Midnight Shift x Zouk 03 on Fri 18 May will unveil Eddie Niguel, a Midnight Shift label artist who has been steadily climbing the ranks with chart-topping tracks on labels such as Get Physical, Nohashi Recordings and lately, Dig Deeper. Here we interview the DJ/Producer about making music from the heart.

You've recently been signed to Danny Howell's Dig Deeper label. Could you tell us more about that?

Sure, I had just completed a few new tracks and was looking around for a decent label to put it out. I made a short list of labels that i thought would be interested in them and sent out my demos there after. Danny's management were one of the few that actually got back to me and I'm really thrilled that it's signed to his label. I think it found a good home which is important to me and it fits in with his label ethos as well.

What are some of the challenges facing you/your music today?

I think it's extremely difficult reaching out to the right label these days, more so if they are established. 

It's no fault of theirs of course, from what I gather, they receive a crazy amount of demos each week. A few have also stopped taking in demos due to the sheer amount they receive and in some cases only work with a few group of artist to keep everything manageable and consistent, which kind of makes sense from a label standpoint. It doesn't help that I don't just make one particular style of music but various styles depending on where my head is at any given moment, so I'll have to shop around for more labels as and when that happens. I could of course just start my own label and have them readily available on iTunes every week for example but I think it's a bad idea to do that early on in your music career. A record label's role as a moderator is still an important key aspect in the release process. It's tough when they tell you it's not good enough especially when you have just spent the entire week or month working on something. You just need to learn to get over it quickly, get back in and make it work if you are determine to get anything out with a decent label. I might be wrong but I am still convinced that if it's good music someone out there will put it out. I see them as my quality control officer now :)

How would you personally describe your sound or influences?

I'm not sure how to describe my sound or if I actually do have a sound at all but Dosem who produces for Christian Smith's label Tronic described one of my works as 'music made from the heart'. I think that's a really romantic way of putting it and I wouldn't necessarily disagree with him either.

Could you name us 5 secret weapons in your playlist?

I don't have any secret weapons, maybe just some re-edits. Nothing is a secret anymore in this YouTube era. If it worked somewhere before, you'd probably hear someone playing it at the very next gig.

What is your music-making philosophy?

Do whatever that makes you happy. Be yourself and no one else.

What makes a good DJ?

I think a sign of a good DJ is one who is musically and technically sound, constantly aware of what's going on in a room and most importantly he/she still enjoys performing even if the working conditions are not ideal or 'the best of' for lack of a better word.

Do you think Singaporean producers have a space in the international scene?

Absolutely, look at Xhin, he's signed to a credible label, touring around the globe and appearing on international magazines worldwide. There are a few others of course but he's the best example I can think of at the moment. I don't think it's gonna come easy for anyone though, it's a lot of hard work and also time and a little luck plays a part as well.

Do you consider yourself more of a DJ or producer or both?

Definitely more a DJ as I've been a resident for 15 years or so, production only came along recently in the last few years and I'm still learning more about it every single day.

What would you recommend someone who is visiting Singapore to do?

EAT! We have a very diverse food culture here in singapore and it's a shame if all they do is eat hotel food and chicken rice.

Describe a perfect day.

Hmm...I'll have to get back to you on that...

Future projects?

Nothing is certain as yet but I might be working on some remix work for a local electronica group here among others.

Stay in touch with me on facebook.com/eddieniguel if you'd like to keep up to date on what I will be up to in the next coming months or so.

Who are your dream collaborators?

Wow, thats gonna be a long list! Carl Craig, Aril Brikha, Agoria, Ripperton, Vince Watson, Deetron, i could go on all day...

What can we expect to hear from you on May 18th?

Good music? :)

facebook.com/eddieniguel