EXRON EXCLUSIVE: GARETH EMERY

After hearing all of the hype around Laserface, we had to check it out for ourselves at Mana Wynwood this past weekend. British DJ/Producer Gareth Emery brought an entirely unique and mind-blowing experience to Miami Music Week this year. Since being utterly astonished by the synthesis of sound with laser, we got the opportunity to speak with the mastermind behind it all. Exron Music sat down with Emery to ask him few questions about the objectives and experiences behind Laserface.

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Exron: Where did your inspiration for Laserface come from?

GARETH EMERY: I guess I kind of spotted talent really and just rode off the back of it. So Anthony, he’s the show director was like my tour manager. So we’re traveling around, going to different places, and I saw a video he put on YouTube which was him doing a laser show to like a – I think it was a Kaskade track. And I was like “Dude, this is fucking amazing.” I was like “Why does nobody do this at like a live show?” And he was like “Well, it’s really hard to set up.” And I said “Could we do it?” And he was like “Well yeah, if you get the right equipment.” And I was like “Right.” So basically I booked Terminal 5 in New York – it was like a 3,000 capacity venue. This was like two years ago – a year and a half, two years ago. And was like “Right, in six months we’re doing it. You basically got all the money you want, get the lasers in.” And yeah, just let him basically run with it. And that was the first one, it went really well.

Exron: What keeps you motivated when putting on these shows?

GARETH EMERY: Just trying to do better than the last time. Right, it’s like we’re never satisfied. Like even like a show like last night – that was a good one. Like for us, we’re always looking at like what we could have done better, how the experience could have been better. And I think the moment you kind of like rest on your laurels and go back, that show was like fucking awesome – that’s where you kind of lose the buzz to make it better. So, we’ve definitely got goals. Like we’d love to do a like a Madison Square Garden or like a Staples Center or something like that. But on a show by show basis, we’re just trying to make music better and trying to make the lasers better.

Exron: What’s most exciting about being back in Miami for Music Week after some time off?

GARETH EMERY: It’s just fucking cool to be here, I mean I didn’t do the last two years. Like last year, one of my best friends got married so I was like I’ve done music week so many times, I’ll skip it, I’ll go to his wedding. It was his second wedding, I was best man at the first one. So I was like – he’s a really good friend, I was a little bit bummed out I didn’t get best man the second time, but I guess like ended it divorce, so he like didn’t want to like you know, tempt fate with me again. So I went to his wedding last year, and the year before that I skipped as well, because like I just had a new kid, and there was like not much going on. So just being back here just gives me a buzz. The moment I arrive in Miami for Music Week is like, yeah, it’s just a good excitement being here this week.

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Exron: Which festivals are you looking most forward to playing this year?

GARETH EMERY: EDC and Creamfields in the UK. Yeah, EDC is just like fucking legendary, it was the first American festival I ever played back in 2010. And some of my like favorite ever festival performances are there. And Creamfields in the UK – it is always raining, it’s always like super muddy, but it’s home so it’s the best festival of where I come from. So, that’s a good one.

Exron: Are you currently working on any collabs with other artists?

GARETH EMERY: Yeah I actually have a whole album of a – like a collaborative album coming out with a guy called Ashley Wallbridge. We co-own the Garuda record label together. So we have a bunch of collabs that we’ve done, like seven or eight. And we were like fuck, let’s just make like five or six more and do an album. So that comes out on May the 10th. And then other than that just like loads of vocalists. Like we’re doing a lot of songwriting, just getting in the studio with people, getting on the piano and just writing songs like what I used to do when I was in a band. So that’s kind of my thing right now.

Exron: What is your biggest goal you have for Laserface at the moment?

GARETH EMERY: To do Madison Square Garden or the Staples Center, or like a Wembley Stadium or something. We just want to get bigger and bigger. But also, like the most important goal is just seeing people’s reaction. So, if ever we see people like leave a show and they’re like underwhelmed, that fosters a fucking disaster. We just want to make sure that every show we do, leaves people walking out going “What the fuck was that?” Like we want like mind blown, so that’s – for each show that’s the aim.

Exron: Are you announcing any other big Laserface lineups soon?

GARETH EMERY: So we’re doing Seattle next week, and then we do New York in May, Ibiza in September, and then like maybe one or two more this year. For me, like six or seven a year is a good number. Because these shows take so long to set up, they can be a little stressful in terms of the amount of additional production we have to bring in, it’s a big crew. So, you know, every one feels like it takes like about a few months off your life. So yeah, probably like six or seven a year is a good amount, and I really want to do like a London one, but that’s probably like the start of next year.

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Exron: What’s it like to watch Laserface grow as much as it has?

GARETH EMERY: It’s kind of hard because you don’t notice the growth when you’re in the middle of it. It’s only when you like step back and take these moments of reflection, when you’re like “Wow like, this has really grown fucking quickly”. When we did our San Francisco show we did like 10,000 tickets there, that was definitely like a big moment. But you’re always focusing on the next show, so we did Miami last night – that was amazing. But then as soon as Miami’s done we’re like “Right, how many tickets have we sold for Seattle? How’s the Seattle production looking? What’s the music going to be like in Seattle?” And then once Seattle happens, it’ll be like a thirty minute celebration, and then onto the next one. So, it’s really only people that are kind of like a bit outside of the team that go “Fucking hell, like Laserface has grown really quickly.” And we’re like “Yeah, we guess it has.” But like in the middle of it, you just don’t know.

Exron: What music were you most excited to showcase last night at the show?

GARETH EMERY: Like shit from the new album mainly, and I played a new intro which I’ve been working on over the past month. And that was nice, like playing it for the first time. And it’s just – it’s so awesome when you work on a track and then you get to debut it at a show like last night with like an insane, completely choreographed laser show. So anything new by me I was excited to play. And I was really happy to play some Prodigy as well, like Keith Flint who’s like the brilliant Prodigy legendary UK band singer died like two weeks ago. So I was like playing some of their tunes, like a bit of a tribute, it was a nice move.

Exron: So I just have one last question for you – what did you think of last night’s show in Miami?

GARETH EMERY: I thought the crowd was fucking amazing. It’s hard doing a Miami show in Music Week since there’s so much competition, and there’s so much other shit going on. And like, unless you come with a really strong concept and lineup, you will find literally nobody comes. That’s a lesson I learned when I first tried to do shows there. So like the turn up and to see how many people were there, I was like “fuck yes, this is awesome.”

author

I've been a part of the dance music scene for nearly a decade and with Exron for more than half of that time. My first event was Diplo's Mad Decent but these days you'll find me at Club Space or the Brooklyn Mirage. Some of my top artists are G Jones, Tipper, Of The Trees, and CharlestheFirst. My favorite genres are techno, experimental bass, and ambient but I'll get down to anything with a beat!

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