Mykel Waters Interview at Movement Detroit says: “The music was the only thing that made the rain stop falling”

What does Movement mean to you?

Movement is a time of the year where you can expose people to different types of music more so than you could do in a nightclub on any given weekend. It's all about friends getting together and just releasing and having a good time.

How long have been you producing?

I’ve been producing now for four years; my first actual release was on my birthday October 24th in 2009 on Beatport.

What’s in your studio?

I have a lot of sentimental items in my studio; it helps keep me focused on why I do what I do and who I am. I have Photos and Paintings and items like my fathers guitar hangs on my wall, it means a lot to me that guitar because my father was one of the biggest supporters of what I do. I like to think the spirit of the guitar in some way motivates me. In terms of gear I run Ableton live 8 and Akai MPK keyboard and KRK Monitors and Subs, microphones, my brain and all the usual stuff.

What did you think of Movement this year compared to the previous years?

This year was by far the best for me, I was able to see things behind the scenes I was never able to before. I have a good understanding of how difficult it must be to run a festival like that and I have to give credit to Paxahau for running the event they are awesome. I did meet a lot of people and made some new fans so I am really happy. I did lose power on my stage due to the storm that rolled through, but I had a great time.

What do you have planned for this year?

This year I really want to focus on my productions, I was just booked to play in Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Dance Event in October so I am really looking forward to that.

When did you first figure out that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

I think it was when I lost my big brother when I was 19. I took his passing really hard and nothing seemed to help me. I do remember when I was listening to a radio show and I heard a track called "Losing Wait" by Chris Fortier and I was instantly hooked. The music was the only thing that made the rain stop falling. I realized we all go through different phases in life, the good times and the bad times but you can take these thoughts and emotions and release them positively in music, to tell a story in a sense. I like to think I am sensitive to emotional details and life is full of them, and I am fortunate that I can express myself through creation. It is such and honor to me when people come and see me or listen to what I create when I am performing. So in a way the past will always show itself in one way or another in all of my productions.

What do you think about digital vs. vinyl?

Well being that I have been djing the last 14 years I started when vinyl was the only option really. Then cd's came along and I still stayed vinyl. I did get to the point where I was tired of dragging 4 record bags around and only using 1 of them and breaking my back every time I played. So I switched to CDs and then I got tired of burning 900 CDs a week and not keeping track of the music I had. So now I am using Traktor with midi controllers and CDJ's or turntables. I really don’t think it matters what you use as long as the outcome is desirable. The gear in my eyes doesn’t make or break anyone and I would never look down on someone cause they don’t use turntables. I hear this all the time from people who knock DJs for not using vinyl but in the same breath praise someone like Ritchie Hawtin, that’s when I usually say "you do know Ritchie uses midi controllers to DJ and Traktor synchs his decks for him." Then the person usually walks away. And another thing is that it has to be impossible to find certain records now a days cause some labels wont print vinyl due to digital sales, so MP3s may be your only option and you can use that with Traktor vinyl. In the end times change and you either evolve with it or get left behind. It doesn’t matter what gear you are using as long as you know what you are doing and putting off a good vibe.

Interview by: Steve Leroy