Michael Gray

I can't wait for the weekend to begin... - a phrase, which most of us can see posted on Facebook during the week. But what just few of you know - HE made this phrase legendary. Every now and then, there's a producer, who makes us cross the borderline. His music takes us somewhere beyond the gray everyday life. I'm very glad to hit the play button for no one less than Mr. Michael Gray, who was so kind to give us some exclusive flashbacks of his past and news from his present.


E: Michael, I still have „The Weekend“ on my iPod. Everyone would agree with me that this song is epic. Can you tell me the story how you came up with it and what did change for you after releasing it?

M: Thank you. It was an idea I had buzzing around in my head for a while. I recorded the vocals, added some chords then put it to one side while I got on with producing a band called Portobello (Luciana was the lead singer). After the album was signed to Island records a year later, I went back to "The Weekend" and finished it within a short space of time. Things changed greatly after that, most people who were not into under ground house music suddenly knew what I did for a living!





E: Your latest project “Flashbacks” with Marco Lys and Plastik Planet has a really fresh sounding. How did you end up working with them?

M: Plastik Planet is a good friend of mine, we have a group together called 'Koolwah'. We had a single called "Fashion" released on Toolroom Records.
I asked Marco Lys to remix our Full Intention (with Jon Pearn) single called "America". I then asked him to come in on the "Flashbacks" idea, a vocal we had already recorded a while back.

Michael Gray, Marco Lys & Plastik Planet feat. Xavier: Flashbacks by Michael Gray

E: What are you currently working on?

M: A new Full intention single and remixing Kirsty's new single called "Green".



E: I read on your webpage that you don’t take more than 2-3 gigs in the month, in order to have enough time to be in the studio. Do you sometimes miss having shows more often?

M: No, because it means I always look forward to the gigs and it keeps it fresh. I also have 3 young boys that keep me busy!



E: I loved your collab with Steve Edwards “Somewhere beyond”. It literary changed my world back then. How did you two meet?

M: Thanks. I met Steve in a club in the UK where I was DJ ing and Steve singing. We got on well, Steve asked if I had any backing tracks I could send over, so I sent over an instrumental track that I had called 'Somewhere Beyond". Within a few days he sent me back a great vocal all about being "Somewhere Beyond"!


Michael Gray Feat. Steve Edwards -- Somewhere Beyo… - MyVideo



E: You just finished recording a new track with Laura Kidd “Piece Of You” and I couldn’t help but notice that you two were working on it for 5 years. In the meantime you worked on so many other projects. Is “Piece Of You” somehow..more special to you?

M: No, it was just on the shelf because I wasn't happy enough with the version i had done.

Michael Gray feat. Laura Kidd: Piece Of You by Michael Gray

E: You are one of the producers behind the great advert for the special fashion edition of The Sunday Times. It sounds to me like an amazing creative job you had there. Was it different from producing a new song and if yes, how?

M: We had written and produced the track a couple of years prior to that advert. It was used on other TV things before such as the opening of the Grand Prix on ITV1.



E: You’ve travelled all over the world and have partied with so many different people. Is there one country or one gig in particular, which you’ll always remember?

M: Yes, the Philippines, such nice and humble people who partied well! It was a long journey as I had to get 3 planes and a boat to get there, but it was amazing and so beautiful.

Michael Gray feat. Shelly Poole: Borderline by Michael Gray

E: Many young producers are trying to establish themselves in the scene. Do you remember how it all started for you and do you have any advice for them?

M: I DJ'd from the age of 12, then started doing master mixes (megamixes). At 19 then I went onto remixing, then producing. The main thing is to find your own sound, don't be afraid to be different from what ever is big at the time. You will get your own following.



E: Can you tell me something more about Full Intention?

M: Full Intention is myself and Jon Pearn. We have produced and remixed for over 10 years (www.fullintention.com)



E: What can we expect from Michael Gray in the future?

M: A single with Mark Knight and more solo singles.


For more info check:

http://www.youtube.com/officialmichaelgray
http://www.facebook.com/michaelgrayofficial
http://www.twitter.com/michael_gray_uk
http://www.youtube.com/fullintentiontv