Despite his tender years, Guy Robin is already a seasoned professional whose music has been championed by some of the biggest names in the business. Still only twenty one, he has worked with some of the most successful artists of the last twenty years and, as his career goes from strength to strength.
Introduced to music by his father, Guy was exposed to jazz, disco and soul from a very early age, becoming a musician himself by the time he was eight. After witnessing a friend DJing and the crowd reaction, he knew almost instantly what he was destined to do, “...It was like something just clicked”. One thing led to another and by the time he reached his teens the art of production had also been added to his growing array of talents.
Now his first Defected-released single is about to drop, so we thought it was about time we introduced him to you. Here he discusses where it all started, the new track, and why he thinks he has an edge over many other producers…
You got into music production at a pretty young age…what kick-started it all for you?
Well my ears have always adapted to music in different way. When I was really young I was already separating all the instruments of the songs I liked in my head and humming along to their melodies and rhythms, so I've always had an ear for it. It all really began when I started out as a musician at school which then lead me to being a DJ. When combining the two it only equaled one thing for me; to be a music producer.
Who would you consider to be your strongest musical influences?
That's a hard question because anything could be an influence if it catches my ear. To name a few...Jean Michel Jarre, Daft Punk, Quincy Jones, Will.I.Am are all big influences of mine and many more.
With so many people trying to make a living out of music, what do you think gives you the edge?
The problem is these days with technology being so available, everyone thinks they can be a producer which is the reason why everything is at such a low quality right now and why not many people have an ‘edge’. There are so many aspects to being a music producer which people just don't understand or take the time to apply themselves to. I think what gives my music edge is that I make sure my music is high quality and that I've had full input in all areas of the production, whether it's the music, songwriting or vision for the whole song. One thing which I did in the start was not release anything until I knew it sounded hot and once it did I released it. See the thing is if you release something which is of a low quality people remember...and first impressions count a lot.
How you would describe your sound?
Elements of soul and it will always keep people on the dancefloor.
Which do you consider yourself to be first and foremost; a DJ or a producer?
Both, I was brought up being a musician and DJ from a very early age so they both come first for me.
Tell us about the new track…. What was the inspiration behind it? Tell us about working with the singer…
Well, for Defected I wanted to do a track which had crossover appeal. I decided to go with quite a dark emotional piece of music and have a song on top which girls could relate to. I found Sherona Knight through a friend and although it was risky having a very soulful vocal on top she captured the essence and vibe perfectly.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
At the moment I am completely focusing on my original material and being in the studio as much possible.
Still Standing is out now on Defected
