Finding new tracks that have listeners out on the floor absolutely going ham from the very start of the track to the last measure can be a task when the bass music scene seems to have a never-ending expanse of new music. But never fear, Headbang Society is here to guide you on your music discovery journey starting with today’s absolute heater of a premiere. Bass virtuoso, BANkaJI has teamed up with Kloud Forest and TRIP DROP to create a stomper to start 2023. With its bouncy beat and electric synths, this track will give any listener a permanent bass face. There is no doubt that BANkaJI, Kloud Forest and TRIPP DROP are a lethal combo that is not to be missed. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Enchiladas”, a certified bop.

“We had a bunch of fun bringing this track to its final form by combining our sound design techniques.  The song has only been played live once before so we are excited for the people to hear it!”

Diving Deep w/ BANkaJI

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 got into music at a young age when my cousin introduced me to FL studios in middle school.  We started a techno band together and ever since that time, I have been pursuing a music career.

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 artist name “BANkaJI” was formed during a time of my life when I was focused on manifesting my goals for music.  The word is made up by myself but to me means alignment toward your dreams.

3. What are the inspirations that helped push you into wanting to pursue a career in music?

Some inspirations that have helped my career have definitely been my friends in the EDM scene.  Having a solid network of like-minded artists has helped my craft and my attitude.  Denver can be a competitive atmosphere when sharing your bass music and I have been blessed with a squad of homies who help me achieve my dreams. 

The biggest lesson I have learned when making music is to enjoy the process and all the motions.  I never imagined being able to play my music for a crowd of people when I was growing up.  Having these opportunities is breathtaking and if you want to last in this scene you better show your appreciation every time your fans give you the opportunity to share your art.

In the ever-changing world of electronic music, there are copious amounts of new releases each and every day. Standing out in the dubstep scene can be a very difficult task with this constant influx and many artists face the challenge of getting themselves to the top. Sydney-based producer, ARTIFACT, has had no issue paving his own path, releasing banger after banger. His last release that we have the pleasure of premiering for you today, “Slaughter House”, continues to bring the heat we have seen previously from this artist. With its infectious bass line and heavy synths, this track is one you don’t want to miss. We definitely will be blasting this one for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Slaughter House”, a certified bop.

“I had a vision in mind that I wanted to create a song that blended a scary/horror feel with a melodic side to it. Being that my brand is all about evil spirits I believe the dark feel came through really well whilst still being somewhat melodic to take the listeners on a journey.”

Diving Deep w/ ARTIFACT

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 always loved many different types of music and you would always find me listening to something, I played the drums for a while in school and had fun doing so. At 15 years old I started going to friends’ parties and found myself so interested in the DJ and how what he was doing was such an artform. It didn’t take me long before I bought some equipment and started practicing, before I knew it I was playing parties and having such a great time selecting each and every new song to download and play. After a while I realised that although I love DJing, I really wanted to create music and learn the art of producing. I have done a tafe course called ‘Diploma of Electronic Music Production’ and I had an absolute blast learning how to use ableton, how to produce music and meeting so many like minded people. Fast forward to 4 years later and here I am producing and releasing music consistently and loving every moment of it!     

2. 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?

I have noticed that to get the hang of something and become good at it you have to do it over and over again with plenty of practice and the determination/drive that you can do it. I have had plenty of roadblocks as an artist/DJ but if you put the work in you can make it happen. Some of the differences I have noticed from starting off as an artist to where I am now is the fact that you’ll find your groove (Don’t rush the learning process), doing anything for the first or even 5th time can be hard like playing your first show or doing your second song release. The biggest difference from starting out to now is that you learn/understand the amount of work it is behind the scenes to move forward and upwards as an artist, whether you are producing a track, learning how to mix/master, sending emails off to labels, networking with show promoters, networking with other artists. It never really stops but if you have a passion for your brand and music, it’s never really a job, it’s what you love.

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? 

Some of the most important things in this industry are; Alway stay humble and respectful as a person, really put in your all and spend the time on whatever it is that you want to achieve, have goals set in place and work towards them, put YOUR music out for YOU (regardless of people’s opinions), try to be consistent with your releases, social media and networking, youtube is your best friend for learning anything to do with production.

4. What’s next for your project? What plans do you have in the near future that you hope to accomplish as “ARTIFACT“?

My team and I have big plans for the ARTIFACT brand in 2023, 2022 was a massive year and this one is set to be even bigger. With plans of many releases, merch, patreon, label releases, my debut tour and much much more that you guys will have to wait and see!

There are very few artists that have the distinct ability to combine bass music alongside jazzy brass instruments quite the way bass duo, Willdabeast does. Adding trumpet and trombone to each of their tunes provides a unique sound unlike any other, elevating them into the spotlight. Their latest release with San Fransico-based music label, Muti Music, perfectly encapsulates the marriage between wubby bass and instrumental music. “On One” perfectly marries these two artists and their talents into one heater of a track, with its vibrant animated melodies and driving bass line. There is no doubt that this track will have any listener up an bouncing around with its infectious energy. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “On One”, a certified bop. 

“We use this song as a singular voice. A way to come together. Because we’ve all been there at some point or another and simply put if we can work together we can get more done. We’re on one. You’re on one. We’re on one. We use this song to become something greater than ourselves.”

Diving Deep w/ Wildabeast

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’m not sure if there was just one singular event that got us into music. Personally, I (Glazier) think music has always held a special place in the most subconscious part of my soul.  As with most things, I suppose my passion for it just needed some time so it could be nurtured and uncovered. My parents were always into pretty fascinating music that piqued my interest growing up like avante-garde jazz or dissonant rock which included Sun Ra, Zappa and Captain Beefheart for example. They were both writers/authors/poets and into many forms of fine arts in one way or another so I was pretty immersed in it all growing up.  I remember, probably like many of us were, being introduced to the older kids in elementary school in a procession like style, the brightest looking and sounding one was the trumpet and for some reason or another it caught my eye and ear.  I did select that as my instrument of choice and for whatever reason it stuck with me. I was never the most talented and still aren’t, but I continue to put forward the work and always adopted that attitude that if I worked harder than the next person I could at least try to be as good or stand beside them and know that I belonged.  I remember a few years later I was a few minutes late to my 6am jazz band practice in 6th grade. I got kicked out of my school band.  Heart broken, I left school that day ready to give up permanently on music.  A few weeks later I met Michael Angelakos (later known as Passion Pit) on the Napster chatroom and after exchanging ideas and more, we eventually joined a rock/ska band together called Cherry Bing.  This started my fervid music lifestyle which has continued to today.  We recorded and played shows for many years throughout high school until two quite famous bands were born out of that project.  We reached some great localed success in Buffalo, NY including recording at legendary Goo Goo Dolls studio, playing Warped Tour, and selling out several local and regional shows.  These moments and tastes of the industry would really set up the next couple of decades in the industry for all of us.

2. If you had the chance to collaborate with any artist of your choosing, who would it be and why would you choose them?

Tough question. Well, first of all I would like to say that we have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many incredible artists already thus far. It has been such an honor and deep privilege. Even from small recording credits on GRiZ’s “A Fine Way To Die” to recording complete albums with Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics of Pretty Lights Music familiarity and beyond. There have been so many incredible shows, tracks and tours we have been blessed to play on over the years and a proper thank you would be insurmountable. But deep gratitude to everyone that has taken time out of their day to invest their energy in our music one way or another.  We would be in a far different spot without our friends and just want to utilize some of this space to give some special thanks to some of those folks we have been worked with (not limited to): Defunk, Kaptain, Phunk Bias. That being said, if we had to only choose one artist to collab with, if it was today, I would say maybe Apashe. Really tough one to choose though there are so many great options out there.  Apashe utilizes a lot of wonderful orchestral samples and instruments that we try to, we really love his production value and style, we’ve got to play with him too and John’s a great guy. If I could give a runner up it would be CloZee or maybe even Alexander Lewis. I think that would be fun. Their immense capacity for sound and interpretation of beats would be a limitless canvas for our potential project.

3. What’s one cool fact about yourself/or your project that not many fans know about?

One thing some people may not know about us is that for many years during the launch and inception of this Willdabeast project, before we had our first song out or even picked out our name, we toured as Michal Menerts’ horn section in his band(s). First, we played as the Michal Menert Big Band. Our first three shows together were the Fillmore, Sonic Bloom Music Festival and then Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was an 18-piece electronic ‘big band’ that I helped organize alongside Menert. I helped arrange some of the backing parts and horn sections (the rhythm section was mostly made up of a band I was in from WA at the time called Snug Harbor).  After that, we paired it down and the band and continued our journey. We recorded an entire album called ‘1’ as the 6 piece Michal Menert’s ‘The Pretty Fantastics’ and toured on that record for a couple of years more. It was some of the best times of my life. We played about 5-6 shows a week. Got to play Red Rocks a couple more times and the Fillmore as well as a bunch of more epic festivals and venues. I will forever be indebted to Menert and his crew for everything they did for me, my journey and what they did to teach and inspire me along the way. Those guys are truly legendary in the scene and their music is up there to me at the very top of the list with anyone. It meant a lot to be on stage with them for so long, alongside my idols, and so much so that when I had my son in the middle of all of that, we named my son’s middle name Michal. Those records, those people, those memories, will last me a lifetime and for that I’ll always have love and appreciation for that crew. I think a lot of that inspiration shines through in what we make whether it’s intentional or not. Of course our music is very different, but I think some of our approaches, and fundamentally, we come from very similar places a lot of the time. Our time together really highlighted the way for us, even if we didn’t realize it at the time. I thought I had toured before but playing a few shows a month was different than playing 25 a month. I learned a lot of what to do. I also learned a lot of what not to do (my bad guys haha) and more than anything else how to take care of each other and how to make sure we try our best to be our best in and outside of our music. 

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 one of the biggest lessons I have learned from being in music all these years is to be humble. What a hard lesson that was. I have definitely been humbled many many times and I’m sure I’ll continue to be. I have been told no more than yes.  I will continue to be.  I have been rejected more than accepted. We have been denied more than approved. It’s a tough gig, music. You know I kind of see music almost like the economy, right? I mean sort of anyway. I guess I’m exaggerating, but if you think about it, sort of the top 1% or 2% of people/musicians/DJs (or wealth in parallel) really control most of what’s’ going on and the rest of us are kind of just fighting for scraps. Am I that far off?  So instead of taking ourselves too seriously, beating yourself up, being too hard on yourself or others…. my opinion is just have fun. Make great music.  And guess what if/when you don’t?  That’s okay. That’s cool too. Every track doesn’t need to be a chart topper. You’re allowed to make mistakes. You’re allowed to move on.  You’re not wasting time. Things that may not be ‘keepers’ may be useful practice or tools for success on your next track. It’s all just repetition and soon enough things will become like second nature. Don’t give up, don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t forget to enjoy it. If you’re not having fun… it’s going to be hard for others to enjoy it.  It’s hard though and it’s a fine line, because we put all of this pressure on ourselves to make great music and to succeed, but we also want to make ourselves happy and do what we feel has creative integrity or artistically satisfying.  But there’s no point in fighting and there’s no point in adding extra stress or pressure when there’s already so much working against us in the first place.  Create, enjoy, give it everything you got and that’s a fact.  You can do that. Control what you control and be the best version of that person you can.  Let the universe decide the rest.

It is always exciting when artists we love build upon so of our favorite songs that we used to blast growing up. Whether pop music, electronic, or rock was the vibe, there is always a sense of nostalgia around these flips, bootlegs, and edits. For the emo kids, A Day To Remember was a staple growing up, and today we have a new version of one of their most well-known tracks “Have Faith In Me”. Bass wizard, Mistah Dill,  has created a flip that not only features this iconic turn but combines it with some absolutely amazing electronic synths that transform it into a whole new and electric track. No matter if this ADTR track was on repeat when it first came out or this is the first time it’s being played, the combination of this iconic song and Mistah Dill’s insane electronic edits is not something that should be slept on. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling Mistah Dill’s flip of “Faith In Me”, a certified bop.

“Working on this track was a huge breakthrough moment for me because I have been working hard the last year to curate that old school sound with shades of today’s present sound in music & this song fully hits the nail on the head in my opinion. Taking inspiration from Ravenscoon, Smoakland Tape B, Liquid Stranger, Zeds Dead & Mersiv I wanted to create a hard hitting yet emotional and pretty take on a Rock classic by A Day To Remember that will be sure to shake dance floors and give feelings of nostalgia while hearing this tune.

Diving Deep w/ Mistah Dill

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 had a regular music class in elementary school & joined the band going into middle school as an extracurricular activity where I ended up exploring multiple instruments including the Violin, Saxophone & also dabbled in Percussion/Drums. Instantly from the start of that journey I fell into a deeper love & appreciation for music because I was actually learning the actual theory of it & what went into making songs/music and how to play songs on a new instrument all at the same time! That time in my life really kick-started my drive to be a musician but I would say it wasn’t until I turned 18 and attended my first few electronic shows & festivals where I had a moment of realization that I wanted to pursue a career as an Electronic artist. Just being so young & new to the scene seeing how nonjudgmental, loving & carefree/lost in the moment everyone was really made me want to create that safe, loving & carefree environment myself whether it be through my music or a live setting.

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?

3. Being an artist in the spotlight, you have a continuously growing impact on your fanbase and the scene. Due to the nature of this, have you had any fan interactions that have particularly hit home for you as an artist and why?

I do have a lot of interactions while out and about at shows back home or in the crowd at shows/festivals I performed at but it’s usually just quick little conversations or someone saying hi because they recognized me or telling me how they enjoyed the set but I actually just had an interaction that truly hit home and will always stick with me my whole life. I just got done performing at Mersiv’s tour stop in Grand Rapids in November and someone had come up and introduced themselves to me and we got to chatting a bit, he told me that he had been to every one of my stops I had in Grand Rapids over 2022 and he really appreciated how each time was a different experience, got better & better and how he could feel the pure emotion & genuinity radiating off of me as I performed. I was in pure shock and never knew that I could ever have that effect on anyone or that’s how anyone felt in the moment while I performed. It was truly a beautiful moment shared with a very beautiful person that motivated & inspired me to keep being me, working hard & to be a light in this scene for people.

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 since I started pursuing music as a career (and this is going to sound cheesy) is to just be your genuine self. I know it’s not super crazy or some holy grail of lessons but to me it’s the most important of them all. I see too many people who lose touch with themselves pursuing this career. Just because they tasted a tiny bit of “fame” or success, Their integrity is compromised, they treat others poorly, they’re not humble/respectful, and they make others feel small or as if they aren’t as important as them etc etc. My most important words of wisdom for aspiring producers are exactly what I explained above, BE YOURSELF. Just because you made a hit song and performed for large crowds doesn’t make you better than anyone. If you’re on the fence about diving into production, I’ll tell you what my good friend Benji Robot told me one night while I was still on the fence about wanting to pursue music production. JUST DO IT. Stop talking about it and just do it because you never will if you don’t just start somewhere like we all did. Whether you want to be a full time artist or not, producing & learning something new is such a good outlet to release emotion and to be productive. The last bit of wisdom I’ll leave you with is to keep those people who stick with you through all the good & all of the bad very close. Whether their role is supporter or tour manager, they all do an important job no matter how small or big so have some appreciation for them and bring them up along the way as they continue to build you up along the way.

Paving a path through the crazy and ever-changing world of the music industry can be a challenge difficult to conquer. However, with the right tools and great tunes, many prevail, claiming their place in the spotlight. One of these up and coming artist making huge waves in the dubstep scene is none other than Cali native producer, IMAN, who is starting 2023 off with an absolute banger of a release. His latest track, “ILLEST” which we have the pleasure of premiering for you all today, is the next headbangin’ heater that should be on everyone’s radar immediately. With its deep driving bass line, intricate sound design, and aggressive melodies, this is definitely a heavy hitter that captures listeners’ attention from the moment it starts playing. We expect to see this one being rinsed out all over very soon. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “ILLEST”, a certified bop. 

‘Illest’ is a surge of pure adrenaline. Opening with a brooding burst of energy, the track goes onto evolve into an intricate dubstep production, showing a mastery of tension and release. Based in LA, Iman is one of the most vital young voices in the genre, and ‘Illest’ is his most impressive track to date. It’s heavy and aggressive, but ultimately inspirational – thrilling right up to its eerie closing moments. 

Diving Deep w/ IMAN

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 never actually made the decision to “get into music”, it kind of just happened. Growing up I played the piano and guitar but wasn’t good at it. I played the trumpet and liked it a lot and was actually good at it. Ultimately getting into music became a sort of “happy accident” for me, when I first started learning how to DJ I had no intention of ever performing. Even when I first started performing as a DJ I had no plans of learning music production, but my good friends Justin (from Laszewo) and DK helped me realize that if I wanted to actually perform on a larger scale at some point I’d need to take a step back from DJing and focus on producing for a while. 

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?

I don’t really try to seperate the two and I go by my own name, proudly. Music is a huge part of my life, always has, always will be. I’m coming up on year 8 of my career in financial services and I’m really fortunate to have had co-workers and managers who were extremely supportive of everything and even come to some of my shows. I just don’t think about music and stay professional while at work. That being said, I don’t find it challenging because I’m also passionate about my career, hobbies, and interests outside of music. 

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?

Nobody owes you anything, you will face rejection, tons of it, you will fail, it sucks, but that’s how life is. Don’t get discouraged by others achievements, don’t lose motivation because of something you can’t control. Have a solid group of friends in music and actually form genuine connections with people. Ignore the noise, focus on yourself.

Have balance, so many people struggle with this and that’s why so many people are burnt out. For example, while it is important to go out to shows and be seen and network, I think it’s also very important to do things like spend quality time with your family friends, go on trips, spend time in nature, see a new movie, try a new restaurant, enjoy your hobbies etc. Missing a show or a festival is not the end of the world, there will always be more. 

4. What’s next for your project? What plans do you have in the near future that you hope to accomplish as “IMAN“?

I will be releasing my first EP in 2023, and I’m working and planning on releasing some collabs with some talented producers such as Kozmoz, Chassi, Reign, Izadi and Blind Lies throughout the year. Besides that I hope to play a bunch of shows and hopefully some festivals, so please let your local promoters know that you’d like to see me in your city!