Prathamesh Wadia
Sevak discusses his sonic direction, favorite music production tools, new single "Horizon" and more.
Inspired by some of the electronic music greats, Maurya Sevak is on a mission to make his own impact on the genre.
Hailing from Toronto, the surging DJ and dance music producer recently released his latest single, "Horizon." Blending progressive house with elements of trance, the electrifying track emanates from Sevak's love of music by artists like David Guetta and Armin van Buuren.
He says he was "utterly mesmerized" by those dance music pathfinders—specifically their performances at the iconic Tomorrowland festival in Belgium. And with their music serving as a catalyst, the young beatsmith is working diligently to carve his own sound.
We caught up with Sevak to discuss his direction, favorite music production tools and more.
EDM.com: Tell us about your latest release, “Horizon." Is there a story behind the making of that track?
Maurya Sevak: I could see the vision of a beautiful, nature-filled view from a beach somewhere in the Mediterranean, similar to the song artwork. The thought of the view itself inspired me to make a pulsating melody with a big-room pluck and combining it with some strings and a powerful drop.
EDM.com: What went into the composition of “Horizon”? Did you have favorite studio equipment or software you used on this track that you’d like to highlight?
Maurya Sevak: I composed “Horizon” in two different parts: the first is the catchy, big room intro and the drops, and the second is the enigmatic, orchestral strings breakdown. My favorite software to use on this track was from Native Instruments Kontakt 6 | Komplete violin library, which I used for the violin solo in the breakdown. It sounds so beautiful and realistic, it gives the feeling that a real violinist is performing in front of an audience.
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EDM.com: Where does “Horizon” sit, compared with your previous releases, “Desert Rose” (a Sting cover), “Liar” and “X”?
Maurya Sevak: “Horizon” is a very different track compared to “Desert Rose,” “Liar” and “X.” As opposed to being a progressive-house or future-rave track, “Horizon” is a pure, big room powerhouse with a touch of fluttering emotions and catchy melodies.
Being an instrumental compared to the previous three vocal tracks, “Horizon” is made for EDM fans who want to hear only the soaring sound of the music without having to divert their attention to the lyrics.
EDM.com: Talk about “Liar” and what went into the making of that track.
Maurya Sevak: “Liar” was a track made to bring-out the listener’s emotions and to touch the strings of the listener’s soul. It’s a future-rave powerhouse! The track started with an arpeggiated lead melody on a future-rave synth patch. I had the rhythm down and started to look for a euphoric, dreamy melody. Towards the end, I added an Acid 303 sound with Serum, playing on the off-beat.
EDM.com: You seem very energetic when you perform. What live shows have you attended that impacted you the most? Was there a specific artist or performance that made you want to become a producer and DJ, yourself?
Maurya Sevak: As my age—I was born in 2005—doesn’t allow me to attend the 18+ live concerts, I’ve attended deadmau5’s Cityview drive-in concert in Toronto and the Tomorrowland virtual festivals. I idolize David Guetta and Armin van Buuren, and they inspired me to become a DJ-producer myself.
It was their Tomorrowland 2018 sets that did it. The music they played was so mesmerizing and energetic and I got hooked to it right away and started to imagine myself playing up there on the stage and entertaining the crowd.
Website: mauryasevak.com
Instagram: instagram.com/maurya.sevak
Facebook: facebook.com/djmauryasevakofficial
Twitter: twitter.com/djmauryasevak
Spotify: spoti.fi/3xIoGCW
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