Greg Kantor, best known as 5 & A Dime, is no stranger to the bass scene, and has pumped out a number of heavy, top-quality bangers in the past couple of years alone. After his track ‘Siren‘, he stepped away from the spotlight for nearly a year, only to come back alongside PEEKABOO with ‘Make ‘Em Bounce’: a trap-laced bass monster which is bound to flow right through you and – dare I say it – make you BOUNCE.
Although last year’s tracks had a more vibrant and surreal look to them, this year starts off with a much darker and grungier aesthetic – which best fits the off-kilter distortion lurking in the background, beneath the myriad of different beats and percussions.
‘Make ‘Em Bounce’ is a track you don’t want to skip on – hit up the free download and throw down wherever it finds you!
FUX had the pleasure to get in touch and interview Greg, and we got some insight to the track, as well as a bit about himself in general.
What inspired the name, 5 & A Dime?
Actually the name has quite a surprising story behind it! When I was 14 I did something stupid; I stole a frisbee from a dollar store called Hoy’s 5 & 10 in New Jersey. I was caught, arrested, and had to go through a whole anti-theft program for the summer (obviously not a great life decision or example to set for anyone). Fast forward 4 years and I was looking for a name to call my production alias and was brainstorming. I was looking through pictures in my parents’ attic and I saw the headshot of me from the night I stole that frisbee, and it clicked! I decided to call myself 5 & A Dime since it was at that time in my life when I started to get interested in DJing, and so was a good reminder to myself.
What led to you and PEEKABOO coming together for your latest collab, ‘Make ‘Em Bounce’?
Well I’m not sure if he sent me a demo first, or if I found him on SoundCloud first, but after talking to him a bit and listening to his music more intently I knew he was someone that would vibe with me music-wise. We hit it off pretty well and had a great workflow. The rest led to ‘Make ‘Em Bounce’ being written!
I really wanted to challenge and push myself to improve, and I can honestly say that the year-long hiatus was the best thing I could have done.
What did you get up to during your year-long hiatus?
It was a time of reflection for me, it gave me time and space to reflect on my past experiences and utilize them to influence my new music. I spent a lot of time in the studio trying new ideas and experimenting with sounds that went in so many directions. I really wanted to challenge and push myself to improve, and I can honestly say that the year-long hiatus was the best thing I could have done.
You will hear a new level of emotion and some different styles in all of my new work and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Now that you’re back in the spotlight, what do you have lined up for the near future?
Plenty of songs to be released and plenty more collabs and originals that are being finished in the near future! I don’t plan on slowing down this time around!
You’re also big on mashups – what are some of your favourite songs/samples that fit together like puzzle pieces?
My favorite songs/samples that I put together would have to be Bassnectar’s ‘Bass Head‘ with Big Sean’s ‘DANCE (A$$)‘; Justice’s ‘D.A.N.C.E.‘ and Daft Punk’s ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger‘; and Skrillex’s ‘Dirty Vibe‘ with DJ Snake’s ‘Propaganda‘, to name a few.
What does summer ’17 have in store for you?
Plenty of studio time, some days by the beach when I can, and lots of boardwalk food like Funnel Cake!
Bonus Round – Do you FUX with:
Mosh pits: Not really. I have no problem with people headbanging or dancing all over the place and flailing their arms, but I had one bad experience with a mosh pit and I wasn’t even a part of it!
Cats or dogs: Dogs 100%.
Jazz music: Really fux with it. My dad always listened to it in the car so I got a love for it from him.
Pineapple on pizza: I don’t judge, but I prefer straight up cheese.
Summer heat or winter cold: Winter cold because you can always add more layers!
