibes this year then?

Let’s see! [laughs]. Yeah, we’ll be playing all the hits, and a little bit of the new material.

Tell us your wardrobe essentials, on and off the stage.

Good jeans and white t-shirts. We’re pretty much minimalists. But when we go on stage, we try to be more daring by wearing nice jackets and more bright colours.

You’ve been to a lot of music festivals. Do you have any style tips for the festival goers?

Definitely don’t wear black! Keep everything light and cool. Wear light colours and loose clothes so you can move around and have a lot of rooms to breathe.

 

SG Lewis

sg-lewis

How did you get into electronic music and, specifically, when did you start producing your own music?

I was just playing in bands and stuff when I was at school, and then I got into music production by taking Music Technology A-level. I started making remixes from there and got hold of a copy of garageband, where I spent all of my free time messing around with it. It wasn’t until the last year of school that it occurred to me that I wanted to pursue music production as a living, or that it was even a possibility.

Congratulations on your “Dusk” EP release! We hear that you’re working on a three-part album and “Dusk” is one of them. Would you care to talk more about this project?

Yes! The album is split into three parts – Dusk, Dark and Dawn – which represent the three different stages of a night out. “Dusk” starts off the night, and is heavily influenced by disco, west hip hop, and 80’s synth pop. “Dark” is more intense and has higher energy, drawing influence from hip hop, house and techno. “Dawn” is the most introspective of the three – the comedown in energy, and the music that accompanies the quieter moments of a night out.

How would you describe your music in five words or less?

Um. Slowed down club music.

If you could collaborate with anyone on a new song, who would you pick?

Anderson Paak.

Style-wise, can you describe yours in five words? And what are some major key essentials in your wardrobe?

Clean, understated, classic, streetwear and minimal. My go-to pieces would be white Common Projects and a detailed or statement bomber jacket.

 

SaturdaySelects’ Roshan Menon

roshan

Tell us about SaturdaySelects.

SaturdaySelects is a record label and collective of like-minded people who share the same passion for music. We look to create a platform and avenue to share music from up-and-coming artists from around the world and foster a strong community that supports these artists.

Did you always want to be a DJ or was it more a path of putting together bits and pieces of everything you loved?

I guess it’s been a lot of factors and choices that I’ve made over the years that has led me here. The main idea being that if my dad could make a mixtape for my mom on a cassette to woo her, why couldn’t I? Hence me getting into deejaying around January last year.

What’s your take on the phenomena of celebrity DJs such as Paris Hilton?

It’s been happening for a while now. Celebrity DJs are fine, if they know what they’re doing. In case if you don’t know, Idris Elba is an amazing house DJ!

Are there any famous faces in the industry that you follow for style, music, or other inspiration?

I would say Complexion from London really inspires me to dig for more music and finding those new artists on the rise. As for photography, I look at the work of Richard Avedon, Maximov Dima and Annie Lai! Fashion-wise, I love Asap Rocky’s style, and a little bit of those basic Kanye pieces.

What can we expect from you and SaturdaySelects at Good Vibes this year?

We’re definitely looking to elevate that “SaturdaySelects sound” that everyone recognises us for with a more curated set of music than usual, ranging from beats, disco, house, R&B, bailefunk and hip hop.

 

 

Good Vibes Festival 2018 will be held on the 21 and 22 July at The Ranch, Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands. Tickets are available here.