DEREK PLEASE "FLAKES" VINYL RELEASE

2020 celebrates ten years since Derek Please (also know as Derek Murawski) released his debut album “Flakes”, with the single “Red Rover” topping out at #20 on the iTunes Dance chart. We caught up with Derek Please to discuss that time, the re-release of the album on vinyl, and his plans for upcoming projects.

You can buy “Flakes” and the single “Red Rover” on vinyl at DerekPlease.com. Listen to the latest single from Derek Please “Thunderdome” below.

(Melodic Noise) How is your day going?
(Derek Please) Alright, considering! Quarantine has us all a little stir crazy and bored, right?

(MN) For readers not familiar with your music, how would you describe it?
(DP) I would call it Britney Spears-meets-queer pop. A lot of my fans are Gen Z so I would say there’s some PC music vibes to it too. It’s a genre which uses Y2K era computer-like noises from top to bottom. There’s a lot of 2000s musical influence in there, really, but also Madonna and ‘80s pop as well.

(MN) What draws you to the more pop genre/what do you like about it?
(DP) I have always been really drawn to the escapist nature of pop music. I was bullied a lot as a kid, even for liking pop music, actually. It provides a positive mood by its nature, but can lend itself to other moods as well. Like Lana Del Rey, she’s definitely alternative but is also inspired by Britney Spears, so she brings that sad pop sound which I try to do in my slower songs too. A whole range of emotions.

(MN) It's been ten years since Red Rover went viral, can you tell me what it felt like to see it blow up?
(DP) It was crazy! I was friends with Shane Dawson for a few years before he featured it, and he has always believed in my vision and talents. Like, even when some old friends didn’t, I felt like I had him in my corner, creatively. So when I sent him “Winter” — a song which has a remix appear on the album — he was really honest and just said it wasn’t what he was looking for to put in his viral comedy videos. But when I sent “Red Rover” — I still have the email to this day! — he was super excited and was like, “now THAT’S it.” [Laughs]

(MN) What was that time like? Did you get a lot of attention from media or was it strictly a YouTube phenomenon?
(DP) You know, it wasn’t actually just YouTube. Like, once I played it at a party for a few friends and my friend Sam said he heard a DJ play it on their playlist. The Shane Dawson exposure got it to the Top 20 of the iTunes Dance charts in the US & Canada, plus a lot of other countries. So it got some mainstream attention. I talked to Madonna’s DJ Tracey Young about doing a remix, but I was just a college kid and couldn’t afford her. One of Prince’s favorite DJs Lenka Paris lives here in Minneapolis and was always so sweet, she told me she played “Winter” and “Red Rover” back in the day while I was hitting the books up in St. Cloud.

(MN) You only have the one album on streaming, did you put out a follow-up?
(DP) I haven’t done a second album yet, but when I do it will be under “Derek Please” instead of “Derek Murawski.” The last name can be cumbersome to learn.

(MN) What have you been up to in the last ten years?
(DP) A lot! College, relationship/engagement/marriage, grieving some losses, trying to find the right creative partners to do what I really want with multimedia. I feel pretty certain my new producer Creepain and I are going to do great things.

(MN) What do you remember about making the album "Flakes"?
(DP) This was myself and Seandroid, my friend Sean, doing the whole thing together on our Macs. Sending everything through the internet, over iChat (precursor to iMessage). Video calls, etc. Because the kicker? He lives in Canada. So we made the whole album together but still to this day haven’t met in real life!

(MN) Did you get a chance to tour based off the success of "Flakes"?
(DP) I was approached for some local gigs but I was really kind of chicken, like I chose school over fully chasing that music dragon in some ways. A lot of my music is intentionally heavy on AutoTune and it wasn’t as accepted or easy to tour like with that sound back then. I feel like now it would be seen as cool and even a little normal. Even Reba McEntire uses live AutoTune [Laughs]

(MN) What kind of performance did you do?
(DP) I did do one one-off performance in Texas via live-streaming. It was actually pretty cutting edge at the time. They featured it on the front page of what now has become livestream.com but back then was basically Twitch. It was the song “Winter.” The whole performance was set around a giant swimming pool and I had a dancer I hired via Craigslist kinda vogueing and vibing in the backdrop. I was lip syncing my little heart out just doing all the suggestive and funny things you could with a pool and some floaties.

(MN) What feelings and emotions are brought up by revisiting the music for the vinyl record release?
(DP) I think mostly pride, that I actually did it, both the album and the vinyl pressing. The fact that even though I’m a small artist, people still care and actually bought it 10 years later. Like, random people too, fans, not even friends and family — although their support too means everything, of course. It was humbling and cool. And it’s still for sale if anyone wants one!

(MN) How did the vinyl pressing come about?
(DP) My producer Creepain sent me a Christmas gift from Groovy Dude Records, this guy Ian who does vinyl on demand with his own equipment. I realized I could do it for much less of a price and still get a super high quality output, so I went for it and hopefully I can continue to sell them for a year or two.

(MN) I know you're huge into vinyl personally, what are some of the highlights of your collection?
(DP) Ooh, Madonna. I have most everything Madonna, including rare stuff. Britney Spears of course, but most of her pressings are from the past few years. A lot of cool imports from the UK and other places overseas. I enjoy hunting the rare things — but I actually play them, most people just let them sit and collect dust. What a waste!

(MN) I know you grew up in the Twin Cities, what makes it such a great and unique place for music?
(DP) Well, Prince of course is the biggest part of that. He is the King of Minneapolis even in death. Period! Purple music and the purple sound is just everywhere. Even my biggest influence Britney Spears is heavily influenced by P and has done songs inspired by him.

(MN) Who are some of your favorite local music artists?
(DP) Prince is my favorite, I got to see him and write a review shortly before he died, which is still surreal. Like, pinch me. It’s Prince! My friend got to say hi to him after the show, but apparently I was standing right next to them gazing out the window. Undiagnosed ADHD, methinks. [Laughs]

(MN) Who are some of your music inspirations and what about them inspires you?
(DP) I really love the women of pop, because they are underdogs but still do big things in this world of glass ceilings and ignorance. I also really love RuPaul, he inspires me because he’s gay and his music is huge. You can’t turn on TV without hearing things inspired by him and his music now a days. Catch phrases, beats, vibes. He did that.

(MN) Is there anyone you want to shout out or thank?
(DP) Definitely my producers Seandroid and Creepain, for making my dreams a reality. My influences, for existing. And my best friends and other homies for their support. And you, Andrew, for this interview and platform! Thank you.

Review and Interview by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Writer @PlaylistTC