Though established in the EDM realm, Michaël Brun‘s growing catalog is better encapsulated within global spaces. And who he puts on for is unmistakable: Haiti.
“I feel so blessed for the life that I have. Opportunity is very rare. There is so little representation of the amount of talent, beauty, culture, and importance of the island,” the Port-au-Prince native explained on Zoom.
With production credits on Grammy award-winning albums, remixes for Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Tiësto, and Avicii, and collaborations beside artists like Mr Eazi, Ed Sheeran, and J Balvin, Brun is a force hiding in plain sight. As a DJ-producer and entrepreneur, his transnational Bayo block parties have not only shared the artistry of his country but gave back to locals through separate charitable initiatives in times of need.
Above all, he is purpose-driven. “Charge It,” Brun’s latest single with Jozzy, Masego, and Bayka, is making waves throughout the Caribbean in preparation for his debut project under Astralwerks. The Knockturnal caught up with the international star to discuss how his music bridges genres, the ways he believes colonialism impacted his production, and what the future holds. See what Michaël Brun had to say to his listeners during our exclusive interview.
Photo: Nayquan Shuler
The Knockturnal: Your music has a global appeal. Why is well-rounded production important to you?
Michaël Brun: In terms of production, it is usually the dressing for how you present an idea. The way I approach production is to find the simplest way to get the idea across to listeners. In terms of my global reach and getting things across cultures, I think there are often similarities — in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and anywhere else, [you can find interconnectedness]. So, my version of an idea allows relatability. People can connect to it even if there are language barriers or nuances.
The Knockturnal: When did you know music was your purpose?
Michaël Brun: I think that is an evolving answer. There were points in my childhood when I started playing instruments. I began playing the piano really young. I was 6. Then, I started playing guitar at 15. I took an interest in singing and then came production and DJing. At all those points, music was a hobby. But I loved it.
In terms of my career, over the last few years, I knew! I connected with music in the past 4 or 5 years and saw its global reach. I started working with huge artists around the world. I put out mixtapes and albums. Music has been around since I was a kid, but also this morning, when I woke up, I thought, “I really love making music.”
The Knockturnal: You acknowledged that you are a multi-instrumentalist. Do you think that enhances your production?
Michaël Brun: It definitely does! I will also say that I play instruments in service of production. I do not necessarily play instruments for live shows anymore. Any instrument you give me, I will find a way to make it work for my production.
Knowing how to play the guitar and piano helps. A lot of instruments work similarly. If you know those two, you can experiment with others. They have allowed me to play the bass. It enhanced my percussion, etc. So, it is very helpful.
The Knockturnal: You spoke to CNN about the cultural link between Africa and the Caribbean. Please explain how this impacts your music.
Michaël Brun: The culture in Haiti is ingrained by the culture of West Africa. In the same way, a lot of the Caribbean and Western world have influence and cultural links from Africa. So, studying the history of where I am from [is enlightening]. I am half Guyanese and half Haitian.
There are many ethnic, cultural, and religious links between what happened in this part of the world and the mainland: Africa. I had to learn about different parts of Africa because of how colonization and immigration happened. It is beautiful to have studied my history. It has allowed me to connect with other histories in the process. It makes the world feel smaller.
The Knockturnal: Describe your experience collaborating with Bayka, Masego, and Jozzy for your latest single, “Charge It.”
Michaël Brun: That experience was fun because I got to work with Bayka in Jamaica. We were in Kingston. We had a house set up, and it was great because I got to meet him there. Masego has become a really good friend. We worked in many cities, including Miami, New York City, and L.A.
His part of the song was recorded at his house in Los Angeles. Jozzy was in New York when we recorded her hook. I think she is incredibly talented. Everybody on the track is, and they brought great aspects of their sound and culture to the mix.
The Knockturnal: It is interesting that this song was recorded in separate cities.
Michaël Brun: Yeah, that is a lot of my new project. The project I am working on is global. I’ve had a lot of travel. It has been fun putting together music in that way.
I will have an hour session here. We get a shot to put something down, and then 6 months later, I will meet someone else. I say, “You know what? You should be on this song.” That was how “Charge It” happened [Laughs]. Those artists did not connect before this point.
The Knockturnal: Savannah Baker directed the “Charge It” music video. Her portfolio is extensive. How were you introduced to one another’s work?
Michaël Brun: So, my label brought me her. They have been doing such a great job. They bring me different creatives from around the world. Savannah’s creative direction, photography, and video were cool.
I liked the first idea that she sent me for the video. I am glad we got to work together. I was in Jamaica a couple of weeks prior. So, she sent me things remotely. It was really great to see the final product of the video.
The Knockturnal: Even with you being remote, how involved were you with the creative direction of this visual? In advance, do you help with the treatments? What does that process look like for you pertaining to your music at-large?
Michaël Brun: Yeah, with everything on a project, I will have a general idea of what I want to see. For this one, I wanted to see her interpretation of “Charge It.” In the song, every artist has a different lyric or concept of what [that means].
So, I wanted to see what that looked like for Savannah. The concept of the twins, dancers, leads, and transitioning from day to night came from her. I thought she had a cool and original idea.
The Knockturnal: I think allowing autonomy with your collaborators is great. You hear different answers when it comes to that, depending on the artist.
Michaël Brun: Yes!
Photo: Nayquan Shuler
The Knockturnal: My introduction to your music was your remix of Calvin Harris’ “Thinking About You.” Since then, you have released a slew of singles and Lokal. What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned throughout your journey?
Michaël Brun: Oh, yeah! There are a few. I really loved that “Thinking About You” remix, by the way. It was cool to see Calvin Harris at Coachella again.
The Knockturnal: I attended Weekend 2 of Coachella. He went on super late, but it was worth the wait.
Michaël Brun: Yes! He is great. He has definitely inspired me a lot to do what I am doing now. I think one of the lessons I have learned is consistency. That is incredibly important as you are creating. Even with “Charge It,” that song came together in increments.
The hook of that song had been done a year before I recorded Bayka’s verse. There were so many points [that may not have come to fruition] if I had not been traveling consistently, doing the work, and getting people to create. In a career like music, the only way to connect, where so much of your success and worth is based on the last thing you released — which is pretty wild — is to [keep working]. Even though I think your catalog is so important!
To me, the most important part is the entire catalog. Again, to the general public, so much is based off of the last thing that you released. Even in how you create your art, it becomes much more of a flow state. And then the less you have to think, “How do I get inspiration?” You allow it to be created once you have a setup that works for you.
Also, you have to believe in yourself. Everybody has a vision that is specific to them. I have learned that people will have different visions you might not understand. Still, it can connect with others and become something. So, I never ever, ever rule anybody out!
Anything is possible if someone believes in themselves and has a strong work ethic. I have seen it happen so many times. People do not believe in something, and then it explodes. Then those people say, “Oh, yeah. I always liked that.” It happens so often [Laughs]. That is a lesson. You have to trust your gut and work as hard as you can.
The Knockturnal: What does Haiti mean to you?
Michaël Brun: Haiti is home and a huge motivator for my work. I make music because I love it. I love that I can reach so many people with this passion. On a deeper level, I am one of the few Haitian artists that has gotten to this level. I have been on Grammy-winning albums and played some of the biggest shows in the world. I have collaborated with all these amazing talents.
I feel so blessed for the life that I have. Opportunity is very rare. There is so little representation of the amount of talent, beauty, culture, and importance of the island. I believe with my platform and the things I create, it becomes a direct responsibility for me to pass that on. I create bridges and bigger opportunities. I can represent the country at this point, and a lot can be done to see more artists thrive.
The Knockturnal: In the past, you have been vocal about the political climate of your country. What is your hope for the future of Haitian natives like yourself?
Michaël Brun: I hope there are more success stories in the arts and across industries. There are so many incredibly talented and brilliant people from Haiti. I have met people in my country and the diaspora, whether in the U.S., France, Canada, or the U.K. We are all over the world.
I would also love to see Haiti find peace and stability. That has been a constant flux throughout my life. The country is beautiful, and the culture is so rich. The fact that the world can’t appreciate it yet is bad.
Photo: Neil Favila
The Knockturnal: So, what would you like listeners to know about the beauty of Haiti’s culture?
Michaël Brun: I think with all Caribbean cultures, [people are] very happy. Also, the sounds, food, storytelling, art, and different things we create are from a fusion. The culture is a part of African heritage, but it is also Taíno and [Indigenous]. It is also Spanish, and French-influenced. Then there are elements of English. There are so many influences because of what happened throughout colonization over hundreds of years.
We have a melting pot of these cultures. Experiencing that is important. I think that is significant because so many people are immigrants right now. Right? Basically, everyone at this point is an immigrant. Can we agree?
This country is based upon so many forms of immigration, whether it was forced or voluntary. I think it is important for us to understand and know Haiti’s history and the colonization of the entire Western Hemisphere, too.
The revolution on the island led to other revolutions, including in South America, Central America, and different parts of the Caribbean as well. There are iconic stories from over the decades. I believe they are powerful. I think outside of music — it is important for people to know.
The Knockturnal: I appreciate this answer. My family migrated to New York, and I have previously documented a few correlating stories, including some of your island’s history. You seldom hear musicians openly speak about those things. Kudos to you.
Michaël Brun: No, thank you. I think it is just about knowing. Right? I did not know about much of this stuff until people taught me. As I learned more, I had smart people to share history and culture with.
There are even links between the Caribbean and the things happening in Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. So many different mixes of our culture are unclear to people. So, I try my best to keep that in conversation and the music [Laughs]!
The Knockturnal: Who are your top three musical influences?
Michaël Brun: Man, that is such a tough one. I will say the top three that pop into my mind. Celia Cruz, because I was talking about her last night. She’s iconic. Tabou Combo is a really incredible Haitian kompa group. Quincy Jones! Yes, Quincy Jones for being…
The Knockturnal: The GOAT?
Michaël Brun: Literally, yeah [Laughs].
The Knockturnal: I interviewed Oxlade a few months ago. You and he recently wrote your single, “Clueless,” together. What was your studio session like for the song?
Michaël Brun: The session was in New York. He had come to the States for the first time. We had been talking already on Instagram DMs. I genuinely think he is one of the most talented artists I met in my life. His vocal range and songwriter process are really special.
So, we made “Clueless” on guitar. It was an acoustic song in the beginning. I ended up doing the production way later. We wrote the song in 30 minutes, and the final production came a year after. He is incredible. We kept in touch. Now, we’re friends. I believe he is a superstar.
Photo: Nayquan Shuler
The Knockturnal: I tend to look up song credits. I see that you typically have a hand in writing songs. How important is that to you?
Michaël Brun: I think it varies from session to session. I think of the first question you asked me about production. At the core of every incredible song is the most stripped-back version of it. Even without the songwriting, it is there where you can put an idea together. That is probably the most important part, to me.
Production just dresses that part up. It can be an Afro-Pop, reggaetón, kompa, or house song. It could go between 20 different genres with the same vocals or ideas. Ultimately, what is the most powerful is the core song ideas and melodies… I want songs to feel like global bridges.
The Knockturnal: You performed at Coachella in 2014 and returned this year during Weekend 1 of the festival. How did it feel to be on stage?
Michaël Brun: I loved it! I missed it. In 2019, I was on the main stage with Mr Eazi. That was less of a DJ set. We have a song together. Coachella is such a cool festival. It is the only festival where there are genuinely 7 or 8 genres happening simultaneously.
The Knockturnal: What should your fans be looking out for this year?
Michaël Brun: There will be a lot of music, new shows, and also more production. I have worked with many artists across genres around the world. You might be surprised when you listen to a song and then check the song credits [Laughs]. I have a feeling in the next couple of months, people are going to do that.
The Knockturnal: Concerning your legacy, how do you wish to be remembered?
Michaël Brun: I hope I am remembered as somebody that tried to connect the world in new ways. I believe that I am a positive force for change. I try to do community projects, whether at my block parties with different types of artists or in the music. You find peace and happiness.
With my music, artists come together in a way you might not expect. To me, those experiences reflect my upbringing. My island’s heritage is so mixed. I have so many different ethnic backgrounds. They make up who I am.
In the same way, my music is a fusion of this. I hope my legacy will be one of positivity, joy, and global connection. The last thing I hope for is to make humankind better! I want to leave an impact on the world that helps people outside my music.
