A by-product of cross-country amalgamation, Dallas-based Chow Chow and Baltimore production duo Runnit consolidate styles with the release of ‘Rob Repeat’. What initially began as a mutual appreciation for each other’s craft has quickly developed into a creative alliance that composes the technical proficiency and ear for obscurity that each component brings to the table.
We were delighted to catch up with the three to discuss the fundamental vision for the latest release, the time and effort that they’ve been putting in behind-the-scenes, as well as what ‘Rob Repeat’ might look like as a piece of modern architecture.
Be sure to check out the full interview below while you bask in sonic virtue, and don’t forget to grab the free download for Runnit & Chow Chow’s latest here. Digging the track and interested in weaving your own treatment? The fellas were kind enough to release the stem pack for the release here!
How did the three of you first meet? Did a collaboration seem like the first natural step or did it take some back-and-forth to unearth a potential opportunity to work together?
Runnit: We met through appreciating each other’s releases on Hybrid Trap last year, Chow Chow what throwin down some mean vocal resampling basses and stuff that I had never heard before. I hit him up directly on SoundCloud because I wanted to give him props for making his track “Malevolent”. We talked about collabin for a couple of months and shot ideas around but finally landed on a sample I found from an ‘IDK’ song and we warped it up from there to make the intro.
Chow Chow: Basically what Nick said! It was funny because I think we both literally found each other’s music at the same time. I had seen their track on one of the top charts if I am not mistaken. They hit me up and we were both like “yo, your music is so sick!” haha it was actually really chill. Then we started talking collab pretty much the same day. I think we both knew it was going to be a good tune no matter what lol so it quickly came to fruition after that.
In what ways does ‘Rob Repeat’ represent each of your styles individually, and in which ways is it a new beast of its own?
Runnit: Rob//Repeat is dope because I love to bring the wonky percussion lead style to trap, and Chow Chow has mastered designing disgusting low basses and resampling. You can hear the vocals he added in the drops all modulated out too which shows off his same style from the Hybrid Trap releases. I feel like it’s become a beast of its own because we passed the track back and forth a couple of times and you can hear influences from both sides almost call/answering each other. The percussive type of lead and the low bass growls in the 2nd drop perfectly illustrate how the two can work together to create dynamics.
Chow Chow: It was mostly just passing back and forth as Nick said. I heard the first section they had made and I love to make dark vibey feels in my tracks. I found a video of the ominous tornado sirens from Chicago and used that as the intro and back rhythm. I honestly have had that sample for years now and always wanted to use it! It just fits perfectly into this. Runnit literally have some of the most swingy tunes out there right now and I just KNEW they would knock the groove out of the park. I tried to bring in some of my signature sound design as well. And of course some weird sounding basses haha. I like what Nick said about playing off each other’s styles, I think that is done really well here.
How is this latest release a demonstration of the time and effort you’ve put into the studio both separately or as a group?
Runnit: This release shows both of our dedication to collecting interesting samples (like the resampled koto in the beginning), synth design, and appreciation for harder experimental trap music. It takes a lot of time ripping vinyl samples or designing a specific bass stab, or even just searching endlessly for that dope line in a rap song that inspires you.
Chow Chow: I think this song is a big showcase of what two artists with weird minds can put together. Learning drum swings and balancing crazy sounds with hoppin’ percussion isn’t something that comes easy (in my experience). I learned a lot from working with these guys.
If ‘Rob Repeat’ were to be recreated as a piece of modern architecture, what style of building and what features would it entail?
Runnit: If our song was a building I’d imagine it to be a high-tech stash for guns/equipment like what Alfred’s got in the Dark Knight hahah. Just an inconspicuous elevator down to this crazy modern ‘war room.’
Chow Chow: I can picture the war room, but maybe abandoned and the lights are running on flashy backup generator power. The sky is dark and cloudy and the city surrounding is it eerily quiet. Something is not right. But it’s time for action.
