When it comes to funky and refreshing, yet jaw-dropping sound, Common Creation is one to watch. This psychedelic soul-bass producer has been creating tunes out of Georgia since 2015, and clearly has no plans to slow down anytime soon. As of now, he has released several EP’s and singles under both the Wakaan and Sskwan labels, each one somehow more groundbreaking than the last.  

   Similar to artists like Manic Focus, Common Creation often plays the guitar alongside throwing down on the decks during live performances; somewhat of a rarity within the world of EDM. Adding this live element to shows allows for an invigorating and more personal experience overall, making them unforgettable and leaving fans wanting more. He also creates a good amount of his cover art for his EP and single releases, showcasing his creative skills in fields other than music composition. You can catch Common Creation live at the infamous Mission Ballroom in October; a show that is bound to be a true crowd pleaser. 

   His latest EP release under Wakaan, Sunset Seance, is what can only be described as falling into a psychedelic dreamworld on the verge of a nightmare. Combining light tones and expertly placed scratching with commanding bass, Sunset Seance blurs the lines between light and dark, resulting in tracks that are expertly balanced and sure to take you on an enthralling ride through what he describes as a bridge between the artist he was and the artist he is becoming. This EP is a journey from start to finish, and it is a pleasure to add it to our personal playlists. For more insight into the creation of Sunset Seance, see our exclusive interview with Common Creation below. 

“To finally release this EP is cathartic. I can’t help but look back on the last few years and see how far this project has come. In a lot of ways, this EP feels like the end of one era of my career and the beginning of the next chapter. Dedicating this one to everyone who has supported me so far, thank you for listening.”

Diving Deep w/ Common Creation

1. The Sunset Seance EP is a culmination of tracks you began putting together towards the beginning of your music career in preparation for the Hampton Coliseum in 2021. Did you change these tracks at all from their originals when they were first written to reflect your project currently? Why did you feel it was important to share these tracks with your fans? 

That’s a great question with kind of a long answer. I definitely continued to work on and refine these tunes after that performance but the entire EP was finished up by about April of 2022. I wasn’t sure wanted to do with it release wise initially and honestly was somewhat unsure about the sound I was trying to achieve at the time. Due to this I ended up shelving Sunset Seance while I began working on my next EP Oblique Obelisk. During those sessions I felt like I leveled up a ton in my production techniques, and by the time I had finished it Wakaan had agreed to release both EP’s. They left it up to me to determine the order. I chose to release Oblique first since the first release date they offered was in the spring, and the theme of that project was spring. Conveniently, the second date was around midsummer and the themes of Sunset Seance are way more late summer / autumn so the timing seemed perfect. At that point though the Sunset tracks were over a year old and I started to feel pretty much what you described in the question which is that they didn’t quite reflect where I am as an artist at this point. So around December I did some more sessions to attempt to bring them up to speed with where I was currently. The results were actually really bad. I pretty much just ended up butchering the ideas and ruining the mixdowns. Sometimes you just gotta know when to put the pen down so I just decided f-ck it and went with the original versions. The reason I like working mostly with EP’s is that I really try to focus on making a cohesive piece of art and think of them as snapshots of where I am at as a producer at that time. And this EP was something I had worked hard on and was still proud of and therefore I felt that my existing listeners had a right to hear it. This is actually the second time I have released EP’s out of chronological order. When I got asked by Gramatik to release on Lowtemp Music (my first label release) I had just finished Gold Soul Galaxy, but felt it wasn’t really the statement I wanted to make with my first big exposure release, so I hunkered down and wrote Manufactured Moments while shelving GSG. Almost a year later, I ended up releasing GSG even though I felt pretty much the exact same way that I felt about Sunset. It was old and I had improved. But it was still a solid piece of music so why not release it? Well it actually ended up being an all time fan favorite EP and I kinda realized that if you felt good about a piece of music at one point, it is probably worth sharing. I’m hoping Sunset Seance ends up being a similar story.

2. What is your favorite track off this EP and why?

That’s a tough one but if I had to pick I would probably go with Bizarro Bayou. It definitely has my favorite melodies from the whole EP and I think production wise its just a solid track, but Swamp Zombie would probably be a close second, I think the second drop is the grooviest thing I’ve ever made.

3. Where do you hope to see your project 5 years from now? What are you doing currently to make this dream a reality?

In 5 years i’m hoping to be headlining my own tour. Definitely a tough goal and I have a long road to make it happen, but that has been my dream since I was about 8 years old. I’ve been planning it for years too. I would run my own visuals from stage and perform at least 2 hrs each night, 1 hr solo, 1 hr with a live band ideally. My team and I have had this goal in mind for a while but currently we are mainly focused on getting my name out there as much as possible. We’ve got some big dates coming up that I’m hoping are gonna help me gain some more national exposure, and we are also focusing on getting me in as many cities as possible for 2024.

4. What’s next for Common Creation? What do you and your team have planned in the near future that fans have to look forward to? 

I’ve actually been working on a pretty large amount of new tunes including a bunch of old school remixes, and will be dropping a themed unreleased mix in the very near future. Will be releasing more details on that in the coming weeks. Additionally we are about to launch a new community that will help connect w fans and get as many of the people who support me in one place as possible. I’ll be staying active in that and sharing whatever i’m working on (hopefully daily), and we think it’ll be a great way to get fans a little more involved w the project. Beyond that we are working on another merch run, have at least one more huge show to announce, and have some really cool things planned through the fall to the end of the year

AHEE, the well-rounded producer known for his extraterrestrial sounding tracks continuously has outdone himself once again. Releasing tracks with labels like Wakaan, Subsidia, and Cyclops Recordings. His repertoire expands over a multitude of genres, and he is a master of blending them into a satisfying range of tracks that are sure to be enjoyed by EDM fans of all types. Alongside performing and producing, Ahee spends much of his time sharing tips related to his creative process with other producers and composers, showing that he genuinely cares about the progression of bass music and EDM as a whole.

AHEE’s newest release, “Brain Rot” delves into the topic of corporate greed and consumerism; a conversation that consistently occurs in both the EDM community as well as in other spaces. Referencing topics that are easy to communicate with the general public allows the listener to fully connect with the track and appreciate the discourse layered within it, expanding the audience that an artist can reach. Along with the context of the track, what distinguishes “Brain Rot” from other releases is the inclusion of brand new samples, which add a refreshing twist to his already glitchy, experimental style. Ahee has truly honed in on his craft and places a lot of focus on these vocal samples (many of which are his own voice), resulting in an uneasy, villain-esque vibe followed by wonderful and wonky sound design that is sure to set him apart from other artists. The artist also prides himself in his ability to curate a set for specific crowds, showing that he carries his artistry through the entirety of his work as a producer and performer.

“I’ve been releasing with labels for years, collaborating with some incredible artists and pushing the limits of sound. Now, as I prepare to release my own music on my own label, I feel a mixture of insecurity and excitement. This track, ‘Brain Rot,’ challenges the boundaries that some labels may not feel comfortable with. I believe in making electronic music that pushes boundaries while also carrying a meaningful message that will inspire fans to be more curious about the world around them.” 

Diving Deep w/ AHEE

1. When writing Brain Rot, what elements and inspirations did you use to formulate this infectious track?

When the Brain Rot first started, it wasn’t called Brain Rot, it was a random sound design project file where I was trying to create something similar to my song Bug Eater. Though, as the track progressed and I started to think of vocal ideas, I knew I had the opportunity to do something unique. I began experimenting with satirical corporate office villain voice overs of myself and made a few versions, I showed Brain Rot to a few friends and stuck with what vibed the best. I did have another version that was maybe a lil too unhinged, lol, wouldn’t that be a funny VIP?

2. After numerous different releases on different labels and collaborations with other artists, Brain Rot serves as a milestone for the AHEE project as its first self-release. What does this mean for you as an artist? How is this first self-release going to help shape your project in the future?

It’s exciting and I’m a little nervous about it, I think those feelings come together whenever something big is happening, like my label Zot Records.  For me, it’s the 1st step to express my full artistic potential in new directions. I’m still going to release with other labels – I love working with them, but my own label will help me keep an avenue open for art that might not be curated at other labels. Right now I’m focused on releasing my own music with Zot Records, but eventually I’ll release other people’s music as well, I’d like to see that happen.

3. You have been playing all over at festivals such as Summer Camp and Shambala. What do you do to prepare for bigger sets such as these? 

I spend a lot of time collecting songs, making edits, and trying them out in sequence in ableton, then I set it all up in rekord box with my cues and curated groupings of songs I can choose to explore while vibing with each crowd. I feel like there is a lil bit of psychic perception involved in DJing live and riding a vibe.

I have a track breakdown of Brain Rot I’m gonna upload to my Youtube channel for other producers to learn my techniques and thinking behind the songwriting process.

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