Interview: London Based EDM Producer Zight Talks About His New Single/Video "Number One"
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“As a musician from Hong Kong, I hope to bring some fresh air into the city, bring some fresh air into the lungs of the corpse. It ain’t easy but it is what I’m trying at this moment.”
Congratulations on the release of your awesome new single/video "Number One"; tell us about your creative process for the song itself and who directed the visual.
Thanks! As a “number one” Formula racing fan, you know, I’ve been watching cars sprinting and turning around race tracks since I was a kid. My father once took me to a Grand Prix in Melbourne many years ago. I can never forget that feeling. Cars roar across my ears like thunder, which became an essential inspiration of the song “Number One”.
It took me 5 months to finish the song. And then we have the brilliant Indiana singer Adam Christopher. The music video took place in Winton Motor Raceway, coincidentally in Melbourne. Directed by Brad Day, I’d say “Number One” made the kid’s dream come true.
When someone listens to or watches "Number One" for the first time, what do you want them to take away from the experience?
Well, I hope this song, the music video arouse some memories of yours about Formula racing.
In some countries the Grand Prix was canceled during the pandemic and people are forgetting it. As I know the championships are coming back this year. Maybe it’s the time for us to experience that feeling again, seating and enjoying the show in a real racing circuit.
Will "Number One" be featured on an upcoming EP or album you have in development? Also, what can we expect next from you musically?
I have no plan for an album yet. However I’m working on the next EDM project, named “City Lights”. Inspired by neon lights and towering buildings in Hong Kong, there is a line in the song --
“Dancing in the night, we are shining like city lights. Fire in your eyes, shining bright in the sky”.
I hope listeners will get to feel the unique vibe of city lights and neon signs in Hong Kong listening to this song.
As a producer, what software/hardware do you usually use to create your music?
Ableton Live, with an AKAI keyboard. That’s it.
What led you to move to London, and how would you compare the electronic music scene there to Hong Kong?
I spent a year in London, mastering my production skills. And then I returned to Hong Kong in 2021.
Literally, there is no EDM music scene in Hong Kong. The music industry (what we call Canton-pop) has been struggling like a walking dead (zombie) since the sunset of CD sales. Music has not been evolved for so many years, even the kids in school get so addicted to Harry Styles & BTS, but they never listen to Canton-pop songs.
A recent singing competition restricts candidates to perform in Cantonese. Sadly what we hear in the television are songs from the 80s and 90s. Nothing new from 00s and afterwards.
As a musician from Hong Kong, I hope to bring some fresh air into the city, bring some fresh air into the lungs of the corpse. It ain’t easy but it is what I’m trying at this moment.
With "Number One" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2022?
Besides “City Lights”, I’m working on another single, collaborating with a producer. I know pretty well how to work with singers but honestly this is the very first time I collaborate with a producer from another country.
There are some conflicts between different ideas so that’s something I’m still learning. No big goals this year but I hope to finish and release this single by the winter.