Lumen Spring 2021 - Flipbook - Page 25
“I remember my dad playing music from Phil
Collins to Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears and
Abba. The songs I’ve released more recently are
heavily influenced by the ’80s sound – I think
there is a big resurgence of it,” he said.
Having always been fascinated by international
relations and politics, Motez pursued a Masters
of International Business with the University of
Adelaide in 2011.
“Growing up in Iraq, in such a volatile
environment, you have to be aware of politics so
I wanted to study that a little bit more, and as I
also speak Arabic, I wanted to put a degree next
to it,” he said.
A passionate student, Motez thrived at
university.
“I really loved it because it felt like my brain
was active. I was in a class with people that were
praised and encouraged to be critical thinkers.
I excelled in the classes that had an esoteric
component and required a lot of critical
thinking.
“Two of my lecturers, Dr Olga Muzychenko
and David Pender, changed my life. They taught
me that sharing knowledge is exponential, and to
be curious about it.
“And I think that resonated in me a lot. There is
a power in exploring and understanding for the
sake of understanding. That has carried on from
my studies, to my everyday life, to my music as
well,” said Motez.
Throughout university, Motez remained
connected to music. He worked at a music store,
selling musical instruments and DJ’ed on
weekends. He felt himself gradually gravitating
towards the industry, and eventually released
a number of songs which gained a significant
amount of traction.
But it wasn’t until he received encouragement
and support from his parents that Motez
decided to ‘go for it’.
“I thought the dream of making music was
dwindling. I thought people would think who's
this migrant kid and how’s he going to make it in
the industry?
“It was staring me in the face for almost a year
and a half, but I was too scared to make the
commitment. I just kept thinking it was too good
to be true, until my parents told me to go for it.
For me that was the turning point,” he said.
Eight years later, Motez is showing no signs of
slowing down. He has released six EPs, played
multiple festivals including Splendour in the
Grass, Beyond the Valley and RCC, which was
held at the University’s North
Terrace campus in 2019 and 2020.
Coming full circle, Motez found himself playing
to a crowd of University of Adelaide students,
on a stage nestled between buildings where he
once studied.
“My classes were all over the place so I got to
see a lot of the campus. I remember a time in
the middle of one of my RCC sets, I found
myself thinking, ‘I used to sit in that building
and there used to be a coffee shop there that I
used to get coffee from’ which was very surreal,”
he said.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the
struggles facing creatives in the music and arts
industry, in 2020 Motez released his EP
Soulitude, a reflection on feelings of isolation
and uncertainty that many have experienced in
recent times.
“One of the tracks on Soulitude was about a
friend's mum who passed away in Iraq. I learnt
more about distance and the impact it can have,
knowing I couldn’t be there for my friend.
“I deal with experiences like that by making
music and I’m thankful that I could do that,”
he said.
This year, Motez released his highly anticipated
new EP ReSet, the ‘sister sequel’ to Soulitude.
The success of the EP has consolidated the
dance music producer as a favourite amongst
Australian audiences.
“ReSet is the darker, more rebellious sibling
to Soulitude. It's about turning the page, being
more defiant.
“I’ve found a new sound and a new voice. It
hinges a lot on nostalgia. Over the past year I've
looked back on my childhood and the music I
grew up with a lot, I borrowed things from that
time and put it into a modern context,” he said.
Now that he’s preparing to ‘reset’, the world is
his oyster.
“There’s never an end goal. The goalpost always
moves and I'm never, to my own detriment, ever
satisfied.”
PREVIOUS
AND THIS
PAGE
Motez in his
Adelaide studio.
ALUMNI MAGAZINE - SPRING 2021
23
