If you haven’t kept up with Justin OH over the past couple years, I think it’s fair to say that you’ve been sorely missing out. After having already been a well-established house artist for several years (with releases on Spinnin’ Records, Armada, Revealed and Enhanced Music), Justin OH began taking his brand in a totally new direction in 2018. Once known for easygoing beats and euphoric progressive house melodies, OH made a drastic shift into a new style of bass music on the Monstercat-released “She’s a Killer,” which featured brutal basses laced with twinkly arps, along with a healthy dose of unsettling dystopian dialogue. Since that point, Justin OH has been gradually crafting his own immersive world (i.e., the City of OZ). Each time a song released, listeners would be rewarded with a new piece of the puzzle; a new chapter of the story. The occasional crossover episode would occur throughout the process as well, like when Xilent‘s similarly dark world came into the picture on “Assemble” last year. Earlier this month, that story –or, at least, this era of it– finally came to a close with the release of OH’s second studio LP Welcome to the City of OZ. We had the pleasure of chatting with the producer about his process behind creating the album, the media that influenced it, the way its collaborations came together, and more. Read the full interview below: Good afternoon Justin, and congratulations on a successful album release! What kind of emotions are you experiencing as Welcome to the City of OZ is finally hitting stores after over two years of teasers and single releases?Thanks for having me! It feels great to finally have it out there for people to experience. There was a lot of buildup and work to get to this point and I think the journey was equally rewarding. As someone who was intrigued with the “City of OZ” concept from the first single, I’m really excited to see all the pieces of the puzzle come together for the first time. I have to ask, how planned out was this album? Was it something that started as a simple idea that grew over time, or was it completely conceptualized before things started rolling out?A lot of it was pre-conceptualized even before the music was made. I think having as much of it planned out ahead of time helped a lot with the decision making process and sound design choices along the way. You know the rules of the City. You know what it should sound like, the look and the feel. And most importantly, you know the endgame of the story to build towards. There are little easter eggs and clues that were featured in songs years ago that were only recently revealed. Luckily, Monstercat is a label that embraces those types of creative ideas. I remember when I first approached them with “She’s a Killer” at Amsterdam Dance Event back in 2017, Jon Winter (the A&R) really liked the track and my sound as it was a bit different than typical dubstep music at the time. They were also very interested in how I planned to weave the story elements into the music. I brought with me animated visuals, a mood board, screen tests, live show footage, branding ideas, storylines, etc. I must’ve looked like that Charlie meme from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, “Pepe Silvia”. The track on the album that really made me want to ask you that question is “She’s a Killer, Pt. 2” with Feint & Mazare. The song seems to show up as a moment of triumph and redemption, feeling like the emotional climax of the entire LP. I know that Mazare didn’t start working with Monstercat until several months after the original “She’s a Killer” came out, so how did this track come together?Yes, story wise it is exactly a moment of both triumph and redemption. I always knew I wanted to bring it back full circle with the song that started it all. Back in 2018, I made an early drum and bass VIP version of “She’s a Killer” that I started to test out in my live shows as an encore track to close out my DJ performances during my Thailand and India tours. It worked really well and the vibe was right. Hit all the feels. But Drum and Bass was a new genre to me and Mazare at the time had a string of incredible releases that were very much on the same wavelength as me. I reached out to him and it was an obvious decision. One of the nicest guys out there, super glad to have him jump on this project and take this song to the next level! Feint as well, I met him last year in China at a festival. We connected right away and I was super hyped when he wanted to jump on the track. His expertise really raised the energy of the track and brought it all together. Behind the scenes, the Monstercat team were also very much involved in the A&R process, especially with Jon Winter being such a big dnb guy. Huge team effort! What specific media (films, television shows, books, video games, etc.) can you cite as influences to the LP’s story?Probably too many to list. The stuff I end up enjoying plays a big part in what goes on inside my head. Aside from the obvious, examples like Blade Runner, The Matrix, Tron, Watchmen, Robocop, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Paprika, Arrival, Children of Men, Sin City, Ex Machina, Equilibrium, Snowpiercer, Afro Samurai, Metropolis, Planet of the Apes, Astroboy, The Twilight Zone, Isaac Asimov, Westworld, Brave New World, Ozymandias, Neuromancer, Wolfenstein, Deus Ex Machina, Portal, and more. You released another album back in 2013 called The Time Traveller. It’s clear that the album’s title took some inspiration from science fiction as well; is it connected to the City of OZ storyline at all?Unfortunately, they’re not connected. I wish I could say it was all part of a master plan but they are separate concepts. The Time Traveller was my first artist album and it was where I originally toyed with the idea of having the songs interconnect and tell a (loose) story through progression and different genres. Some of the stuff I learnt from making that album helped me in City Of OZ. Regardless, I think it is fair to say that the Justin OH who made The Time Traveller is a very different Justin OH than the one who made Welcome to the City of OZ, at least in the way you approached your concept and musical style this time around. What inspired this change for you?I really wanted to see how far I could push the story idea for Welcome to the City of OZ. Having an entire city gave us a lot of possibilities. An entire city of characters, perspectives, and events. Each song played out like chapters which helped connect the different songs together even though they are many different genres. Unfortunately this year we couldn’t do an album tour but it would’ve been really cool to see the vision complete with a live audiovisual performance. This album is significantly more collaborative than your last as well. Was this done intentionally to push across the message of joining together with others to reach a common goal, or was it just something that happened as you were experimenting with new styles?For sure. It is one of the main underlying themes in Welcome to the City of OZ. We were selective with the artist collaborations, I wanted to make sure that the artists are able to fit into the story somehow and add to the narrative. I think fans and listeners feel rewarded when things are connected in such a way. There are also things we planned to bring the fans together and be a part of the story. For example, for the song “Killswitch” with Nitro Fun, the artwork had some computer code on it with no directions or instructions. People came together from all over and figured out that it converted into a scrambled message that they had to crack, which tied into the music video. Sounds nerdy but I love that shit! Gotta pay homage to the godfather of computing and artificial intelligence, Alan Turing. I would be one to say that Welcome to the City of OZ is greater than the sum of its parts, with each track building off of the others and being elevated to greater heights than it would achieve by itself. Do you agree?100%. One of my favorite moments on the album is the interlude “Remember This,” which pushes a powerful message of hope –especially needed in 2020– and features dialogue from yourself and many others. What was your process for creating this track?Thank you. Yeah, that song was made last minute and barely made the deadline! I’m super glad it did though. I think this year was a rough year for a lot of people. Everyone locked down and isolated. I think even though everyone might feel hope, to say it out loud and hear it together hits differently. This was also a way to make City of OZ “real” for the fans. These are all their real voices and real recordings. The fact that they all came together to help make this possible really speaks the message. Lastly, are there any up-and-coming artists you’d like to shout out here?Shoutout to all the homies on the album; Rogue, Xilent, Mazare, Feint, Jamie, Welcome to the City of OZ is available on all streaming platforms now (linked below for your listening pleasure). Be sure to also catch Justin OH at his virtual concert on MCTV this November 26th! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Justin OH Talks New Concept Album “Welcome to the City of OZ” [Interview] Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/31/justin-oh-lp2-interview/
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Vin Diesel just hit us with another feel-good dance single, “Days Are Gone” — and suddenly, his music career is one of the best things to happen in 2020! There’s just something about Diesel’s voice and the nostalgia he brings that keeps us wanting more. When we hear his tracks, it’s like hearing a little glimpse into his soul. His debut surprised us entirely, in the best possible way — and he keeps the momentum going with another smooth heater. Similarly to his debut single, “Feel Like I Do,” Diesel’s new release finds a home on Kygo’s Palm Tree Records, a joint venture with manager Myles Shear. According to a press release, “Days Are Gone” was co-written by Vin Diesel, Petey Martin, and Noah McBeth (better known as NoMBe) and produced by Palm Tree Records artist Petey Martin. “Days Are Gone” arrives on the heels of Diesel’s unexpected smash, “Feel Like I Do,” which has racked up over 3.1 million streams worldwide in a rather short time. Listen here! Vin Diesel – Days Are Gone
Photo via Gage Skidmore This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Vin Diesel Woos Us Again with Another Feel-Good House Single, “Days Are Gone” [LISTEN] Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/31/vin-diesel-days-are-gone/ Mystery producer KLOUD presents AUTONOMY, his debut album that spans a staggering variety of genres, from electro to techno and breakbeat to downtempo. Led by the anthemic single “VIRUS,” every style he touches inevitably sounds like KLOUD as he uses raw synths with a “less is more” approach. In a world of over-produced sounds, he tends to stay close to the core of sound design, leaving a vulnerable feeling in the listener’s psyche after listening.
Spanning 10 tracks, in spite of the variety of genres KLOUD manages to squeeze into the 30-minute experience, AUTONOMY always carries a darker, seedy tone. It’s easy to say that KLOUD derives influence from the likes of Gesaffelstein, Mord Fustang, or Kavinsky, but this album is truly a sound unto himself with a lot of unique character. Check out the full album below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Mystery Producer KLOUD Releases Debut Album, “AUTONOMY” [LISTEN] Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/31/mystery-producer-kloud-releases-debut-album-autonomy-listen/ Insomniac Events has acquired Club Glow in a new partnership, along with iconic Washington, D.C. venues including Echostage and Soundcheck. Much like Insomniac, Club Glow made a name for itself by throwing shows and events from the ’90s on. Club Glow president and CEO Pete Kalamoutsos now heads up 150 events per year at Echostage and Soundcheck, plus Moonrise and Preakness InfieldFest festivals — all new ventures for Insomniac Events. “Glow has been a champion of dance music culture for over 20 years, and Pete and his team have been instrumental in helping grow and shape the entire East Coast scene,” Insomniac Founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella says. “I couldn’t be happier to align our teams and continue raising the bar for live dance music experiences.” Kalamoutsos adds, “We are thrilled to be joining the Insomniac family… After two decades of producing some of the biggest dance music events on the East Coast, it’s time to write a new chapter. Pasquale and I were cut from the same cloth, and our visions align when it comes to dance music. I couldn’t imagine a better opportunity to continue to grow Glow, Echostage and Soundcheck than with the team at Insomniac.” What’s next for Insomniac and Club Glow is yet to be known. Together, it seems the companies will thrive — even despite the damage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the music industry. In addition, Insomniac has taken over Forbidden Kingdom festival in Florida.
Source: Pollstar | Photo via NAFT Photography for Insomniac This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Insomniac Events Partners Up with Club Glow, Takes Over Forbidden Kingdom Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/31/insomniac-events-partners-up-with-club-glow-takes-over-forbidden-kingdom/ Getter‘s sound evolves once again with his NAPALM EP. The producer wastes absolutely no time with explosive, creative energy out the gates as the EP starts off with the steady, eerie resonance of “ENTOMBMENT” and straight into the producer’s newly released “BAD ACID” trip. The audible equivalent of drinking bleach, “CLOROX,” steps up to the plate with a soundscape reminiscent of “Inhalant Abuse,” right into “ADHD” and previously released “REPRESENT,” the two heaviest tracks on the EP. “HOLE IN THE BOAT” ends it on a light, upbeat note, contrasting the entire EP in a pleasant sense. Getter revealed to Forbes: Usually with electronic music, when you make songs, for the most part, you’re thinking in the back of your head that you need to make it to play out at shows. But since there’s no shows now, I kind of took that part of the thought process and threw it away. So I was just like, ‘what’s the craziest s**t that I can make that people just want to hear?’ It seems Getter has demolished any and all expectations by allowing his unhinged artistry to completely take over. As always, we love hearing where his head is at. Listen here! Getter – NAPALM EPListen/download: https://getter.ffm.to/napalm This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Getter Drops Unhinged ‘NAPALM’ EP [MUST LISTEN] Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/31/getter-napalm-ep-must-listen/ French DJ/Producer Ghost Dance is here just in time for Halloween. Delivering a new chilling track ‘Dance With Death‘ via mau5trap, Ghost Dance has created a must listen new Halloween classic. Reminiscent of a 90’s nightmare with nostalgic synths, atmospheric effects, and bass that can only be described as irresistible, ‘Dance With Death’ with have you going all night. Ghost Dance is notorious for his ability to combine electro elements with techno and this new track perfectly aligns the two. Listen to the full track below This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Ghost Dance – Dance With Death Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/30/ghost-dance-dance-with-death/ Midi Culture is quickly becoming a household name – taking popular house synth staples and creating his own take on them. His new track ‘Breathe‘ via Soave, a deep house cover of Blu Cantrell and Sean Paul’s 2003 hit single, has the sultry vocals of Welsh singer/songwriter Tudor. The listener is taken in with a melody from Tudor immediately. Familiar bass synths come in providing a thumping bass line with Zhu-like accents. This tune is surely one to get you dancing. Check out the full track below. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Midi Culture – Breathe (ft. Tudor) Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/30/midi-culture-breathe-ft-tudor/ South Korean born producer LILO came onto the scene over this last summer with his debut cover of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.’ The house anthem garnered over half a million streams in less than a couple months. Not much is known about LILO, as the producer has been flying under the radar as of late. Thankfully for us the mysterious innovative producer just dropped an addicting cover of Milky Chance’s hit song ‘Stolen Dance.’ LILO’s spin on Milky Chance makes for the perfect club banger. Irresistible rolling baselines take control of the record which is bound to have listeners all across the world moving on their feet. Take a listen to LILO’s cover ‘Stolen Dance’ below. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: LILO releases irresistible cover of Milky Chance’s ‘Stolen Dance’ Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/30/lilo-releases-irresistible-cover-of-milky-chances-stolen-dance/ Nashville’s very own Samuel Al-Hagal, a.k.a. Deadman, is filled to the brim with talent, both in his productions and live shows. Inspired by creative minds of personal heroes like Skrillex, Walt Disney, & Hans Zimmer, Deadman aims to funnel unparalleled imagination and raw, unbridled energy into a moment of symphonic euphoria. His music is a perfect representation of just that. Previous releases like his remix to “Lifeline“ or “Jolly Roger“ are just a few examples of the immense creativity and pure musical talent he’s displayed through his work. His latest release, “The Shallows” is no exception to the greatness we’ve come to expect from Deadman, offering five and a half minutes of pure elation. It’s bass music, it’s dubstep, and trap all wrapped up into one electrifying track. Stream “The Shallows” by Deadman below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Nashville’s Deadman Unveils Electrifying Single, “The Shallows” Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/30/nashvilles-deadman-unveils-electrifying-single-the-shallows/ A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Petit Biscuit has converted his classically trained talents into critical acclaim over the course of his career. Petit Biscuit kicked off this summer with “I Leave Again”, a collaboration with longtime friend Shallou. The song became an instant hit, speeding to 25 million global streams and receiving global support from the likes of triple j, SiriusXM Chill, and Virgin. “Burnin” also joined the fold, with features on Apple Music’s New Music Daily and Zane Lowe’s Apple Music 1 program. Now, Petit Biscuit has revealed his highly anticipated, beautiful new LP Parachute – out now via Écurie. The project was recorded across Petit Biscuit’s global travels as he spent time in Los Angeles sessions and self-isolated on the coast of Iceland for a reprieve from the hustle of daily life. With a wealth of new life experiences to extract from, Parachute finds Petit Biscuit coming into his own as an introspective lyricist with explorations of love, war, and death alongside his self-assured step into the vocal spotlight. Parachute features nine tracks including the recently released “Drivin Thru The Night” and “Burnin” alongside cuts like the Diplo-assisted “Pick Your Battles” and forward-thinking “Constellation” which Petit Biscuit pinpoints as the future of his sound. Listening through the whole album is an incredible experience. Petit Biscuit never fails to amaze us with his work as it always seems to spark the imagination in wildly beautiful way. On the creative evolution that took place while recording Parachute, he explains: “You’re waking up, you’re thinking about your project. You’re going to sleep, you’re thinking about your project. It’s taken all my life and I realized I needed to think about other things for my mental health, to feel a bit more normal. I focused on other activities and I took time to see my friends more, to talk with people and have real conversations. It was a time to question myself, what I believed in, and what I wanted. It was a long road, but I think I came out on the other side a better person and more comfortable with who I was.” As for how his worldwide sessions can be sensed through Parachute as a whole, he adds: “When I’m listening to the whole album I can recognize which tracks come from a session in the United States and which tracks come from the Icelandic sessions. There are two main colors to be heard.” From start to finish, this album proves to be a timeless contribution from one of the most talented artists in the industry. Check out Parachute by Petit Biscuit below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Petit Biscuit Reveals Beautiful New LP, Parachute [Écurie] Via https://www.youredm.com/2020/10/30/petit-biscuit-reveals-beautiful-new-lp-parachute-ecurie/ |
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April 2023
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