Cozway is the future. The talented Vancouver based producer has been setting the internet on fire since 2016. With an official remix for Zeds Dead, a release on Quality Good Records and the two most played songs on Jadū Dala, it’s clear that Cozway has a long and promising career ahead of himself. He has quickly become a FUXWITHIT favourite so we felt it was due time to connect for an interview and guest mix. We talked to Cozway about the music scene in Vancouver, carving out a unique sound, his goals for the year and more.
Oh and his guest mix? Absolutely massive. “I tried to stay true to my ethos and dropped tracks that I would play live. This mix features my entire upcoming EP, as well as unreleased heaters from my friends and some classics,” he tells us. Yeah, you read that correctly, Cozway’s entire unreleased EP is in the mix, along with unreleased heaters from Jon Casey, Rohaan x Duke & Jones, WiDE AWAKE x MEMBA, Awoltalk, Sterfry x Chaca x Bonnema x Jestic, and So Sus x Hendrik Joerges. This may be the biggest and best guest mix we’ve had to date! Stream it and be sure to grab the free download. Full interview and tracklist below.
What was it like coming to Canada from Singapore? How do you like it out on the west coast?
Wow that was such a long time ago, it almost feels like a dream. I remember being very happy and excited about the new environment. The west coast is amazing, and for the most part, everyone is relaxed and kind. The scenery is also breathtaking.
There’s something about the coast that breeds creativity, so we have some very talented and unique artists.
What’s the music scene like out there?
It’s bumpin! There’s something about the coast that breeds creativity, so we have some very talented and unique artists. It’s also very close knit and everyone here knows each other. Being in Vancouver, there’s a diverse range of international acts from any genre coming through at any given time.
What do you enjoy doing most outside of music?
Hanging out with friends, being in nature, longboarding and trying out lots of different foods.
How long have you been making music? What made you want to become a producer?
About 6 years. I started exploring electronic music in my early university days and realized that sometimes I imagined some really cool music. I had to find a way to make it real.
I tended to gravitate toward more ‘organic’ sounding music, but still loved the energy dance music (specifically trap)
You have a pretty unique style. How did you go about finding your specific sound? Do you have advice for producers who are looking to do the same?
Thanks! Well In my early days of producing I realized that I tended to gravitate toward more ‘organic’ sounding music, but still loved the energy dance music (specifically trap). It was also around then that What So Not also started to come up. I thought that their music was the perfect middle ground between synthetic and organic, while still having enough energy to rock a crowd. It was totally unique. They became my biggest influence and I set out to try and build upon that style. I started trying to design synths that sounded natural instead of mechanical, and incorporating world percussion in my tracks. I ended up creating about 4 or 5 sounds that I use recurrently in my music.
My advice to producers looking to do the same is to really think about what you want your music to sound like collectively. Find some theme that is expressed in all your work and build on it. Study your influences inside out. Then set out to build a pallet with sounds that are unique to you and true to your vision.
Your twitter bio says “I only fucc w/wood drums” tells us more about that.
Haha okay well that was a joke based on something that happened at a show I was playing. One of the others artists came up to me and said in a joking way “so I heard from [a friend] that Cozway is really picky with what he plays. He only fucks with wood drums.” I thought it was hilarious, because it’s so true. I play a lot of music with percussive leads and I thought it was a fitting twitter bio.
To create my own original musical world
What’s your mission as an artist?
To create my own original musical world. Eventually I’d like to have an fully original hour-or-so long live set where I play electronic drums and trigger samples, while mixing tracks – similar to what Flume and Odesza do.
Can you share any details about your upcoming EP?
Well, it’s all done and I’m very excited to get the EP out soon but I can’t say more than that.
What’s your main goal for the rest of 2018?
To make more music and start playing shows in other cities.
Tracklist:
Cozway & Jon Casey – Ambush (Unreleased)
Aten Rays – Into tiedye
ky – Earth
inimicvs & sui.luj – fatigue
episcool x yunis – courteous
Cozway – Wrong Turn (Unreleased)
Aztek – Disconnected
stosu. – Simplify
doppla x Stööki Sound – Frank
Rohaan – Spine (Unreleased)
Mr. Carmack – This Is My America
Abelation – Elevation is fake
Oshi & Baauer – Frozen (tices flip)
Aztek – That’s A Dead Guy
Dakat – Stolen Kiss
So Sus – Code Ft. Hendrik Joerges (Unreleased)
BeauDamian – Forte Muller ’16
MEMBA – XILLA!
frost x canon – hiraeth
WiDE AWAKE x MEMBA – Vexed (ft. XO MAN) (Unreleased)
Pigeon Hole – Dodge Ball
ID x ID – ID
Hati – Brilliant
Cozway – Nightshade (Unreleased)
Aztek – Cunninglingus with Joan Sanders
sktchy ppl – sus
Party Favor & Baauer – MDR (Awoltalk Remix) (Unreleased)
Great Dane – Bone Scroll
Knyves – Stay The Same
Sterfry x Chaca x Bonnema x Jestic – Heavyw8 (Unreleased)
hapa x no puls – caterpillar fruit
Quix – Riot Call Ft.Neeve (Cozway Remix) [Live Edit]
Yoshi – herzy
Tapecut – richbwoii w_ t1r
Cozway – ID
L*o*J & Jon Casey – Goon
Cozway – Java (Unreleased)
William. – The Rat King (Unreleased)
Zeds Dead x Illenium – Where The Wild Things Are (Cozway Remix)
Eskei83 & Funkanomics – Bandula
Cozway & Play Lefty – Tribe
no Puls – Tongues
Cozway – Windbreaker (V.I.P)
Cozway – Bamboo
Rome In Silver – Horizon
Cozway & BONNEMA – ID
