MOTEZ TEAMS UP WITH
QRION RELEASING AN EMOTIVE
JOURNEY IN ‘SLOW DOWN’
Australian/Iraqi producer Motez, teams up with Japanese producer Qrion for the release of ‘Slow Down’, on Sweat It Out, and Lane 8’s label This Never Happened. A meeting of deep and crispy synths, crackling claps, and a 90s UK House style vocal sample, see the duo deliver a robust dance-floor weapon.
Speaking on the collaboration Qrion shares, “this was my first studio session away from San Francisco and working with another artist I had not met in person yet. We worked on this track in LA last summer. We immediately clicked and became comfortable working together. We experimented with his producer hardware and were able to find unique melodies together which was the most fun part of the session. As a collaborator and friend of Motez, this track and the creative process is very memorable to me.”
Whilst Motez continues, “I had the pleasure of meeting Qrion on a long writing trip in LA. I really liked her take on house music and how melodic and emotional her output is, so what we made inevitably had so much musicality from chords to arpeggios, the writing of the song was very quick because we really got along musically and personally. We’ve made a couple of songs in the process but the first one was ‘Slow Down’: a song about taking a step back and slowing down when our lives get crazy and busy.”
It was this instant chemistry heard through the chords and arpeggios that stood out to Lane 8.“‘Slow Down’ is one of those tracks I could tell I was going to sign about 3 seconds into the intro. I am all about the power of simplicity in music and this track really nails that. The core idea is super strong and Motez and Qrion executed it in a really fun and tasteful way. It’s one of the more unique records we have released on This Never Happened.”
Motez and Qrion’s single ‘Slow Down‘ is out now on Sweat It Out and This Never Happened.
More on Motez
Motez’ soundscape pushes the boundaries of your regular club producer, going way back before he was making wholesome, wall-to-wall club cuts and rocking festivals stages. His classical piano know how and clear influences of the 90’s allows him to flex his skills and musical-taste across all of his releases, chalking up six Hype Machine #1s, an ARIA Gold single and dropping official remixes for Disclosure, Sam Smith, Goldlink and Ellie Goulding. Motez is also a regular on mix series Diplo & Friends, Beats1 Radio, Triple J Mix Up and George FM. His streak of infectious dance-driven releases continued on from 2016’s ‘Down Like This’ ft. Tkay Maidza to 2017’s ‘Praise’, which led him to his first ARIA Certified Gold single, ‘The Future’ ft. Antony & Cleopatra. Three years in the making, ‘The Future’ is Motez’ most personal offering to date, receiving support from BBC- R1, KCRW, Live105, Triple J, and amassing over 20 millions streams.
As the reality of COVID19 hit, Motez’ focus shifted to a completely new body of work titled ‘Soulitude’. Five emotive, ambient, electronic compositions that stemmed from his newfound state of isolation. The EP showcased a brand new side to Motez’ ever-evolving production capabilities, and was premiered through a grand sunset live-performance stream from the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, streaming to over 20,000 people in the first 24 hours.
Coming out of the COIVD19 cloud, Motez’ hunger to give back to his club fans will continue with more dance-floor driven releases on Sweat It Out, Lane 8’s imprint This Never Happened and Armada’s Electronic Elements. Expect Motez to continue pushing the boundaries as he explores new sounds and ways to produce what is his most exciting work yet.
More on Qrion
Born and raised in the snowy city of Sapporo, Qrion began making her own sounds in high school as a hobby by using her phone. Soon enough, she upgraded her tools and started sharing her songs online, demanding the attention of her peers and idols alike. Equipped with her Taiwanese drum and forward-thinking sampling techniques, Qrion connected with the world well beyond her home in northern Japan, working with producers like Ryan Hemsworth, Giraffage, Spencer Brown, and many more.
There’s a reason why Mixmag named Qrion as one of the world’s best up-and-coming acts in 2018: since the inception of her musical career, Qrion’s name has graced labels such as Anjunabeats, Mad Decent, Moving Castle, and more. Beyond her profound original productions, like her collaborative Sapporo EP with Spencer Brown and her solo debut Sine Wave Party EP via Anjunadeep, Qrion proves her mettle as an excellent remixer, too. She’s lent her future-focused sound to artists such as Alina Baraz, Andrew Bayer, Dugong Jr, TOKiMONSTA, and more to elevate a variety of songs across the spectrum of today’s hit music. Ranging from soft, exquisite beats to ‘90s-adjacent dancefloor numbers, Qrion delivers a versatile flair to electronic music.
2019 proved to be a banner year for Qrion, taking both her release and performance schedule to the next level: her self-released Waves EP explored the next chapter of her trademark sound while her Apple Music One Mix on Beats 1 took her talents across airwaves around the world. Sharing the stage with the likes of Above & Beyond, Porter Robinson, and Tourist in previous years, 2019 saw Qrion join deadmau5’s Cube V3 Tour and perform landmark shows like ABGT350 Live from Prague, Anjunadeep’s London showcase at Printworks, and an after-party alongside TESTPILOT for New Year’s Eve. Along with festival performances at NoisePop, Tomorrowland, and HARD, Qrion is poised to take her music to more audiences around the globe in 2020.
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