Arguably one of the most monumental developments out of France since the Eiffel Tower, dubstep savant IVORY and bass connoisseur Samplifire team up for the magnum opus of collaborative EPs titled Termination, which brilliantly melds the styles of two veteran producers in a fusion of smoldering bass.
Released via Never Say Die, Termination demonstrates an opportunity for two versed styles to embellish and enhance one another, resulting in a project that beautifully encapsulates both the production expertise of IVORY and the sheer volume that Samplifire brings to the table, while the synthesis of the two sounds generates a sense of authenticity as the two join forces.
We had the chance to catch up with the two to learn more about how they first met, the logistics of working on a collab EP and a brief look at what 2019 will have in store for each of them. Be sure to check out the full project and interview below and let us know which was your favorite!
Tell us a little bit about your backstory together, when did you first meet? Did you hit things off naturally, or did it take some communicating to find a shared concept to pursue?
Samplifire: I think we actually started talking online back in 2014 because we both made the same music and not a lot of people did back then – especially in France. We then had the chance to play together opening a show b2b in Paris. It was also my first show ever, which makes it funny to think about how we’ve grown together. I was so scared, it was also my first time touching CDJ’s! Good times! It all started there, and to now be able to release our EP on such a big label, it is insane if you think about it!
IVORY: We discovered each other through SoundCloud and started to speak a lot together. At this time, I guess not a lot of people had heard of our names. A few months after I joined an agency, I spoke about Samplifire (who isn’t based in Paris) and my agent fell in love with his music, He then decided to book us together and after a real-life meeting and few beers we definitely became good friends! I always been a big fan of his music and it seems like he’s a fan of mine too – this was enough love to think about making a bigger project together!
What would you see as the biggest benefits or hindrances of collaborating on an entire EP, versus featuring one or two collaborations with another on a solo project?
Samplifire: Creating a whole EP together forces us to blend our styles a bit deeper than just having one tune together here and there. The EP has to feel like a consistent project and feel like something that represents both of us. We really took the time necessary to find the right balance between our workflows and styles. We obviously had hindrances at some point because our visions/tastes can differ, but I think we ended up delivering what we had in mind initially. It’s a great feeling!
IVORY: When I’m listening to the EP, I feel like it’s coming from a single artist and not from both of us combined. I had my ideas floating around and he has his own, but we still managed to stay on the same path. We kept the same vision during the whole process. For the record, we spend more than a year making the EP. That can seem like an enormous amount of time, but it was the perfect amount we needed to create something versatile that we would be happy with.
In a collaborative effort such as the Termination EP, is it more typical for each of you to bring a few WIPs and ideas to the table, or are each of the tracks birthed exclusively from your combined minds?
Samplifire: It’s a 4 track EP. We both have two tunes where we made a bit more because we finished the track. So IVORY finished 2 and I did 2. However, the writing process was shared – at least we tried to share the process as deep as we could.
IVORY: I’d say a bit of both? Each of us started projects while thinking of a theme/vibe and as soon as we had something close enough to the discussed ideas, we started sending the projects to each other. We did numerous Skype calls with screen sharing and all that jazz, so it’s almost as if we were inside each other DAW’s.
Was the bulk of Termination produced together in the studio or primarily passed back and forth remotely?
Samplifire: Back and forth remotely.
What is one trait whether personal or related to production that you admire and find most impressive about the other?
Samplifire: IVORY’s workflow perfection, his musicality (intro and all over the drop), his work in general to achieve the goals that he’s set… it’s hard to do that!
IVORY: There’s a ton I could tell you Samplifire, but what pops up first in my mind is probably his kindness and all of the time he’s spent helping the people around him. He can be a busy guy and still find a couple of minutes to help you fix that snare in your mix!
In 2018 we saw a brief taste of a collaborative project between yourselves, ECRAZE and Graphyt titled FOUR HORSEMEN with your debut release for Raw Audio Distortion ‘ANIMALZ’. How did this idea come to fruition and is there any plans to continue working together in the New Year?
Samplifire: The idea was to tour together as a French gang (IVORY, GRAPHYT, ECRAZE & myself) in Europe. To put more shows on the map, we made a track together and acquired some sick visuals thanks to Dr Fanx & Niveau Zero! There is no other plan to continue the project as of now. We want to keep each project separate, even though we collaborate a lot and help each other on a daily basis.
Samplifire, in the last chance we had to catch up with you, following your release of Mancubus on Never Say Die: Black Label, you discussed being in the process of organizing your work visa to be able to travel and perform within the United States. Can we expect for you to make your American debut in 2019?
Samplifire: I completed the US paperwork at the end of 2018 an I’m currently waiting for immigration to decide what to do with my case! I pray that I get the VISA ASAP, even if it’s not easy. Most of my audience has always been in the States, so playing for my wider audience is the main goal for 2019!!!
IVORY, do you have any tour plans on the horizon for Europe or North America in 2019?
IVORY: I would like to perform my own European tour, but I need to create more music first. North America is still one of my main goals, but I can’t tell yet if I’ll make it or not. A working VISA is really hard to get, especially as a dubstep producer who hasn’t yet played a lot of prestigious shows. So for the moment, I’ll stick to my studio and I’ll make music until my time comes!
