Nightowl returned to the world famous Ministry of Sound on 28th December 2012 for a huge end of year showcase. It was an electric atmosphere in the Box with full on floor pumping house music all night long from the mighty Norman Doray, house sensation Kim Fai, Brit producer extraordinaire D. Ramirez and Nightowl resident Scott Hayhoe. Over in 103 it was a stripped back house affair with rising Slovenian star Mike Vale and support from Nightowl residents.
We caught up with Norman Doray as he steps out of the Box…
You’ve just come off the decks at Ministry, how are you feeling?
So great! Ive already played probably six times there but this time it was the biggest! The club was so packed and the people were in the same mood!
How did you find your set? Lots of big tunes in there?
Yeah it was great. I’m really happy about how my new tracks worked, it’s always a tricky moment to wait and see the reaction of the crowd on your own tracks
So you’ve been here six times, what is it that brings you back?
It’s a sort of Mecca for DJs AND has probably one of the best booths in the world!
Do you enjoy playing with D.Ramirez, Kim Fai and the rest of the gang?
It’s super good to play with, especially with your good mates. It’s a great occasion to see each other especially when we are travelling so much.
Now onto your year, was 2012 as big as 2011 for you?
2012 was probably my best year! Ive spent nearly 80% of my time in USA, it was such a nice experience! I’ve also released way more music than the other years, I’m really happy about that.
I’m not surprised! You’ve just said you released more music than you’ve done in previous years, the most recent being the collaboration with Nervo, talk us through that? How did you meet up with the girls?
The collaboration with the girls, was so fun! We loved what each other was doing, so we decided to get in studio in London for 2 days. We worked hard and came up “Something To Believe In”. It’s a good combination of classic house vocals with progressive sound and vibe. We weren’t expecting to get such amazing feedback, especially from all the DJs on the planet, MTV and other big brands.
The video was a lot of fun too. We only had one day to do it all in so everything had to be done in one take!
You sent most of the year in the US, on your biggest American tour to date. How was it? Where was your favourite place to play?
USA is the place to be as a DJ nowadays. The country is on fire, and there are so many nice places! My favorite is XS in Las Vegas! I have so much fun there, people from all around the world come to that club to party!
So I’m guessing you would agree others then when they say America is the new electronic dance music capital right now?
Def! I agree
Does touring help to evolve and progress your music?
In a way yes as you get so much inspirations from all the different places you visit. But in another way, it’s sometimes hard to be away from your studio and really get your head down.
What would you say to young producers who want to make it in the industry?
TAKE YOUR TIME
Do you have any big plans for 2013?
More releases, more gigs and moving to the USA.
