Dan Ojeda, a bold DJ and producer from Sydney, Australia, makes his debut on the Stage Hoppers’s music blog with his latest release, “Knee Deep (Losing My Mind).” With a fresh perspective, this rising artist drops a serious tune to round out the year. From the start, a vibrant and irresistible groove lures the listener in while the focal point turns to the emotive vocals. The elated essence established by the vocals is further complimented by the bubbling atmosphere of energizing synths. The sleek arrangement effortlessly unfolds as Dan Ojeda shares his invigorating sound. The new release also includes a VIP edit, where Dan ventures deeper into the club scene with a boisterous bassline, darker tone, and sultry vibe. Through both versions, the artist traverses new avenues while maintaining the spirited nature of the vocals.
Regarding the road that led to “Knee Deep (Losing My Mind),” Dan tells us:
So it’s been two years in the making with this one. I kept going back to the vocal and thinking I need to do something with this. But then things just got busy with DJing and a tour. So then I kind of came back and was going through a bunch of old projects that I hadn’t touched since 2022 and I stumbled across ‘Knee Deep,’ but it actually used to be called ‘Falling for You.’ And I actually finished that demo within about two, three hours.
Well, that return led to his brand new original out now! Give “Knee Deep (Losing My Mind)” by Dan Ojeda a listen and check out our exclusive interview with the artist below.
Exclusive Interview with Dan Ojeda
What first got you into music, then more specifically Electronic Dance Music?
“Well, that’s a pretty loaded question. I got into music at a very young age, with a lot of Latin influences and then started playing in punk bands. Throughout high school, I was always a punk drummer and guitarist, and writing punk rock ballads, so that was probably the beginning of my music journey. “
“Then I sort of moved away from that when I first went clubbing. I fell in love with electronic music and it was history from there. My first ever festival was Sensation White in Australia. They had Deadmau5, Dmitri Vegas, Like Mike and a really big EDM lineup and that kind of solidified it for me. That’s what I want to do. I want to be a DJ, write music, you know, connect with people through art.”
What was the turning point where you decided you wanted to pursue EDM professionally?
“After I started clubbing, I always toyed with the idea of ‘how cool would it be to be the DJ?’How cool would it be to play this or play that?’ And there’s actually a festival here in Australia called Harbour Life at this venue on the Sydney Harbour, so you’ve got a full view of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, everything.”
“So it was Frankie Rizardo that was playing, and he played an old remix of “Down.” At the time, I didn’t know the song and it hadn’t been released yet. So for the next two weeks, I went searching for this record, trying to find it, looking through all these rabbit holes. And I was like, Oh, you know what? This is pretty fun. Like kind of looking and searching for music. I might stop talking about it now and actually buy a DJ controller and start learning and, and actually dig for music for myself. And I think that was a pretty pivotal point.”
When you perform as a DJ, what’s something you hope the audience leaves with?
“Well, I mean, there’s so many different types of nights and clubs that you can play at. I’ll give you an example. I recently closed for Armand Van Helden And that’s probably been one of my biggest gigs to date. Beautiful, best crowd I’ve ever played to. And all I did was just get up there and play some records I thought that they would enjoy. And afterwards people came up to me and they just said, it’s such a great vibe. That’s all I want from a DJ set. I want people to enjoy it, people to dance. And there’s all these other elements to it, but at the end of the day, the DJ is there to be the party. So if I can play to a crowd and I can see that the crowd is comfortable enough to dance with their backs to me, I know I’m doing a good job.”
With your music, how do you set yourself apart in the house music scene?
“I kind of struggled with this for a long time, where I was just making things that sounded like everyone else. But the way that I found to set myself apart was not to focus on it. I take my inspiration from very different things to other people. So I try not to focus so much on sounding different, more so just to be me and write whatever I’m feeling. Because one day I can write a pop house record, and it’ll still sound like me, and then another day I can write a complete tech house club banger that still sounds like me.”
After this release, do you have anything planned out for the rest of the year?
“I was going to take a bit of a break in December, but then I actually wrote a really cool edit of a Purple Disco Machine record. So I’m actually going to put that out as a free download on SoundCloud in December. But, then from January next year, my new year’s resolution or new year’s goal is to put out a new record every four weeks, to show people what I’ve been writing and not keep it all stuck on a hard drive.”
For our fellow Stage Hoppers and festival goers, what has been your favorite festival or show you’ve attended?
“As an Aussie in Sydney, it’s got to be Harbour Life and every year it has been amazing. Anyone that comes to Australia, I recommend going to Harbour Life. You have to see it. It’s definitely a bit of a spectacle and one of our most special festivals that we’ve got here, but the best festival I’ve ever been to has to be Defected Croatia. That was amazing. I remember seeing Nic Fanciulli there and that was the best set I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
What is your favorite guilty pleasure EDM song?
“Oh, I get teased a little bit about it, but my number one dream collab with a vocalist has got to be Zara Larsson and my guilty pleasure has got to be a ‘Symphony‘ with Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson.”
What would be your dream collaboration with another producer?
“Well, yeah, the vocalist would have to be Zara Larsson. I love her voice and I think that we could actually write something really great with her voice. But, producer wise, it would have to be Armand Van Helden. He’s just a genius with the amount of hits that he’s had. I’d love to just sit in the studio with him and watch him work and collaborate. But you know, someone in recent times that I’ve really come to enjoy and I think that our sounds would compliment each other would have to be Disco Lines, for sure.”
What is one sub-genre of electronic dance music you would like to explore further?
“I’d like to explore a little bit more of my techno side. I’ve written a couple of techno records and they stay on the hard drive just because obviously it’s not the sound. I don’t know, there might be potential for a techno alias one day and maybe even cross a little bit further into drum and bass.”
More about Dan Ojeda
Dan Ojeda, a Sydney-based DJ and producer, is turning heads with his invigorating energy and personal approach to house music. Shaped through formative years in the local scene with diverse musical inspirations, Dan has crafted a fresh approach to electronic dance music. Now, this powerhouse artist established in his local scenes aims to elevate to dance floors globally.
Dan Ojeda
In the local and underground scenes, Dan has thrived with his euphoric, club-centric house music. Having provided support for renowned artists such as Mark Knight, Roger Sanchez, John Summit, MK, Armand Van Helden, George Smeddles, Claptone, and Basement Jaxx, Dan has solidified his place in the EDM scene. His sets deliver unforgettable vibes allowing audiences to lose themselves on the dance floor.
Now, driven by a passion for innovation, Dan’s productions do not adhere to genre limitations. While his original productions and remixes span an eclectic blend of genres, his mission with music remains steadfast: to connect with people through art. As his career continues to unfold, Dan Ojeda is an artist to watch.
Connect with Dan Ojeda
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