We here at EDMTunes recently got the chance to sit with rising Dutch duo Magnificence to have a chat about their new EP II. Magnificence is no stranger to the EDM Scene ever since Swedish House Mafia debuted their 1st EP Magnificence during their reunion set at Ultra Miami 2018. They also made our “Top 10 Breakout artists of 2018“ list. The first EP gained wide support from big artists & charted well on Beatport’s Electro House Charts, and now there are back with their second EP II.
Interview with Magnificence
First of all, thank you guys for you know taking time out of your schedule for us at Edmtunes.
Robin & Maurice: Of Course!
So the first question, you guys are just hot off the release of the second Magnificence EP can you tell us about how it sort of all came together?
Robin: I think how it all came together it was more because of what we did with the previous EP. We really wanted to extend our artistic standard & innovate it you know? We really didn’t want to copy the sound of the first EP, which is what kicked off the plan to call it two (II). The two stripes we have on the artwork are also connected to this idea. Songs wise I basically came up with an idea to do a song for our sets which we hadn’t done before one with 115 BPM. That’s where the idea of ‘Lights’ came in from, I texted the guys over at Goja and we started sending stuff over & that became ‘Lights’.
Maurice: Yeah the main focus for us with this EP was the fact that we wanted to do something that defines us as Magnificence & we wanted to do something different from the first EP. We wanted to visualize the way we think about, see and feel our music. That’s the reason why we did these videos and the whole thing around it. We wanted to make it us like really us. I think that’s the main difference between the first & second EP.
Robin: It’s more of a focus on identity, let’s call it that. The second EP was very driven by the idea of what we see Magnificence as.
I remember seeing an Instagram post from you guys that said the idea for the last track ‘Encore’ came almost two years ago. So tell us how long has this EP been in the pipeline?
Robin: Yeah it’s true. It started off as like a small sketch then. I was having a girlfriend back then and things didn’t really work out as I remember and yeah then you start thinking when you’re like that about the best ways for yourself and then you try to find a way out. When I make music I feel free you know? And that’s what I did with ‘Encore’.
Maurice: With these kinds of songs, we have a bunch of them and the reason why we have them is that for us it’s fun you know? For Robin its fun to mess around in the studio, he’s busy with the music and it’s not always about the EDM songs it’s about creating something that feels right for you as a person. We chose this one for the EP because it fits pretty well on the way we see the EP. And even if it’s very different from the other songs it completes the story for us.
So in terms of production & sound design how much would you say your sound has evolved over the past year since the first ‘Magnificence EP’?
Maurice: Yeah it’s almost a year gap between the two EP’s and I think for us you should not look at it as a long period because what we’re doing now is something that we did five years ago as well. But as time passes, you keep evolving yourself and your sound into something better. I don’t think that we look too much to what others are doing with their music right now. We just wanted to make music the way we think about it. But if I think about it, the first EP is Magnificence, the second EP is still Magnificence but the way we experienced music in that year gap is why the second EP became like it is.
Robin: Yeah I think so too and sound design wise yeah, of course, you use better plugins & you learn more over time. Because of that, the quality keeps on going higher because you’re doing it for so long. I think its ten years almost now? So by that time you kind of know what you’re doing. You put a lot of effort and time in because you want to be better & this shows in our music.
So what’s both of your favourite song on the EP?
Maurice: My favourite song is definitely ‘Control’ because for me it a really special one and it’s a song that we made I think around three or four years ago? I always had the feeling that I fucking love this you know?
Robin: You always were like oh we need to finish this so badly. We need to do it!
Maurice: Yeah we already had this song’s demo I thought it was really cool what we were doing with it. But back then it wasn’t the right timing. If would be very weird if we put that record out then. But when we were doing the first EP, we did the Axtone Presents Mix & I put some of these demos in it. The reaction of the Axtone people and the fan base of Axtone was amazing. They were so hyped about this song that we were like okay well maybe it’s not just us, but people really like this record.
Artists always say when they release a song that they’ve already heard that song a million times in the studio. So at some point, they are already kind of tired of it? But with this, I was never tired of it & when I still listen to it I’m like yeah I like it.
Robin: For me, I think they all are special and it’s not just about a specific song really. Like ‘Encore’ is really something that’s expressive of my emotions. ‘Lights’ for example is really about exploding sounds. ‘Control’ is more like a Techno rave-ish kind of vibe which I love! And ‘Remember’ is more of that aggressive energy that we want to put at the end of our sets with a bit of melodic stuff mixed in. So yeah for me it’s really hard to say. I think they are kind of all alike but they are still unique & different in their own way.
In the studio and on tour, is there a clear division of responsibilities, or are the dynamics changing depending on the moment?
Robin: Yeah it’s definitely as it is in the moment. But I’m more in the studio & Maurice is more focused on the DJ sets, thinking about the dynamics of our show and stuff like that.
So the next question, I mean it’s not like a hidden thing you guys have gotten so much support from so many big DJ’s like Martin Garrix, David Guetta & most notably Swedish House Mafia, which for a lot of people was the point of introduction to Magnificence. So what did it feel like then & now? To have such big names & legends of the scene supporting you guys so heavily at their shows?
Robin: Yeah it’s really surreal. Like it doesn’t feel real? I still can’t believe it’s still happening you know?
Maurice: The fact that people are supporting us feels kind of similar to the fact that finally, after eight years of doing this, everything fell into its place for us you know? For me, it’s so special when all these big artists are actually supporting you and that’s the best feeling you can ever get because this is what we like to do. But you know if David Guetta is supporting our record that’s for me as special as someone else that isn’t into music. It’s the validation that our music is good you know? Every opinion is really important in that way. But the fact that people, in general, are finally seeing that we know what we’re doing that feels like a big accomplishment.
Robin: And that’s the whole drive you know? When people recognize what you’re doing. And if it’s like Garrix or Swedish House Mafia it’s insane you know? And it feels unreal but like Maurice said we’ve been working for almost ten years now and we feel like it has to be now at some point you know? I’m really, really happy that it happened and that it’s happening & that we have people loving us & the music.
With summer basically here do you guys have any big plans for it? Maybe a tour perhaps?
Maurice: We’ve got some really good gigs lined up! We can’t reveal too much because some have yet to be announced. But we’ve already posted about Creamfields and that’s going to be sick you know because Creamfields is a show where it is a dream for us to be playing it. When we started we would dream that we would actually be on these festival lineups because they are so important and the fact that we are a part of that right now is something that I really could never imagine. It’s something that you work your entire career for but now it’s finally happening and that’s so nice. That’s happening and we have some other really big festivals coming up too.
Robin: I think in June we are going for a week to China and in the week after Bangkok & Bali and then we’re going the week after to Portugal and the week after is Electro Beach in France & from there on to Creamfields!
That’s great! Coming to a question I always ask in my interviews. As you guys have established yourself in the industry after almost ten years just like you said. What tips would you guys give to upcoming producers? As you know how popular EDM is becoming as a career with so many kids getting into it.
Robin: I can sit for like ten hours & tell people what to do but the only way to do it, is just to actually do it. Work harder than the rest and music wise think about innovation and not specifically like hey someone is doing something like that, so we should try it too. For example, we have a song at 115 BPM and I see other people copying it now and I’m like why? My tip will be to just try to innovate. Don’t be like: I want to specifically release songs on Spinnin’ or Axtone or whatever. Think about how can I build my brand, how can I get people to recognize my sound you know? I think that’s the most important thing.
Maurice: My biggest advice would be to stop thinking about being a big DJ and stop thinking that I want to be that big DJ on a big festival because you’re gonna have a hard time if you think like that. And when you’re starting music do it because you love it and not because you want to be a big DJ. You want to be the kind of guy people love because you love what you’re doing. If you’re going to think about things like I want to do this, because I want to be a big DJ, I think that’s the wrong way of doing it. Because you will just be one of the guys that are copying everybody else.
So if you really want to do it you should do something that’s true to yourself. Look at what you love to do and analyze that and just sit in the studio put those ideas’ down & just keep on going. At first, it should be a hobby or a passion and you should do it because you love it. Then there’s that moment where when you’re trying & everybody is like wow that’s really cool! And then one day you’re thinking like okay maybe I can do this professionally yeah! But you shouldn’t be like I want to do it just professionally, you should always treat it partly like a hobby and a passion and it should be fun always.
Robin: Just put a little soul into it you know? I think that’s the most important thing.
Maurice: Yeah definitely and don’t give up when it doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to because If it doesn’t work out that way then you have too many expectations about what’s going to happen. There are so many DJs now and they are making it because they’re putting their creativity into something that’s from their own self, that’s the most important thing.
Robin: And just know that you have to make sacrifices. Like you‘re gonna make new friends but you’re also gonna lose a lot of friends. Because they won’t understand that the only time that you have you put it in music. People around you that are not in that process they’re not gonna accept it because they’re like yeah but you’re my friend right? Like what are you doing give me attention, come on let’s hang out & smoke or whatever you know? Just know that it’s all part of the process, relax and just accept it that’s my advice.
Coming to the last question what’s next for Magnificence musically and creatively. What can we expect from what’s coming next?
Robin: What you can expect is that what we are gonna put out is always something that we love, it’s always going to be different. And it’s not gonna be like if people ask like “Hey make a new song like ‘Cobra’ or ‘Closer’” we will. No, I’m not going to do that because there’s nothing to it because we already did that that you know. We’ve definitely started thinking about what’s the next step obviously for Magnificence.
I think what we’re doing is a good way of doing it. We gonna work more with vocals. But I also think we’re going to do some big collabs. That’s something we speak about with other artists as well and that’s what we’re gonna do. And yeah we’re gonna mainly focus on our shows because we wanted them to be special. If you go to our show you experience a whole lot of new things. I think that’s the main focus for us.
Well, that’s that! Thank you so much both of you for taking time out for us & best of luck for the summer!
Stream “II” down below.