Rising up through the ever-expanding electronic music scene can be a feat for most artists as they navigate the never-ending world of new music This does not seem to have been an issue for upcoming bass star, Flintwick as he continues to step into the spotlight within the freeform bass scene. Today we have the absolute pleasure of premiering his latest heater of a track, “Goose Factory”, and boy are you in for a treat today folks! With its glitchy textures, and shifting bass sound design, this track pulls listeners left and right as they listen. Overall this track packs a punch, exemplifying the essential sounds of the Flintwick project that we have all come to know and love. We are definitely going to have this one on repeat for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Goose Factory” a certified bop.

“When making this tune, I had the idea of just having one track that could absolutely smear and beat the hell out of the dancefloor in the middle of an otherwise very dancey set. I also wanted to give a nod to the more “deep bass” genres that I don’t typically touch up on, and take it to a minimal and wobbly direction for the second half. The vocal sample used is from the book “Silly Little Goose” so when hearing the track I always picture some twisted factory that spits out deformed, mutated geese.”

Diving Deep w/ Flintwick

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?

Growing up, I had always viewed artistic expression as more of a  second language that everybody was supposed to know, constantly enthralled by learning the concepts and techniques that go into the creation of art itself, whether it be painting, cinema, literature, etc.  Music just so happened to be the one that I not only felt the most emotionally attached to but also provided the most entertainment and fulfillment from making and learning about. Though I can recall specific moments I fell deeper in love with music, there wasn’t a  specific moment that I decided to make it a career. I just enjoyed making booties shake and eventually people decided to hire me to do so. 

2. You definitely have a very unique name for your project. Does the name have a specific meaning or derived from something in your life?  Is there a story fans might not know about how you came to this name for your project?

Once I was a few years into producing on a more advanced level and had a full set of original material, I knew I needed a moniker that would check all the boxes and hopefully be a sustainable long-term title. My indecisive self spent over a year going back and forth on so many different names without releasing any music and absolutely nothing was sticking. Though I wasn’t crazy about it at first, the only thing my head kept coming back to from the very beginning was Flintwick for some reason. There’s an onomatopoeic quality in the annunciation that I’ve always felt gave a nod to the ‘flicky’ little samples and glitches throughout my music. It also just sounds whimsical and silly, which is certainly an adjective I like to aim for. At the time, I felt like I was “settling” but now I can’t imagine a more perfect fit.

3. As an artist, you can experience a number of roadblocks along the way to achieving your goals. What motivates you to continue to be creative and make music even when times get tough?

There are constantly roadblocks on the path to achieving artistic goals that can really cripple an aspiring artist, big and small. I’ve noticed how one may feel betrayed or hurt by the very art you pour your heart into when things don’t go the way that you feel they should, or aren’t feeling heard/ seen. It’s important to remember the art/ music is the medicine and if anything, will ALWAYS be a safe place to go when you’re hurt or feeling blocked. Feeling discouraged is natural and breaks can be very helpful, but once it becomes something you live and breathe- something as natural to you as gravity, “quitting” can’t be an option.

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?

This is a really hard one because SO many tough lessons come to mind- both starting out, and to this very day. The majority of problems that seem the toughest and most annoying to navigate circle around the business and performance aspect. Being taken advantage of is so easy when starting out with minimal guidance. Create basic contracts, make sure your needs are  expressed and will be covered before accepting an agreement. Stick up for what you feel that you are worth, and be comfortable with declining offers that you don’t feel 100 on. I could go on for days.

My “words of wisdom” on the creation side- you can always be  practicing your craft and leveling up. There have been a number of  times in my small career that I’ve had the misguided sense of having it figured out or feeling like I don’t need to learn more. There is always room for more practice, growth, and experimentation. If you’re not around your studio, watch tutorials or read about techniques you might not be familiar with. You don’t have to always be working on your grand portrait- practicing, doodling, and organizing your thoughts will only help get your ideas out faster and step up your workflow.

Electronic music seems to always have an incredible influx of exciting new talent and works of musical art that listeners get to experience each and every day. Adding his own musical flair to the EDM world, bass producer Smokestax has released the title track off his highly anticipated new EP coming in January. “The Phoenix” exemplifies the concept of starting anew with Smokestax’s new deep dive into curating different sound design and learning new production skills. This track is an absolute heater with its moving bass lines, vibrant melodies and bouncy synths. This is definitely a whole new side to the Smokestax project we have yet to see, making the wait for the rest of this 2 track EP unbearable! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “The Phoenix”, a certified bop.

“This EP really showcases growth and reflection for me. I really took the time away during covid to think about the sound I want to push with my project and spent a lot of time focusing on new production and sound techniques to best express myself.”

Diving Deep w/ Smokestax

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 grew up surrounded by music. My Dad is a huge lover of all music. My earliest memories growing up are dancing around my house with my brother to Grateful Dead or Black Sabbath playing in the back. When I was around 6 I started playing classical piano. Then in 5th grade I began playing drums and that took over my life for the next few years. I’ve always been fascinated by rhythm and grooves. Throughout middle school and high school I played in punk bands, jazz band and marching band. At the time I was really only listening to punk, metal and some old hip hop stuff. Once I went to college I was introduced to electronic music and that’s really when everything clicked for me. I was blown away that one person was able to create all these sounds and arrange them on their own. I started Djing and then within only a few weeks I was hooked and dove into production. Once I got into Ableton it all made sense what I was trying to do with my vision of music. 

2. You definitely have a very unique name for your project. Does the name have a specific meaning or derived from something in your life? Is there a story fans might not know about how you came to this name for your project?

The Smokestax name actually has a pretty unique meaning to me. Everyone just assumes its just like some weeds tight thing haha but there is a story behind it. When I first started making beats I was really focusing more on hip hop instrumentals. My friend in college at the time was a dope rapper. After class everyday we would sit in his car writing music because it was the only speakers we had. We recorded our first song together in the parking lot of a smoke shop called Smoke Stacks. I was signing up for a Soundcloud account so I could post the song we just made and decided to go with that and switch it to the x.

3. As an artist, you can experience a number of road blocks along the way to achieving your goals. What motivates you to continue to be creative and make music even when times get tough?

I don’t want to get too personal but growing up I experienced a lot of loss of loved ones and people close to me. As hard as it is I’ve always tried to use that energy to create. When my brother passed away I used that as my motivation to really put everything I have into music. He was my number one fan and supporter. He didn’t listen to electronic music but he loved anything I made. He would go out of his way to show others and tell me what sounds were interesting to him. Without him I would have never dove as deep as a did into music in my teen years. I really owe everything to him musically. 

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?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to just have fun. Music can get so competitive and weird if you let it. To me, music has brought me so much joy and connections. I feel so lucky. I’ve met so many people I consider family on this journey so far. To sum it up, as you grow with your project and career always remember why we all began creating to just have fun

There is no doubt that collaborations between bass artists bring out the best of both artist’s sounds. Here today to meld their sound design into one heater of a halftime track is bass wizards, Shatter and Ginseng, who have come out absolutely swinging with their latest track “Fight the Struggle”. From start to finish, this stomper not only perfectly combines what we love from both of these projects, but in teaming up brings forth a new an exciting soundscape that is not to be missed. With its whompy bass lines, and an incredible drum and bass switch up, this track will definitely get any listener up on their feet. Both of these artists are definitely on the rise to the forefront of the freeform bass scene, and this track definitely has left us eager to see more. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Fight the Struggle”, a certified bop.

“Fight The Struggle” is an upbeat halftime to drum and bass banger that references in the vocal’s how we are faced with struggles and things holding us down day to day. With the power behind the track, this is meant to be a force to inspire you to fight your struggles and push through hard times.” -Shatter

“Shatter and I have spent the last 2 years fine tuning and exploring sound design to finalize this track! It means a lot to us considering through this time we were personally finding ways to address our struggles in life. We are super stoked to finally share this with you all, thank you for listening.” -Ginseng

Diving Deep w/ Shatter & Ginseng

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 was very fortunate to grow up surrounded by music because of my parents. They were huge phish heads and took me to shows my whole life! They always encouraged me to explore my own tastes and go to shows on my own. I remember going to early electronic shows like adventure club at the Orange Peel in Asheville by myself when I was 12 or 13. When I transitioned into a wheelchair around that age I decided it was something that helped me give my life purpose and have been chasing it ever since!” – Ginseng

2. 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?

“It definitely is hard. Having separate socials for my personal life is very refreshing and helps. I find it important to separate yourself from your project so you can grow as a person. Music does teach you a lot of lessons but so does life. Something I enjoy to keep them separate is having a day job. Financial freedom really helps push the project for new gear, lessons, opportunities, plug-ins, etc. It feels nice to not have to worry about music all the time. It is important not to burn yourself out on something, especially art.” – Shatter

3. As an artist, you can experience a number of road blocks along the way to achieving your goals. What motivates you to continue to be creative and make music even when times get tough?

“Teaching has been something that’s helped me so much, I’ve found that everytime I sit down to explain how things work I end up challenging myself and what I know which sends me into huge creative spirals! You don’t always have to stay maxing out your productivity, talk with your friends and experiment. People that are JUST starting music have shown me perspectives and tricks I never would’ve thought to try and as producers we have to raise a village together.” -Ginseng

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?

“You should not be so hard on yourself. Time and time again I find myself in my own head. As you progress as an artist, you learn more and more about perfecting your craft. You find yourself focusing on technical things that are very small and miss the big picture. Art is most fun when you don’t worry about the outcome. Let it flow. I try to remember what it was like when I first got into producing and how fun it was because I didn’t care what others would think, I was just happy to be making music.” -Shatter