DLMT Gives Us the Lowdown on 'Restart'

We caught up with DLMT to chat about his new EP, the importance of house music right now, and his goals for the remainder of 2020!

In a few short years, DLMT, went from an aspiring house producer to having one of his tracks land on the Billboard charts. However, it’s no surprise that his success came so quickly when you throw on one of his tunes. Each track is crafted meticulously and makes you want to immediately get up and dance.

2019 was the breakout year for DLMT. Leading up to this year, his tracks were getting a substantial amount of plays both on streaming services and in festivals, but he then released his track with fellow producer Mahalo, “So Cold.” With lush vocals from Lily Denning and sultry house production from the two artists, it soared and seemed like everyone was listening to this phenomenal tune.

Continuing with this momentum, DLMT recently released his debut Restart EP on Dim Mak. It’s a five-track EP that is arguably his best body of work to date as he crafted something to play no matter what mood you are in.

With the release of this new EP and all the buzz around DLMT, we jumped at the opportunity to sit down and chat. Read on for a discussion on how this EP came about, his take on how important house music is right now, and his goals for the remainder of the year!

Take a listen to the Restart EP on Spotify below, download or stream it on your favorite platform, and read on for our chat with DLMT!

**Stream DLMT – Restart EP on Spotify:**

Hey DLMT, thanks for chatting with us! Let’s talk about your latest EP Restart that recently dropped on Dim Mak. What’s the story behind making this EP and did it differ from your previous releases?

We had planned to release this project at the beginning of the year, but due to COVID-19 it really put up some challenges and made it difficult to finish some tracks. The final track that was finished was “Restart” and it really brought the entire compilation together. The tracks on this EP really show a direction of which my music has been going, and pushing boundaries in my sound!

The EP is filled with bouncy house tunes that have been getting love from the shuffling community. In a time where so much is going on in the world, how important is it for listeners to be able to get up and dance to your music?

I think in a way, music has helped many people stay sane during these crazy times. We all connect to music in different ways, and if I can make music that inspires people to dance and express themselves too, that’s the goal.

“In Your Mind” and “Freak” are two tracks you did with fellow house producer LoKii. What was the process of creating these two tracks with him?

When we first linked up to create “Freak,” it was one of the easiest and fastest collabs I’ve ever done. We work really well creatively and sonically together, which helped us get these two tracks out! We never ended up actually working in person, it ended up being entirely created via zoom calls and sending stems back and forth.

Let’s take it back to last year with your huge hit “So Cold” with Mahalo and vocalist Lily Denning. Is there a specific way you approached this track that you bring into your future music that you create?

This is one of my favourite tracks to date, and it really brought out a sound in my style that has stuck with me since. This track as well as “One Drink” are very drum and bass-driven, which I’ve found a lot of my songs have naturally begun to follow. Most of my tracks are very vocal-driven, and I tend to build a track around that!

If you had to hit the restart button on your career and do it over entirely, what would you do differently as your first steps?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to find your own sound, this is something that obviously takes time, but I wish I experimented more as a younger producer and pushed my boundaries at an earlier stage. Also, having a business mindset is almost as important as the music itself, one of the key things I learned.

Aside from the pandemic this year, what has been the biggest struggle that you both have faced so far as an artist, and how did you overcome it?

I think the biggest thing in general in my career is inspiration, and how to get over writer’s block. I would often get very discouraged when the ideas weren’t flowing and have to take a break from the studio. I found that just experimenting with new ideas, opening different song projects, and moving from the current idea I was stuck on helped me move past this and keep a constant flow of music coming.

As we dive deeper into the latter half of the year, what are some goals you’d like to achieve before the end of 2020?

I would love to be able to play some shows again, but that all depends on the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also been developing a new merchandise line which we are very excited to soon reveal!

Outside of the music, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? Have you picked up any new hobbies over the past few months?

I am big into a healthy lifestyle, which keeps my mind clear. So a lot of running, and time spent at the gym. I definitely enjoy spending time with friends, sports, and the odd video game here and there!

Finally, if you could offer up an inspiring message to your fans during this uncertain time, what would it be?

No one knows what the future holds, but 2020 has given us a time to reflect and time to find ourselves in a sense. Many people have had their lives flipped upside down, and lost jobs. But it’s also a time in which we can restart and try new things, explore different hobbies and dreams we may have never been able to before!