MockBeat (Lasha Kikvadze) is a London-based music producer born and raised in Georgia. His diverse and vibrant music production style characterized by warm and catchy melodic elements always finds its way to positively surprise his listeners. MockBeat’s music blends just the right amount of balance between musical simplicity and the precise amount of energy to keep dance floors of all sizes begging for more, and now, he delivers the latest installment in the Anathema Records Series.
EG caught up with the Georgian producer MockBeat to learn more about his recent contribution to the Anathema Record Series, his move to London, recent relocation to Lithuania, inspirations, and more.
EG: Hello Lasha! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us today. Where are you based right now? How have you been?
Mockbeat: Hi there! The pleasure is all mine to be part of the wonderful EG community and happy to be here! Coming in from Vilnius, Lithuania. After spending all of my adult life in London, UK, I have recently relocated here and I’m enjoying being in the “tourist phase” once again and looking forward to exploring what this beautiful place has to offer.
EG: You’re fresh off from your participation in the Anathema Records Series. What can fans expect to find on this one?
Mockbeat: I wanted to embody the diversity of various styles of electronic music and get the listeners excited with anticipation of “what’s next” when listening to the mix. In the end, it all comes down to me sharing the music I enjoy listening and playing.
EG: What is your relationship with the label like? How did you come across Anathema Records? Have you got any plans to return soon?
Mockbeat: We go back years (many years) with Fec, after discovering each other’s music, our release ‘Stories Told’ only made our friendship even stronger. I had the pleasure to welcome him to London and shortly after we had a label showcase in Amsterdam. Everyone involved in this label has shown nothing but true passion and love towards the label and its artists. I have had quite a few releases on Anathema Records and I can assure you there’s going to be a lot more to come.
EG: So, you were born in Georgia, and made the move to London? Was the move music-related?
Mockbeat: When I left Georgia in 2010, the country was still trying to recover from recent war (let alone post soviet trauma), and when I was 18, I decided to take a chance and make a move, music was definitely the main factor as I have always been passionate towards UK dance music scene.
“Film critic and author Roger Ebert once said “inspiration comes in the doing of writing, not in the before of writing” and I believe that”
EG: How did you come across electronic dance music? Was there a particular gig or record that pushed you down the rabbit hole?
Mockbeat: I don’t think or perhaps recall there being a particular event or record that made me go “Oh this is it!”. I think it was a very gradual and beautiful process of falling in love with the scene from early childhood. From making mixtapes with my brother from early inspirations like The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers records on the radio to going to gigs and getting to hear new records and chase the DJs around for the track IDs or the actual records themselves 🙂
EG: What is your approach to the studio like? Do you have a sort of ‘blueprint’ for your workflow?
Mockbeat: I always tend to lean towards the melodic side of things first. It could be chord progression, sample, or simply an idea that I explore further by tweaking around until I move forward with the rest of the elements and see where the process itself guides me. I think patience, moderation, and balance play a big role when it comes to my workflow.
EG: Where do you look for inspiration? Is it overrated?
Mockbeat: To be honest in my humble opinion inspiration and muses are often taken for granted. Film critic and author Roger Ebert once said “inspiration comes in the doing of writing, not in the before of writing” and I believe that, as an artist, if you treat the muse with respect and with consistency, you will be rewarded. When I have a chance, I sit down and dedicate my time to creating. Often, this may not translate to a finished project and it doesn’t have to, but when it does, it’s beautiful 🙂
EG: These past few years gave us all a chance to slow down and reassess. What would you like to see more and less of in our scene?
Mockbeat: I think that’s an excellent question. The past few years definitely made us reflect on personal levels and as an optimist, I think the dance music community has always found its way out from even more difficult times. I’d like to see more acceptance within the scene and less unnecessary politics.
“I think patience, moderation, and balance play a big role when it comes to my workflow”
EG: What else can we expect from Mockbeat in the next few months? What new milestones are you looking forward to?
Mockbeat: There are a lot of projects in the making currently and I am beyond excited to share new music with everyone very soon. Since I have recently moved to Vilnius, I am looking forward to exploring the scene of the city and the wonderful people that it has to offer and perhaps being part of and contributing to it.
EG: Thank you for your time, Lasha! We wish you all the best!
Mockbeat: Likewise, a pleasure to be part of the series and the EG community, thank you for having me! Best wishes and speak soon!
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