RS: Speaking of mixes, you've got some real up and coming guys
on here. How do you choose the remixers who work on your record, or
are you involved with that?
Michael M: I totally A&R-ed the remixes and its great because it was
a really hands-on experience. The song is out through Giuseppe's
label so I was able to co-produce the single, write it, and pretty
much get the remixes together. Some of these guys, like DJ Thunder
and Ology, did a remix of "The Beat (part 2)," and I wanted to use
them. They're up and coming and do stuff on Juicy Music. Tom Sawyer's
been wanting to work with me for a while and he's out of Panama and
starting to really blow up now on the international scene. Demarco is
close to Giuseppe and I really wanted to cover the gay circuit market.
I pretty much asked these people, do you want to work with me and
this is what I've got. Everybody said yes. Actually I didn't expect
to really have some of these remixes. I was like oh wow, everybody
said yes.
RS: Talking about the eclectic group of remixers, your live
performances are always quite eclectic. Are you different for every
show that you do?
Michael M: I try to keep certain things the same but for the most
part yes, each show is different. I do what I've got to do to get
inspired to get up on stage, a few drinks, and the moment they hand me
that microphone, I feel like I'm on the rollercoaster right before
you're going to drop where you're like "oh crap, whose idea was this,
I can't get off now!" For whatever the duration of the show tape is,
the nine minutes, the twelve minutes, I'm up there going for it. Some
things that are planned but for the most part I'm just freefalling,
going out there and reading the crowd. The later I perform the
better, because I make more sense when everybody's plastered. This is
what my music was intended for, to mess with the guy who's wasted and
it's like 'oh yes, that happened to me.' I try to be different
because there's a stereotype of dance music where we all have to be
these models with go-go dancers dancing and somebody's lip-synching
somebody else's stuff. I do things rock and roll because I'm an old
school, real nightclub act with a little comedy, a little drama and a
little roasting. That's what I think sets me apart from your typical
dance acts.
RS: So are there any plans for a Michael M talk show?
Michael M: Whether it's radio or internet, I'm open for anything
right now - I would love to do something more for dance music. I
really, really love dance music. If tomorrow I'm too old to go
clubbing, I still care because when I was going through a tough time
in my teens, the nightclub scene in New York gave me an outlet and a
place to be not even really myself but to be really somebody else.
It's important for people to have that kind of escape from everyday
life. People ask if I am going do different stuff because I'm older
now, and I wonder if they are expecting me to go adult contemporary?
How do I go from "Dear Diary" to Michael Buble? It could possibly
happen, in maybe thirty years.
RS: I can just image the a radio format playing thirty year old
adult contemporary dance music. Oh wait, that's KTU.
Michael M: It's funny that you say that because my girlfriend Fabi is a music director at Mix 102.7 which was a classics dance station. I
remember when I was like nineteen years old and saying one day when
we're older these songs are going to be the classics, and now it's
happened.
RS: Well to wrap this up, what would you like to say to all your
fans out there?
Michael M: Keep on dancing! Support dance music, your local record
stores and the legal digital download sites. Support your dance music
because we are dying out here and we need your help. If you want to
continue to dance to fabulous music, then you've got to support us.
If you want to hear good music, support us and support my habit, which
is dance music. Check out my MySpace page,
www.myspace.com/therealmichaelm. You can buy the CD single for
Downtown exclusively at perfectbeat.com and all downloads for all my
singles are on iTunes and Napster, Rhapsody, and Beatport.
Interview posted June 18, 2007
