NuKreative is the music project and brainchild of Jamesen Re & Danny Bonnici, two of Australia’s most respected pioneers of the Australian Dance music scene.
One of Australia’s most talented musicians and producers, Danny Bonnici is a true wizard of his craft with a long history in both the studio and on stage, most notably with seminal Australian progressive breaks outfit NuBreed. Fellow Australian DJ/Producer Jamesen Re, best known as the creator and visionary behind the truly iconic SUNNY SIDE UP parties during the late ’90s and early 2000s, joined forces in 2017 tapping into their mutual passion for deep, melodic organic and atmospheric House music.
We caught up with Danny and Jamesen to talk about their new release on TrybesOf and their new goals as an electronic music duo.
Electronic Groove: Hi, guys, and welcome to EG. Where are you right now and what have you been up to these past days?
NuKreative: Hello all. Well, since the COVID-19 pandemic started we have been focusing on our families and being safe. Occasionally we’ll hit the studio and get creative depending on what inspires us. More recently we finished a track featuring Amega on vocals and just uploaded a Free Download on our Soundcloud page via a past release on Magician On Duty.
EG: Tell us a bit about how you guys got together and decided to work on dance music?
NuKreative: We’ve been mates for 20 years give or take. We met at the legendary Sunny Side Up parties in Melbourne in the late 90’s. Ever since we’ve been involved in the electronic music community. From memory, an idea was shared and the other was inspired to work on it. The result was really good and NuKreative was born.
EG: Moving into production you recently released the EP ‘Dream Sonika’ on TRYBESof. What can you tell us about the creative process and the production behind it?
NuKreative: Again sharing ideas! Whether it’s a drum groove, a melody, the creative process for us is very organic and easy. Through sharing ideas we make music. ‘Dream Sonika’ started off with the main melody riff and then we built the track around that. ‘Natura’ started with the drums and then the melody. We’ve wanting to experiment with live musicians and called in a flute player to come to the studio and do a session. The flute riffs were all recorded live and they sound perfect for the track.
EG: How has the reception been so far?
NuKreative: Really happy with the response we’ve been getting, especially from our favorite producers.
EG: How did you connect with the label?
NuKreative: Our track ‘Out Of The Shadows’ was referred to Lee Burridge, which eventually came out on the last Winter Sampler II. We had a couple of tracks we were finishing up that we sent over to Lee which were more suited to the TrybesOf sound. We’re super honored to have our first EP on Lee Burridge’s label and his support, along with many other great producers we respect.
EG: In terms of inspiration, what can you tell us about the ‘Dream Sonika’ EP?
NuKreative: It came from looking out the window of our Los Angeles studio. It was a gorgeous day and that inspired the melody and foundation for the tracks. From there we worked on it, and once we were done, we sent it first to Lee (Burridge), and he responded with a thumbs up for TrybesOf label.
EG: What are the expectations for this one?
NuKreative: No real expectations. We set ourselves a few goals at the start of the year and one was we wanted to make the top 10 on the Beatport charts. We’ll see what happens.
“We’re super honored to have our first EP on Lee Burridge’s label and his support, along with many other great producers we respect”
EG: Aside from these two, what other tracks can you share with us that are in constant rotation in your gigs?
NuKreative: Playing a lot of ‘Manhattan’ & ‘Out Of The Shadows’ as well as our last release ‘Beyond The Sun’ with a killer remix from Powel.
EG: Can you share a classic tune that really made a difference in your life? And why?
Danny (NuKreative): As a kid, I was watching a movie called ‘Midnight Express’ and hearing this track come on and thinking what is this music. It was ‘Chase’, by Giorgio Moroder. I knew then I wanted to make music like that and it started me on the journey to electronic music.
Jamesen (NuKreative): For me, I was exploring the underground scene in London in 96 and heard ‘The Gift’ by Way Out West in a club called Heaven. What a choon! The vocal and break took me to another place. That was my first introduction to electronic music in a proper environment. It was a game-changer and the rest is history.
EG: As the world is being dramatically affected by the pandemic, how do you see the state of the electronic music industry, once we return to normal?
NuKreative: It’s tragic on so many levels. We think now, more than ever, music has an important role to play in helping people deal with such uncertainty. We hope that this EP on Trybesof goes a long way to helping people feel better. On a positive note, the planet is getting a much-needed rest. We hope that once we go back to normal that we are all super grateful for the simpler things in life and that we can get back to being on the dance floor and enjoying life with a fresh perspective on what’s really important.
EG: Many thanks and we wish you nothing but the best!
NuKreative: Thank you, Electronic Groove. We appreciated the interview and shedding more light on our music.
NuKreative’s ‘Dream Sonika’ is now available via TRYBESof. Grab your copy here.
Follow NuKreative: Facebook |Instagram | Soundcloud
