Headliners, EVOKINGS, chat ahead of Eden Experience this weekend
Catch EVOKINGS at the Eden Experience season closer this Saturday.
EVOKINGS is a Brazilian duo of life-long musicians dedicated to evoking passion for music and ultimately doing and living what they love.
Their sound can be described as a medley of house, techno, disco, and classic rock woven together seamlessly to create funky, groovy, and driving tunes that will have you raising your hands in the air like you just don’t care!
They are playing their DEBUT set in South Africa on Saturday, 16 February (the weekend of love) at the Eden Experience Closing party for the season.
It’s not something you’ll want to miss- the FOMO will get you- and best you get your tickets because they are selling like hotcakes.
Get to know one of the three international acts below- this is EVOKINGS.
…each type of music has some influence on us and we try to mix all those inspirations into our songs.”
Hello, Wagner and Thiago! A huge welcome from us in SA, we are very excited to have you play at EDEN pres. Botanical Bliss in Cape Town on Saturday, 16 Feb. Before you show us your stuff, I’d like to give our readers the opportunity to get to know EVOKINGS before you knock our socks off:
How did EVOKINGS come to life, take us to the beginning:
EVOKINGS: First of all, both of us are guitarists and we used to have bands when we were younger.
We knew each other through a common friend – Magga – who sings some of our songs like Gravity and My Way. We were just 2 good friends and couldn’t imagine joining ourselves into an electronic music project.
So…one day (this happened around 2014 when we left college) we decided to produce some electronic stuff together, as we were getting addicted to this type of music and after 3 years, we finally reached a satisfying level of production, so we decided to release our first song, a remix of Fat Boy Slim’s Praise You.
So that was the first “official” Evokings release. By the way, the name “Evokings” came up one day near 2015 when we decided we would take this project for our lives and we abandoned our current jobs 🙂
Your current sound can be described as bouncy, groovy, driving tech house or “Nu House.” What inspired you to make this kind of music, where do you draw inspiration from?
EVOKINGS: We have lots of inspirations.
We hear stuff like all rock genres (especially classic rock), electronic (from tech house and deep house to techno), hip hop, 80s disco, etc.
So, I think each type of music has some influence on us and we try to mix all those inspirations into our songs.
A name provides a powerful air to what it’s labelling. Why did you two choose the name EVOKINGS to describe your act?
EVOKINGS: We chose this name in a period of our lives that was extremely confusing.
We were leaving college and were starting to work at the office in Brazil as Engineers (not sound/audio engineer, but industrial engineer) and as we said before we were musicians since a young age.
Once you dive into music’s world, it’s hard to leave it.
So, we decided to quit our jobs and go on with our passion and we created the name Evokings which is a symbol of this process.
It comes from the word Evoke that in our context meant bringing our passion back and making all the effort we can do to live doing what we love – making music- and we think it’s something that reflects through our shows. Every show we do, we give our best.
Oh yes! We like to party…maybe more than we should :]”
As a duo, each person brings something different to the table, personality-wise, gig-wise and of course production-wise. Introduce yourselves and tell us about where you sit on the EVOKINGS table?
EVOKINGS: So…being a duo has it’s positive and negative sides.
We both produce, write lyrics and melodies. We also started Djing at the same time.
Talking about our work in the studio for example, in the beginning of Evokings we used to sit together and make the complete tracks together. But it was taking a lot of time due to differences of opinion about the kick sound or the melody of the vocal and someone maybe had an idea but couldn’t concentrate to explore it well. And, also, we were moving very slowly working this way…we were taking months to finish one track.
Then we decided to try and work separately, swap the songs till one gets saturated and finishes the songs, then mix and master together. Once we adopted this new method, everything changed because it surprisingly works very well for us. We were able to finish one track in a week for example. And of course, as we are passing through the same challenges together, we are always helping each other.
You just put out a new mix that’s free to download, called “Cigarettes, Gin, Afterparty.” The mix is a GREAT soundtrack to any after party. Do you like to party, if so, what was the best after party you experienced?
EVOKINGS: Oh yes! We like to party…maybe more than we should :]
About the afterparty…we’ve been in a lot but this year I think one memorable was after the New Years’ Eve when the afterparty started at 6 a.m. and it still pumped till 8pm at a friend’s house (we had to finish due to the neighbours).
But after that we went to a club and continued until the sunrise \o/
We feel more “musically mature” than ever.”
EDEN pres. Botanical Bliss marks your debut performance here in South Africa. Have you heard much about the South African scene and one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Cape Town? (Mega bias, we know!) 😊
EVOKINGS: Of course! There is a strong electronic music scene in South Africa with lots of excellent producers and a lively audience.
So, we are very happy to play here, and we hope you guys like it!! And for sure we won’t lose the opportunity to make a tour in this beautiful city!
Touring and playing non-stop gigs may be a rush, but it does take its toll. How do you keep a grounded and balanced life?
EVOKINGS: Well, we try to keep a grounded and balanced life. Not that we are very disciplined, but it’s important doing some exercises and having healthy habits.
Nothing better than a lemon juice to cure the hangover.
What’s your creative process in the studio? Do you start with an idea, a sample perhaps, a drum loop? Or do you like to tinker until something bites?
EVOKINGS: It depends.
Usually one comes up with a melody; it can be a sample or something we write, and then we build the break and the drop. But sometimes (not too often) one of us may come up with a drop and then we build the rest.
How’s 2019 looking so far, in terms of releases, tours, maybe an album?
EVOKINGS: We have very high expectations for 2019.
We feel more “musically mature” than ever, we’re exploring new sounds, and we are focusing to write again like we did a lot in the past with the songs Gravity, My Way, Home Again, By My Side, etc.
Shout out to your fans here in SA before your performance next weekend?
EVOKINGS: Well guys, we are the Evokings and you are invited to get down with us at The Eden Experience on Saturday!
Let’s Rock and Roll!!!
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