Meet MAMöro, hailing from Lisbon, Portugal. With a keen eye on the disparities within the electronic music community, MAMöro brings a fresh perspective with the vibrant essence of African Electronic Music, skillfully blending it with contemporary House music flavours.
With over a decade of experience, MAMöro is a seasoned Fusion Multimix DJ known for his innovative use of loops, edits, and vocals. His sets, performed on 3 to 4 Deck CDJs, offer a unique musical experience, showcasing his exceptional technical prowess and creativity. Inspired by the pioneers before him, MAMöro aims to share his passion for Afro Tech House, introducing audiences across Europe and beyond to this captivating sound.
Fresh from his latest release on respected Belgian Afro House label Deep In Your Soul, we chatted with MAMöro about his music career, life, and latest EP, 'Noma'.
Hey, MAMöro, thanks for joining us. We’re intrigued by your name. What does it mean, and why did you choose it?
Hello, and thank you for having me. Well, all I can say about my artist name is, that the name its all about me. Its kind of a riddle answer but for those who know me really well, on an more intimate level, if they search a little bit and think about it , they can figure it out for sure.
But its something like the magician and his magic trick .. never reveals :)
When i decided to become an artist I felt like I needed a name that would resonate on peoples ears and mind, and I didn’t want to make up just any name or use something that didn’t had to with me so that’s why I came up with MAMöro.
Your latest release landed a few weeks ago on Deep In Your Soul. What can you tell us about your ‘Noma’ EP?
First, let me start by tanking Nico Aytiwan and the whole Deep In Your Soul crew for believing in my work. Noma is a track that I made about one year ago but didn’t release because I felt like something was missing on the track, and after trying out some samples, I felt that it didn’t fulfil what I had in mind for this track, and also didn’t want to use something that was already or could end up being used by some other artist. I contacted Mr Idd Aziz and asked him if he would be available to collaborate, to which he replied positively.
You collaborated with Idd Aziz on the lead track. What was the collaboration process like, and what part did Idd’s vocals play in the creation process of the track?
The track was pretty much finished when I contacted Mr. Aziz. I Sent him the instrumental and then he sent me a mix down of the instrumental with his singing on top of it for my approval.
I can tell you that working with singers is the most complicated thing (sometimes even frustrating) for a producer, especially if you are doing it from a distance. However, with Mr. Aziz, I had the most outstanding experience.
There were no revisions, no second rounds, nothing! It was a one-shot piece of work.
Then when I got the vocals I changed some minor things on the instrumental not to have the vocals clashing and fighting with other frequencies and started the comping to build the final arrangement that we know today.
To help you understand the level and quality of the work I got from Mr. Aziz, I could have easily done two tracks with the vocals he sent me.
You’re based in Portugal, a nation with a vast culture and exciting history. How does your environment inspire your musical output?
I have recently finished a cover of an very popular old Portuguese song (Unreleased) because I believe its important to conquer and create roots on your own market before going for other ones. But , regarding the Afro House scenario its really a challenge because the culture here its more Techno and Tech House driven, and only now Afro House is starting to emerge on the mainstream.
Do you have any favourite hardware or software that you like to integrate into your workflow?
When I started producing, I tried FL Studio, and for me, it was a nightmare; then, I switched to Logic Pro, but I felt like my progression was going really slow, and the workflow was not ideal. Then I switched to Ableton, and my production went to another level; it’s by far my favourite DAW. Some people say you can do exactly the same thing no matter what DAW you use, but for me, it’s Ableton all the way. I also like the Native Instruments hardware. I use mostly the Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 for the keyboard and the Maschine MK3. I also play the electric guitar, and I am trying to introduce it to my music. I think it could be an interesting blend.
At present, Afro-House as a genre is experiencing a boom; why do you think this is, and how do you see the sound evolving in the future?
This very tricky question can generate a huge debate and controversy.
No doubt the Afro House genre is booming everywhere, and I think that all these ’80s and ’90s covers that came out have something to do with it, but, in my opinion, It needs to start being categorised in a different way, and subgenres should be created because it’s starting to emerge so many tracks with different tunes like Latin, tribal even progressive that are being categorised as Afro House but when you listen to them there is nothing about them that sounds like Afro House. Maybe Afro-Latin, Afro Tribal. I don’t know, but I’m afraid we might lose “The Afro House” in the middle of this huge mix.
Tell us about your personal life. What hobbies and rituals do you have outside of music?
Well, I own a restaurant, which is basically a family business. I also like to work out, and when I’m not at the restaurant, working out, or playing at gigs, I’m in the studio producing.
I love to travel, discover new cultures and get inspiration from the most unexpected things and places.
How do you feel about the increasing presence of AI within music, especially the creation process?
To be honest, I still didn’t give it much attention, nor did I understand how it fully works.
I have tried AI to create vocals, and I don’t know if it’s just me or if you simply can’t add that human element. Now, in music construction terms, for a producer, there is nothing more special than producing your own tones and progressions, so I don’t really know to what extent (and especially electronic music) producers are using it.
Are there any upcoming gigs or releases you’re excited about?
The most exciting upcoming gig is for sure on August 30th in Ibiza; soon, I will reveal the venue on my social media. It’s going to be my Ibiza debut, so I am excited about that one. There is another kind of excitement, and I don’t even know if that would be the right word, but I have an upcoming gig in Ukraine - I’m sure I will be safe. I have a few tracks prepared for release: a very nice one in collaboration with Nes Mburu, also a very special one possibly to come out this year in collaboration with Simone Vitullo and a few other tracks that will make people lift their feet on the dance floor for sure. Work-wise, I have a lot of plans till the end of the year and even more for 2025.
Lastly, please leave us with your favourite closing track.
I am a very melodic guy. To close my gigs, I like to use melodic tracks, sometimes adding some acapella, to create tension and a connection with the audience.
MAMöro
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