Fur Coat: I'm at a very confident place where I feel my sound has matured and evolved

With the arrival of his latest EP on the world renowned imprint Renaissance, titled 'Dystopia', Radio Intense are very pleased to welcome our next guest, Sergio Muñoz, AKA Fur Coat.

It has been another impressive year for the Oddity Records boss, following on from the strength of 2020 that saw him release his Polyphony album, also on Renaissance. The Venezuelan artist continues to show a work ethic that is respected throughout the scene with no signs of slowing down.

With the Dystopia EP released on November 12th, we spoke with Sergio to find out more about the release and more, enjoy!
— Hi Sergio, great to have you with us today following the release of your latest EP on Renaissance. First off, how are things going with you and whereabouts are you chatting to us from right now?
— Hi, first of all many thanks for the invitation to this interview. I'm now at my home in Barcelona, touring around Europe and getting ready for my next US tour in December. During the week producing and scheduling my label Oddity calendar for 2022.
— The 'Dystopia EP' marks your second EP of the year on Renaissance, following on from your 'The Storm EP' earlier this year. Congrats to you on yet another standout release on the iconic imprint. What can you tell us about this latest EP?
— Well this is a very special EP for me. After releasing my album on Renaissance, and as you mentioned releasing the Storm EP which included "Eye of the Storm" remixes as well as "The Mist" exclusively for that EP, I'm beyond hyped to return to the label. This is an EP inspired by the Sasha & Digweed times of Renaissance, with a modern melodic touch, and my personal imprint. The lead track "Dystopia" is aimed for the dancefloor, with the catchy melody and detuned pads I made for this one. Musumeci & Dodi Palese approached to remix this one with a more Indie Dance touch. And last but not least, I did some melodic breaks, which I was already able to experiment on my album, but being glued to the elements of this EP.
— Speaking of Musumeci & Dodi Palese's remix, it is a superb addition to the release. What can you say about their remix and what was the process behind selecting them to remix for this EP?
— Yes, it's a really nice remix. When deciding with Marcus and the Renaissance team on what could balance out the EP, we instantly thought of the guys for a remix. When we sent them the original they instantly clicked, and when they delivered the remix, they came with what we were expecting for this cut. So the original has this melody that's very catchy and pretty easy to take to other grounds, which they managed to do on point.
— As we begin to draw closer to the end of 2021, it's a great time to look back across the year. 2021 has been yet another brilliant year for you in terms of music output, with releases on Systematic Recordings, your own label Oddity Records, ATLANT and more, in addition to the two Renaissance EPs, the first of which featuring remixes of your Polyphony Album. How do you feel about the year you have had and also the point that your Fur Coat project is at artistically right now?
— I'm at a very confident place where I feel my sound has matured and evolved, especially Fur Coat being my solo project officially from the end of 2020, but already being the one behind the full time of the productions from over 3 years before. I've had the opportunity not only to prepare many originals, collaborate, and still have other releases coming to close the year as well as many things on the pipeline for 2022. So, since the pandemic, I haven't stopped producing, learning musically, improving my sound design and my audio engineering techniques, and I think you can notice the evolution in my productions from 2020 onwards. Artistically I'm super inspired in the studio as well as my performances as a DJ that I have been touring around the world for. This is just the beginning of a new chapter of Fur Coat.
— Launched in 2017, your Oddity Records label has already developed into one of the most respected labels within the MH&T scene and continues to strengthen with every release. What can you tell us about the label and what are your plans for the future of Oddity?
— Yes, I'm very happy how the label has been recognized and gained its spot at the top of the MH&T labels. It took me a lot of effort and work to get to where the label is right now, not only having the right signings, discovering artists, getting established ones on board and having a steady release schedule, but always with the responsibility to deliver what people are now expecting from the label. Now, I have a really busy schedule, already signed into 2022, but I can share with you that the next EP is Lexer with a Jonas Saalbach remix and that the year will be closing with the long awaited Odd Echoes V.A.
— The Fur Coat project is one that has developed its sound a great deal over time, whilst keeping true to it's signatures. With this journey in mind, we would love to hear a bit about the music and artists that have influenced you the most in your life? Both leading up to Fur Coat's beginning and to now?
— Although the sound of Fur Coat has evolved from its beginnings, I think it still has a certain kind of stamp. 10 years since I started this project, you learn many things in the studio and on the road. But for you to evolve, you have to take risks by experimenting and not staying in a comfort zone, which has two sides of the coin, as you can do well or fail, and reevaluate to get back on track on the consistent quest of evolution.

For me longevity is the key, and now it's been a decade since I started this project, where I have been able to grow, evolve and maintain over the years, even leading into a new time of the Fur Coat sound. These 10 years definitely mark a special time, but at the same time I feel I that I have just started and have so many thing to show and keep on producing, so my goal is to keep sharing the sound of Fur Coat.
— What would your most valuable piece of guidance or advice be that you could offer to an aspiring artist?
— Trust in yourself, no matter the "No's" you get along the way. If you produce everyday, practice and work to do all the right things, study and learn everyday, things will fall into your path naturally. Don't force anything to happen, be patient, this is a game of longevity. The "Hype" comes and goes, but good music and people that always work, stay in the game. I've been in music more than 17 years, 10 fully living as Fur Coat, and I still feel I learn things everyday, and there are always new goals to reach. The day you have no goals or motivation; then you are screwed.
— Thank you very much for chatting with us today Sergio and congrats again on the Dystopia EP. To round off, is there anything else that you would like to share with us?
— Thanks again for the interview. I hope you and everyone enjoy my EP, and this is not the last thing you will be listening to from me this year. Keep an eye on my socials for some other remixes and a collab on Oddity that will be wrapping up 2021.