Virginia-born, residing in the burgeoning heart of the Los Angeles music scene, Effin has elegantly cantered the chaotic popularity for merciless bass, ascending the ranks of up and coming dubstep producers at an astounding rate, while sustaining a competence for sound design and a capacity for innovation that speaks far beyond his humble following.
A debut release via Figure’s Monsters Vol. 8 followed closely in wake by an official remix of Diskord’s ‘Want U’ paint a vivid trajectory for Effin’s production capability at even the earliest stages of his career, while more recent releases such as ‘Level Up’ with Jayceeoh and a remix of Spag Heddy’s ‘Noodle Neck’ have only further groomed his inevitable conquest.
Instituting his grandest triumph yet, Effin joins the ranks of Never Say Die Records to further unveil the complexity and agility of his craft in Operate EP. The project itself embodies the principle of self-discipline and perseverance, sparring the necessity for vocalists or collaborations and taking shape in the arrangement of five tyrannous solo exhibitions.
The stench of ‘Dirty Laundry’ lingers sprucely on the ears as a dizzying vocal sample dwells feverishly amid a bubbling concoction of ravenous synths. A decisive breakdown unleashes foreboding warning sirens as a tactful build and vocal loop build the energy of the track to a gripping apogee, launching aptly into disastrous plunges of bass layered expertly with fuming mixdowns.
An apex emerges in ‘Hysteria’ as a stormy piano harmony roars above, yet an impassioned fervent vocal chorus calls passably to the ears. A timely mantled vocal loop and unremitting percussive build heave the track into piercing squeals of bass freckled expertly with an ominous angelic chanting and towering hurdles of bass.
A momentary piano reprise is afforded as the tides of the ‘Flood’ proliferate, a gentle vocal refrain beckons in the distance as a compelling snare roll propels the track into a piling cadence of horns that break crisply into convoluted strands of deluged bass.
It was an absolute pleasure to catch up with accomplished dubstep catalyst Effin to discuss the importance of surrounding yourself with creativity, the challenges of finishing an EP, and to learn what Operate might look like as a dish on the menu of a swanky restaurant. Be sure to check out the full interview and project below!
What impact do your surroundings and environment have on your ability to create or find new inspiration?
I live in a house with 6 other producers, so there is constantly music being made or played. It’s really inspiring, especially when everyone is working and the house is bumping. I live with Peekaboo who is obviously killing it, and two other insanely talented producers who just launched their projects: check out Sully for all your bass music needs and Fetish for your sexy deep house desires.
In what ways does the opportunity to grace the pedestal of Never Say Die Records exemplify the time and diligence that has gone into honing your production craft behind the scenes?
I definitely set new standards for quality for myself putting this together. Being able to put out an EP with a record label that showcases the biggest bass music artists in the world is an absolute honor. I’m still very fresh on the scene but I’m extremely proud of this EP and everything that went into the final product.
What have been some of the most challenging aspects of polishing up your debut EP?
This is my first EP release so I really wanted to have a cohesive project all the way through. I had a few finished tracks in mind for an EP but they didn’t quite flow together, so I spent the entire month of January building brand new songs. The sound design for the EP was almost entirely done with Ableton’s Operator which is a pretty overlooked but extremely powerful FM synth. I really focused on post-processing to get some crazy harmonics and crunchy sounds out of it! It required me to think completely different about sound design – taking a very simple source sound and then really going overboard with post-processing to create a completely different end result.
Each track from Operate illustrates remarkable complexity with concurrently blended layers that captivate and absorb the listener while sitting quite tastefully on the ears. Are there any techniques or fundamentals that you utilize to achieve such tremendous depth?
A lot of my production is a battle between keeping things clean and simple versus stacking layers and really filling out the frequency spectrum. I like to think I found a good balance between the two on this EP. There are a lot of atmospheres and drone elements in the verses to help create tension and set a mood for the track, there is definitely a lot of EQ cutting going on between different elements so everything has space to breathe.
Your catalog demonstrates an equivocal talent for weaving your signature bass-clad treatment into existing tracks as well as starting from square one with originals. How would you compare and contrast your mentality or creative approach when alternating between the two?
My flips and remixes are a lot more “drop” focused – they are more an opportunity for the audience to see a song that they recognize build up and drop into something completely different. They are perfect for the live setting because it offers a familiar song with a unique and maybe unexpected twist. The originals are much more in depth for me, I want to make sure every track has some sort of theme it falls back on. Everything from the intro to the drop to the last fade out has to revolve around some sort of motif. Even if that theme isn’t obvious to the audience, it helps a lot for my own creative decisions.
If you were tasked with re-creating the Operate EP as a dish on the menu of an upscale restaurant, what style of cuisine would we be digging into?
Main course would definitely have to be pan-seared lamb chops. Obviously we would have a side salad – for ‘Lettuce’, of course. I’m thinking a balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. I believe a baked potato would be joining us as well, possibly with some oven roasted parmesan brussel sprouts. Let’s pair all of that with a dry red, I’m feeling a Cabernet or a Merlot. That’s the Operate EP.
What accolades have you set out to accomplish throughout the remainder of 2019?
Lots more music on the way! I’m really excited to start playing shows as well.
