The Scene Magazine Interviews: Mr Midas

The Scene Mag caught up with Mr Midas on the phone to see what he has been up to since we last spoke to him in 2007. He has just finished his new album 'It only takes one moment' and the single titled 'Midas' feat David B is now out on iTunes with the video now making its rounds on all online media and on music TV stations such as Flava TV, Footlocker TV and Channel aka.

Check out the interview below!

1. Last time we spoke was back in 2007 a good 2 years back so whats been happening and whats new?

"Difficult question, but everything has been happening, Ive been working on this album for the last year and a half. The albums titled 'It only takes one moment'. What the plan was with the album is Ive always wanted to bring out a product that im happy with and expresses Mr Midas 110% and I didnt want it to be a reflection of what a record company wanted it to be or what this person whats it to be. I always said that im going to put the album together myself, im very good at networking and ive got good relationships with other people in the scene. I spoke to different producers via traveling and networking and hoping to finish off the album very soon.

Also, I was the number 1 downloaded artist off the Choice FM website which was crazy! So crazy that when I found out, I thought it was a mistake so I contacted Choice FM to double check that it was that amount. It felt good that 100,000 people wanted to listen to my material, that was huge and incredible. Ive got a few endoresment deals, im now the ambassador for the Literacy Trust ive been up and down the country with them. So mainly just that, plus working on my sound, shows and collaborations really."

2. When is the official release date for the album?

"I wanted to put the album together myself, but I do want to start shopping it around. So I released the first 2 singles independantly. I released 'Wile Out' on promo and iTunes and 'Midas' which is out now which was also released on promo and on iTunes. So im literally just finishing off the album and negotitiating around looking for the best deal."

3. Why has it taken a year and a half to finish off this album, was it you wanting to perfect it or looking at various production techniques?

"I think your first album is a reflection of your whole life. The first album for an artist is the most important. Like if you look at Nas or any other big artist, their first album is like wow, its like you take your whole life to make that first album. If im kinda dictating the whole what Mr Midas is, the sound, the reflection, growth in myself, id rather take some time and make a product which I think is great instead releasing an album which will get people saying "yea its ok' or"its not bad"

Mr Midas on the set filming single 'Midas' with David B

4. What sounds will your album have cause I know you and more or less everyone have been hearing the debatable topic of the grime scene being "dead" and UK Funky is the new genre that is up and coming. Have these changes ammended your sound or has this been an idea for you to go into something new?

"I dont think it has changed my sound because to me the sound of Mr Midas is very important. I think what it has done is it has enabled me to work with lots of different producers who use different kind of sounds so thats kind of changed how all my sounds come together.

For example, I still class myself as a dancehall artist and ive got production from people like Sticky who has worked alongside Ms Dynamite. I worked with Sticky on a dancehall track which has that funky sort of sound, but its still very Mr Midas and it was funny because when I was in the studio with Sticky, me and him were going at it saying 'no its got to go like this' and 'no it has to sound like that' because im very hands on when it comes to what I should sound like.

I dont want people to listening to my album saying "that sound does not suit him", when you listen to every song on my album there may be tracks on there that may be a bit different to what I normally do, but I still want it to sound like me."

5. Your new single 'Midas' what was the idea behind it and are we going to be expecting a video anytime soon?

"The video for the track is out now and its currently being aired on Flava TV, Channel aka and it will be shown on Footlocker TV in a few weeks will also be aired in every Footlocker store up and down the country. Its also being shown on loads of online media. The track was produced by JD aka Dready he has been working with artists such as Busta Rhymes and Estelle.

It was a track to let people know that Midas is still here. I recorded the track not so long ago funnily enough and I really liked it. I had to collect all the data from JD which was a bit of a nightmare cause he is always flying in and out of New York he must be clocking up the biggest airmiles on Virgin! haha.

So I had to work with another sound engineer and re-configure the data and re-vocal plus re-vamp the track. Then I was contacted by label called The Big Band Record Company which is an independant label who have known about me for quite a while and I told them about the project I wanted to do and they paid for the whole video. I also worked with a director called Sheridan Myers he is a really big director. He has done alot of big videos...the main one that comes to mind is Megaman and the Goodfellas video 'Getaway'. So he has that glossy sort of look in his videos that was something I wanted to incorporate in mines."

Mr Midas on the set filming club scene

6. Obviously, Dready..So Solid...What was it like working with him?

"To be honest with you it was crazy, how I first got in contact with Dready was through an artist called Baby Blue. I was doing some work with her, plus her and JD are quite tight. So she said that any artist that Dready wants to work with will have to send over a demo CD. Once I got it sent over, I did not hear anything for a long while so I didnt think anything of it. Then a few months later I got a phone call and picked up and a voice on the phone said it was JD which was a suprise although I did not recognise who it was on the phone straight away which was quite funny!

Ive got so much love for him cause he is one of the first big producers in the game that worked with me and took me to real shoot studios, he wasnt really caring about me not having a name, he was more focused on the talent. It crazy as well because his family is from the same place my family is from in Birmingham and he used to work in a record shop with my uncle and our families all know each other. But I did not want him to work with me on that route, but it was good that we realised that we more or less knOw the same people and mine and his family are connected. I know his mum and everything so it was like working with a family member."

7. The collaborations on your album, can you give us a run down of who will be featuring on your latest release?

"To be honest, it not too much based on the artist. But my album will feature Snakeyman, Blemish Blackstorm and quite a few singers. I worked with a new singer called Heather Jane...she is doing alot in the game. I didnt really want big name artists, although I do have quite a few big producers featuring on the album such as Sticky, JD, Self Talk, Richie Rich, Thomas Delaney who produces Shaun Paul and Ive got producers from Puffys label Bad Boy records. The beats that I have and the producers I hooked up with are crazy. They have all got strong names behind them, but I did not want it to be about the biggest artists you can get on the album. I personally dont think you should didtate your career based on who can make you been seen."

8. Will tonight be the last time your laying a track down in the studio for a while or have you got more hidden tracks to record?!

"It will never be the last day in the studio for now, the last day in the studio will be the day Im not longer on this earth (laughs). Ive got people cussing me saying 'blud, you aint listened to my beat yet!'. Ive got a collaboration that will be happing very soon which im very happy about which will be myself, Baby Blue and Clue from Goodfellas. Ive got songs coming out my ears that ive got to write to. But right now, my main focus is on the album, generating as much promo for the single and distinguishing and getting my fan base strong and allowing people to appreciate what Mr Midas is about."

9. ok cool, what do you think of the direction of dancehall in the UK, I know last year it was pretty big. What do you think about the direction its going in now, do you still think its still fresh?

"I think its weird cause the dancehall scene in the UK has always been a strange thing. I think we have had 2 dancehall scenes in the UK. We have like the main dancehall scene which is sort of underground that is all set via the raving scene and you have another scene which is more UK based on it. Its weird as I have always called myself a dancehall artist and I represent the dancehall music all day.

But i am not in the dancehall scene, Im not in either dancehall scene and I never have been. Ive never been in the underground deep dancehall scene, the biggest artists in that scene will be acts such as Tuggawar or Gappy Ranks. Then you have the commercial dancehall scene where you have acts like Maxwell D and Doctor thats because its more based on the funky sound.

For me it works perfectly, cause thats not my fan base as much as people in that scene appreciate me because technically what you can do is put me up against any MC and we will go bar for bar. No one can take my skill away, I am just as good as any other dancehall artist out there, but thats not where my fan base is because for me its all about songs thats all im interested in and thats why I have worked so hard on my album interested of throwing any song out there."

10. Who would you like to collaborate most within the UK music scene?

"I would like to work with Davinche, we have done a little something together but we havent worked together properly. Id also like to work with Sway, Ive very much about people energy as much as their talent. Ive worked with so much people in the scne. Id like to work with someone different as well, I would like to do a little collaboration with Coldplay and acts like that as I like all this transition music that is currently happening.

The title song of my album 'It only takes one moment' the chorus was done by an artist that was in the Musicool TV show with me called Darren Michelangelo Smith and he is straight indie and the song is amazing and I love that kind of transition music. I think thats what takes people forward."

11. Finally any shout out, is there anyone you would like to thank?

"Yep, everyone who has supported me throughout my career so far. I say so far cause what im doing now is all baby steps. Make sure everyone checks out my blog 'mrmidasonline.blogspot.com', make sure all of you follow me on Twitter which is 'http://twitter.com/mrmidasmusic'.

Big up The Scene Mag who has been supporting me throughout my career. Everyone just get involved and check out all the online medias, request my tracks on Flava TV and just keep showing the love and support! Peace!!"