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.

Hailing from Grass Valley CA, up and coming free form bass producer Iterate, has caught the eyes and ears of many, pushing out some incredible bass tunes. He continues this climb with the release of his latest EP entitled Buffer, serving as a glimpse into his first full length album coming the January. This entire EP is absolute stacked top to bottom with infectious genre bending energy with each track entrancing listeners with its unique sound design. Our premiere today, “Sticky”, combines glitchy synths and an overall old school hip hop vibe melded perfectly together with a driving bass line. This track showcases the unique soundscapes of the Iterate project, with its classic rolling breakbeats and wubby tune. After hearing all that Buffer has to offer, we are estatic to see what else is in store for us in January . Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Sticky” a certified bop.

“Sticky” is a track I started on Elektron boxes, and further developed in Bitwig.  It has an overall vibe of old school boom bap hip hop, but with a lot of glitch edits, and big FM basses.

Diving Deep w/ Iterate

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 didn’t really have a decision that it would be a career.   It started as a hobby, like it does for most people, and everything just kind of fell into place.  I was spending a lot of time making electronic music, and I was very immersed in festivals, Burning Man, and the psychedelic electronic music scene in the Bay Area in the mid/early 2000’s.  I had a lot of exposure to electronic music when I was young.  I was a kid in the 90s when electronic music was huge, and got a lot more mainstream exposure than it does today.  It was normal in the 90s to see acts like Aphex Twin, Orbital, Future Sound of London, The Prodigy, and Autechre played on MTV regularly.  So, I think a lot of kids growing up then were able to get exposed to electronic music.  Also, my sister and dad were involved in the psy-trance scene in San Francisco in the 90s.  I started going to electronic music events/ festivals as a teenager with my dad.  He was an artist, and showed art at a lot of festivals/ burning man etc…  Back then, in the early/ mid 2000’s idm/glitch and breaks were very popular in the west coast psychedelic music scene.  I was very drawn to that kind of music.  The music I’m making now has a lot of influence from music back then.  I took a couple of classes on how to use Reason and Pro Tools, around the end of high school.  Then, I went down the rabbit hole of exploring music production on my own.  Eventually, Ableton became my DAW of choice (it is Bitwig now).  As I was making music, I would give out demo CDs to friends/other producers at festivals, and after not much time, I started getting offered dj sets.  I played a lot at underground parties in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area.  In 2007, I met Dov from Muti Music, and we released my first EP, “Space Case,” in early 2008.  That was released under my first moniker, “Heyoka.”  From there, momentum built and I ended producing and performing music for a living.

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 think about it.  I try to work on music all the time.  Of course, we all have other things to do as well, but it’s the dominant thing in my life.  I have always been a night owl.  I basically work on music all night every night, and sleep during the day.  Then, I do whatever else I need to do, and repeat.  Whenever I break the cycle to go out, or when I used to play shows more, it would often take a while to get back in the flow with production.  So, when I have chance of time to just work on music,  that is pretty much what I do.

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

That’s a pretty big question.  I don’t even know where to start.  Everything in this world seems to be spinning out of control exponentially.  I suppose a heavy psychedelic dose throughout the world’s water supply could help, but I’m not gonna be the one to do that.  I don’t encourage anybody else to either, but it might be our only hope.

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?

That’s a hard question too.  I’m still figuring it all out.  I think what’s important for progressing in music production is to dedicate time to it.  I think constantly experimenting and exploring different techniques helps bring about a unique and original sound, and keeps you learning new things.  For me, some of the funnest times with music is stumbling onto new types of sounds through experimentation.  I think it’s good to not worry about sticking to genres or breaking “rules” either.   All of that can be pretty limiting.  So, basically, don’t do anything else with your life, but sit in your room making weird sounds, and hope for the best.  Then, either you will be a total mess,  a successful electronic music producer, or most likely some combination of the two.

The rise of women to the forefront of the electronic music scene has been surging rapidly as more and more female producers take the spotlight to share their unique sounds. One of these incredible artists excelling to the frontline of the freeform bass scene is none other than Deepy Sidhu, better known to many as STiX. She has come out swinging yet again with the release of her latest EP, Comic Ribbits, an immersive compilation that features the psychedelic wanderings of creatures exploring otherworldly surroundings. Our premiere track today off of this EP, “Wired” is enchanting combining electrifying synths and deep booming bass line into a euphoric melodic track that is not to be missed. This entire EP showcase the many sides to the STiX project stretching different sub-genres and sounds both familiar foreign to this project before this release. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Wired” and the rest of the Cosmic Ribbits EP, a certified bop.

Frogs, creatures & critters of mother earth are projected into space and are communicating in ways that they never knew they could. Enchanted & inspired by their surroundings, they find themselves in numerous different psychedelic states. Cosmic Ribbits is a decoding of their message – they cry, sing and rage as they dance and twitch to the dark, groovy basslines.

Diving Deep w/ STiX

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 listened to whatever my big brother listened to, which meant a lot of gangster rap and dancehall. As a kid I dreamt of becoming a rapper one day even though I was horrible at it. That dream died quickly, but more recently in 2017 my brother took me to Shambhala and that totally changed me as a person. I discovered my love for electronic music (psytrance specifically) and had my first DJ gig the year after at Bring Your Love Festival. I was just having fun, but I got to see how much my community believed that I could actually be good at this. That’s where the dream started, and I began producing the following year.

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

I am a strong believer of having control over my outcomes. I intentionally do my best not to entertain the idea of being a victim to my gender. In fact, I think it’s helped big time being a female in the scene! But what’s helped me the most in my opportunities is simply being authentic, kind & supportive towards others, while also working very hard.

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 world of bass music is constantly evolving and changing, bringing forth new waves of incredible bass producers and amazing music along with it. One such artists that continues to bring himself to the forefront of the freeform bass scene, ST4RFOX, has returned to bring us an huge 10 track LP, The Nexus to start our month off right. Each of the tracks on this compilation bring new and exciting side to the project that have never before been heard, alongside the tradition soundscapes we have come to love from thus far. Our premiere of The Nexus, “Welcome to Existence” makes listeners question their own reality with is psychedelic synths and driving wubby bass lines. This track is definitely a do-not-miss, with is full spectrum sound and infectious melody. We know we will definitely be keeping this whole album on repeat for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Welcome to Existence” and the rest of The Nexus album, a certified bop.

“Scanning the radio waves, an outer-realm cassette tape from an alternate timeline appears and slaps into the stereo. Full-Spectrum, psychedelic sounds saturate the air, echoing the chaos of an overstimulated and hyper-sexualized world. “Welcome to Existence”, now what will you do with your time?”

Diving Deep w/ ST4RFOX

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?

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?

The biggest difference between when I started my solo project, and now, is my super talented community of producer friends I have to bounce ideas off of, my built up folders of self made sample packs/sound design and the more focused direction of each studio session. 

3. 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?

Yoga, meditation, nature, hikes, videogames, cooking, reading and watching comedians live and on tv, are my escapes. Comedy especially is a favorite, because it’s an art form that despite me dissecting it, I don’t over analyze like music, which after decades of building a discerning ear, sometimes makes music difficult to enjoy purely. The mindfulness, and healthy activities above keep me balanced, while tasty food is always rewarding. Favorite Books: The Alchemist, The Four Agreements, Be Here Now and The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. Favorite Food: Pho, Pizza and Gnocchi. Favorite Comedians: Mitch Hedburg, Bill Hicks, Dave Chapelle, Duncan Trussel.

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?