Get MAD with day none!

Working in his domain as an engineer, Sam Ghobril combines his passion for what he does with his passion to produce music to become day none. If you’re a believer in the Lebanese music scene and a music lover, you will want to read on and get to know more about our latest MAD talent Sam and day none!

So, tell us a little about yourself: what do you do and how did you start playing music?
I’m currently an engineer working at Anghami and I’ve always been pretty involved with technology. When I was in high school, I discovered that I could combine my passion for tech with my passion for making music (having been a classically trained pianist). I first began messing with Logic Pro, a digital audio workstation, until eventually turning to Ableton Live, another kind of audio workstation and sequencer, and really diving into the possibilities of that piece of software.

Your life is very tech-oriented, so why stick to the same pattern and choose electronic music?
I feel that it began because of my familiarity with technology. It allowed me to quickly begin seeing my ideas turn into songs. Also, electronic music allowed me to make songs using nothing but my laptop if needed, which is hugely liberating. However, a lot of what I do relies on organic sounds and “classic” instruments. I record a lot of guitar, piano, and ukulele sounds that I play into my laptop, as well as a lot of random organic sounds such as environmental sounds, doors, tools, and more, manipulating them into something that’s sonically pleasing.

What does the name “day none” refer to/how did you come up with it?
It came from my frustration with delaying things until the first day of the week, month, year, etc. I realized that that never really justifies anything and all I have at every moment is now.

Who inspires you when making music and what’s your creative process?
Some of my favorite artists that I always refer to are Nicolas Jaar, Jamie xx, Four Tet and DJ Koze. I feel the emotions they’re able to convey through sound to be truly inspiring. I also love drawing inspiration from different forms of art, mainly modern art. As for my creative process, it involves a lot of experimentation. I could start with a sample from vinyl or a synth sound that I create, or maybe even a drum pattern, and then the track grows organically from there.

What’s your biggest fear and your biggest accomplishment so far?
My biggest fear is that my improvement stagnates. So far, listening back to older tracks of mine, I always notice an improvement and that really keeps me going. I don’t want to reach a point where that’s not the case. As for my biggest accomplishment, I’m not really sure, but the simple fact that I’m still making music and still performing is something that I don’t take for granted, and I just wish that nothing forces me to stop pursuing that passion.

What do you have to comment on the music scene in Lebanon and being a part of it?
I feel we have a lot of really great artists, and a lot of innovative music being made. However, I feel artists need more platforms to be able to reach wider audiences. I’m sure there’s a lot of music that we don’t get to hear simply because there’s no spotlight on these creations, or because some musicians have given up in frustration.

Where do you see day none and yourself in the near future?
Ideally, I hope to be able to reach a point where I can sustain myself through my music, be that through DJ gigs or a reasonable record label deal. In the very near future, I hope to be throwing a release party for my upcoming EP, and that I’m able to make the EP what I envision it to be.