Firebeatz Talks Ignite Recordings and Invites Producers to Submit Demos

We caught up with Firebeatz to chat about their latest tunes, how they’re dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, and Ignite Recordings.

Firebeatz has been a force in the electronic music scene for longer than you may know. With releases dating back to 2008 and a dynamic production style that has stayed relevant throughout the years, the Dutch duo continues to be at the forefront of dance music.

Their decorated career has seen them release music on the scene’s most relevant labels and collaborate with the genre’s biggest names. They’ve already gotten off to a strong start this year, releasing a pair of tracks on Spinnin’ Records that capture the groovy sound that they’ve been showcasing lately.

The Firebeatz & Friends party at Mokai has become a tradition to kick off Miami Music Week but was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, with new releases coming on their Ignite Recordings imprint and the launch of Firebeatz Homeschool Sessions, their future continues to be bright. Looking to gain some insight on how the pandemic has affected them on both a professional and personal level we caught up with Firebeatz to chat about the cancellation, their latest tunes, and more!

Listen to “Bad Habit” by Firebeatz below and keep reading for an interview with the legendary Dutch duo!

Thanks for chatting with us today, Firebeatz! Let’s start out by talking about your latest single “Bad Habit”. The vocal-driven track has a unique disco feeling to it. What were some of the inspirations behind this song?

Well, first of all. To be able to work with such an iconic track is an absolute honor. We always start our tracks by exploring and fooling around with samples. And we felt with this track we needed to keep the amazing vibe of the original alive. Albeit with our signature sound: ‘the groove’. We hope you guys like it.

Also released earlier this year was “Soul Fifty”, one of many collaborations with Chocolate Puma. What do you enjoy most about collaborating with them, and what are some lessons you’ve learned from working together?

They are such legends and so much fun to work with. There are loads of things we could say that we’ve learned from them but the most important takeaway is that you need to make music you love and have fun while doing it. That’s why they have been on the top of their game for ages. So we are copying that spirit!

Along with all other events, your Firebeatz & Friends party during Miami Music Week was unfortunately cancelled. You’ve thrown this party on Tuesday night for multiple years now, and it’s a great way to start off the week in Miami! What’s your favorite part about hosting this event?

Being in Miami of course! Lots of sun, good food and great people around. We love hosting our event in Miami as it basically kicks off the festival season and it’s always nice to meet up with all of our DJ and industry friends again.

While you’re still releasing new episodes of Ignite Radio weekly, we haven’t seen a new release on your Ignite Recordings label for over a year. Do you plan to start releasing new music on Ignite again in the future?

Yes, like always in our business we got caught up with a busy touring schedule and dropping loads of new music that we didn’t have much time to run the label properly. But we have been steadily picking it up since the beginning of this year and we will release new tracks on the label soon.

You’ve previously collaborated with the biggest names in dance music including Tiesto, Calvin Harris, and Martin Garrix. Are there any special memories that come to mind when thinking about these collaborations?

Absolutely, and we are still very honored to have worked with these great artists. The collab with Martin was quite special because when we made the track he wasn’t that big yet. He even played before us at a gig. After that show, we all were bored and started working on a track in the hotel. It was released later as “Helicopter”. You may have heard of it.

Turning the clock back to 2012-13, your track “Dear New York” was referred to as one of the theme songs of Electric Zoo Festival. Looking back at this era, what are some of your favorite memories from this period of dance music?

In those days the ‘big room’ sound was relatively fresh and was taking the US by storm. So it was an amazing time to be part of. Seeing festivals becoming bigger, touring in a tour bus, more media attention and fans getting crazier. There was also a more intimate vibe around shows and everyone just seemed to be part of the family. Good times for sure!

Your first track was released in 2008 and your music has gone through countless changes in the last decade. Where do you see the scene headed? Do you have any upcoming artists that we should be keeping an eye on?

We are not really trying to predict or follow trends but what we both do feel is that the ‘groove’ is coming back. And we love it. We fell in love with house music because of that and our first productions were really housey tracks. If you look at our latest releases we’ve almost come full circle.

There’s so much new talent out there and we could name a few, but we are still hunting to sign a few to our label so we are keeping them a secret. Keep an eye on our label Ignite Recordings to see who we regard as talent!

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How has the coronavirus affected you on a personal and professional level? Any chance we’ll be able to catch you broadcasting live online in the future?

To be honest the effect it has had on our lives is nothing compared to all the people suffering all over the world. But although it is a weird situation we are grateful we get to spend a lot of time with our families. We are never home this long and in a sense it’s comforting.

On a professional level, working apart from different home studios hasn’t set us back in our creativity. And yes, we will be broadcasting online via a lot of different media outlets. Check out our IG stories to find out where and when.

We also started a new project called Firebeatz Homeschool Sessions where we tutor new talent in developing their production skills. Like every school these days, we teach you online while you’re at home. And we use this concept to scout new talent for our label too. So if anyone wants to be featured in one of our homeschool sessions or take a shot to be signed at our label drop your demo via our Facebook page.

Lastly, what’s a message that you can share with your fans around the world during the coronavirus pandemic?

Please remember we are all in this together. We hope we can all unite to make it a better and safer place for everyone. Take care of your family. But also help your neighbor, friend or whoever is in need. And don’t forget to support your local stores so they can survive too. Stay safe. Stay strong.