Ian Carey on Timbaland, Auto-Tune and Stateside Success

Ian Carey on Timbaland, Auto-Tune and Stateside Success

26 January, 2012 | 12.26PM

• Written by: BeatportElef
• Filed under: Videos: ian carey, rosette, spinnin, timbaland

Ian Carey brought in Timbaland for a rare guest appearance on his new single ”Amnesia” (Spinnin Records) featuring Rosette as the lead vocalist and with an additional verse from the rapper Brasco.

We spoke to Carey about the collaboration, the state of crossover dance music, and his own pop ambitions—read on for the interview.

How did you manage to hook up with Timabaland for “Amnesia”?

Well having moved back to the U.S. and having my original roots in the U.S. hip-hop scene, I know a lot of people in the urban music world in the States. It’s actually a small community, and I met his two partners in his production company, to whom I pitched the idea of a feature. Everyone was on board and it all worked out great. He loved the song, and that was really what made this happen.

What was it like to work with Timbaland? Was he in the studio with you, or did he just send you the vocals? And was it your idea or his to use the Auto-Tune effects on his voice?

Timbaland is a great guy, a bit of an eccentric for sure—aren’t all of us creative types, though?—but genuinely a cool guy to work with. We met in the studio and he did some things on his own as well, so it was a combination of both. As for the Auto-Tune, I think this is something that he is always using a little bit when he is doing “singing” type parts, and a bit was needed to give it the right effect, but to be honest, there was not that much applied, nothing like you might hear on some other “urban” records these days.

It was a great honor to work with Tim, because he was someone I always looked up to—I even used to think of him the Quincy Jones of the 2000s. It was especially an honor to have produced the track 100% myself and had such a great producer like Tim come and do a vocal performance and leave the production to me. I was really in awe at the thought of that.

You previously worked with Snoop Dogg – what are the main differences or similarities between him and Timbaland, as collaborators?

Working with Snoop was also really cool. I think the main difference is that Snoop does tons of features and does a lot of guest appearances, whereas Timbaland is very selective on his guest appearances. Tim is not the kind of guy that does stuff for money—he loved the track and that’s why he jumped on; we talked about this a lot when we were working.

There’s a massive hype around the Dutch house sound right now in America, particularly in the hip-hop and urban-crossover scenes. How do you feel about it, and where do you see it going? Have you had any interesting offers from other vocalists or rappers that want to work with you?

Yes that sound is big in the U.S. market right now. For me, some of it is cool, but I don’t see it going on like it is too much longer—a lot of it is starting to sound the same, and most of it has no “song,” just some noises and shouting. Unlike most “dance” producers I work also in songwriting and oversee the entire record, not just making beats on a laptop, but writing lyrics and melody, recording and producing vocals, doing the final mix-downs in a big studio, etc. These things I feel have contributed to my crossover/radio success. And yes, there are more big features already recorded and coming soon, and also some unknown but very talented vocalists I’m working with as well.

You’ve moved around quite a bit—from Maryland to the Netherlands, Spain and now Miami. How has that influenced your sound?

I grew up in the Baltimore/D.C. area where I first started DJing, then lived for eight years in Europe. Spending eight years in Europe during a time that dance music was very underground in the States—and even unheard of, to some—was very important to my sound. Back then, hardly any clubs programmed dance music in the U.S.; it was all pop, R&B and hip-hop. Living in Europe, where dance was the biggest sound in the clubs and on the radio, was a great environment and a bit more inspirational and encouraging. I moved to Miami two years ago, and now that dance is finally big in the U.S., I am very glad I made that choice. I have DJed in over 60 countries, so my sound is very global, but currently really looking at doing more in the U.S. market, and working to get the multi-platinum success like I have had in UK, Europe and Australia, here in the States.

Finally, what do you have planned for 2012? Any plans for an album?

Yes there is a studio album in the works as well as some more big collaborations; I’m also working on some more clubby stuff that may not have huge crossover success but will go great in the clubs and with the trainspotters. Also tons of touring, worldwide and here in the States, as well as really working on bringing my profile in the U.S. up to where it is in the rest of the world!

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