Morgin Madison’s upcoming album, “Odyssey,” marks a new chapter in his musical career, showcasing his growth and evolution since his debut album “Living the Phantasm.” Released during the lockdown in 2020, his debut album catapulted him into unexpected fame, resulting in an intense and rapid immersion into the music industry. “Odyssey” reflects his journey over the past three years, capturing the highs and lows he experienced and illustrating his renewed passion for music.
In this interview, Morgan Madison discusses how “Odyssey” differs from “Living the Phantasm” and the influences that shaped his new sound. He credits artists like Kaskade, Eric Prydz, and John Summit for inspiring his latest work. He explains how his new album incorporates elements from various genres while still retaining the nostalgic essence that first brought him recognition. Madison emphasizes that “Odyssey” is a personal project, delving into his own experiences and emotions during significant change.
Madison elaborates on how the new album embodies his journey of self-discovery and acceptance. He candidly shares the mental challenges he faced, transitioning from isolation to intense touring and the pressure of living up to his teenage dreams. “Odyssey” serves as a testament to his resilience and growth, capturing the complexity of his emotional landscape. Through this album, Madison aims to connect with listeners on a deeper level, offering a collection of tracks that are not unique but also meaningful, reflective of his artistic evolution.
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1 – How does “Odyssey” differ from your debut album “Living the Phantasm”?
When I made “Living the Phantasm” it was lockdown 2020 and I had actually decided on quitting music entirely. It was a “what do I wanna say before I go” moment.
Then it unexpectedly got signed by deadmau5/mau5trap, which threw me into a world of touring and everything that I never thought I’d get to experience. I was super lucky and it was a blessing, but I wasn’t mentally ready to go from nothing to everything like that. This new album “Odyssey” is about my life in the 3 years since then. All the highs and all the low’s. It’s an album about finding my sense of self and genuine passion for music again through all the noise.
2 – Which artists have influenced your sound on this new album?
Honestly a lot of Kaskade and Eric Prydz. The stuff that got me started. I also love how John Summit has somehow made big prog house anthems cool again the last 2 years. He’s also been fusing a lot of genres, which I also like to do. I think my listeners can hear that my music is heavily informed by nostalgia of that golden era of EDM from 2010-2013ish. Big synth melodies and bass lines. This album retains that nostalgia-infused sound that put me on the map, but pushes the envelope forward in a lot of unexpected ways.
3 – You mentioned the album reflects your personal experiences over the past few years. Can you elaborate on that?
With my first album in 2021 I went from complete lockdown isolation to being on the road and putting out music constantly, and playing every dream venue that was on my bucket list. I went from being nobody and having given up, to doing all this stuff basically overnight, and everything I dreamed as a teenager came true. It threw me off-center mentally. Sometimes you get what you wish for and it doesn’t always feel how you think it will. It’s important to recognize that.
In 2023 it came time to make what would become “Odyssey”, and I funneled all of those lessons and emotions into it. It’s an album about accepting who I am, not who I think I should be. I took the time to sit in the discomfort I felt, and create something new that was genuine instead of piecing it together from the pressure of the EDM grind. I’m so happy this album exists and I’m even happier about the lessons I learned making it.
4 – What were some of the high points and low points that influenced this album?
So from late 2020 to 2023, every big achievement or gig was followed by an equally big dopamine dump for me. I work really hard on my music, but I genuinely didn’t think I deserved the opportunities being sent my way. It all started to manifest in waves of depressive periods, which I’d then find my way out of by pushing myself too hard to the next step… the next song, the next big look or whatever. And I would sort of have a mental cycle like that. I felt a lot of inward pressure to live up to my teenage dream which I had sort of lost hope for by the time it actually came true. I felt empty and stressed out, but obligated to continue at 100% effort.
5 – How do you ensure each track on the album maintains its uniqueness while contributing to the overall theme?
Good question! I play around with a LOT more genres on albums than I do with singles, so it is tough. On “Odyssey” there’s progressive house, ambient, downtempo, tech trance, breakbeat, and even progressive trance. I usually trust my habits of sound design and song structure to tie everything together with a sonic theme. From there I usually try to build an ebb and flow into an album so it doesn’t feel lopsided. If there’s a banger, I try to follow it up with something more intimate or passive that tries to achieve something different than the previous song.
6 – How do you feel about the transition from Deadmau5’s mau5trap label to Enhanced Recordings?
I think both labels are strong in their own ways. I spent a solid 2.5 years on mau5trap and I love that team, but when 2023 hit, I felt I was starting to stagnate with my sound a bit. I wasn’t pushing the boundaries. When I sent Enhanced “From The Start” back in late 2022, we all sort of clicked on my vision for a new kind of progressive house. The rest is history and the transition was really smooth.
7 – What has been the most rewarding part of your musical career so far?
Playing Red Rocks with deadmau5, Kaskade, and NERO for 2 nights. That’s all my biggest idols in one show. It’s hard to even describe how euphoric that was. They let me play a set true to myself instead of a typical opening set too. I can’t thank them enough. It was incredible and I felt rea
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