From the bass capital of the world, Denver, Colorado, comes twins, Zach and Charles. Together they make up MZG, aka Monozygotic, an electronic dance duo. They are self-taught musicians from Jacksonville, Florida delivering killer bass and an infectious sound.
When living in Jacksonville, they were inspired by club music such as house, hip-hop, and Moombohton. After living there for a while they headed to Denver to further pursue their passions. Respect My Region had the opportunity to chat with the duo about Suwannee Hulaween tips, twin-tuition, and much more. Continue reading for the full interview!
MZG x Respect My Region Exclusive Interview
Photo by @franki3lee on Instagram
RMR: What made you decide to move to Denver and what’s your favorite activity to do there?
MZG: We moved to Denver to spread our wings. Denver is the bass capital as well as a mecca of the music industry. It seemed like the right choice. Also, we had connections in the area and really wanted to meet new people as well.
Our favorite thing to do in Denver has recently been hiking. We did a 5 mile hike near Boulder. It was awesome to see the foliage changing with the homies.
RMR: What sparked you to start making music together?
MZG: As kids we played orchestra. When Zach joined a band, that was also my introduction to music. He played festivals and I went to festivals. Zach was the guitarist and producing for the band. Then he left the band and we decided to make music together once we felt we were seasoned.
I didn’t want to join a band, I kinda just liked doing my own thing doing piano, producing, and being a DJ. I’d consider myself an Abletoneer! I took classes at Berklee’s music school in Boston and that propelled me farther down the music road.
RMR: What brought you to EDM?
MZG: We wanted to become a duo when it felt like we had reached a level to do well together. After starting our EDM journey in 2015, we have learned from the industry together. It felt like the right thing to do after we both had experience in our own areas.
RMR: What’s your favorite thing about performing?
MZG: I love being active and getting my heart rate up when I perform. We like to channel our joy into the audience to make the performance special. It’s important to us that we share joy with the world in our music.
RMR: Do you have any special traditions before doing a show?
MZG: Sushi and saki. We eat together to get our energies aligned to perform better. In the past, we’ve been to a dinner with a bunch of people or do separate things before performing together. It was harder to understand each other in live situations because we didn’t feel in-sync.
RMR: How do you guys play together? Is twin intuition real?
MZG: It’s like synchronized swimming. Funny enough sometimes we end up dancing the same way on stage, but it’s not because it’s rehearsed. When it comes to the technical handlings we toss it back and forth between beat matching and adding effects. There really isn’t any ball-hogging.
It’s called twin-tuition! And it’s real to a certain extent. Real, because we are twins and we can anticipate each other’s thoughts sometimes with a look. But we also spend a lot of time together so I just know Zach really well. The twin thing makes it more mystical than it is, just like you know when your bestie wants to leave a party with a look.
RMR: What would be your dream venue to perform at?
MZG: It would be amazing to perform at the Gorge Amphitheatre, Red Rocks, and Greek Theatre in CA. It would also be cool to play at Madison Square Garden. MZG at MSG.
RMR: Who would you like to collaborate with?
MZG: It would be really interesting to work with Jamie Jones and Reggie Watts. Oh and working with TroyBoi would make 23-year-old Charles as happy as it would now.
RMR: What would you tell yourself if you could go back 5 years?
MZG: Chill out and don’t worry so much! Also, always put out good energy. I’d show myself the Lisa Simpson meme that reads, “everyone that died on Mount Everest was once a highly motivated individual.”
RMR: What do you consider as your best ideas?
MZG: It’s funny because sometimes what we like versus what our audience finds the best differs. Some could say “Boolin” is our best song because of the numbers. We make music for ourselves and throw it out into the world. We don’t have expectations for how our audience’s react.
RMR: What inspired your most recent project?
MZG: Our most recent project is called “Beat Treatment” and we made it during COVID. After a show at Suwannee, we felt like we were riding the high of the show. Then came immediate panic and despair because of what was happening all around us. The song was made to treat and sooth ourselves with beats. We wanted to give people a break from the world around them.
You can look back in history and draw the same parallels from then and now. COVID caused a lot of harm mentally and physically on this world and I think now we’re kind of easing out of it all differently. We have learned how to pivot and be able to make money at home while a plague is going on.
RMR: What are you most excited for at Suwannee Hulaween?
MZG: We love playing at Spirt Lake Stage! We’ve played every single Hulaween since their inception, but not as a DJ every time. Both of us have performed there separately. We love the Hulaween team and always try to deliver for them because of how well they treat us.
RMR: Do you usually hang out at festivals afterward?
MZG: Yea! Suwannee lake is a special place to us because it’s where we’ve grown up musically. We have a local audience that has seen us grow and play.
RMR: What would you tell someone going to Hulaween for the first time?
MZG: Pack for the cold! The Spirit Lake Stage is fantastic. The whole park is a big circle and is centered around the lake. If you get lost it’s easy to find your way. I recommend you take a stroll in the morning to help you see better at night, and maybe get a map. The signs are good, though.
RMR: Where can people find you online?
MZG: You can find us on MZGmusic.com! It has the Instagram and everything. We post a lot on our Instagram and Twitter.
Connect with MZG
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
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