Manila Killa Takes On Flight Facilities "Arty Boy" and Talks Touring, Future Bass and More In Exclusive Interview

If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Manila Killa live, you’ve been missing out on an extremely fun dance party. As one half of Hotel Garuda and one of the founding members of Moving Castle, Manila Killa’s knack for masterfully blending genres comes as no surprise. His live sets offer an electrifying sonic experience by bypassing the typical bangers that tend to plague the scene and diving headfirst into a wave of unexpected tunes designed to get your body moving.

Continuing to showoff his innovative approach to making remixes, Manila Killa’s latest offering proves that you don’t need to stick to one genre to make it in the industry. Taking on Flight Facilities latest release “Arty Boy,” Manila Killa reworks the original into an infectious dance anthem with playful chords, bright synths and Emma Louise’s intoxicating vocals taking center stage.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Manila Killa and discuss his latest collab with tour mate Robotaki, the future of the future bass genre, moving castle and more. Peep the full interview and jam out to his latest remix below.

You’ve had a very busy year, and right now you’re in the middle of your own headlining tour with Robotaki. What’s the best and worst part of being on tour?

The best part of touring is definitely when I get to meet genuine fans who tell me stories about how my music has helped them in life. It’s really cool to hear how different people have interpreted my music and what it means to them. The worst part of being on tour is the grueling hours. We’re sometimes finished by 3 am and have to be up for a flight by 9 am, several days in a row. Buuuut – it’s definitely worth it.

What inspired your collaboration “I want you” with Robotaki?

We had been planning to work together for a while and Robotaki sent me a couple things he was working on. “I Want You” automatically made my ears perch up and I was ready to take a stab at finishing the track. What we tried to do with the song was make sure that both of our influences were apparent in the song. We wanted to bring something new to the world but also make sure we kept it cohesive with our respective styles of production.

You’ve been on a roll with your latest releases. Where do you think that the future bass genre is heading and what do you think is the key to making a successful track?

Right now, I think we’re in a time where there’s just so much going on. I don’t even know what “future bass” is anymore, really. There’re a lot of different styles that may have started out as that genre but have evolved into so many other things. The music scene is kind of like a melting pot of a bunch of different sounds right now and I couldn’t tell you where I saw any of these genres are going. One thing is for certain though – we’re on the horizon of something new. The key to making a successful track isn’t necessarily going into the production with the end goal of wanting a “successful” track. That’s your one way ticket to making something super bland and something that has probably been done before. One piece of advice I can give, (that i’ve heard before from a producer named Tiga) is that if you’re dancing to your track in your bedroom, someone else out there would probably do the same.

What tracks have you been jamming out to lately? Are there any up and coming producers that you’d recommend your fans check out?

I’m been on a huge Odesza tip. I was so excited for their new album and spent many days after the release listening closely to all of the songs. My favorite track on the album is A Moment Apart – the introduction track to the album. It set the mood for the rest of the record and really brought me closer to loving their music. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time to look through soundcloud and keep my ears on the ground but I do believe in a lot of the artists we’re releasing on moving castle – Madnap, Satica, Exes, Sakima, Astre are are super dope artists making really cool music that I think deserves shine.

Not only do you produce under Manilla Killa, but you are also apart of Hotel Garuda which is a project that has generated a huge following. How do you manage to balance both projects?

What I love about having two projects is that I’m never really “bored” when I write music. I love both house music and experimental music, so it helps that I have two outlets to express my creativity. When I think that I’ve been stuck on making too much experimental music (for Manila Killa) I can easily switch over to Hotel Garuda mode.

What are the negatives of having two creative outlets to produce music under?

The negative is that I can’t be at two places at once. I wish that I could clone myself so I could work on HG and MK stuff at the same time. There aren’t enough hours in a day.

You’re also a founding member of the Moving Castle collective, what can we expect in the future from the collective?

We’re transitioning into a record label and are continuing to put out releases from a lot of artists that we believe in, so you can definitely look forward to that. Also – a favorite past time of ours was throwing events. I’m happy to say that we’re prepping to get back into throwing events and releasing new merch.

Moving forward what where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

In 5 years I hope to continue doing exactly what I’m doing now – producing music with my friends, touring the world, and striving to push this culture as forward as possible.