[EDMTunes] [INTERVIEW] Dave Leck Talks Releases, Early Career, And More

We had a chat with quite the rising star recently.

Music occupies a central position within the life of Melbourne-based artist Dave Leck, serving as a therapeutic medium through which he interprets and navigates personal development. His ascendance in recent years has been characterised by a series of increasingly refined releases, distributed through respected underground imprints such as PHW Elements, Soundteller Records, and Droid9.

Notably, the August 2019 release of ‘Stardust’ represented a significant career milestone, marking his debut on the commercially successful Particles label, accompanied by a remix from fellow Australian artists GMJ & Matter. This was followed by ‘Primal Connection’ in January 2020, also released on Particles, which received support from a distinguished roster of DJs including Solarstone, Hernan Cattaneo, Mariano Mellino, Andrea Cassino, Alec Araujo, Fernando Ferreyra, and Ricardo Piedra. Subsequently, his work was featured on James Warren’s acclaimed Visceral compilation series.

So, on the heels of his latest release ‘Floodgate‘, we’ve sat down with Leck and asked him a couple of questions. Keep reading to find out what he’s got to say about his career, looking back, anticipating the future, and what he thinks is the core of music, far beyond the industry itself.

Where did you grow up, and how did your environment shape your relationship with music?

I grew up in Melbourne and Hong Kong and started with acoustic guitar lessons at around 9 years old. I stayed consistent with it, developed a love for it, and then played electric guitar in various bands through high school and university.

Who was the most influential person in your life growing up in terms of your musical development?

In the beginning it was a lonely journey but I found the love of music inside myself. I did have inspirations including Eddie Van Halen and Ace Frehley.

What’s the first memory you have of making music?

The first music that I created was a punk rock band in high school. I had just purchased a Boss distortion pedal and cranked it up through an Ibanez amp. We recorded it through a portable tape deck, and it was well and truly horrible.

When you think back to your earliest projects, what’s something you would do differently now?

Once I ventured into electronic music production many years later and started making my own original productions and I used so many different plug-ins and synths that I got overwhelmed. I threw too many elements together and over-processed them. Now I have cut down my workflow to precisely what I need, and have put in the hours to really know the tools well. Now, whenever I add a new tool or sound pack to my work palette, I thoroughly research them and make sure I allow adequate time and space for the learning curve involved.

Why do you think persistence is such an important part of making it in the music industry?

Because it takes a long time to produce decent material, and there are so many challenges and refusals along the way. Also, a lot of artists can be quiet, introspective people and opening up and showing our material can be quite a vulnerable experience. It takes strength to keep going and continue to put yourself out there year after year. There is also a cost financially and energetically, and this can take a toll on our mental health at times. It’s a hard road and we only do it because it’s part of our DNA, I think. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from another artist or producer?

I think Mike Monday’s “start now finish fast” method is brilliant. In summary, it teaches you to work super fast, finish and repeat the cycle. With multiple iterations, quality grows over time. It’s a way to combat a common artist trait of perfectionism and analysis paralysis. This way of working is not necessarily the desired end result, but a phase that can teach you a lot about yourself.

What’s the one thing you wish people knew about the challenges of being a producer today?

Sometimes it feels difficult to justify the time, money and energy it takes to make significant strides in music. It takes a lot of mental and emotional resilience to keep going and not give up. But I know that I have a deep need to express myself in this way. It also gives me great joy, and if I don’t do it for a period of time I experience a sort of suppression and depression in my soul.

Final Words

Thank you Dave, for the little taste of your sonic world. Leck is on a continuous rise, and you can stream his latest, ‘Floodgate’, by clicking the Spotify player below.

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