Diss Master Records

I have a long list of influences both inside and outside of the Hardcore scene. I'm a big fan of Hip Hop, Break Beats & Thrash Metal too. So I always try to incorporate that into whatever I'm producing.

Was sitting behind the computer having a beer and saw a QR code on the tin. Scan here to enter. Reminded me of the scamdemic. I had the vocal line stuck in my head and that got me laughing. It's a good NRS title. I synthesised the vocals and thought this is a great hook. Track took a while to finish. There are a lot of parts and fitting them together in a satisfactory way was a puzzle.  I sent it off to Scorb for approval and here we are. Another track finished.

Apart from Scan here I have been doing a remix of shake them bones from the one and only Damage. Abandoned the first two attempts and now its really banging. Very happy with this. I think its a big step forward in production and has got the old rave vibe. Working on a lot of new tracks too and trying to decide what to finish next. Also started some collaborations with Deon.

Right now I am very inspired by cinematic choirs and horror music. The darker the better. I can see a lot of new tracks along this line. I love the contrast of electronic beats and the darkness in the breakdowns. I try and write these parts from what I hear in my head but it never comes out the same. Synthetic vocals are really interesting too. I love playing about with them and learning more about sound design.

I like to go out drinking and enjoy a good BBQ. Making music, starting new tracks. I have been watching a lot of scifi  recently and rewatching some old classics.

I am notoriously bad at judging how people will receive any of my tracks. Sometimes I think it’s not my best work, only to see people raving about it. So…I think this is the worst song I ever did. Just kidding.

I actually had an original concept for the track. It was going to be much shorter in length. However, about halfway into the production I already had so many ideas popping up and non of them were going to work with what I had going on. So I had to make an awful, but smart choice to just delete the project and start over. I’m happy I did though. The end result is way better than what I had originally planned.

One of the late nights that I was working on the track, I was really tired and had to go to sleep. I was just about to close the project and suddenly got a simple idea to drop the bass a few semitones on a certain part of the track to follow what the vocal was doing. It became one of my favorite parts of the remix. So simple, yet effective. When I sent the remix to Sienis, he replied with a time stamp of his favorite part of the track. It was indeed that part where the bass follows the vocal. Mission accomplished!

Certainly yes! I’ve got a taste for it now. Don’t think that it’ll change the way I work that much though. There’s always some small changes in the way you do things with the next track. That’s why we get better at it. Sometimes it goes down the wrong road though. Then you need to paddle backwards to first principles before going down a different road.

I have known Deon for a long time. We both have similar taste and I am a big fan of Damage, so it seemed like the obvious choice. I like his attitude for the label and it’s a good opportunity to collaborate again. It’s great to be doing a remix for him, been a long time since we worked together. Far too long plus he is giving me free beer for life.

I got a Fuck The New Normal t-shirt made during lockdown and a lot of people liked it, so I thought it would be a good sample to add to a track. Fitted the vibe well. Its a similar theme to a lot of my other music, SciFi memes and non conformity in a dystopian world.

I have not really changed the way I produce that much. Have always been into sampling and mangling sounds so I tend to create a lot of random parts which I try and chop up and put together. Often ending up with far too many ideas and I have to sift through it all. That can take a while. I spend a lot of time on each track and sometimes I end up splitting them into two or more to try and make them more coherent. I try and finish everything I start even if it takes years. Modern tech has allowed many more tracks and options which is great, but too many choices don’t always help.

The main thing is selecting and creating the sounds I hear in my head. Something fresh that I haven’t used before that keeps my attention. I have a lot of weird dreams about music and wake up trying to put it into the tracks before I forget. That is almost impossible, so it comes down to creating enough quality parts for each track and sequencing them without losing the original idea.

Getting the track accepted was a big thing for me, having not released for a long time. The circuit boards blew in three of my speakers. I managed to find replacements and bought a different set, but it took a while to get used to mixing on them. Finishing and getting a track mastered is always a high point. Getting your music out there for people to experience.

Plenty of dark, full on tracks, taking inspiration from the old sound, with a fresh twist. There is a lot of new material in the pipeline. I am very excited about how it’s coming together.

The sonic quality is going to continue to improve and at some point, different styles in bass may emerge and perhaps a return to a more minimal sound. I don’t think full on genres are going anywhere. I would like to get some old skool rave vibes back into my sound. Still heavily influenced by acid house.

Oh my god, deleting the previous day’s work over and over again. Like I said, it was challenging, but I’ve learned some things that I’ll use in future productions.

Sometimes, it might seem that life is a bit fucked up. We are bombarded with horrible images in the media. However, what Bill Hicks said back in the day, remains true. “It’s just a ride!” Now post that clip below this interview please.