The Magician's Voyage in Making New Album 'Voyage'
Written by Meagen Surowiecki on February 25, 2025
He has created musical gems throughout the past decade, he’s a creator in the studio and on the decks. He has made a following fanbase for over ten years developing a timeless signature sound. The Magician headlined Elsewhere Brooklyn for his album release tour, ‘Voyage’. His sophomore release album features an array of talent with artists like Jake Shears, NAMPA, MY BABY, Bipolar Sunshine, and Boy Matthews. Working tirelessly in the studio from different locations to expand the mind and creativity including Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Israel. Throughout the album, every melody, the compelling baselines, every riff and rhythm is every beat. The Magician put all his talent into delivering a masterpiece of a visionary album.
A shy DJ from Iraq started his career in the late 1990s, focusing on his music rather than his appearance. He gradually realized the importance of visibility and adapted his approach. In 2010, he adopted the DJ name 'The Magician' to reflect his style and concept. “I wanted people to see me for my music and not my face. I got the new name in 2010 in France in a bedroom, we like the room’s concept and the artwork. We're gonna do a quick little segment which then turned into a forever thing.” His production is inspired by different locations where he lived in cities, such as London for UK house music, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tokyo. “People thought I was doing a big performance doing magic music at the same time everywhere, but that would be amazing every time, right?”
I became a huge fan when I first discovered The Magician in his early career. From 2014 to 2017, I listened to a lot of deep house music. Discovering him was so exciting the genius lyrics, the vibrant melodies. I always made it out to his shows and events, I would say to my friends I would say everything he touches turns into magic, on the decks in the studio, he is a real magician! The Magician was always on my Spotify playlist. His smash hit at the time, ‘Sunlight’ featuring Years & Years is still one of my favorite all-time songs. It was a privilege and an honor to interview the talented artist.
Artist Interview Episode 008: The Magician
Creating the Album 'Voyage'
The new album 'Voyage', draws inspiration from various sources and aims to evoke positive emotions. “It took a long time to make the album because I'm not a singer, “ said The Magician while talking about the long process of creating the album. “It took ten different studios to make the album,” he replied. The fourteen-track album took almost two years to complete. “The different cities inspire me as well because I travel a lot and I love those cities like LA, New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.” Where he spent time creating the album ‘Voyage’ “I went on a long voyage to make ‘Voyage’ that’s how the album got its title.” He casually laughed, making the interview questionnaire more fun. His biggest single from the album ‘Melodic Avenue’ got many positive reviews from fans, press, and other artists in the dance music industry.
Listen to "Melodic Avenue" on the 'Voyage' Album:
After listening to the full fourteen-track album, each track demonstrates his love and passion for the '70s and '80s music with the futuristic style in vocals mixed with synthesizer instruments. The intro track ‘Together” is the stunning release of theatrical sounds of the journey listeners will embark on. The second track ’‘Superfly’ featuring Biopolar Sunshine is a vibrant and upbeat track with catchy vocals and a smooth mix of transitions from each sublime verse. The third track ‘ Knights of Heaven’ has hints of sounds from the ’70s and 80’s with the groovy synthesizer and futuristic elements. “I prefer creating upbeat and catchy music that makes people feel good. I'm all about the 70s and 80s, UK house, particularly house music from Chicago and Detroit in the mid-eighties.” - The Magician.
“It's a mix of that. I love the disco from Italy. It's kind of a feel-good trying to listen and drive down the Avenue in New York City. The album is about traveling to voyage the name and this tribe, this song is mainly about the New York City nightlife.”
The synthesizer was crucial in shaping both the musical and vocal crafting of the album. The title track "Voyage" is a sonic guide, immersing listeners in the album's signature sound and leading them through the heart of its musical journey. Track six, ‘USA,’ is another catchy and upbeat feature. Jake shears and channels The Magician's signature style, crafting an instant hit to sing. ‘Estate 1997 in Italia’ comes from the inspiration and love for Italy. Spending time in Italy while creating ‘Voyage’ and club vibes from the 80’s and 90’s fueled the track. “Life of the Party’ transitions into the 90s and current times enhancing with innovative vocals and lyrics. The final track, ‘The Magic’ featuring Sofiana Pamart, and Romuald is the perfect track to complete the album, with an acapella sound with the electric keyboard is simply magic to the ears.
The entire album is different from his previous years as an artist and DJ, however, it's a beautiful craft of artistry. The Magician envisioned and experienced different sounds and instruments. He fell back to his old roots, where he first discovered the sounds of electronic music, like disco and the synthesizer, and created his greatest masterpiece, 'Voyage'.
Collaboration Brings Life to Music
The album featured many talented artists, and throughout his career, The Magician collaborated with many different vocalists. “Working together and sharing ideas enhances the creative process,” says The Magician. The only struggle with collaborating with other artists is the time difference, which affects music production and collaboration. The one thing that The Magician loves about collaborating is getting different perspectives when listening to music in different environments.
“The more focus and get it out quicker and you know, it's easier to collab in making a record. It's a lot better. That's a good idea and then so after all, these years of being a DJ, how do you still stay so relevant.”
The Magician's career officially began in 2010, and for the past fifteen years, he has produced music, released albums, and toured the world. Maintaining relevance in the ever-changing music industry is a constant challenge, especially for DJs with over a decade of experience. These artists must continually reinvent themselves to stay current with evolving trends. This challenge is further compounded by the increasing difficulty of balancing family life with the demands of a DJ career as time goes on. “It depends on where we change the music evolved like this. It's not easy to keep the level so high, no need to reinvent yourself. I’m getting older it's hard to stay awake until 3 AM also it's part of the game. It's also nice when they interact with them and it gives me energy.”
Musician's Plan for Intimate Concerts
I asked The Magician what are his plans for 2025 and any upcoming projects or festivals and replied with more intimate concerts. The Magician plans to hold intimate concerts with a capacity of 200-300 people in Europe for 2025 goals. The concerts will feature the musician's music, which is not considered technically ‘club-friendly’. Despite that, he aims to keep the energy level high and maintain the crowd's dancing throughout the performance.
“So intimate with a small capacity of 200-300. I'm going to start that in Europe first in early 2025, and then we see how it all goes, but I might do this as well in the USA.”
The Magician is still on tour, delivering futuristic sounds from his album ‘Voyage’ plus his singular house style of sound.
Home Festival (Belgium) or USA Festival? I always love performing at different festivals in Europe but I love festivals in the USA. “ I think in Belgium in Europe, people say I have the American sounds.” I would say, USA Festivals.
“I also love performing at small festivals.”
Record solo record or collaborate? Collaboration
Final Thoughts
“I always say keep working, keep doing, but take the opportunity when you feel it's coming to leave it. I think it's always absolutely, even if you do a bad move at some point but then sometimes you meet new people that will guide you in a better direction.”
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