Better Days Interview With Estiva

 INTERVIEW 

ESTIVA

1. How are you doing and what was the last country you visited?

Hey hey, I’m great thanks! Just been to Canada, had an amazing time again!

2. We know you have visited South Africa but we ask all our guests this, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘South Africa’?

Yes that’s still fresh in my mind, unforgettable experience. When I think of South Africa I think of Nelson Mandela and the beautiful wildlife.

3. We know Estiva is a DJ/Producer, can you tell us more about who Steven is on a non-musical front?

That non musical front is getting smaller as music pretty much controls my life right now! I’m 25 and I love sports, mainly football (as in soccer) and cycling. I recently graduated from a marketing degree. Oh and I love sushi. Reading back, I think I’m a pretty normal guy, haha!

4. Congrats on graduating! How did you balance your studies with touring and making music?

Thank you very much! I wasn’t very motivated to get the best degree and all that, so I just did what was necessary at school to get the diploma. I always felt like it was a huge distraction from my musical career, but I’m pretty happy I have the degree now, and I’m also able to do music 24/7 so everything seems to be great at the minute!

5. Your music is progressive, dancey but at the same time very melodic and emotional. How do you find the balance between all these elements?
The number one element in music for me is the melody. Since I’m a DJ as well, I always try to create that danceable beat too. These two elements are the basics of what I mainly write. I don’t focus too much on balancing it out. Sometimes the track turns out to be more melodic and sometimes it turns out to be less melodic but more clubby.

6. What animal would you use to describe your music and why?
Is there an animal that can fly, walk, dive/swim and eat about everything? One with fur, feathers and skin? I think my music is very diverse so I’d have to pick a fantasy breed ;)

7. We all have moments when we aren’t inspired. How do you deal with writers’ block and where do you draw your inspiration from?
Yes I have this very often. I always try to fight it by forcing myself to write stuff, but after some time I always realize I just have to let it go; leave the studio, catch up with friends, do something different. After a while gravity starts to pull me back into the studio and the ideas will flow again. Listening to music helps a lot as well, different genres, unknown artists.

8. DJing and producing are 2 very different skills. If you had to pick between DJing and producing which would you pick and why?
Producing, turning nothing into something is incredible!

9. The titles of your tracks have been rather interesting, funny and cute of late, how do you come up with them? We have tried and the only thing we can come up with is ‘Pandapiano’.
Haha, ‘Pandapiano’. Going to write this one down. Any copyright on it? ;)

I just think it’s great to come up with names that don’t exist yet. I love animals so at the moment that’s kind of my theme. I just think of some cool ones and add a word to them! Any suggestions are always welcome, hit me up on twitter @estivamusic :)

10. Tell us more about ‘Hippodrop’. What were your first thoughts when you sat down to produce the track and what was the inspiration behind the track?
As much as I love the emotional darker melodies too, the happy melodies are my signature. I love the harder drops nowadays but they’re usually combined with the more darker, haunting melodies. As wrote the happy Hippodrop melody I felt like it could be a fun idea to create a hard hitting drop!

11. It’s the end of 2013 so tell us what 3 songs just did it for you this year?

Songs that come to mind right now:

Juventa ft. Erica Curran - Move Into Light

Mat Zo - Lucid Dreams

Aruna - Reason To Believe (Chill Out Mix)

Those Enhanced ones are definitely in my top five Best of 2013 and if you guys want to vote as well, here’s the link you need: http://www.enhancedmusic.com/vote/bestof2013

12. Your birthday and Xmas are just around the corner. What presents are you hoping

for?

Time flies! I really don’t need anything. I’m happy enough to spend some time with my family and friends during those days.

13. One of your friends has dared you to get a tattoo. The only snag is it has to be the

lyrics of a song. What lyrics would you get tattooed?

I’d have to think this through real good. Off the top of my head: Anything by Coldplay could pass for me. On the EDM side of things I’d pick something by Above & Beyond.

14. We all have that one song that annoys us. For us we would say it has to be Avicii - Levels due to the fact that it has been overplayed. What song annoys you?

I absolutely hate Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I don’t know what it is and why it’s been such a hit. It’s not working for me now and and didn’t work for me before it was overplayed!

15. Any last messages for fans and what’s next for Estiva, new tracks, an album, tours?

2013 has been a huge year for me. I feel reborn and this is just the start of something beautiful. I have loads of tracks lined up and it looks like I can finally focus on an album. 2014 I will be doing some big tours, including returning to Australia and North America, so lots of stuff to look forward to! Merry Christmas!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us, it was a big pleasure. We hope

to see you back in South Africa soon or to see you playing somewhere around the globe! : )