“There is certainly more breadth to my sound,” Watermelon Boy tells us of his sprawling electronic album ‘The Wow Signal’.
Australian producer Watermelon Boy dropped his latest album ‘The Wow Signal’ earlier this month, and it’s been firmly on repeat in our office ever since.
The 15-track project — which includes standouts like ‘Cagi Mudre Vou’ and ‘Break That Board’ is a odyssey through electronica that remains anchored by Watermelon Boy’s tropical signature while treading new terrain in techno, trap-hop and Amapiano.
Below, we caught up with Watermelon Boy to pull back the curtain on ‘The Wow Signal’, the versatility of his sound, and his journey in “experimenting with a bigger range of styles.”
Catch the full interview with Watermelon Boy below, and scroll down to listen to his new album ‘The Wow Signal’.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
WATERMELON BOY: Today (at the time of writing) is Thursday and it’s an active day for me. I head to a midday JiuJitsu class at Omega in Abbotsford then teach kids karate at Karyukai in South Yarra, in the afternoon.
I’ve done karate for most of my life and it’s been good to me. A form of active mediation, it helps keep the mind and body in good nick. It’s also 80s as f-ck, so that’s pretty rad.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you live, what do you love about it?
WATERMELON BOY: I’m in Fitzroy, the heart of civilization. We’re right between Smith and Brunswick streets and it’s an incredible vibe. Lots of excellent restaurants, bars and live music venues within a short walk.
HAPPY: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how do you incorporate those influences into your sound?
WATERMELON BOY: It’s easy to start with Major Lazor and their campaign to bring tropical sounds into the clubs but on top of that, it’s the Australian Sound or Future Bass movement of the last decade including Flume, Paces, What So Not, Slumberjack.
Then some of my favourite international producers are Sarz, Hagan, TropKillaz, Daniel Haaksman & Sango. I love fuzzy synths and complex beats.
HAPPY: How has your sound evolved since your early days as a producer, and what drives your experimentation with new styles and genres?
WATERMELON BOY: The first few Watermelon Boy EPs were all essentially the same rhythm and tempo. I had a sound I wanted to pursue and I did something fun with that.
But since I’ve opened up to collaboration, I’ve started experimenting with a bigger range of styles. Everything still sounds like Watermelon Boy and has an overwhelming tropical flavour but there is certainly more breadth to my sound, these days
HAPPY: You’ve worked with a diverse range of featured artists on ‘The Wow Signal’. What do you look for in a collaborator, and how do you approach working with different vocal styles and personalities?
WATERMELON BOY: The song is the main priority. So it’s important to me to find someone who can share a vision. I’ve been lucky enough that every artist I’ve collaborated with has been a breeze and brought something unique to the project.
I highly recommend listeners follow through to the profiles of my collaborators because all of them are making really interesting stuff.
HAPPY: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new album’s title, and how it reflects the themes and sounds explored on the record?
WATERMELON BOY: The Wow Signal was a strong radio signal detected in 1977, by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope. It was thought to possibly be extraterrestrial.
That idea of listening with purpose; putting an ear out to space and hearing what comes back. That’s what I find inspirational about that moment.
Of course, part of this record is self expression but the main feeling that I want to portray is the excitement in exploring and listening. Having one’s ears open and having the intention to listen to something new.
It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the noise of the modern age and I must admit I have to consciously turn off the news, podcasts, audiobooks etc to actively listen to music but it’s worth it.
We have the world at our fingertips and it’s too easy to get wound up in the chaos when there are millions of brilliant artists out there.
These artists are making great music that will make you happy and they desperately want you to listen to it. So remember to make time for that.
HAPPY: What’s your typical production process like, and how do you approach crafting a track from start to finish?
WATERMELON BOY: I generally start with a concept. It could be a rhythmic idea or a theme that I want to explore. Then I’ll lay beats and chords down around that.
If I’m working with a vocalist, I’ll get them a pretty good analog of what I think the track will sound like and then once the vocal comes back I’ll add a bunch more variation and flair to the track.
Most collaborators I work with online but occasionally we can get in the studio together which is a blessing.
HAPPY: How do you translate your electronic sound to a live setting, and what can fans expect from your performances?
WATERMELON BOY: Okay so, this is very much a WIP but I’m hoping to hit the stage early next year. I’m working on a ‘no laptop’ live set based around an Abelton Push 3.
It will allow me to play live drum parts on my SPD, manipulate and mix individual channels of my tunes and blend a seamless set based around a lot of rhythm.
HAPPY: As an Australian producer, do you think your surroundings and upbringing influence your music?
WATERMELON BOY: There’s no doubt. I’m a product of Triple J going Australia wide in the mid 90s. Without that it’s hard to know if I would love music the way I do.
The rich multiculture of Australia has made it easy to appreciate global music. Knowing people from all over the world and having access to our rich communities gives Australians (especially those in the cities) a wealth of culture to experience.
HAPPY: What’s next for Watermelon Boy? Are you working on new music, exploring new sounds, or pushing the boundaries of electronic music even further?
WATERMELON BOY: I have an idea for the next few releases. I want to do small EPs of about 4 tracks exploring a specific sound each.
I’d for sure going to make more mid-tempo, latin inspired Moombahton and some more upbeat club bangers. So follow me on your streaming platform to hear what’s next.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
WATERMELON BOY: Travelling the world with my wife (especially the tropics), hanging in the beer garden with friends cooking for guests and being on a roll in the studio.
Those are the things that bring me joy. Of course, I also love discovering artists and sharing my music with new people.
