Exclusive Interview with DM ASCENSION

The focus of DM Ascension is smooth jazz, lounge music, and chillout. New upbeat song “Kinetic” by DM Ascension, featuring Cicilia Kemezys on flute, is currently in production and is scheduled for release on September 1st, 2023. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

DM ASCENSION: It all started back in 2010 when I needed a jazz trio for a special event I was hosting in Canberra, Australia. Mike came highly recommended and after meeting Mike ahead of the event, I not only realized he was a great guy, but Mike was open and receptive to a diverse range of music styles and ideas we both resonated with that was really refreshing. So much so, I asked Mike again in 2013 to play for another celebratory occasion and after a hiatus, I met back up again with Mike in 2019 and approached him about an idea and concept I had for a chill-out track. A few sessions later and our debut track “Oceana” was born, and we’ve continued since.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

DM ASCENSION: Mike being the music extraordinaire he is having studied composition at the Sydney Conservatorium, including jazz and classical piano privately, he’s an accomplished pianist composer, songwriter, and producer in his own right. As Mike spent many years in Southeast Asia and the Middle East doing humanitarian work, Mike also had the opportunity to take in many of these influences, playing a lot of music wherever he would go. It was during Mike’s time in Lebanon, he became more acquainted with lounge and chill-out music which is still prominent throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East today. While I’m not an instrumentalist, I regard my upbringing and life-long love for music across several genres and these influences to have shaped and formed my taste and ongoing passion for music today.

3. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

DM ASCENSION: It’s the lament of every artist, musician, song writer I think; as Chris Coco brilliantly summed it up “you have to figure out a way to pay for all this self-indulgence – lol.” We consider ourselves blessed to be able to enjoy what we’re creating and we’re always looking forward to another project, another collaboration with an amazing artist and we’re always in awe of every performer we’ve been privileged and fortunate to have worked with so far.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

DM ASCENSION: The fantastic thing about chill-out, lounge and electronic music is the ability to sample or include smooth jazz elements. That’s something both Mike and I really like about these genre’s, and we greatly admire pioneering giants like Miles Davis, Steely Dan and others who made leaps and bounds back in the day that proved you can still create a popular record, maintaining a jazz sensibility while keeping up with the zeitgeist of the times. Tracks become imaginative landscapes that go from relaxing, with explorative electronic sounds, to upbeat and energy filled tracks like “Kinetic.” That’s something we have a keen sense of, we want our music to be an enjoyable journey providing the listener with catchy hooks and grooves they can listen to on repeat.

5. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘DM ASCENSION?

DM ASCENSION: Both Mike and I have been inspired from a variety of influences Miles Davis, George Benson, Earl Klugh and so many other artists and groups from a broad range of genres. Some of the strongest influences from an early age include Steely Dan, Sade, Grover Washington jr and more modern and contemporary influencers are Christopher Goze, Aandra, Lemongrass and St Germain. We came up with our name ‘DM Ascension’ as it hints at all things “deep and meaningful” with an upward trajectory. We’re all about chill-out, smooth jazz and have an enduring love for lounge music.

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as EDM?

DM ASCENSION:

I’m so appreciative of Mike’s expertise with such a diverse range of music and his ability to improvise and pick up on music styles so quickly, it’s really impressive. Mike’s experience and talent to incorporate various elements enables us to approach chill-out, lounge and electronic music confidently and seamlessly. As both Mike and I share a lot of similar music tastes and influences, we always take great pleasure in shaping and forming our own style and really enjoyed laying down a classic EDM beat with this latest track. Apart from chill-out, smooth jazz and lounge, I’m a big fan of house music and really liked the way it had an influence with this latest release. We always wanted to get Cicilia to play flute on one of our songs to showcase how awesome the flute is, and this was the perfect fit!

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

DM ASCENSION: Absolutely, we’re so grateful for the fulfillment and achievements we have attained so far. Both Mike and I really like collaborating and to have had the opportunity to have worked with legends like Miroslav Bukovsky who is an Australian national treasure, Dan Bray who takes his Sax skills and playing to another level, smooth lounge singer Jenayla and now Cicilia capturing the energy and incredible sounds you can hear on “Kinetic” is just astounding to us. I think that’s why we continue to do what we really enjoy doing, and others seem to like it too. I think in the future, we want to continue to provide, more instruments, more sounds and showcase so many talented artists.  

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

DM ASCENSION: As great admirers of chill-out, jazz, and new lounge, we love listening to both old and new releases in these genres to get inspired. We then start the creative process with a beat or tune in mind and develop from there. The remainder of each track is usually just as much of a discovery for us as it is for the listener. While we usually have an inkling for what instrument we want to feature at the beginning i.e., sax, flute, etc., the rest is innovation and crafted in Mike’s home studio. Its such a rich and rewarding experience, allowing the creativity of the music for each track to form and flourish on its own.

9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

DM ASCENSION: We’re deeply grateful for all the support we have and continue to receive from fans and new listeners as well as DJ’s, curators, and people inside the music industry who we have had the pleasure of working with who’ve all been incredibly kind. Our story so far has been a success, with our most recent release “Affinity” featuring ARIA award winning legend Miroslav Bukovsky receiving 3rd place for ‘Best Chillout Single’ by ‘One World Music Radio’ (OWMR). We were grateful for the placement, given the quality of music by some very well-known artists we were competing against. We’ve also had “Oceana” included on Brussels airlines VIP Lounge program, as well as making the top ’50 Indie Listener Chart’ for Smooth Lounge Global Radio and reached the ‘Top 100 Jazz iTunes Chart’ in Australia and Sweden.

10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

DM ASCENSION: We all know music is subjective and as Donald Fagen remarked in an interview when asked about Steely Dan’s influence on their audience quoting Wadsworth “you shoot an arrow in the air, where is falls I know not where.” I think most listeners understand our approach, like how I initially reached out to Mike to create our debut track “Oceana” taking its inspiration from the sea, after enjoying a holiday at the coast. That was the main influence; relaxing and dreaming of that place in your mind you love and can return to anytime you want to. We want to make music people will enjoy, an escape from the daily grind.

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