Exclusive Road to Gem & Jam Guest Mix: Kaptain

Exclusive Road to Gem & Jam Guest Mix: Kaptain

There is a palpable feeling of excitement in the air as Gem & Jam Music Festival approaches at what seems to be the speed of light. There is now only one week away until many will be venturing out to the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ to celebrate the 15th anniversary of one of the most iconic and memorable festivals in the Southwest. Featuring a lineup of extremely talented artists ranging from LSDream to Ravenscoon to Huxley Anne, there is something for everyone to enjoy throughout the course of the weekend. Whether you are going for one or all of them, there will definitely be no shortage of incredible music throughout the course of the weekend. We have the pleasure of bringing you our third and final mix in our Road to Gem & Jam Guest Mix Series. With a huge array of funky tracks to fill the day, this mix features tons of original tunes from Kaptain as well as some other heavy hitters from artists such as Daily Bread. This mix and the rest of the series perfectly encapsulate the joy, great music and emasculate atmosphere that Gem & Jam Music Festival has to offer each and every one of its attendees. If you haven’t checked out the other exclusive mixes in our series brought to you from Zen Selekta and Dredlok, make sure to go give them a listen for some absolute heaters! We can’t wait to see everyone next week at Gem & Jam Music Festival.

Diving Deep w/ Kaptain

1. What are you most excited about playing at Gem & Jam Festival?

Gem & Jam has been on my radar for a few years now. I think for most up and coming artists it’s exciting to be on big lineups at established festivals with bigger production and audiences. It’s definitely something I’ve been working towards for a while. This will be my first show in Arizona— it’s always fun to branch out and see what the music scene is like in a new place. Also, I have a ton of friends on the lineup so I’m just excited to connect and party with some good people and awesome artists.

2. What goes into preparing for bigger sets at these types of events?

Generally, my process for putting together a set is more or less the same whether I’m playing in front of a large audience at a festival or playing at a 100 capacity club. That being said, I think my mentality going into a festival is a bit different than playing in Denver (where I live). Typically at a festival, a big chunk of the people in the audience have never seen or even heard of Kaptain. Because of that I tend to give them what I think is the best representation of an energetic, fun Kaptain set. If I’m playing, let’s say at Cervantes’ in Denver, the audience is more established and I’m willing to experiment and get a little bit weirder.

3. What can attendees expect from your set at Gem & Jam Festival?

 Funky, soulful, bass-y, live electronic music. I think “live” means a lot of different things in the electronic music world. For me, it primarily is referring to the fact that I’m playing live synthesizer/keys the entire set. I use Ableton Live and “stem” my songs into different parts so that I can, for instance, manipulate the vocal of one track while I’m playing another track. It also allows me to make transitions that go beyond the constraints of the original recordings. And then on top of that, I play a lot of live edits/versions of tracks that I’m never going to release.

 

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

As far as music, I’m currently in the mode of releasing singles and collabs and plan on continuing that for the short term. However, I’d love to make the time to work on an album eventually— I think even in today’s music landscape an album is still the ultimate musical artistic expression. 

As far as shows go, this year is going to be a big development year for me. I’m going on some runs of shows as direct support for bigger artists, and want to build my audience in the small to mid-sized festival circuit.

But in general, as long as I’m writing, performing, and making new friends through music, I’m happy. 

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Mythic Rogue X Vermyllion Turn Heads w/ New Track “VIII”

Mythic Rogue X Vermyllion Turn Heads w/ New Track “VIII”

Some of the best electronic music comes when two minds fuse together as one to produce some of the heaviest hitting slappers in the game. Today’s premiere is a perfect example of this, as Mythic Rogue and Vermyllion come together to release their latest track “VII” which is not something to sleep on. Both incredibly talented artists and producers on their own, this team up is one for the books, resulting in easily one of the nastiest bass tunes we have heard this year. With each drop bringing a new level of heat, this tracks driving bass lines and wavey synths is sure to get everyone up and bouncing around. There is no doubt that this track will be on repeat for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “VII”, a certified bop. 

“Vermyllion and I have been big fans of each others music for a long time, and we are excited to finally collaborate and share it with everyone!”

Diving Deep w/ Mythic Rogue and Vermyllion

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’ve played music ever since I was in third grade. I started with saxophone and throughout the years added drums and guitar. I went to lollapalooza in 2011 and it was the first time I had ever heard electronic music live and it quite literally changed my life. I knew that I wanted to be able to recreate that feeling I felt at those shows and provide it for other people through my own music. Ever since then I’ve been through multiple aliases and have settled on Vermyllion with a refined and focused vibe. ” – Vermyllion

” I’ve always had a deep connection with music, and fell in love with the live scene while attending Vans Warped Tour.  The stage presence, atmosphere, connection between the band and crowd, energy, and environment was so captivating.  I found myself obsessed with this newly discovered music, and began listening to it 24/7 trying to discover as many new artists as possible.  The feeling between these new sounds and I was something that I’ve never experienced.  It was there for me when I was happy, sad, angry, in love, broken hearted and everything in between.  Becoming immersed in that world made me realize music was something I needed to dedicate my life to.  Dreaming to be in an alternative metal band was a difficult aspiration being from a small town in Illinois, as everyone around me seemed to have the same interests, sports.  After moving to Denver, I discovered the electronic music scene, which eventually led to falling down the Ableton rabbit hole.” -Mythic Rogue

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?

“Vermyllion is actually a play on the spelling of the color vermilion which is a shade of red. Red has always been my favorite color and I really feel like it has a powerful energy to it. I try to channel that raw, powerful energy through my music so the name felt very natural.” -Vermyllion

“Mythic Rogue is something that I feel should be defined differently by each individual that comes across the project, and I hope the listener associates it with their own experiences, thoughts, and emotions.” -Mythic Rogue

3. 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?

“I went through the longest period of extended self doubt and depression after COVID hit. It happened right as my career was starting to take off and when the music world halted to a start I freaked out a bit. I spent a lot of time doubting myself and thinking that I wasn’t good enough or that music was not important and I should give it up. I’m thankful to say the last year has been a powerful rebirth for me after realizing that my purpose on this planet is to create music and experiences for humans to enjoy. Pushing through those lows really showed me what I’m made of and what I’m worth and I will never doubt myself again.” -Vermyllion

 “My biggest struggle has always been an internal one. Living in a world with so much access to art and the ability to create it is such a beautiful thing, but it also opens up a big opportunity for comparison and doubt. Everyone’s journey is their own, so it’s not exactly logical to compare, but a lot of artists I talk to seem to relate quite a bit on that. Finding myself as an artist has really helped a lot, and is still a difficult internal battle, but as I grow as a person I find myself growing more and more confident as an artist.” -Mythic Rogue

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 that the learning process is eternal. There is always a new technique or a new mindset that can elevate your music to the next level. Being hungry for knowledge and growth and never becoming complacent is so important. I’ve also learned that it takes so much time to be a producer. New artists should not get discouraged when they’re not making professional tier music in the first year, or even first five years. It took me almost 8 years of producing to get to the point where I can perfectly recreate what I hear in my head, and have it be something that I truly love and resonate with. Many people will quit before they ever reach that point. Keep pushing!!” -Vermyllion

“The biggest lessons I’ve learned are patience and consistency.  The path of an artist is such a long one with so many unexpected turns, ups, and downs so trying to stay as level as possible through it all is really important.  Making music through all of these experiences and emotions helps accepting and overcoming it all, opposed to making excuses as to why I can’t open Ableton.  The days I don’t feel creative always seem to end up being when I create some of my best art, after I push through the initial mental struggles.” -Mythic Rogue

 

Cthulhu Basscraft Goes In Deep w/ New Track “Legends Never Die”

Cthulhu Basscraft Goes In Deep w/ New Track “Legends Never Die”

Heater after heater, track after track, our friends over at Muti Music have continuously brought forth some of the most incredible names in the up-and-coming bass world to date. Whether it be nasty dubstep or wonky 140, the stream of immense talent they have featured over the last few months has been nothing short of amazing. Today, we team up with them again to showcase today’s premiere by none other than Canadian bass artist, Cthulhu Basscraft. With his latest deep dub creation “Legends Never Die”, he has made an absolute name for himself both in CA and in the United States as well. This track is a stomper from start to finish with its low, driving bassline and electric synths, entrancing listeners from the very firs measure. This artist has been on our radar especially after this release so make sure to go check him and the rest of Muti Music out! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Legends Never Die”, a certified bop.

“My intent on creating ‘Legends Never Die’ was hugely based around a sample from one of my childhood favorite movies ‘The Sandlot’ and also Ivy Lab’s set at Bass Coast 2022 was a pretty big inspiration. Their set was eargasmic, It made me want to build a more minimalistic bass, more chill type beat behind the sample, but still a little heavy with a resse bass to hopefully get your stink face on and weak at the knees.”

Diving Deep w/ Cthulhu Basscraft

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 producing shortly after starting DJing in 2008. Music has always been a huge part of my life, the homies and I would always love to find new tunes or artists to show each other, but I realized DJ/producing was what I wanted to pursue after my first music festival ‘Motion Notion’ in 2008. I was hooked after FreQ Nasty’s set hearing dubstep for the first time. My homie KNRVUS and I took a Digital Audio Productions course together and I’ve been hooked on making beats ever since.

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

I would love to inspire others as I have been inspired by other artists. Hopefully I can recreate that for others.

3. What has been one of the most memorable career achievements so far as an artist and how did that impact you moving forward?

The most memorable career achievement was probably either when OmUnit liked one of my tracks on Soundcloud. I had to message him to find out how he stumbled upon it. He “heard 2 kids playing at a music festival in Canberra, Australia”. I was ecstatic that OmUnit train spotted my track from these kids, that he liked my track and that it was being played at a festival in Australia across the world from me. That was around 2015 when I was DJ/producing under the alias Spenny B, the track was ‘wake up’ if you’re curious what track it was. The other would have to be seeing a video of JPOD closing his Shambhala set with a collaboration track I had done with Jake Robertz ‘Snake Charmer’. Seeing that energy and finding out you’ve touched people with your music, especially someone you look up to, definitely adds fuel to the passion.

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?

Don’t compare yourself to others, it will only slow you down and depress you. Compare yourself to yourself last year, you’ll most likely see a massive improvement. If you don’t see a change or improvement, try changing something up. Definitely take a class on digital audio production and/or subscribing to your favorite artists twitch channels or take thier Zoom lessons. That’s a great way to learn new techniques and ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

Buzz Junior Makes Waves w/ New Track “Grills” ft. Gallium

Buzz Junior Makes Waves w/ New Track “Grills” ft. Gallium

In the ever-growing electronic scene, there are so many artists providing unique and entrancing sound experiences. With what seems like an exponential amount of music being put out daily, being a stand-out amongst the crowd can be a difficult feat to conquer. It seems, however, Nebraska producer and mix master, Buzz Junior, has defied all odds on his ride to the spotlight. Today we have the absolute pleasure of teaming up with Gravitas Records to bring forth Buzz Junior’s latest heater of a release with heavy-hitting bass artist Gallium. In the wake of their forthcoming EP, their newest collab “Grills” is not something you want to be sleeping on. With its scratch synths, thundering bassline, and overall contagious energy, this track is an absolute stomper from start to finish. A team-up such as this should definitely be illegal considering how nasty the results are. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Grills”, a certified bop.

“Gallium was staying with me while traveling and I played him my new EP that had an early version of ‘Grills’.  We started talking about it and thought his touch on that song might really set it off so I sent him the stems and was blown away by what he did with it.” – Buzz Junior

 

Diving Deep w/ Buzz Junior

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 high school had a guitar class so I was able to learn from some really good players and have some fun musical experiences that made me want to pursue a career but I didn’t get into producing electronic music until a few years after that when I first heard Gramatik, Griz, Pretty Lights and Glitch Mob. 

 

2. 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 enjoy the process of making music and I genuinely have fun learning about synths and techniques so if I’m not feeling super inspired I like to experiment with something different or learn a new skill and a lot of times it will lead to a new idea. Also I like to partake in the Partica Artist Group weekly beat cyphers as much as I can. Making a new idea from scratch in 30 minutes with immediate feedback from peers is always a good way to get past a creative road block.

3. If there was one thing you could change for the betterment of society, what would it be and why?

Like one general change for all of society I’d say PLEASE can we just stop going to war. One change for my own country I’d say could we please get free healthcare for everyone. 

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?

There is power in saying no.  Words of wisdom: Find a positive group of friends that you want to root for and that are rooting for you.

Singe Disrupts Reality w/ New Track “Mirage”

Singe Disrupts Reality w/ New Track “Mirage”

The best thing about deep dubstep is its wide range of sounds created by a vast sea of artists each and every day. With tons of unique tracks in the electronic scene, one artist has been at the forefront of this subgenre, paving his way to the spotlight. Singe has become known far and wide for his absolute heaters, and his latest track “Mirage” that we have the pleasure of premiering today definitely upholds this title. With its deep bouncing bass line and simple but electric melodies, this track catches listeners right from the first measure. There is no doubt that Singe is on the rise in the deep dubstep world, so do not sleep on this track. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Mirage”, a certified bop.

“I started these songs with the idea to expand on the excellent niche of southwestern desert style dubstep out there. Mirage began with a desire to make the most stripped back dub I could muster, while still having all the proper vibes and desert flair.”

Diving Deep w/ Singe

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 there, I can’t say I ever decided this path so much as it chose itself for me. Funny maybe, if I would point to any event that set me on this path it was definitely getting my first MP3 player. Once I got that the music never stopped.

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?

Honestly it’s never even occurred to me that they could be separated. Artist life is everyday life.

3. If there was one thing you could change for the betterment of society, what would it be and why?

Guess I’d get the AI bots to start doing our regular jobs so we as humans can get back to art and 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?

Probably learning to use what you have is often more valuable than getting something you think you need. And my biggest bit of advice would be collab and work with as many folks as you can. I’ve learned just about as much from working with friends as I did going to school for all this.