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Wrapping up 2016 with Swick

12 December 2016 | 10:05 pm | Abbey Lenton

Last year we selected Swick as an artist to watch, and what a good decision that was! We chat to the Melbourne producer about what 2016 has meant for him.

Around this time last year, we here at Purple Sneakers put forward SWICK as an artist to watch in 2016, and what a mighty good call that was! Signing onto NLV Records, the record label founded by none other than Australian dance floor royalty NINA LAS VEGAS, the Melbourne-based producer has taken the year to truly hone his craft.

Brimming with bouncy bass, Swick's tracks are each scrupulously mastermined to ensure his crowd are having the best time possible. With a partiality for collaborations and genre-bending experiments, we asked the producer about his creative process, his Stamina EP, and what 2016 has meant for him.

This year we picked you as an artist to watch for 2016, and you’ve certainly showed us why! Has there been a particular highlight for this year that was a personal goal off the checklist? 

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Ha yes, thank you for that! It was a great year. Lots of highlights. It was cool to be able to put together an EP that I was 100% happy with!

With each release, you seem to channel different influences/genres/styles, and because of that, it comes across as experimental - do you welcome new challenges with your music? Or is it a natural progression to get to where you are now?

I don't really think about it. I just love all kinds of different music all the time and I'm mostly trying to take a little bit of influence from each style & then make it my own. So I guess it is experimental at times for sure.

Congratulations on one year of NLV Records. You and Nina have been collaborators for years, and friends as well - how does it feel from an inside perspective to get to this first anniversary? 

Thanks, yes it's great. It's so cool being on an independent label & also having Nina run the label is sick. She has done such a great job already and she cares so much about it all & is always trying to make sure everyone is happy.

Your Stamina EP has shown us that you enjoy working with diverse artists, like EDEN and SPANK ROCK. How do you decide which artist to work with, or what direction you want your feature vocals to head in?

I guess I just work with voices & artists I really like. If I think I can make something cool with someone then I'll try. I don't really think about it too much. I want to make something different all the time but still have it sound like me.

You supported both Skepta and Novelist at the peak of the grime explosion – what are your thoughts for grime now, as it stands in the music industry? Can we expect a Swick grime track in the future?

Yeah, it was sick to be able to support those guys. I'm glad grime is having a big explosion right now, its great. No, I won't be making a Swick grime track, I think that an Australian producer making grime isn't necessary and isn't really grime, but I definitely am influenced by the sound and it would be cool to work with English MCs for my stuff.

You’re about to kick off an absolutely massive tour with all five of the NLV Records crew hitting the road - are you expecting mayhem in the clubs when you’re all up on the decks? What can we expect?

Yep, we all just played Brisbane on the weekend & it was fun. Everyone plays so different but somehow it all kind of links up and all the sets seem to complement each other really well. Looking forward to Melbourne & Sydney this weekend!

You’ve dropped a bunch of incredible singles over the past few months, what can we expect from you for next year? 

Thank you. I'm working on lots of stuff at the moment. I'm just going to keep having fun writing music & try to push my sound further!

NLV Records End of Year Parties

Ft. Air Max ’97, Lewis Cancut, Nina Las Vegas, Strict Face & Swick.

TBC Club, Brisbane QLD

Sat 10 Dec

Boney, Melbourne VIC

Fri 16 Dec

Chippendale Hotel, Sydney NSW

Sat 17 Dec

Photo credit: Jasmine Safaeian

Words by ABBEY LENTON

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