Catching Up With Metalheadz Signee, Mikal & His FABRICLIVE Promo Mix

Mikael Willet’s one of the [many] reasons that Goldie’s Metalheadz label remains at the bleeding edge of modern drum & bass. Making and releasing music as Mikal he’s managed to build on the initial steam he got around his inclusion on the Genesis Part 2 EP signing an exclusive album deal with the label whilst releasing material on labels like SGN:LTD, Utopia – on which a 12” featuring a Rido remix dropped last week - and a dubstep flavoured EP for Skream’s Disfigured Dubz label. Ahead of his return to Room Two for Metalheadz on Friday 8th March, we caught up with the Bath based producer to get a better idea of what he’s got going on and a sneak listen at some of his current favourite tunes in his second promo mix. Download: Mikal – FABRICLIVE x Metalheadz Mix We haven’t really spoken since June of 2011, what’s been going on with you since then? There's been a lot going on since we last spoke. My track 'Epic' was on the Genesis EP Part 3 then my first Metalheadz single which featured a collaboration with Break on 'Just a Game.' I then put together a dubstep EP project for Skream's label Disfigured Dubz and I had tracks featured on two FABRICLIVE mixes and a twelve for Utopia which was 'Headbanger' and the 'The Chant.' I also did a track for the Symmetry’s various artists LP. My second Utopia single has just come out with a wicked remix of 'The Chant' by Rido and at the minute I'm now tying up the next Metalheadz single and EP project. Has your music changed in that period do you think? Have you changed the way you approach making it? Are you collaborating with anyone etc etc? Yes I've been working with lots of artists that I really respect and it's been invaluable. I think you learn a lot more from working with others and you'll be hearing a lot of these projects soon. As far as the way I work I don't think I've lost some of my raw sounds but I think the way I approach production has definitely changed. I'm a lot happier with what I'm producing at the moment compared to the music I was writing a year or two ago. I've been developing my sound really and I've been lucky as an artist to have that time. I still use the same approach to my ideas but I think with a stronger arsenal of sounds now. My mixdowns have improved and my ability to quickly notate ideas. It's easier for me to think more clearly production wise too, so that I can get on with laying down the sound. When can we expect the album to drop on Metalheadz? Can you give us a little indication of how it’s sounding? It's still a bit too early to say, there's been a lot of projects that have come up in the last two years. That's made it quite hard to put material aside for the album but with most of this now done there's a decent amount of tracks that have been stockpiled. I'm spending time getting tunes together that are as good as I can get them. I want to deliver my best production wise and for it to be a complete body of work, every tune on there should sit together. Maybe the next twelve tracks I write will get selected rather than some that are currently slated. We’re in the stages of pulling it all together. You have to be brutal and I'm happy I've got Goldie and Ant's judgement on it. There are a lot of tracks in the pot and it will be a mutual decision by all three of us as to what ends up on the album but expect news coming soon. Can you tell us a bit about the mix you’ve made for us? These are some tunes I'm feeling and playing out. It was tough as there's so much good music out right now. I wanted to put something together that was a bit more about where I'm at too. I hope the mix speaks for itself. Catch Mikal in Room Two next Friday for Metalheadz. Tickets/info here.