You know what true magic is? It’s the rush of elation you experience on the dance floor. It’s looking into a stranger’s eyes at a festival and knowing you’re cut from the same cloth. It’s hearing a funky bassline and knowing instinctually what to do with your hips and your hands and your feet, closing your eyes and letting go completely, lost in a moment in time and space.
Los Angeles superstar producer Dillon Francis has seen this magic at work with his own eyes, and it’s the abracadabra at the heart of his mixtape Magic Is Real. The EP captures all sides of the man, from his hyphy heights to soulful dance-pop ballads with plenty of moombah madness along the way.
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He’s teamed up with heavy hitters from across the board, with features including fellow producer Nitti Gritti, pop singer Vera Hotsauce, Trinidadian raga socca singer Bunji Garlin, NoLa bounce queen Big Freedia and Dutch DJ duo TV Noise. We caught up with Francis on the eve of the EP’s release to get the full breakdown and premiere the rainbow-sparkle lyric video for the single “Barely Breathing.”
1. “DFR”
This track kicks it off right, and I don’t really know what else to say. I wanted to make a song that was just full-force energy throughout the whole song, and this really does it. The second drop is mint in my opinion – but I’m just the guy who made the song. Go listen to it yourself.
2. “Salsabahton (Shake That Booty)” feat. Nitti Gritti
This was an old song I was working on for ages but just never felt was fully done, and when Nitti Gritti and I got in the studio, it all clicked in one day. This song just makes you want to dance – period. That’s what we wanted to do. Every time I play it live, you just hear “Oohhhhhhh shit” when the drop hits.
3. “Barely Breathing” feat. Vera Hotsauce
This is a super special song. I heard the demo from my friend Aryay, immediately looked at him and said “give me this, let’s make this a bop!” Vera’s voice is so special and moving in this. With each listen, you’ll love it more and more, I promise.
4. “Bomboclat” feat. Bunji Garlin
This is the song on the mixtape where, if the party hasn’t started yet wherever you are listening to this, then I haven’t done my job. I’ve always wanted to make a song with Bunji Garlin, and he is the best. I literally sent this to him with like a week of leeway to get the song done, and he nailed it first try! We actually also have a full extended version that we’re going to release later on.
5. “Bawdy” feat. TV Noise & Big Freedia
Back to that classic moombahton s–t. TV Noise are two of my favorite producers out there right now, and I just love working with them. Each time we get in the studio, ideas are just bouncing around like crazy. This is one of the ideas that stuck, and it hits so hard in the club. After we finished the instrumental, we got one of my favorite artists, Big Freedia, on it. I toured with Freedia in Europe back in 2013-2014, and watching her shows (if you haven’t seen her perform live it’s a must), I knew we needed to make a song together one day. Now, here we are.
6. “Go Off (Nuthin’ 2 It)”
What can I say, I love house music. Always loved deep shit. If anything I had to take it “one deeper” for a friend of mine – you know who he is. This song is just fun as f–k. The vocal is so infectious and just gets stuck in your head. If you don’t know the dance already, go watch the music video ASAP. It features John Gemberling (Bevers) from Broad City.
7. “Still Not Butter”
This actually started out as my intro song for my “Lost My Mind” tour with Alison Wonderland. As I was making it, though, I sent the intro to my friend Brandon Dermer (who made the first “Not Butter” music video), and I said “I think we have to make a new ‘Not Butter’ music video.” During the whole process of making this song, we were also creating the idea for the music video, which if you haven’t seen please go watch now. It’ll f–k you up.
Magic Is Real is out everywhere Friday (Nov. 15), on Mad Decent. Watch the official lyric video for “Barely Breathing” with Vera Hotsauce below.