EDM Canada sits down with Juno Award winning DJ and Producer Nick Fiorucci to talk about his award winning track 'Closer', his experiences in the forever evolving music industry, and more!

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By Sinejan Ozaydemir 

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Nick Fiorucci, the JUNO award winning DJ/producer and veteran from Toronto about his many years in the industry, his love of Canada and Canadian music and his latest win at the Juno awards! Here’s what he had to say:

First of all, Congratulations on your Juno Award win! You mentioned you were surprised to win, even after having so many nominations. How do you feel about it?  

Nick Fiorucci (N): You never really expect it, you know, in my head I had written off winning because I was in really great company with the other nominees this year. I was just happy to be going to lovely Vancouver and enjoy the events and being nominated is an honour in itself. And then when my name was called... I was like, oh wow, really?  I was totally caught off guard to be honest. But it feels good and it’s an honour to be recognized by your peers.

What do you think it was about the track “Closer” that makes people want to listen and dance and that made it stand out and earn you the nomination?

N: I think it’s a damn good song (lol)! I think it has a great lyric and a great melody and Laurell’s vocals on the track are fantastic. And I think it just clicked with the right sound and it obviously resonated with the judges and the voters.

You said how it was extra special to win in Vancouver because the co-writers of Closer are from Vancouver, did you work on it there or here in Toronto? How did the track come together?

N: So the way it went down is that I had an instrumental and sent it to Mike James who is one of the co-writers along with Laurell who did a top-line and when they sent it back I was like...yeah…this works! And then the Luca Debonaire mix was born and it all came together.

You’ve been nominated for a Juno 13 times? 

N: Yeah, I’ve sorta lost count (chuckles).   The nominations were not always under my own name as I’ve had many aliases and side projects throughout my career and my record label. 

What do you like most about being around Canadian artists at an event like the JUNOS? 

N: I love it! I am proud to be Canadian! Like I said, I was just happy to be going to BC and I love to meet other artists and I always support our own. I have always pushed Canadian, even when I am DJ'ing internationally.

Were there any special moments or performances throughout the week that left you feeling inspired? 

N: Yes, many in fact. The Warner Music party for one, they have always been about featuring live talent and I loved that night and the performances were awesome. It was amazing to see artists just jamming and improvising on stage. Then of course the Juno night…Jessie Reyez was a highlight for me. I think her performance was spot on. Seeing live shows are always inspiring for me. 

You seem to have done it all over the last 25+ years, From DJ'ing, to Producing, to Hi-Bias, to zipDJ, to radio shows and podcasts, signing new acts, doing promotion and marketing and more. 

Which of the things have brought you the most joy? 

N: In this industry, I think wearing all those hats is what has helped me thrive and remain in the game for as long as I have.  I think in any industry, you have to be able to shift with the times and whenever possible stay ahead of the curve. The music industry has changed so fundamentally in the last 15 years, it’s been both terrifying and exhilarating. But, for me what has brought me the most joy is definitely making music, I find an inner peace when I sit in the studio and my creative juices start flowing.

Would you say that this scenario is common for most artists? 

N: I think in today’s music industry the expectations are impossible to meet.  Over my career, I’ve been able to write music, while playing gigs, while running my label.   But in today’s digital era, artists need to be releasing a lot of music to stay relevant.  Most of the time it’s humanly impossible, so fortunately or unfortunately – depending on how you look at it - ghost writers and producers have become common.     The ones that are successful are the ones that keep at it, and surround themselves with a good team. Work hard, surround yourself with good people.

Is there something that you haven’t done that you want to do in the music business? As far as a role you haven’t yet taken on or as far as backing a certain type or artist? 

N: I have always been done A&R for my own label. But that is one role that I have always thought of doing for a major label.  I think I have the ability to not just discover talent, but also work with the artists, develop them, so that they find their own sound and let who they are come out in their music.  But wow, there are so many other things I’d like to conquer. I mean my podcast that has done really well, its hit #1 on iTunes in the UK and US, I would love to see that become an internationally syndicated radio show.

With regards to electronic music specifically, is there a sound right now that you are really into that you put into your sets? 

N: For me, I have always been a house music guy, through and through. I have seen a million break out sub-genres but at the end of the day, house is house and dance is dance and that what I love to play most. You can call it what you want, whether it is tech-house, future house, or deep house. But at the end of the day for me, it is all about the song, the melody, the groove. I like to play a lot of vocals and even though hip-hop is what is mostly top 40 these days house music never really goes away. You know, they say House originated in Chicago in the early 80’s but it has actually evolved from Disco and the 70s.  Nowadays many producers just sample records from the 70’s and 80’s. Sadly not many people in dance music are writing real songs. 

For an up an upcoming artist, what advice would you give them on how to stand out? 

N: Do what is naturally your thing. Don’t try to jump on someone else’s sound.  Artists need to have their your own signature sound. Of course, we all get influenced by other music and artists that came before us but the artists that shine are usually the most original.

What was your biggest challenge when you started out in Canada? 

N: Sad to say, Canada was always one of the hardest markets for me. I discovered that really early in my career. The way I started the label was really by fluke. At the time I was making some music and it was my early days of not knowing what I was doing like any artist. And I was trying to put songs together and get a record done. I shopped it to labels, and at the time you would mail a cassette demo and you would hope to hear back. If you were lucky you would get a letter back saying they are interested. But it was at that time, I decided, I am going to find out what it takes to put out a record myself. So I ended up starting a Label purely as an avenue to put out my own music. By some kind of luck and hard work, it kind of took off. I started by selling at local shops then getting international distributors. The UK, for example, was a huge market for Dance music at the time.  I started by getting a thousand vinyl records made, and they would come in and then I would say now what? 

So I would hang out at record shops and look at the sides of the boxes and it would say “Distributed by so and so” and I would call up that Distributor and they would say sure send us the record and I would mail the copy and then you hoped to hear back. And luckily orders started rolling in. The next thing you know I am getting demos from artist and producers from all over the world. That’s virtually how Hi-Bias Records was born.

Would you recommend that artists start their own labels too instead of finding someone to discover them? 

N: Times have changed.  Today you go to a digital aggregator and they upload your record and it is available on every platform just like that. For me I had to very work to get physical product distributed so it was very different. There are a fraction of the labels today compared to 15 years ago.  The challenge for artists today is to get their music to stand out, and that’s why I was saying they need to find their own signature sound. But I do believe good Labels play an important role and it ain’t easy to do it on your own. 

Having the podcast and radio show, how do you feel those avenues make or break artists these days? 

N: Every avenue counts. In the case of my podcast, I started zipCAST out of the love of spinning and introducing new music which comes primarily from my online music pool zipDJ.com. Having a

Podcast has helped me build my brand and followers.

Looking back, do you have a moment where you can say: “That was the best set I have ever played!”? 

N: I think the year was 1995, Ministry of Sound in the UK.  Early 90’s Dance music in the UK was on another level in general, and spinning a club like Ministry of Sound was certainly a highlight for me. It was such a great room with a fantastic sound system. There were also some raves back in those days that were astonishing. One was called Raindance, which was held in an outdoor field with thousands of people and an amazing sound system and even an amusement park…people going crazy. This was the start of what we now call EDM “Festivals”. And of course, I have done so many gigs throughout the world that I can’t remember all the club names but Switzerland was a big market for me as well and I remember doing some great gigs there.

Where can people find you and come dance? 

N: In Toronto I am currently doing a residency at a cool place called Goldie on King West right at the heart of the entertainment district. I am there on Saturday nights. It’s wonderful intimate room! Of course I do other gigs which you can always find more out about on my social media channels :)

I think we all want to know what is next for you. Where is your focus right now? Any new releases coming up or the newest things you have been working on that we can share with your fans? 

N: I always have new music coming. There is a lot in the pipeline! I will be launching a new brand shortly called “All House” and I encourage everyone to follow me on Spotify and even check out my new Spotify playlist called Nick Fiorucci zipCAST which is a spinoff of my radio show. But again, you can always find out what I’m up to me on any of my channels

Thank you to Nick Fiorucci for taking the time to chat with us here at EDM Canada. You can find what’s new with Nick on all his socials below and can see him live during an intimate Purple Disco Machine show in Toronto next week Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at Goldie nightclub!

Get your tickets here

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YPMYCdGVCZz2xLDUbR3TY
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nickfiorucci
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nick.fiorucci
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nickfiorucci
Website: http://nickfiorucci.com

7 things emerging artists should work on this year: what we learned at CMW 2018

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By Sinejan Ozaydemir 

Last week, Toronto hosted Canadian Music Week 2018, consisting of live shows all over the city and a 4-day conference showcasing talent from Canada and from all over the world. The talent we are talking about is not only musicians performing on stage but industry people working their magic behind the scenes so that the music is heard and can be enjoyed by all. As always, it was a great week full of information, inspiration and connection. 

The music business can be a scary world, especially for new or emerging artists. Here are some of the things I learned that I would like to pass on to any artists/bands who missed the conference:

1) Build your team and learn how to connect with people in the industry

"As an artist, your job is more than being an artist. You have to be a master communicator. You have to connect and stay in touch in a meaningful way. Don’t solely focus on what you are getting out of the deal. This can be a competitive advantage.” - Amir Windom, TV and Music Supervisor, Grammy award winning Record Executive talking about what makes great artists stand out for him. 

One thing that has always been important in the industry but never more so than today is building a strong team around you. The day of record labels bringing in a whole team to manage acts is over and done. A large majority of musicians now must create a strong team around them on their way to the top. Often times, before even getting to a major label’s A&R person’s desk/email. To build a great team, you have to understand how to genuinely connect with people in the industry. The importance of surrounding yourself with quality individuals you trust was discussed in detail at the “DIY Team Building: Finding the Pros who know” panel. Micah Barnes, Vocal and performance coach, mentioned that: "Relationship building is no different in this industry than in any other industry. You are looking for people you can trust. If you need a job done, you can call them and it will happen. Artists have a reputation of just being like children, we don’t really have a good head on our shoulders about where we are in our careers. But what I am finding is that we are getting smarter. Artists are finally coming to a place where we have to be our own label. We are the person who does the merch, we are the person who does the socials, we are getting smarter.” 

If you are an artist that is in the process of creating a team around you, follow the advice of the panel and nurture your relationships properly and "Know that there is more to just showing up at your gig and trying to collect a cheque"-Denise Ross, Promoter, Sr. Director Talent, Live Nation Canada

Another great tip from this panel came from Claire Rosenbaum of Eggplant Entertainment: "The artist must bring their best and must not depend on your management or team to lead. You are the artist, if it doesn’t come from you, it is not going to work because it is not going to be authentic." 

"Your reputation starts at the beginning of your career" - Adam Countryman, Agent, Paradigm Agency talking about investing in getting to know people.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to always asking yourself: how can I add more value to this team ? They are there to work with you not just for you to achieve success.

2) Work with intention

Has this ever happened to you? You meet an artist or an act that you think is so talented and that you believe is going to the top. Then, a few years later, they are nowhere to be seen and you are left wondering what happened? Well, this seems to be a very common occurrence and the reason why may be because that artist and/or artist’s team was not working with intention. A great lesson we learned throughout the conference was to work with intention and a goal in mind. Each time you are about to take a step, you should be asking yourself whether that step is going to get you closer to your goal. The world is full of people full of hopes and dreams, wanting to make it in the music business but sit in their bedrooms performing to themselves. If you have a talent you are proud of, you and your team must continually check in with yourselves to make sure that you are moving closer to your goal. A very straightforward idea and thought that tends to get overlooked by many artists hoping that the music will just speak for itself. Best to work with intention! Because we DON’T want this to be you! 

3) Pay attention to your live performance

After you have been to a Tom Jackson workshop, you can’t help but notice if bands or artists have rehearsed for their show with intention or whether they are just winging it. But even if you have never attended Tom’s workshop or anything similar to it, you can judge whether a performance was good or great: because you are left with a feeling. You are either captivated and experiencel a moment live with the artists or you don’t and you forget it ever happened. Allowing themselves to be forgettable is the deadly mistake many talented musicians make. 

As Tom Jackson puts it: In a live show, "It’s about creating moments, not songs." People are looking to experience/feel things with you at the show and reminisce about how they felt after, by listening to your songs over and over again for that feeling." To create moments, you need vision. "Without vision, your shows are going to be mediocre at best.” Tom suggests artists sit down and listen to their songs and try to envision what that song could be like when performed live. How will the audience react to that song? Once you get the answers to this question, you can think about what you can do to get that reaction from your audience. 

"Communication from the stage is 15% Content, 30% tone or emotion, 55% is what the audience sees with their eyes. If your songs don’t sound the same, why do they all look the same?” Tom Jackson

Tom's workshop which we attended at CMW 2018, was 2 hours long and through this time, he worked with a band to change their stage performance of ONE of their songs from good to unforgettable. It takes time to analyze and strategize and each song an artist performs requires a new game plan. So if you are an artist wanting a kick-ass live show that no one will forget, make sure you allocate time to plan and practice. Tom Jackson spends an average of 6+ hours of rehearsal per song with his high profile clients, how much do you spend planning a performance of one of your songs? 

4) Work with your online community

It is easier than ever for artists to showcase their talents to the masses. There are many reasons why you should pay attention to your online presence. One of them being exposure: the more you build your online presence, the more people get to hear your music and the more you get to make music! It’s a cycle that can not be ignored. Labels, agents and brands are looking for this online presence to be established before they get involved with an artist or band. Why? Because they want to see that you can put in the hours and you yourself believe in your own brand. They also want to see that others have at least started noticing what you do and want to take part in the experience online. This means follows and engagement. As Marcie Allen of MAC presents mentioned: "Brands wanting to partner with artists pay close attention to reach because that is how they measure their ROI. Engagement is even more important today than the number of followers, because we all know there is a ton of fake followers out there.” A band’s online presence is something that can be leveraged to get you access to bigger events and partnerships so it is best to start now if you haven’t and continue to build! This means not only creating great content that represents you but also engaging with other artists as well as fans to make sure everyone is involved. 

5) What’s your story? 

People want to identify with people. They want to engage with artists who are telling a story they can relate to. Finding who you are and building your story is what will cut through the clutter. You have to ask yourself, is this what I represent? Answering this question authentically will ensure that you have a solid foundation from which to continue building your brand. Remember you don’t need to fit the mold but you do need to mold yourself. The beauty of this big world full of individuals is that we are all individuals. The more real you are, the more it will resonate with people and this connection with others is what your music should be all about. Tell your story loud and proud! 

6) You should be proud to be Canadian

We are so lucky to live in Canada. Not only is there support for artists financially, there is acceptance and love for different sounds and visions. Being such a multicultural landscape, Canada is really a great cross section of the world. Therefore our music scene is too! You can really see that Canadian musicians who have experienced this multicultural land have a great ear that helps them create not only interesting sounds that pull from different cultures but also, they are writing the tunes that become globally successful! Panelists from the “Maple Leaf Forever: How Canadian stars stay atop evolving global Charts” panel discussed the benefits of being from Canada in great detail. They shared their experiences of working abroad and noticing how the culturally diverse landscape of Canada has influenced them. Samantha O’Connor, A&R Consultant, XL Recordings/New Gen described it saying: "Realizing how culturally diverse a city like Toronto is and how you pick up these influences from the one big tornado of sonics and cultures and influences in the city, that obviously gets reflected in the music.” I think this is one of the many advantages of being an artist in Canada. So, if you ever get writers block or feel uninspired, all you have to do is look around and listen! 

7) Pay attention to your health

Many artists will tell you that in order to make it and remain on top, you will need many qualities. Two of these qualities you need for certain that we hear about a lot are: talent and work ethic. While some are blessed with a high level of talent from the start, work ethic is something only few have and can keep up. When we talk about work ethic we have to realize that this requires a tremendous amount of physical and mental energy and a lot of balance. 

As Teresa Cirillo, Vocal coach and author of the Vocal Compas put it: "Being able to take care of yourself, work on your craft, hang out with your family and friends and have that down time, that's all a balance and it really comes down to scheduling. Scheduling can remove a lot of stress from your days and weeks when you are busy. … Think about it, if you are actually where you want to be in 5 years and you can’t do it anymore, that’s a problem. Because that is where you are going to have to be at your optimal, touring the world and performing. So you better be preparing for that in advance.”

It is tremendously important for artists to pay special attention to their mental and physical health because a musician’s schedule can really get gruesome and without your body and mind  being in peak shape, you will find it hard to keep up! 

We chatted with panelist Mike Schwartz, Lifestyle technician of ShwartzFit and he explained the situation: "The artist that is in check with their finest instruments: their body and mind is the artist that will have the strength to take on the physical and mental anguish that this lifestyle throws at them. It starts with the mind. We create stories that then translate to our behaviours based on past experiences and the norm. In order to change behaviour, we must first change our thoughts. I like to take artists I work with through active meditation to start that process and down regulate their hyper active minds. Creatives tend to like to stay in control, so giving them control over their behaviour is more effective than a guided meditation where they have to just follow someone else’s lead.” 

Here is the great active meditation technique he shared with us during the “Holy Holistics: A health &wellness approach to performance and creativity” panel: 

"Start by squeezing your arms super tight... everything from your shoulders down to your fists for 30s, then relaxing it all. Repeat the process but just your shoulders and neck. Then relax. Then your face, again - Relax. Then your chest and abs. Relax. And finally just your legs everything from your hips to your toes. Squeeze em tight! 30s should do for each segment.

You contract your muscles and cause your body to move energy to those areas, you focus your mind on that specific area for an intense moment...then when you relax your physical body, you mind, your thoughts and your whole disposition also relaxes. Mind body connection at its finest"

Stress and anxiety affect us all, it is so important to check in with yourself, not to get caught up in the who’s doing what and make a conscious effort all day every day to stay healthy and thriving so that you can keep doing what you love! 

Above all, remember that we are all unique and that there is no typical way to turn your dreams into reality. You must forge down your own path and you must write your own rule book. Decide what you want to make happen, respect others in the industry and forge on! We are excited to see what new sounds will come out of Canada next! 

EDC Las Vegas is live streaming their 3-day festival all weekend long

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One of EDM's premiere festivals in the globe, EDC Las Vegas, has come back for another year, this time a bit earlier in May which should mean a little more comfortable temperatures for the fans enjoying the experience live. As in year's past EDC Las Vegas is streaming their entire festival live and for free on Youtube, enjoy: 

What to do this weekend: Victoria Day Long Weekend Edition (May 18th - 21st)

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If you want to keep track with what's going on electronic dance music wise in your city, then check out this weekend guide. Just click below and start planning!

Click here to check out the weekend guide