Morgan Page Interview

Published: June 1, 2011

By: Eduardo Morales

EM: On your official web page, you mention that the process behind the creation of Cease and Desist was like “boot camp.” How did that influence you when you continued to do your remixes and create your own music?

MORGAN PAGE: Doing remixes without stems is much more difficult, but it forces you to make quick, critical decisions about the remix. Often times working with "less" is more. I usually prefer just to have an acapella and build the remix around it. After doing dozens of difficult remixes, you are more prepared for those critical A-list mixes for people like Madonna.

EM: Was there a moment after the release of Cease and Desist when the popularity of the collection hit you? Did you expect it to take off like it did?

MORGAN PAGE: Other than a few servers that crashed, It was a slow build, and I actually didn't find out until later the impact it had. People often listen to your music and never tell you!

EM: For Cease and Desist, you reportedly sliced and diced music that had already been mastered. The process reminds me of how film director Robert Rodriguez edited his first films with two VHS tape decks. Do you think that, with music-editing programs like Garage Band, editing music is too easy? Are young musicians missing out on an important piece of the music creation process?

MORGAN PAGE: I was just messing around with Garageband for the iPad and it's amazing. Very fast and intuitive. I have no problem with tools that help you quickly turn your ideas into reality. It just needs to be a good idea. So the bad part of great tools, is that people with mediocre or derivative ideas are saturating the market - which makes it hard for great innovative music to shine.

EM: You used to be a DJ on a radio station in Vermont while you were still in college, and moved on to host and manage at Emerson’s station—an elite broadcasting school, how did those work experiences inform your sound and notion of what it was you wanted to do? What pushed you to start producing your own tracks, and did you see it as anything more than a hobby?

MORGAN PAGE: I knew from an early age that I was born to do music. I built a studio at 14, and thought I would be a breakout star at 21 - but it didn't happen like that. It took time, lots of songs, and definitely some luck to be able to do music full time. A lot of people tell you that its a cute hobby and that you aren't being realistic - but you need to ignore those people and follow your passion. Ultimately your success as a musician will be determined by your hunger, your skills, and luck created by the other two factors.

EM: In a quote on your home page, you mention that a lot of the tracks on Beatport are made “just for clubs.” Plenty of popular artists and groups seem to be pursuing this sound, giving electronic music the reputation of being ‘ring tone music’ among some listeners. Can you elaborate on how you feel about this trend?

MORGAN PAGE: Producing for the club definitely constrains your music, as there's a certain framework for what works on a dancefloor. It's something I'm been wrestling with for years - I want to write the best songs possible, but i'm pressured to make the music work for the club. Thankfully with remixes, you can craft an infinite number of frameworks for your songs that work as vehicles for radio, clubs, cars, hotels - wherever you want your music to exist and resonate with an audience.

EM: Did you anticipate the unanimously positive praise for Elevate?

MORGAN PAGE: I try not to read my own press - but if people love it - then great! :)

EM: What were your goals for Believe? How did you envision evolving the sound and
aesthetic of Elevate?

MORGAN PAGE: I was going for a more melancholy sound - Elevate was more of a hybrid and showcasing myself as an original artist and remixer

EM: You have been described as a “triple threat,” possessing the role of DJ, producer, and remixer. Which role suits you best?

MORGAN PAGE: I've worked really hard on each of those roles, and have even been working on a fourth threat - singing. So there's a few songs with my voice on the new record. It's hard to pick one, but maybe producer or remixer.

EM: Along the same lines, how important do you think it is that today’s musicians possess the ability to carry out the role of performer and producer, simultaneously?

MORGAN PAGE: I think the more that someone can carry out their vision from start to finish, the better.

EM: Were you excited about your music video debut on MTV last February? How’d you feel about getting that exposure?

MORGAN PAGE: It's great! It's nice to have MTV recognizing electronic music again. I miss AMP - their electronic show from years ago.

EM: You recently tweeted that you had a battle with your neighbor’s barking dog – who won?

MORGAN PAGE: Oh yeah - that dog hates me now. But he doesn't bark anymore! I got a think called a Dog Dazer and you click a button and the dog runs off and shuts up..

EM: You’re obviously a busy guy; can you give us a glimpse of what you have in the works? More studio work, tour dates, high profile remixes, etc.?

MORGAN PAGE: Right now i bought my first house, so I've been renovating that and started working on the studio.. all my gear is in boxes. There's a bunch of new remixes coming out, and the new album in the fall.

EM: Congratulations on all your successes. Both Believe and Elevate are fantastic albums. Good luck in your future endeavors!

MORGAN PAGE: Thank you!