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Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

I’ve never been to Montreal during the winter, and I can’t imagine I’d last very long. But Prince Club has used the sub-zero conditions to his benefit, becoming a slave to the studio. When your job is to make music, being forced to sit inside and perfect your craft can be a blessing in disguise.

In addition to cranking out tracks for labels like Defected, Nervous and Toolroom, he’s recently been tapped to produce a rap album. Making a living in this industry can be a tough nut to crack, but Prince Club has capitalized on his repertoire and become a production powerhouse. For this edition of Metronome, he goes back to the basics and delivers a full-throttle house mix.

How have you been braving the Canadian winter?
To be frank, I don’t really get out of the house much in the winter. My studio is in my house, so I try to use the cold to my advantage [laughs]. Honestly, it’s been unbearable here, with a lot of minus-30-degree days. Apparently, it was the coldest month of February in over a hundred years for Montreal! But it’s not all bad for producers. It forces you to stay inside and make songs. I don’t know how normal people go out to bars and go on dates and stuff. Just going to get my groceries feels like a scene out of an arctic exploration documentary [laughs].

We’ve missed you here in L.A. Tell us the process about trying to come here to pursue a career music.
[Sighs] Los Angeles is the best place on earth for music, in my opinion. I miss it everyday of my life. I miss all of the people there, and also the vibe, the music, the weather, the ganja [laughs]. There’s something indescribable about L.A. Everyday, I would have friends come over, and we would make songs. I remember being in my room making music, and even though I was alone, I felt connected to the city and the world. It’s a very weird feeling.

Montreal is amazing, but it’s more of a village vibe since it’s so small. In terms of moving back to L.A., it’s a constant, ongoing process, since the permanent residency visa or work visas in my field are hard to acquire. But you can trust me: I’ll be back soon enough, and you’ll catch me having a coffee somewhere tropical and eating at some fancy food truck with Korean tacos.

I understand you’ve been spending a lot of time working with hip-hop artists lately. What’s that been like?
Yeah, I produced an entire rap album for some homies here! Honestly, it’s been awesome. I oversaw the entire operation, from production to flipping beats with their beat-maker to cowriting the lyrics to engineering and recording vocals. It was a big eye-opener in terms of what a product can and should be. Even though I’ve always made all kinds of music, it’s awesome because now these guys are on the radio here!

I’ve also been working and developing a singer who was on The Voice in Montreal last year. We just finished his EP, which is about to come out. There’s also this super talented DJ/producer from the city whose EP we are currently shopping to labels. Then there’s another pretty well-known DJ who I’ve also been writing tracks with. So, it’s been pretty intense, considering I’m always trying to make music for myself as well. But I can’t complain, because all these people trust me with their musical endeavors, and to be in that position is truly a blessing.

Who is inspiring you?
That’s such a tough question, but here’s a condensed list in no particular order: Max Martin, Mr G, Emile Haynie, MK, Poupon, Jermayne, 40, Boi-1da, Sonny Digital, Steve Albini, Masters at Work, Claude VonStroke, Andrew Weatherall, Shellback, Rami Yacoub, Benny Blanco, WondaGurl, Metro Boomin, Todd Terry, Andres, Moodymann, Brodinski, Pete Rock, Jai Paul, Maya, Binkbeats, Caribou, Shlohmo… the list goes on. Anything or anyone can inspire me—not just other musicians, but painters, filmmakers, street artists, or someone you just met at the sandwich shop. Everything is connected.

Tell us a bit about this mix.
Everything seems to be deep house or EDM or trap or techno, so I thought I’d just make a mix that would speak for itself; it’s just house music. A lot of stuff out there right now is very dark because people think deep means dark, but I don’t know if you can say that. Therefore, I tried to make a mix that was uplifting, energetic and bright. Of course, it has deeper, more techno moments, but the light always comes back. I’m kind of a big dude, and I tend to stay pretty positive. I think I know how to have a good laugh, so I try to play tracks that reflect who I am. So, whether it’s old, new, newer or unreleased, I’m just trying to play big, fun tracks that’ll show you a good time [laughs].

What’s next in the world of Prince Club?
I have a bunch of records coming out in 2015 that are already signed to labels, so I’m just waiting for them to get released. But I’m already working on new tracks—some of which are in this mix. I made a song with an awesome producer called J.u.D. from here in Montreal. Also, I’ve been working on a lot of other people’s records, but hopefully I’ll find some time to go out and play a little bit. And of course, there’s the never-ending quest to come back to California! Hopefully you like the mix, and I’ll see you at an upcoming Insomniac event!

Track List:

Curses “Slow Lights”
Sacha Robotti & Kevin Knapp “Thump Bumper”
Raffa FL “Super Jam” (Sven Tasnadi Remix)
Dodha ft. Robert Owens “No Vocals?”
Funky Green “Fired Up” (Murk’s Original Groove)
Javi Lopez “90s Wasted”
Little by Little “Bang the Box”
Prince Club “Everybody”
Duke Dumont “Mumble Man” (Vakkuum Remix)
Skudge “Below” (Boddika Acid Refix)
Randomer “Bring”
Pirupa “Get Lost”
Cristoph “Shelter”
Nice7 “Time to Get Physical” (Argy Remix)
Tilson & Diz “Desire”
Prince Club “Love Me”
4th Measure Man “4 You” (MK Dub)
Prince Club & J.u.D. “What I Need”
Eminem “Without Me” (Prince Club Kloob Edit)

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