Canadian producer Myagi – aka Andrew Mavor – has, in a short time, gone from being a self taught bedroom producer to an A-list international party rocker. The past three years have seen him perform at sunrise in Australia, packed clubs in the metropolises of China, rock boat parties in the old heart of Paris, and even a set on a nude beach in California.

Known as the “Next Don of North American Breaks”, his tracks have appeared on compilations by UK scene heavyweights the Plump DJs, American hit makers Crystal Method, and even big beat boffin Fatboy Slim. He’s done remixes for indie bands and hip hop stars, as well as up and coming artists and stalwarts of the underground.

To celebrate the past three years of constant touring and studio work Myagi is finally putting out his debut artist album, aptly titled 3 Years of Sunrise. DJ Mag recently gave it 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it an “uplifting electronic masterpiece”. Myagi will be touring Australia in September to showcase the album.

You’ve got your debut artist album coming out soon. How exciting is it for you?

Very! It’s the culmination of about 10 years of studio work in a sense. My style and sound has, in some ways, come full circle and it’s been really fun to write this album as a cohesive whole.

What styles of music will the album incorporate?

It’s a pretty wide range really… there’s everything from deep, emotive dub style tunes and down-tempo, through to peak time electro house tracks, and also big psychedelic numbers. Breaks make a healthy appearance in many forms, but it’s certainly not an album that’s designed solely for the dancefloor. Lots of ups and downs, it makes a really good listen I think.

You are probably best known as a breakbeat producer, yet your music covers many styles. Is it hard to break out of the genre ghetto?

Sort of. It’s hard to have some pundits follow you out of it, that’s for sure. But to the average club goer genres are much more loosely defined than how most DJs or trainspotters would like to think. When I was younger I’d read interviews with DJs who said that they wanted their set to “tell a story”, and I’d assume it was just something people said when they wanted to sound much more deliberate and in control… as I’ve gotten older I’ve realised it’s pretty true. If you play a single style, you’re a playlist… as you move towards a more all-encompassing sound you actually have the opportunity to play by “mood” and you develop a sense of trust with the crowd. They trust you to keep delivering the goods, and you trust them not to leave the dancefloor if you put on something unexpected. It’s gotten a bit easier over the last few years as the death of the “genre” has made it a lot easier to play the kind of sets I’ve always enjoyed anyway.

This will be your fourth trip to Australia. What are your favourite cities to play in?

Melbourne for the win, for sure. It’s always been the most up for it and the attitude of the city itself is right up my alley. I’ve had many a good morning in Melbourne.

Where will you be touring to showcase the album?

So far it’s been China, Korea, Portugal, the USa and Canada, and Oz… I’ve got South Africa and Brazil on the chopping block as well, and a bit of an Eastern European leg later on in the winter – your summer. It’s great to get off the beaten path. Someone is actually working on a show for me in Mozambique, that would be a dream show for me!

Do you play similar live sets around the world or do you change it according to what country you play in?

It changes for sure. Some places have really specific preconceptions of what it is I play, and I can only push the boundaries so far without losing ‘em. Although usually I’m very lucky in that what I like to play simply “works” it can be hard to reconcile the “artist” who plays what he wants and the “DJ” who simply plays to the crowd. I’ve never had that problem in Australia thank goodness. It’s mostly in the UK. They like their borders well defined.

Tell us about your musical influences and what got you into producing music in the first place.

I didn’t have an option I don’t think. Teenage angst will find whatever outlet it needs to, and where I grew up it was hockey or music. I’m not joking. I was an ok athlete ages back, but music seemed the best way of expressing myself when I was in grade 10 or 11, and it’s always just stuck. I started using computers to write music when I was maybe 16, and it’s such a huge part of who I am now that I can’t separate “me” from the music. Influence wise, it was groups like NIN and Meat Beat Manifesto that got me into electronic music. I actually got into “breaks” after hearing a Freddy Fresh remix of a Meat Beat Manifesto tune, and so it’s always been a good feeling to come back to work with Freddy and other heroes I had during my musical gestation period. The Crystal Method remix I did and the one for Long Range – Phil Hartnoll of Orbital fame – will always be highlights for me as I started listening to their stuff so early in life. I can still remember walking around high school with Orbital’s “Snivilization” playing thinking I was cool as shit.

On a more personal note, you recently got yourself hitched. Is it difficult reconciling married life with constant touring?

At times yeah. I try to make it tough on me and not tough on my wife, in that if I’m given the option of longer flights or less profitable tours to get me more time at home, I’ll take it. There are points where it’s rough though. Oz is tough – impossible really – to do for less than 3 weekends, and that’s a big gap. I need to time other things around it accordingly. On the other hand, Heather couldn’t really be any more understanding than she is. I was doing this when she and I met, and that makes a big difference – we had to work around my touring right from the get go. It’s been something we’ve both lived with. She knows I love my job though, and has always made a point of making sure I don’t question it when it gets tough. It can be hard but I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.

You can catch Myagi in Australia over the following weeks:

5 Sep – Sydney @ Chinese Laundry
12 Sep – Melbourne @ Alia
13 Sep – Melbourne @ Screw Boat Party
19 Sep – Perth
20 Sep – Brisbane