Bass music, though ever growing and changing, continuously serves to evoke an array of emotions when it is played. Whether it be a downtempo melodic track or a high energy dubstep tune, there always seems to be a feeling of euphoria that comes with this type of music. Many artist far and wide strive to capture this feeling of bliss in their music, but no one seems to do it quite as well as North Carolina based bass producer, Feelmonger. For those that are unfamiliar with the Feelmonger project, this is the time to listen up (both figuratively and literally) because his music perpetually presents itself as the future of the freeform bass music scene. As Feelmonger paves his way to spotlight, we have he absolute pleasure of helping him bring forth his upcoming EP, Viva la Vibrant which is jam packed with absolute heaters. With its concept of fully feeling and experiencing life, this 4 track compilation provides a wide range of emotions and soundscapes, fully showcasing the Feelmonger project. In the wake of this release, we want to give listeners a little taste of what is to come, by showcasing one of the tracks, “Love Me”. “Love Me” is the perfect emotionally charged, heartbroken banger, combining rolling melodies and an uptempo bass line to create a heater of a track. This track is defintely one we are going to have on repeat for a very long time and perfectly paves the way for the rest of the highly anticipated  Viva la Vibrant EP. WE can’t wait to see what Feelmonger has in store for listeners! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Love Me” and Feelmonger’s forthcoming EP, a certified bop.

“At its conception as an idea, Viva La Vibrant was meant to be a debut album with the core idea being to live fully, no matter the emotion. I went through dozens of ideas, eventually landing on a dozen or so tracks that I thought could be a full album. However, by the end of it, it just didn’t feel right as a full length album. So I revisited the album and picked out 4 tracks that I thought really fit the vibe of the core idea. Each track is emotionally charged and heavy, but with their own nuance. “Love Me” is a kind of heartbroken, melancholy banger. “Coliseum” is just a straight up get lost in the sauce kind of banger. “Music is the Truth” is the kind of blissful melt into the vibes kind of banger, and then to top it all of, “Viva La Vibrant!” is the climax, overly euphoric kind of banger.”

Diving Deep w/ Feelmonger

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?

Music has always been a huge part of my life. My parents (unsurprisingly) got me started on piano lessons as a young child, I don’t even remember how old I was. I would say 6-7. I had natural talent apparently, but I was a little lazy and my parents let me quit. Still, something always brought me back. All throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I was HUGE into discovering new music and always had a CD player and headphones with me. I tried to learn guitar to impress the ladies of course, but that was about it until college, when I went to my first bass music show back in 2010. I had a life changing experience and I knew that live music was something I wanted to be involved in for the rest of my life. 

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?

Oh this is something I can relate HEAVY with. Honestly it does feel like 2 different lives. Feelmonger is definitely a “persona” that I feel lives differently from my personal life. I was afraid of combining the two early in my career which led to a lot of personal conflicts. Being a musician and chasing your passions can cost a lot of time, energy, money… and for a while if it’s “just a hobby” it’s hard to justify spending all of that on it right? But if you honestly feel passionate about something, you need to find a way to do that WITHOUT sacrificing everything else you value in life. I think what’s helped me a lot is remembering to do music for MYSELF. I don’t need shows, I don’t need labels or fans. Those are all extra bonuses. I’m definitely still working on this one every day.

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?

Oh, I kind of touched on this in my last answer. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t always produced for myself. Who doesn’t imagine selling out Red Rocks? But success doesn’t always come at the speed you expect so that motivation can dry up pretty quickly. Just trying to get in touch with how you felt when you wrote your first song, or wrote your first favorite melody… things like that, right? A large support network of close friends who really believe in you (Amanda + Brandon, looking at you!) is ridiculously helpful as well. Definitely would not be here if I had done this all alone

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?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s not a competition and that’s an unhealthy way to look at things. Somebody else’s success does not negatively impact you. You’re just creating this pent up negative energy in yourself, related to your music, and soon the only emotions you’ll feel while trying to write music is envy, frustration, anger from things that really don’t even affect you. I’ve been hella guilty of this (thanks Spotify Wrapped), but I’m gonna keep reminding myself of this until I get it.

Finding music that quite literally takes you on a journey through a whole other world can be an absolute treat, allowing you to escape from normal day to day life to explore somewhere completely new. Female bass producer, Yoko, has created just this, opening up a whole new realm under the water with her forthcoming album Beneath the High Sea. This 10 track compilation has been highly anticipated by listeners all over, and today we are here to give you a taste of what is to come with its release. Our premiere “Mista Big” is a wild collaboration between Yoko and fellow bass artist Skinny Limbs, providing the perfect combination of bouncy beats, wubby synths and an all around wavey soundscape. You can practically picture yourself exploring the underwater depths while listening to this track! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Mista Big (ft. Skinny Limbs)” and the rest of Yoko’s forthcoming album, a certified bop.

“This album represents a sonic journey through the ocean’s greatest depths and the furthest depths of my mind. These 10 tracks take you on an evolution of adventures manifesting from the light, dark, and everything in between. This project was made to embody the hero’s journey and the transformations that arise, without omitting the full array of emotions that coincide.”

Diving Deep w/ Yoko

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 fell in love with music at a very young age due to the influence of my grandfather and his love for older music. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been enamored by 40s, 50s, 60s classical, jazz, and big band styles, my brother and I were the weird kids singing John Denver and Bobby Darin in 3rd grade. I think I truly knew I always wanted to pursue something in music, but it was just a matter of learning how to do so. I was always around instruments and collecting vinyl, and nothing could ever bring me the joy that music did, so I started to teach myself how to produce 5 years ago and never looked back.

2. It can be very hard sometimes to separate 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?

I have a plethora of hobbies that I enjoy escaping into that keep me well-balanced outside the music sphere. I think the easiest part is having such a greater group of friends around me that support me in whatever I pursue, and vice-versa. I find my balance within those relationships and most importantly celebrating/supporting my friends endeavors just as they support mine. 

3. What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed when first starting off as an artist vs now after experience playing events, doing releases etc?

The biggest difference for me has been the intention I put into my entire project. As I’ve continued to grow, I’ve tried to be as intentional as I can with my performances, my releases, and most importantly my presence as an artist. The “Yoko” project is meant to present so much more than just a fun night out, and I believe that over time, I’ve gained so much insight into the energy and change that I can truly put out into this world. I feel that I finally know how to translate my personal emotional states into something audible so that I can curate spaces for healing (in many forms) with my music, and I intend to dig into that for this next chapter of my project.

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 for me has been patience and transparency. As an aspiring producer, you can get lost in the sea of other voices and following currents of other artists sounds. The most important lesson to learn is to be patient with yourself, to not force yourself into a mold of someone else, and to listen to what your heart and mind truly have to say when it comes to writing music. Just because the specific style of music you want to make isn’t the most popular doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to follow the more crowded path. As an aspiring producer, you should be driven to share YOUR story, your true emotions, and the realities that exist in your mind. Stick to your truth, be patient with yourself throughout the learning process, and carve your own path.

In the ever changing world of music, finding tracks that take you on a journey through sound can be rare to find. While most songs can evoke certain emotions, it can be hard to find music that feels like it is actually transporting listeners to another dimension or space through its melodies. This however did not seem to be a challenge for Arkansas based bass producer, SpaceBass as he brings forth an absolutely massive EP tomorrow. His Altered State EP features 4 tracks of pure bass bliss, with each tune taking listeners into an alternate reality of sound. We have the pleasure of giving you a taste of what is to come with the full EP release with our premiere today, “Transcend”, which features the perfect combination of floating synths and wavy bass lines. This track is definitely a mind bending listen, we will definitely have it on repeat alongside the rest of the Altered State EP. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Transcend” and the rest of Spacebass’s highly anticipated EP, a certified bop.

“This EP was really special to make, I was able to really push the knowledge I had and learned so much along the way. I really wanted to have a cohesive EP that everything could flow properly together and create a theme / story. Something that would catch the attention of the listener and allow them to resonate with the vocals or flow with the baseline or melody.”

Diving Deep W/ SpaceBass

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?

Well music has been something that has really helped me through breakups, depression, and helped me connect with people in ways I’ve struggled with in the past. Music its self has been something that I have always enjoyed since High school. But Wakaan 2019 was the turning point for me, I realized that I could possibly express myself in a way that I would enjoy but also possibly help someone along the way. That’s when I realized I wanted to dive into learning not only how to produce but DJ as well. 

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?

Networking, its a tricky part of the job, I used to be introverted in a way and still somewhat am. But from the beginning I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone to connect with people in the business and because of it I have made some amazing friends along the way. But really it has helped shape me into more of a people person and not as shy as I used to be. 

3. What kind of impact do you wish to have on the scene 1-2 years from now with your project?

For me music has always been therapeutic, I would love to not only help people by them being able to zone out in that moment and forget about their issues or whatever might be on their mind. If people can stop their negative thinking for just a brief moment it might improve their day just enough to help them get through the problem they are dealing with. I would also like to help further projects that can benefit the communities from toy drives to benefit shows. We are all here to help one another along this journey we call life.

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?

Persistence, learning how to make music does not come over night. Success does not happen over night. I started with zero knowledge, I never played an instrument, never learned music theory, nothing. But I did not give up, I still take production classes, 1 on 1s with artists, and constantly trying to further my knowledge because we can always Improve and further our crafts. Just because you didn’t get the results you envisioned is not a reason to give up. Start over and try again, while trying to improve your weakest areas.  

Around this time of the year, there seems to be a clear divide on the argument to whether Christmas music is a delight to listen to or the bane of our human existence. While that conflict might go on forever, today Dream Tonic has teamed up with fellow Producer Dojo black belt, Memory Code, to bring forth a whole new type of Christmas carol. While we all know the tune Jingle Bells, these two incredible producers have put their own haunting spin on the classic, creating an almost Tim Burton like rendition of a this song. With it’s downtempo beat and ghastly vocals, this is definitely a Christmas song we know so many will love due to its unique take. No matter if you absolute scrooge or the holiday season is your favorite time of year, this track is definitely not one you want to miss. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this special version of “Jingle Bells”, a certified bop.

“Both black belts from ill.Gates’ Producer Dojo record label, Dream Tonic and Memory Code team up to deliver a chilling, dark downtempo twist on a holiday classic – “Jingle Bells”. A bass-heavy trip through glitched out bells, haunting vocals and warm sonic textures brings the listener on a journey into the mysterious and sensual aspects of winter, delivering a highly unusual, far from typical take on a mainstay standard of holiday music.”

Diving Deep w/ Dream Tonic 

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 knew from the time I was a young child that I was meant to compose music. Before I even knew how to read music, I would create songs on the piano and I invented a form of graphic notation that included lines, boxes and squiggles in order to document my compositions onto paper. I lived, breathed, consumed and created music from the age of 6. I studied classical piano deeply throughout high school and college and when I eventually discovered the rave scene, it thoroughly transformed me spiritually, emotionally and musically and I knew that I wanted to do THAT to people through my 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?

I had about a list of 50 different ideas for an artist name! Driven by the light, whispery timbre of my voice, I knew I wanted to include elements of an ethereal nature, such as space, air or sky and ended up settling on “dream” instead as there an airiness, a spaciousness to dreams and it also aligned with the dreamy quality of tracks that I like to produce. I am a water sign in the zodiac, I’ve always been drawn to water, lived near water, have emotions that roll through me like water, so I love the liquid element. I also happen to love the fact that “tonic” also doubles as the root note of a song and it appealed to my music theory nerd nature. I also loved that it could be a sort of elixir, or “tonic” that could help cure your ailments.

3. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced being an up and coming female DJ/producers in the scene? Is there anything you would change within the scene in regards to this?

I’d say the most annoying thing is that anytime anyone hears a track that I co-produced but have my vocals on, they always assume that I JUST did the vocals when in fact, I helped produce the entire track from the ground up. To others out there – don’t assume that girls can’t produce or that they only sing or topline. I have years and years of composition under my belt with songwriting, orchestration, piano, drum training, etc. and it all goes into every track I write. Because female producers make up less than 5% of the producer population, I can see why this assumption is often made. Also, less than 1% of music producers are also mothers and I am both. Having children definitely makes it challenging to find time to produce consistently, however, it has only strengthened my resolve and my commitment to my craft.

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 have learned is that there is massive power in collaboration. I have had the great opportunity to partner with a variety of other producers, from ill.Gates to Zain Effendi (Star Wars) to other Producer Dojo producers and the outcome is always an incredible track. With two minds together, each contributing his or her unique skill sets, the track always seems to come out better. It also helps keep you accountable. Another lesson I’ve learned is to prioritize musical tasks, get to know your own personal workflow, learn about project management and stay committed to achieving big goals through everyday small steps.

Music of all genres has always been a universal language no matter where in the world you come from. Being able to explore tunes for all over is always such a treat because it exposes new cultures, sounds and musical design that would not be possible without this global input. Today, we are traveling back over to Europe for our premiere, as Italian bass wizard msft. releases his latest track “Alley”. This tune is a true testament to the soundscapes of European underground warehouse raves with its uptempo drum and bass beat and wavey synths. We definitely are loving the surge of breakbeat tracks in the scene, so we will definitely be keeping this one on repeat. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this stomper “Alley”, a certified bop.

Alley is a track I somehow imagined before producing. I wanted to recreate the vibes of an underground rave, in an ominous and obscure location. I imagined myself hearing filtered music outside, without figuring out where the entrance was. I had this feeling of being lost, in a chaotic and confused way. I hope I managed to reproduce properly the idea I had in mind while making this song.

Diving Deep w/ msft.

1.  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’s not easy, especially when you live in a city/country where electronic music is not really a thing. I’ve been trying hard to find the right balance between music and personal life (considering my gf and a bunch of friends live in a different city). But I wouldn’t say it’s a struggle at all, it’s part of the game!

2. You live, breathe and eat bass music. Do you listen to anything else when you are away from everything? What would your top 5 non bass artists be? Top 5 bass artists?

 I try not to listen to a lot of bass music to avoid being biased when making it haha. I listen to a lot of hip hop and I am kinda into jazz as well (especially in the past couple of months). My fav non bass music artists are: The Prodigy (although they are connected to bass music), Brockhampton, Lil Peep, Skepta and Aitch. Speaking of bass music, my favs are: Peekaboo, Noisia, LSDREAM, Nitepunk and Buunshin.

3. If there was one thing you could change in the bass scene, what would it be and why?

I would make it easier for international artists to have a chance to play in the US, or try to include more bass shows in Europe as well. It’s impossible though.