Last week, Australian DJ/producer Will Sparks made his way back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after about a year to play a much needed Melbourne bounce set at Gravity Club KL. The last time he was here, he made it bounce at Future Music Festival Asia 2014 and gave fans a night to remember.
Almost a year on from his last visit, we find out what Will has been up to and if he was just as excited about coming back to beautiful Kuala Lumpur as we were to have him.
Hey Will. Welcome back to Malaysia! Are you excited to be back here?
Hey you! Thank you. I am, I really am. I’m not excited about leaving tomorrow though.
Oh you’re leaving so soon?
Yeah, I could have stayed for 4 days but I had another show that was put in so I have to go to Singapore.
Aww. That’s a shame. Anyway, you’re no stranger to Malaysia as this your third time back here. What do you love most about the Malaysian crowd?
They just like all types of music, they love it all. It doesn’t matter if it’s commercial or bounce, which I mostly know. I don’t really do commercial (laughs). I think they’re just up for new things so it’s really cool and it’s good because it shows that they’re open for new music.
So, you used to listen to a lot of metal and you hated electronic stuff, what made you really go into producing?
Yeah! I didn’t get it, the electro stuff. The reason why I started producing was because I was a guitar player and I made a few of my own songs on my guitar but when I made them, I could hardly ever remember them. I’ve never said this before so this is our little secret, I could hardly ever remember the riffs I made and I’ll be like “F*ck it’s gone” and then I was like hold on, I can just draw it in, so it’s there. Then my creativity and my brain just went like crazy and I just went on with producing and incorporating my guitar.
Secret’s safe with me! 😉 Do you still play your guitar and listen to metal? What other genres do you enjoy?
Yeah, I play it as much as I can and I listen to metal everyday (laughs). Other genres? Hmm…Classical and psy trance, old school minimal, old school Melbourne, I love progressive. I don’t know, I’m liking this new style house stuff, I love techno. I really just love everything because music is just vibrations to your ears isn’t it? It makes you feel good.
Cool. And when you create music, when you’re putting different genres and styles together, how do you do it? What is the process like?
Well, actually I was one of the first ones to put like an emotional melody with a hard-hitting drop. Well, it’s hard to say hard-hitting, it’s more of a Melbourne drop and I showed it to Joel and he was like, “Dude, this sounds like two different songs.” I was like, “Yeah, it’s two different genres but I love this and that so let’s just put it together” and Joel goes, “Alright, whatever, sounds weird to me but okay” and it did well, so I kept doing that.
Anyway, what was I going to say? Oh yeah, so like I love psy trance right, so I decided to write a track that was fast and made a track that was more psy trance-y. I had the vocal, I also had the Melbourne perks and base line, I don’t know. It’s just how it works I guess (laughs).
And what can we expect from Will Sparks this 2015? Are you working on any collabs/originals?
Yeah. I’ve got a collaboration with Deorro, 2 with Joel, these are unreleased tracks. I think I’m going to be working with a few other people. Got my record label, it’s already been planned for the first 6 releases or something. Some sick music coming out on that from boys like Zoolanda, Who Killed Mickey, and these are kids whose tracks are, “Oh my God, they’re such amazing tracks” so everyone’s that listening or waiting, my new record label is going to be packed with good music.
I’m also going to be touring the world and yeah, maybe a little bit more studio time. Last year, I did like 200 shows and I was just on my laptop, so I want to get into the studio and spend more time at home.
Great. Sounds like you’ve got a busy year ahead. So, as a DJ who’s toured around the world and did a lot of big shows, I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent brawl at Stereosonic. What are your thoughts on it?
Yeah, yeah I have. I hate violence. There’s no reason for it, it doesn’t fix anything and it just makes things worse. All it is, are heavy heads, people who want attention, people who can’t control themselves so good riddance to them. Sometimes, fight happens when I’m deejaying so when fights break out, I stop the music and say “How embarrassing. You’re a f*cking disgrace.” Anyway, no violence, thanks.
No violence, I like that. Anyway, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years? I’ll have like extremely long hair and I’ll be by the beach, meditating. I don’t know, I’m only 21, by the time I’m 31, I’m going to know so many life lessons. I’ve already learned so much. I hopefully will have clocked it, and I’d still be deejaying here and there, not much, but hopefully, I would have had a few records out that were timeless. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
Speaking about having long hair, if you could pick an artiste or celebrity to cut your hair, who would it be?
To cut my hair? Artiste or celebrity to cut it? What difference would it be if it was an old person or a celebrity who was cutting it? (laughs).
Well, would you rather Miley Cyrus or Paris Hilton give you a haircut?
Oh God, neither (laughs). Probably, erm, f*ck. Maybe Miranda Kerr, so I can just look at her for a bit.
See! There’s a difference isn’t there?
(laughs) You’re right, there is.
Okay last one. If you had to give up one of these, which would you pick, food or sex?
What?! Oh…you’re good (laughs). I can’t, I can’t, okay food. As long as I’m getting my nutrition somehow, with a tube going down my stomach or something. Oh God, I love them both so much and this is a hard one but I’ve made my decision.
And we’re done! Thank you so much Will.
Is that it? Alright, cool. Thank you, you’re the best.
We had such a blast chatting Will Sparks. Big thanks to our buddies from Gravity Club KL for making it happen.
We leave you today, with “Another Land” by Will Sparks:
For more information, hit up Will Sparks’ Facebook page.
