Latest Interview Posts

Axel Boy Shares His Thoughts On 2016, What’s Coming & New Single [TMN Interview]

Posted by Tyler Trew - November 22, 2016

Axel Boy
Bun Up 'N' Tun Up

At the end of each year, artists and their teams look to not only bring things to a close, but get ready for the next year. One artist who is doing that in a huge way is Axel Boy. 2016 has been a wild year for the Bristol beatmaker who has seen releases on labels like Buygore, Kannibalen Records, Elysian Records and Never Say Die.

Through all this, the people over at Slvyvll had their eyes on him, eventually taking him on board their management roster. Now, things are looking better than ever for one of bass music’s finest gems. To celebrate this, Axel Boy has released two free downloads in the past two weeks, with the most recent being a return to dubstep in “Bun Up N Tun Up.”

We had the pleasure of having a quick chat with Axel Boy to give us a recap of his 2016, as well as give us some insight on what’s to come. Stream the single, read the interview; most of all, enjoy.

TMN: Looking back, how has 2016 been for the Axel Boy project?

AB: 2016 has been very progressive and productive! The beginning of the year saw my first tour of Australia which was life-changing, it really set me up with a ton of motivation to enter into the year with. I’ve really worked on my craft over the last year, wrote a load of music and learnt a lot about myself and the music I enjoy making! I played my biggest show to date in Paris in October which was an unbelievable experience. And of course I’ve linked up with SLVYVLL which is the real landmark of the year, I really feel a sense of optimism now I’m part of the team! Besides Axel Boy I also managed to graduate at University, so it was an excellent feeling to accomplish that alongside working on my own music project.

TMN: You recently got involved with the Slvyvll team, how did you get connected up with them?

AB: I met Steven and Christina back in 2015 when I spent a few weeks in LA. My previous manager Daniel helped me A LOT in taking my first steps towards cementing myself in the industry, credit to him, he helped me make some vital connections & SLVYVLL was one of them! He moved on in his own career and lead me to begin working with the SLVYVLL team. It was a natural progression for both off us, I couldn’t be happier with how things have worked out!

TMN: Can you tell us a little about your most recent release, “Bun Up N Tun Up” that you just dropped?

I was working on various styles of music before my show at ANIMALZ in Paris & I decided it was time to make some fresh dubstep to play. So I worked on some VIPS of other tracks and also decided to write a dubstep original. I wanted to push myself in creating some really fresh sound timbres which I haven’t necessarily heard so much before. I kind of went down a metallic route for the sound design in this track which is fairly obvious, so using Serum I tried to push the boundaries of the sounds I can come up with.

I wanted to capture a few different vibes in this track. One was a very trappy, hip-hop influenced theme which is very obvious in the structure, beat & lead melodies! And the other was a more Halloween & sinister vibe which comes across best in the chords and their progressions! I then proceeded to record and process vocals to put the cherry on the cake! The lyrics just came straight to mind during the production process which in turn helped me christen the track ‘Bun Up ‘N’ Tun Up’. I must say I absolutely love it when a track name comes to mind during the production process, it just makes everything feel so right!

TMN: In 2016, you released a ton of originals with only a few remixes including an official one for Black Tiger Sex Machine. Do you want to keep up focusing on original work next year?

AB: Original work is the number one priority for me. So you guys can expect a lot more of that, I have lots of originals lined up and ready to go. But I think early next year I will be more than happy to start releasing more remixes and collaborations, working with others can really help breathe new light into my inspiration for writing!

TMN: What can fans expect from you in the upcoming months?

AB: I’m going to continue dropping originals of all different styles! I have some singer-songwriter/future stuff on the way, some house/breaks hybrids & of course some more dubstep to come. There is also a big announcement around the corner that I think the fans will be pleased to hear, so stay tuned for that! 2017 is definitely going to be the biggest year for me yet.

[TMN Exclusive Interview] Goldroom Delves Into West of the West & Musical Metamorphosis

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 22, 2016

Unless this is the first time you’ve trekked through the hallowed grounds of TMN, you’ve no doubt ran into at least a song or two from L.A. based producer Josh Legg and his solo remix project turned nationally touring live act Goldroom. He, and the rest of Goldroom’s live iteration just recently wrapped an expansive, 30 date live co-headlining tour with fellow TMN regulars Autograf, and before quite a memorable show in Boulder, CO, we had a chance to catch up with Josh on the heels of Goldroom’s debut long-player West of the West, and ended up having one of the more in-depth conversations regarding music we’ve had in some time. Enjoy our interview with Goldroom below.

The Music Ninja (TMN): Alright… Matthew Bloss of The Music Ninja here with Josh Legg, the mastermind behind the Goldroom acclaim. First off, thanks so much for taking the time before your show to sit down with us. Firstly, you just recently released your first full length LP under the Goldroom name, West of the West, which we’ve had the chance to listen to a couple times and I really, really enjoyed it. After talking to friends around the music industry who know you, and from following your social media accounts, this was something that has been years in the making. Can you speak a little more to that? How long has West of the West, been coming together, and how does it feel now that it’s finally out?

Josh Legg (JL): Yeah, I mean there was a moment in time, probably in 2013, right after we started to tour with the live band for the first time, that it was just really clear that at some point if things went the right way that at some point I was going to need to put a record out. And I’ve always lived my life, sort of through albums of other people’s. So, I started thinking about it right then… I was thinking about the first Goldroom record as early as January of 2013, so I’ve kind of been writing for it for three years now. But, I don’t know, it’s weird… You were saying earlier, that you guys have been paying attention for along time. But, if I walk into a radio station or something like that, I’m going to talk about it (West of the West) like it’s my first statement, but in a lot of ways it feels like my sophomore record because the Embrace EP took me all around the world twice, and I got to play Coachella this year, and I released that independently… and that EP did all of this. It’s a seven song EP, and for a lot of purposes it worked as my debut full-length record, so this is actually closer to my sophomore record from sort of a traditional perspective. But, I wasn’t thinking about that EP in the same way that I was thinking about West of the West. I wasn’t thinking like, “Hey, would I be proud of this if I died?” But, I have been thinking about that with this record. I wanted this record to be so good that, when I die, I’m going to be like “I have this at least. At least I did this, and I’m proud of it.” hahaha. And, I don’t know, as things went a long, I started to feel more and more strongly about certain things about the way producers in my world were making records. And I was getting more and more discouraged with the fact that it was just this endless cycle of people throwing acapellas to each other, and getting random features and finsing out that the artists, that you think that you love didn’t even write the song that you loved. And, I want a glimpse into people’s hearts I guess. And so, the only thing that I promised with this record is that for better or for worse, it would really be me.

’Goldroom – Silhouette’

Soundcloud

Read the rest of our interview with Josh Legg after the jump!

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Get Ready For Launch With Jetset [TMN Interview]

Posted by Tyler Trew - November 16, 2016

JETSET
FLIGHT

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If you are a gamer or have read one of the recent blackout bingo reviews, you may recognize the name Mr. James Geary. What you’ll soon recognize instead is Jetset. They are actually one in the same, however the latter is the name for a new venture by the gaming icon. Soon, we’ll be getting a full EP entitled Flight from him, but for now we have his lead single.

Of course, the lead single shares the same name as the EP. With Jetset, you can be sure you’ll get your fair dose of bass, which is just what “Flight” has onboard. So does the rest of the EP, but we can’t share that with you just yet. In its stead, we sat down with Jetset to answer a few questions we had to get the scope of this new project and what made him want to get this started. Enjoy the song – it’s a free download by the way – and read up on what is likely to be a momentous journey forward for Jetset.

TMN: What got you started in music?

J: I’ve been listening to music and playing instruments my whole life. It was as I dug deeper into the rabbit hole that I realized the true value behind the ability to express myself through art. I really love creating through as many outlets as possible and want to work through other outlets in the future too! It’s like, why limit myself to just making music?

TMN: You previously had a gaming channel on Youtube, is your music influenced by anything from the games you’ve played?

J: Inspiration works in weird ways and I’ve found that from games, it comes in a more emotional form for me. For some people, it may be a cool sample, but I’m more inspired by certain moods and scenes. I really tend to take more of a general mood or energy and write to that.

TMN: Why did you decide on “Flight” for the EP name?

I’ve always loved aviation and even wanted to be a pilot for a small portion of my childhood. For the first song, I was trying to find some announcer voice to start the EP but instead came across this cockpit recording. Things just kinda clicked with the name, and the EP had a theme over night!

TMN: If you could collaborate with three producers next year, who would they be?

J: I mean, I could hit you with some obvious ones like Skrillex but I’ll try and get a little more creative here. In the world of bass music I’d love to do something with Getter or Tisoki. Outside of that, I’d love to work with Thundercat one day. That dude is amazing!! Or break out my saxophone and do something with Kamasi Washington. I think that’s 5 total but oh well.

TMN: Speaking of next year, have anything planned already?

J: Not too much I can openly discuss. But I really want to step outside of the box more and just create whatever comes to mind. This EP is mostly dubstep but I really bounce between a lot of things and I want to showcase that. Fun fact, at the end of the final song there’s a melody that was supposed to be a seamless transition to a 5th tune. It was a super relaxing garage song that ended up getting cut. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally find a vocalist and it will see the light of day in a remix EP along with some VIPs and remixes from friends down the road completing it all finally. I do have a lot of music i’m sitting on that will be coming out throughout December and next year so I’m super excited for that!

Thanks for having me, I really appreciate all the support!

Get To Know Khamsin With New Single + Q&A [TMN Interview]

Posted by Tyler Trew - November 8, 2016

Khamsin & LeMarquis
Leaving (feat. Saavan)

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Khamsin has got it going on. He just released his “Leaving” collaboration alongside LeMarquis and Saavan that hosts the title for his EP, and he’s got an official remix coming out for ZHU by the end of the year.

Luckily, we caught up with the French producer in the dojo to answer a few of our questions ahead of the Holiday season. Before we get to the interview, let’s focus in on his EP’s title track, “Leaving,” which is currently out now on iTunes, alongside three other tracks. “Leaving” is a cool future bass record whose acoustic elements set it apart from the vast majority of similar tunes. Once your ears become privy to its lush tones, you’ll know exactly what we mean. Have a listen while you read through the short, but insightful Q&A we had the honor of hosting with Khamsin.

TMN: Can you tell us more about your origins as a producer? When did you first start producing and did you have any musical experience before that?

K: I’ve been into music production like 3 or 4 years ago thanks to a friend from high school. We started DJ’ing in my bedroom with a mask and post it on Youtube (Good old times ! Ahah), then he showed me a few how to create sounds from a computer. It was a kind of weird feeling for me, I was happy and excited about all the possibilities a DAW can afford and frustrated to not knowing that much at the same time. I started playing with sample & VST and I never followed any tutorials, I prefer discover myself to create my own workflow & tips.
I tried to learn guitar a few years before but I gave up (and I regret!). Today, I’m learning slowly but surely the piano & the drums.

TMN: Can you tell us more about where you’re from? What kind of music were your friends and other around you listening to when you were growing up?

K: I’m from a small village in south of France and I now live in Paris. I’ve been A LOT into Pop & Rock music as a teen with my friends, I remember listening to a lot of Red Hot Chili Peepers, Arctic Monkeys, The Verve, Oasis & also bands like Sum 41, Blink 182, Gorillaz… Then I discovered electronic music with Daft Punk, Justice & Ratatat. Apart of this, I have a strong love for RNB Classics & Classical music thanks to my Mom & Grandmother

TMN: I love how your music showcases elements of electronic, pop, and rock. How did you come to develop the current sound you have?

Thank you! I’m glad that you’re feeling all of these colors in my music. This was one of the main challenge around this EP, to build something that mix this future bass trend and some personal influences. As I said before, I have a Pop Rock background and I think it impact my music today more thane ever. I’m currently looking to get out of my comfort zone for the next project and melt more & more influences. I want to create a real identity around this project, a music & visual identity that’ll be the fruit of my experiences & what people attempt live.

TMN: Do you have any other upcoming remixes or collaborations we can look forward to?

K: I’m actually working on few new originals and as I said before I’m experimenting a lot of things with drums, synth, weird effects to find my own sound, something that fit with my vision of the project. In the meantime, I got two remixes coming out soon. I’m really excited about the remix I did for ZHU. It will be out by the end of the year, I just can’t wait to show it to you guys!

TMN: Do you have plans to tour anytime soon?

K: I’d love to, it’s in the plan for next year hopefully, I’ll still doing DJ sets for now, but I will start with my live set soon. With synth, drums & midi controllers, it’s a lot of work but damn I love doing this !

Bad Royale Drop Unprecedented Acapella Pack & Chat In The Dojo [TMN Interview]

Posted by Tyler Trew - November 1, 2016

Bad Royale
Acapella Pack Vol 1

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Ever since Bad Royale started, they’ve been doing their own thing. Even before that, they were doing their own thing. They’ve always done what they’ve wanted to do, while going at their own pace, which is really ridiculously fast. I mean, they once sent me over 50 unreleased songs like it was nothing.

Those songs eventually came out on several EPs and as singles over the course of the past year, and there’s still some left to be revealed. No matter what is going on, whether they are traveling around the world for shows, or releasing projects under each of their own monikers, Bad Royale are always cooking up something. They just don’t stop.

Their music is one of a kind, and so it their attitude. They’re truly here for the music and good times. They’re unselfish, and absolutely out of the box. There are plenty of reasons why, but right now we’re going to focus in on their unprecedented Halloween gift. Instead of releasing a stupid remix of Monster Mash or another Halloween song, they went ahead and released all of their acapellas.

You read that correctly producers. THEY RELEASED ALL OF THEIR ACAPELLAS. For free. That’s not something that just happens normally. Sure, you can find an acapella, or an artist will release one or two; but Bad Royale just delivered all their vocal work, which is a lot. The list of collaborators runs on and on. That’s a list you can go through though, just by downloading the acapella pack for free.

Because this type of thing doesn’t ever happen, we decided to invite the boys to the dojo for quick chat around this project, as well as what we can expect from them to bring an end to 2016. Stream the preview of the pack, read on, and most importantly, download and share this pack around. Your producer friends will thank you for it.

TMN: I already know the extent of how crazy you four are, but what made you guys want to giveaway all your vocals? Like quite literally all of them?

BR: We have been getting so many requests to remix our tracks or get the acapellas that we thought we would please everyone at once on Halloween with this treat.

TMN: You guys always partner with great collaborators, who have been your favorite to work with?

That is really hard to say, or at least to trim it down to just one it’s impossible to say. Experientially, we could say that our times in Trinidad with Bunji Garlin and the talents we have met there have been among the top.

TMN: With so many vocalists, there’s gotta be some funny studio stories. Care to share one?

We had to shoot an impromptu promotion video we had to make while we were recording with Voice. He was jet lagged and was finding it hard to record because he was so tired so we let him sleep in the back of the studio while we kept working. Little did he know we shot the promotion video and have him in it passed out, multiple times. We don’t think he ever found out… if he reads this, this will probably be news to him.

TMN: What can we expect from you guys to close out the year?

We have a lot of free tracks we are going to be releasing for Carnival alongside a couple releases on labels and remixes for some major artists, but there is one really special release coming in November, we can’t say yet but we know it’s really going to have a hype around it when it’s announced.

TMN: Lastly, just so our readers will get a sense of the group dynamics, can you describe each member with one word?

Maor: Jew
Elias: terrorist
Kevin: hairbro
Bruce: sleepy

Dear David Enters The Dojo To Share Insight + Single [TMN Interview]

Posted by Tyler Trew - October 28, 2016

Dear David
Fever (Radio Edit)

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Over the past three years, Dear David has been establishing himself as a key figure in the house music arena. Now, he’s just released a track on Sony Music, and he’s got more coming. There’s a reason they jumped on “Fever” and you’re about to find out why.

Not only are we getting to share David’s hot new single with you, but the Swedish producer came through to the dojo to answer a few questions with us regarding “Fever,” as well as the overarching concept behind his music and his place in the music industry. For fans of his, they already see him as one of the premiere figures bridging the underground with the mainstream dance world. Succeeding at such a big endeavor doesn’t happen overnight, but David is well on his way to bringing the two worlds together. “Fever” is another step in the right direction.

TMN: Your debut single ‘I’ve Been Waiting’ was really ahead of its time as a commercial house track and everything you’ve released in 2016 has sounded somewhat detached from the popular norm. Has this been something you’ve looked to do on purpose with the Dear David project or has it been a coincidence?

DD: I’ve always been a sucker for this fusion between mainstream easy listening and underground music so I don’t believe it’s a coincidence. I am still developing my sound and I think that will never stop, you will always get something new with every release. At least that’s my vision 🙂

TMN: Your music also walks a fine line between accessible and underground house sounds. Is the commercial/underground divide one that you take seriously, or do you think artists need to think in wider terms these days?

DD: I can’t really say what would be best for other artist. But I need to have both to motivate me to do what I do!

TMN: How does ‘Fever’ sit compared to your first two singles and what can you tell us about the creative process behind this track?

DD: Oh, ‘Fever’ has a pretty long story behind it. We came up with the first demo of it in 2014 when I teamed up with two songwriters that I’ve been working with on other projects. Today I might have 20 complete different versions of Fever. The key is to never stop the chase. Just keep on producing till you get it right. Sometimes it takes two days, sometimes it takes two years.

TMN: You’ve had a lot of early praise from BBC broadcasting legend Pete Tong this year. What does the support of guys like this mean to artists in your position?

DD: The support from Pete Tong have been unreal and super important for my music. He reaches out to enormous amount of potential Dear David fans so I have a lot to thank him for.

TMN: What can you tell us about the ‘Yours Truly’ concept and how your music will be evolving in 2017?

DD: When I first came up with Dear David, I had it all figured out. My mixtapes would be named ”chapters”, I will have a concept named ”yours truly” and so on. Yours Truly will be the signum for Dear David in 2017. What the music will sound like 2017 is still a secret. All I can say is that I will try to take away the gap between underground and commercial house in my own way.

Seven Lions talks touring, Opeth, and Starry Night Stout [TMN EXCLUSIVE]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - October 24, 2016

We took a trip down memory lane to see just how long we’ve been covering the larger-than-life basslines and heavenly, melodic synths crafted by Jeff Montalvo, better known as Seven Lions. It’s been over four years since he first popped up on our radar, and since then, he’s graced the pages of our site time and time again.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s kept tabs on his impressive list of successes over the years, from stellar releases, to unforgettable festival performances. His brand presence has become a household commodity, with many eagerly expecting to catch his sets, whether it be at their favorite club, or the most sought-after festival.

As we continue our Residency with Jeff, we decided it would be a good time to catch back up with him after all these years.

TMN: First off, thank you for coming onboard as our Resident Artist for the month of October. As long time fans, it’s an absolute pleasure to have you. It’s also been three years since we last interviewed you, so it’s great to catch up. Let’s start things off by talking about your most recent release, “Rush Over Me” which you worked on with Illenium and Said the Sky – two Colorado boys. How did this collaboration come to be?

SL: Actually, I had met Trevor in Denver a long time ago when he gave me a flashdrive. The funny thing is – I get those a lot, but a lot of times I don’t have the time to actually listen to them. With Trevor’s, I actually did and it was really good music.

I hit them up and was like, “Hey, I need some fresh ears on this. Do you guys want to collab on this?” Then they worked on it, then I worked on it, then they worked on it.
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