Calling all EDM and car enthusiasts! As we begin gearing up for the absolute insanity that is GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival out in South Haven MI, we couldn’t help but bring you another exclusive look at the incredible talent this lineup has to offer. Michigan native dubstep artist and vocalist, AUDIA, takes the stage Saturday night alongside artists such as Blanke and Joyride, to bring some ridiculously nasty beats for her first set at a major festival. Today, we have brought you a little sneak peak of the madness that she brings to the table, combining some crazy riddim tunes and hard dubstep drops into one stomper of a mix that will have you headbanging the whole trip to GRIDLIFE. This set and festival as a whole is not one to miss, bringing you a multi genre lineup as well as world class race car events combined into one stellar weekend. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling AUDIA’s Road to GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival Mix, a certified bop.

1. What are you most excited about at GRIDLIFE Midwest festival personally?

I’m thrilled to be playing my first major festival and excited to join many of my friends and some of my favorite producers at GRIDLIFE Midwest. I just released a couple of tracks with KTRL on Circus Records this spring, marking my debut on a major label. GRIDLIFE will be our first chance to perform them live on stage together at the same event. I’m also excited to ride in a race car for the first time!

2. What can people expect from your set at the festival?

When attending the AUDIA set at GRIDLIFE, people can expect a powerful, high-energy dubstep odyssey infused with unreleased music. Most of the AUDIA tracks I have in store will feature my own original vocals and are designed using the sounds of engines, servos, metal impacts, and much more.

3. What is it like playing in front of large crowds? What emotions run through your head during bigger sets such as this?

Playing original music in front of a live crowd and watching them go wild is perhaps the most fulfilling feeling a producer can experience. Watching a crowd’s reaction to your own music is the final step in the process.

I’ve found that I produce music that is designed for events like this, which has pushed me to make more impactful music. I wanted to focus on how my music would contribute to the overall experience and create a meaningful message. It was meant to be shared and perceived, much like a movie, and I think that’s the most fulfilling part of playing a set; to watch something you created out of nothing take flight and become something beautiful, powerful, and awe-inspiring. It becomes the soundtrack to someone’s moments of confidence, finding inner power, or simply having a good time. 

After events such as GRIDLIFE, it’s common for me to become galvanized into creating more music for future shows to further the live experience. I’m sure GRIDLIFE will leave me more inspired than ever before.

As festival season 2022 gets into full swing all around the world, it is always exciting to see new and innovative ideas within the festival world. GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival located in South Haven, Michigan is doing just that, combining all we know and love about EDM with the thrill and adrenaline of motorsports. Featuring artists such as Kaskade, Blanke and others while being fully immersed in some of the best car culture of the midwest. Our mix we get the pleasure of premiering for you today is coming straight from two of GRIDLIFE’s featured artists FWLR and JELO who are set to throw a nasty B2B set. This mix features amazing bass and house vibes, as well as some of their very own music that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Whether you are an electronic fan or a car fiend, find the best of both worlds this June! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling FWLR & JELO’s exclusive mix, a certified bop.

What are you most excited about at GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival personally?

As both a music producer and a car tuner/builder/racer, my life consists of equal parts music and equal parts motorsports. It is no exaggeration when I say this festival is by definition the perfect weekend in my books. I am so excited to be surrounded by car and music culture alike.

What can people expect from your set at the festival?

JELO and I will be packing some heat and we aren’t afraid to dig into the ambiguous when we play. We have been producing bangers together since 2015 so we have a chemistry that is unmatched. We are really looking forward to banging out some new tunes on stage at GRIDLIFE.

What is it like playing in front of larger crowds? What emotions run through your head during bigger sets such as this?

I have played in bands for my entire adult life and there’s nothing quite as special as connecting with a large crowd. When the vibe is shared the energy becomes a feedback loop between the performer and the audience. It really is an overwhelming feeling of connection and community above all else.

As the weekend nears and festival seasons bring its madness, all of us are on the hunt for some absolute bangers to fuel our playlists, car rides and road trips. For those of us into the heavy and nasty, look no further than Careless Castle’s newest EP, “Grimoire of Nightlife”. This two track collection definitely is jammed packed with that soul crushing, headbanging sound that we all know and love. “Dancefloor”, our premiere track today, doesn’t fall short of this, bringing the classic  hard hitting Riddim sound, complete with bone-clenching bass and mind warping melodies. This is one that should be on your radar for festival season folks because it’s sure to be popping up at sets all over. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Dancefloor” and the rest of the “Grimoire of Nightlife” EP, a certified bop.

“Everyone has been welcomed in front of the Castle, and the congregation starts to gather in at the drawbridge, preparing for the opening celebration in the first room. The ‘Grimoire of Nightlife EP’ is a riveting experience, full of mind bending melodies, bone-crushing basses, and metallic tones straight from the castle’s dungeon!”

What would you tell your younger self today knowing where you’re at now and what it took to get there?

I would have told myself that it’s not a competition and there are a lot of ups and downs during the process, but ultimately staying true to what your goals are and what you want to do in general with music is super important. Don’t think about what others are doing, and make what you enjoy making. None of this is a race. Keep grinding, and try not to overthink what you’re doing.

If there was an artist you had the chance to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

If I could collaborate with any artist – man thats tough. I’d probably pick Biggie smalls, Kid Cudi, or Lil John to have the best lyrics in my opinion, on one of my songs. In terms of collaborating with another producer in the scene I’d love to work with lots of people that have become close to me as a friend or people I enjoy listening too. Just to name two, I really love what ISOxo & Space Laces are doing.

One of our favorite things here at Headbang Society is seeing new and upcoming artists joining together to create stellar new collaborative tracks for us to enjoy. Today we are bringing you just that as Seattle based producers Torbjørn and Gold•ish bring forth their new 3 track “Shadow Arts” EP. The title track off this incredible collection, mixes mind-melting uptempo sounds with glitchy dubstep beats to form an altogether stomper of a tune that you should not be sleeping on. The tempo changes and overall whompy feel this track provides definitely is one we’ll have on repeat. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling the “Shadow Arts” EP, a certified bop

“The title track ‘Shadow Arts’ emerges like otherworldly magic from the smoke and shadows. Hard-hitting leftfield sonics meets bombastic trap and dubstep beats. Psychedelic gangsters Torbjørn and Gold•ish cast a mind-melting spell with their new song, which lands somewhere between the chaotic glitches of G Jones and vibey rhythms of Troyboi.”

1. If there was an artist you had the chance to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

Torbjørn: I mean we basically picked already by making this collab EP haha.

Gold•ish: Yeah we pretty much just picked the other dopest producer in town and made these songs!

2.  If you could go back in time and start over given what you have learned in your career so far, what changes and approach would you have done differently?

Gold•ish: Only thing I would change, is having done all this sooner in life. 

Torbjørn: Yeah same, I’ve been a musician since I was a little kid but I only started DJing and producing beats right after college. I would have liked to be into all this when I was a teenager, but hell, I’m into it now so whatever.

The mission to push the limitless boundaries for the freeform bass scene continues as Florida native, Bass Fitness teams up with Connecticut producer VED to bring forth their latest collab “Malice, that we have the pleasure of premiering for you today. Combining both the hard hitting dubstep we all know and love with the perfect taste of Drum and Bass, this tune is an absolute banger from start to finish. Its nasty heavy hitting drops mixed with quick tempo changes and an incredible uptempo beat makes for the perfect track to get you amped up any day of the week. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this stomper of a track, a certified bop.

“This song stemmed from the spontaneous event of us meeting in a producer’s discord.

 We decided to link up for a collab, and the result is a combination of grimey Dubstep with a taste of Drum and Bass. This song makes you want to drive fast and bust through the wall like the Kool-Aid man! -Bass Fitness”

What would you tell your younger self today knowing where you’re at now and what it took to get there?

I would tell my younger self that success doesn’t come overnight. Never give up on what you love and to constantly try new things. Do not limit yourself to any one genre and to keep learning and always have fun with it. You’re not competing with other artists, you’re competing with yourself. As long as you can see your own growth, you’re doing it right. – BASS FITNESS

I would tell my younger self to stay true to yourself and listen to your heart. Don’t let others influence your every decision.You are the creator and the controller. – VED

 What’s one artist you’re grateful for that has inspired you to be where you are today and why?

There have been so many artists who have inspired me. If I had to choose one, I would say Eliminate. He really thinks outside the box and can create music out of anything. He really shows that all you need to make great music is two things. Knowledge of your DAW and creativity. I’ve learned a lot by watching videos of him making straight bangers out of things as funny or simple as Mario screaming or a car’s hazard lights. His sound 

Design is also very unique and I love that he uses Fl Studio like I do.  -BASS FITNESS

One artist that has inspired me tremendously is seven lions. I first listened to days to come by seven lions back in 2013 and was completely blown away by the strength as well as the massiveness of his sound. I was astonished by his ability to be able to create something beautiful yet bass heavy. – VED