Miami-based artist Méssous shares about his recent Nine EP on Repopulate Mars, who inspires him, and what brought him to Miami in the first place.
Manchester-born but now Miami-based, Méssous has quickly become one of the most talked-about artists in the city’s fast-growing deep tech and minimal house scene. After going to many parties in Manchester and London, he moved to Miami in early 2023 after going to Club Space and quickly since has had gigs at Silo in Brooklyn, Jolene Sound Room, and PNK’s monthly Pink Party.
His most recent release, the Nine EP on Lee Foss’s iconic imprint Repopulate Mars. Released earlier this month, the three tracks, “Nine”, “Steel Steppers” and “Crystal Dance”, pairing chunky basslines and vocoder stabs with dark and dirty synth hits. Early support from Lee Foss, Latmun, and Mason Collective has already pushed the record, giving Méssous his biggest release to date.
Besides his productions, Méssous serves as A&R for PNK Records. He helped grow the label from the beginning after meeting the founders on the dancefloor. He’s the label’s first set of ears on new demos, helps with the release schedule, and contributes to its social presence—all roles he takes very seriously.
With a new PNK single dropping on July 4 and summer dates that include the Pink Party on August 9, there was no better time to catch up with Méssous. We sat down with him to talk about his roots, influences, the Nine EP, and the PNK Records community. Listen to his exclusive guest mix and read on for the conversation.
Stream EDMID Guest Mix 469 || Méssous on SoundCloud:
Thank you for joining us today. I saw you at MMW this year, and that was a fantastic party at ZeyZey. Let’s jump into it. Miami seems to have played a huge role in your career. What initially brought you out there?
Thanks for having me and for supporting us at the PNK party! I’m originally from Manchester and was living in London before moving to Miami. I’d always wanted to experience life in a different country and climate, especially coming from Manchester, where it basically rains all the time. After weighing a few options, I decided Miami was the best fit. The weather, its proximity to the UK, and the thriving music scene all really appealed to me.
A quick story about how Miami even came on my radar back in 2022: I was on a long bus ride from São Paulo to Rio with time to kill, so I ended up listening to the full Michael Bibi, Dennis Cruz, and PAWSA B3B set that had just dropped on SoundCloud. I absolutely loved every second of it, and when I saw it was recorded at Space Miami, I knew I had to experience it in person. So I made the trip out for Miami Music Week 2023, instantly fell in love with the energy, and decided to make the move just a few months later in January.
Being born in the UK, how did that influence you? Were there any standout scenes or venues that helped shape your journey?
I got into house music around 2013. My first real obsession was with the early Hot Creations sounds of Patrick Topping, Richy Ahmed, and wAFF. I went to see them whenever I could and got more and more hooked on the sound. At first, I was purely a raver; DJing or producing wasn’t even on my radar.
That changed after I saw a set by Amine Edge & DANCE in Nottingham while I was at university. It opened my ears to a totally different flavor of house music, and I fell in love with their unique vibe. That curiosity of new sounds led me to discover Solid Grooves, and more specifically, Michael Bibi, back in 2014. He was playing at Lightbox in London quite regularly, and I’ve followed him closely ever since. That eventually sparked my interest in producing my own music.
Which producers do you look up to the most right now?
There are a lot of incredibly talented producers out there right now, but the ones I keep coming back to include Sweely, Luuk van Dijk, Ben Sterling, and Josh Baker.
Tell us a bit about how the Repopulate Mars EP came about. Were you expecting such an influential US label to pick it up?
The title track, “Nine”, was actually made last year when I was experimenting with a new sound. I’d made quite a few tracks since then, but one day I went back to that project and made a load of updates based on everything I’d learned in the months since first creating it. The final version really excited me.
“Steel Steppers” and “Crystal Dance” came together over a two-week creative burst earlier this year. Once I had all three, they felt like they naturally fit together as an EP.
I’ve been aware of Repopulate Mars for a long time, especially through Michael Bibi’s releases “Hanging Tree” and “Garden of Groove”. It’s also the label that introduced me to artists like John Summit, so I was over the moon when I sent the demos to Lee Foss and he wanted all three tracks. It’s a legendary label that’s helped launch so many careers, and being based in the US now makes it even more meaningful to me.
Jumping to PNK Records, how did you become involved? Anything upcoming you can share about the label?
I became friends with one of the founders about five months before the label even launched. I used to send him my tracks to get feedback; he was always a fresh set of ears outside the usual producer circle.
When they started accepting demos, I sent a few over. Miami, which was the last track I made in Manchester before moving, ended up being selected for the debut release, which I was buzzing about. Over the next few months, even though I wasn’t officially part of the team yet, I started helping behind the scenes with A&R. Eventually, they asked me to come on board in an official capacity, which I’m super grateful for. It’s amazing to be part of one of the fastest-growing labels in the US and also grow personally and musically through it.
From your perspective, what makes the PNK Records community special?
The community at PNK is honestly one of the best parts about it. Everyone involved is genuinely passionate about the music, and there’s a shared drive to push boundaries and support one another. It’s not just about releases, it’s about building something that lasts. That sense of collaboration and trust makes it feel more like a family than just a label.
The label operates differently from pretty much every other label on social channels, too—it is more interactive and uses things like memes and stories to bring a more genuineness to the community that people can relate to.
For Méssous, any upcoming gigs or releases that you’re excited about and can share?
Yes! I’ve got my first release on PNK Records dropping on July 4, which I’m really hyped about. I’ve also got a few more things behind the scenes on the music front, but nothing I can reveal just yet.
As for gigs, I’ll be playing at the PNK Party on August 9 in Miami, supporting Marco Strous.
When you’re making a track and experimenting, how do you know when a new sound you’re trying actually feels fresh?
I can usually tell a sound feels fresh when it gives me that instant excited feeling that makes me want to keep going and going. It’s like something clicks, and it brings a new energy to the track. If I find myself excited to loop it and keep building around it without getting bored, that’s usually a good sign I’m onto something.
Someone recently asked me who I reference when I make my tracks, to which the answer is I don’t (anymore). I think it’s a super useful tool when you’re first learning to produce, and for certain things like arrangement of your tracks, but in terms of pure synths/melodies/ideas, I do everything off the cuff and see what I’m feeling on that particular day – of course you naturally get influenced by certain sounds/tracks/genres but I find that once I’m in the studio, even if I’m starting in a certain direction, the finished track almost always ends up differently to how I first planned it.
Follow Méssous:
X | Instagram | SoundCloud
