There is no shortage of new and exciting releases leading up to Halloween from some of our favorite artists every year. Whether it be a new addition to a mix series, compilation EPs or spooky sounding tracks, the amount of new music to discover is incredible. Hoping on this trend and bringing forth his own eerie track, bass virtuoso Jalaya has come out swinging with his newest tune “Risky” that we have the pleasure of premiering for you today. Combining driving bass lines, bouncy melodies and rap vocals, this track is an absolute heater from start to finish. Its eerie, high energy soundscape is perfect for anyone looking to hype up their Halloween night. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this stomper of a track “Risky”, a certified bop.

“I’ve been holding on to this one for a while now. Pitched it around for a long time and eventually decided it needed to be heard and I couldn’t wait anymore. It’s been a crowd favorite for years and one of mine personally. I wrote this in a 24 hour flow state.”

Diving Deep w/ Jalaya

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

I started with piano at around 6 by the time I was 8 I started playing drums. I quickly became very passionate and played in a bunch of different bands growing up. There was a distinct moment at 13 when I decided I wanted to be a performing artist and make music my career. I was at a show where a band called On the One was playing. They were absolutely killing it with some incredible funk music. So I decided to buy a CD, turns out I was the first one to buy one. I went back to the front row and cut it up on the dance floor with my best friend at the time. The drummer was the front man and he stopped the music to tell everyone how great it was that we were young dudes so into this music in the front row. Their manager shouts “he bought the first CD!” Then a family friend said “he’s a drummer too!” Then the crowd yelled “let him up!” So I got to play with the band. I was shaking with excitement and we had an exhilarating natural flow that I never forgot. It was at that moment I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. 

2. What has been a personal career struggle that you have battled with the most and how has it helped mold your character for the better good presently?

Perfectionism is just an excuse for procrastination. I once thought that making the perfect track would grow me the most and make the most impact. Quality over quantity seemed like the move. As soon as I switched mentality to just finish as much as I could it actually made me much better in the process and more efficient and motivated. It can seem counter intuitive but wring as much music as possible from start to finish is the way to go because you’ll learn way more than you would perfecting 1 track. It’s a balance where you can lean to far on either side but making this switch has changed the game for me. 

3. It can be very hard sometimes separating music from day to day life when it’s a huge part of your life. How do you personally separate your artist life from your everyday life, and have you faced any challenges doing so?

As an artist it’s easy to make your identity as a producer/Dj a source of validation to feel empowered. Doing inner personal work to move beyond that has shaped me into a much stronger and more resilient version of myself. I am now much more driven from an internal source of fulfillment than external gratification. 

4. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Setting into the light of the music scene, queer artist HAY! is turning heads with his outstanding production and heavy dubstep sound as he continues his rise to the top. Exploring his own space and musical discovery, his latest release, which we have the pleasure of premiering for you all today, “Bad Trip” creates the perfect soundscape for anyone looking for something bone-rattling and spooky to get them in the Halloween mood while also expressing his own personal aesthetic and prospective. This tune has an unlimited supply of shape edged snares and soul crushing bass to get your body moving. There is no doubt that “Bad Trip” should be on your must listen list. The overall avant-garde dubstep style HAY! creates is not to be beat, and this track creates the perfect sound that is psychedelic and ghastly in nature. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this spine chilling track “Bad Trip, a certified bop!

“As a whole, Bad Trip embraces its harsh design through images of restraint and dissociation. While the single itself is psychedelic in nature, I want this song to speak as a piece of art. Being a queer artist, creating a space to express my aesthetic and perspective is my means of practicing acceptance and tolerance. For me, the undertones of Bad Trip explore my own self-doubt as I begin to better discover how to present my sound to the world. I am thankful for everyone who has given this record a chance.” – Wilson Jones (HAY!)

Diving Deep w/ HAY!

1.  What originally made you want to pursue music full time? Was there any moment in your life that made you stop and realize that this was something you wanted to be serious about?

Music had always been in the background of my life but really came to the foreground in high school. I was the kid who liked making movies and using computers and such so I was definitely considered a little “out there” by my peers. I think my interest in music started as a way to let go of people’s opinions of me. I knew I wanted to be more cognizant of this career choice when I became obsessed with the technical elements of audio. This was around 2019.

2. What is your biggest inspiration to this day that has helped shape your style of music and why?

My project is the culmination of a lifetime of inspiration from other artists. I feel like I will continue to answer this question differently as I grow in life but at this moment, in college, coming into my own has shaped my aesthetic the most. I am a huge fan of those who let their personality shine through.

3. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Absolutely. Create your own lane. I was not focused on this when I first started making music but now it’s the only thing that matters to me. Create art for you and your happiness. Remember there is no exact formula for success. Build your community. Show people you care that they take part in your passion. I’m still getting better at all of this but these are some of the lessons I continue to learn in 2022.

4. 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?

I would have stacked and achieved a larger catalog of complete records. I think planning how you unfold your project’s narrative is something new artists today really need to think about. I wish I would have had this insight much earlier.

No matter where you are in the world, there will always be a plethora of new and exciting music each and everyday. Canada based freeform bass label DoYu Digital has become an international hub for finding these new tunes, bringing some of the best music in the game to one centralized place. Today we have the pleasure of teaming up with DoYu Digital and Minnesota producer, Thred, to bring forth our latest mind boggling premiere, “Nonsense”. Jam packed full of bouncing beats, metallic sounds and multiple switch ups this track is mind blowing in the best possible way. There is no way to beat the almost machine like beeps and bloops this track has to offer, so make sure you don’t sleep on this one! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this heater by Thred, “Nonsense”, a certified bop. 

“Anticipate the unmistakable style of Thred’s moody liquid glitch. Vigorous and elastic energy builds to an unexpected, but yet fitting swivel. Leading to the back half of the song, another corner is turned. Thrusting into ricocheting rhythms, malfunctioning down beats, and turn arounds. Within this song contains a liquid metallic sound design which makes this a truly unique experience born from the Midwest grass roots originality.” -Thred

Diving Deep w/ Thred

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

My entire life, I was drawn to music. I would be engulfed in the magic it would bring to me. Being young and naive, I never thought of making a career out of it, nor did I notice the difference in how people would perceive the same song. Hearing everything working in harmony, how it moves people, the emotions it can bring out. Coming from a family where the only emotions we’d express or see would be happiness which almost left an empty feeling. The only way I could express anything else would be through listening to music. Which eventually led me to express my sentiment by making music. The way that the Thred project has evolved, I wouldn’t have thought it’d ever end up the way it has. Listening to my music might not get the deep emotion you’d expect from an artist. The random bursts of energy, the unexpected twist, and turns of something like “Nonsense” or “Best Kind.” To the raw emotion of “Nothin'” or “Never Be the Same.” To me, all the pieces have fallen into place, and it makes me feel whole.

2. What has been a personal career struggle that you have battled with the most, and how has it helped mold your character for the better good presently?

Having good mental health! For years I’d always question if I was good enough if I could make a career out of this, doubting myself every time I’d get writer’s block. At times it would be so crippling I contemplated quitting music in general. I overcame this struggle by just being healthy in general after switching to a clean diet, exercising frequently, and even taking better care of my skin, etc. Being as healthy as I can be in all aspects of my life helped my physical and mental health tremendously! Which lead to being more productive during my time in the studio and better quality music. Getting healthy was the best thing my music career has given me so far, and I cannot wait to see what else comes from it!

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

It would be hard to choose, but I’d have to go with Jilax. He is one of my favorite Psy-Trance artists, and I’d love to work with him for a few reasons. Our styles are unique and on other ends of the spectrum that would create something out of this universe. Also, just the chance to see how he creates his atmospheres, FX chains, just the whole process of how he’d make a track from start to finish would be a priceless learning experience. I would come out of that collaboration as a better producer!

4. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

One thing I try to tell new producers is to wait to release their music until you have a decent pile of unreleased tracks and wait until they’ve found your “sound.” They go hand in hand at the early stages of your music career. It’s exhilarating when you finish a new track and want to share it with the world, but waiting until you have many of them and find your sound is crucial! When you debut your project, you want to be able to show your unique style and sound right off the bat. You also want enough music to follow up with more frequently to keep your project in people’s minds. Having around 20 unreleased songs ready to go leaves you much room to work with, so you can consistently release music!

As of late, there have been so many inspiring female producers rising to the forefront of the electronic music scene, each putting their on unique sound forth and paving ways for others to follow in their footsteps. One of these forward thinking producers, ALLEYCVT, has been catching the attention of many in and out of the bass world. Today, we have the great pleasure to premiere her latest release, “Throw It Down”, which is the vibes we need to get us through the rest of the week. There is no beating the infectious energy that this track bring when listening to this tune. It’s catchy vocals and wonky, uptempo breakdowns are not to be beat, capturing the perfect image of the incredible sound produced by ALLEYCVT on the regular. This is track is definitely one we are going to be playing out for the foreseeable future! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this heater, “Throw It Down”, a certified bop.

“I wanted to make a feel good song with fun lyrics! Whenever I see a DJ play a really good set I always say “omg ____ threw it DOWN!” I pulled some inspiration from Subtronics and the wobble masters themselves, Ganja White Night. I just wanted to embody the feeling of being at a show and getting wonky with all your friends.”

Diving Deep w/ ALLEYCVT

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

My mom played guitar and sang, and my dad played the saxophone when they were younger – so I’ve always grown up with music! My mom noticed that I was singing all the time and decided to give me her first guitar she had.  It was a Yamaha steel string and it was way too big for me but I made it work haha. I loved it. I think realizing that I was able to make an entire song by myself is what eventually got me into producing. I started messing around on GarageBand when I was around 13 and recording guitar into it and things just evolved from there. I honestly don’t remember a specific time where I realized I wanted to make a career out of it, I kind of just always wanted to.

2. It can be very hard sometimes separating music from day to day life when it’s your whole career. How do you personally separate your artist life from your everyday life, and have you faced any challenges doing so?

So I moved to LA two weeks before the pandemic hit. It was rough. I was too stubborn to go back home cause I worked too hard to make the move in the first place so I just sat in my room and made music all day, every day. For like 2 years. I definitely experienced burnout and had an existential crisis lol. I do feel like it helped me get better at my craft though. I think ever since that time I definitely try to hang out with my friends a lot more and cut myself some slack. I love going to shows and seeing other artists to get inspired as well. I think us producers think that we need to be hermits in order to make it – and I definitely think you need to put your 10,000 hours in – but being around your good friends and having quality time can really inspire you to create. Seriously guys go outside 

3. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

BE YOURSELF. Make whatever you want to make. Definitely be open to constructive criticism, but at the end of the day if you’re making something that you love, chances are other people will love it too. I’m a huge fan of Labrinth and he said something along the lines of “If you’re trying to be different, you’ve already f*cked up”. I love that quote. It’s like don’t TRY to be cool, don’t even TRY to be uncool. Just do you. When you are confident in who you are, other people notice. You give off a certain energy that nobody can take away from you.

4. What’s next for the ALLEYCVT project? What goals are you trying to hit for your project in the near future?

There is an EP in the works, but for the near future I’m just releasing singles. I’m also going to start doing shows in 2023, so I’m REALLY excited about that. I’ve been working hard to stay consistent and give my supporters what they deserve. I definitely want to have a headline show in the future. That would be sick.