NOCTURNE, arael’s new gargantuan project, fully falls into the latter category and gives us a journey through no less than 18 unreleased songs by the Canadian producer, with guest appearances by Sage, Djedi, Theos, and Helix. “I had the idea [for NOCTURNE] shortly after a previous mix I made last year called UMBRA. I wanted this release to be a step up from its predecessor, with a more cohesive sound and flow” arael tells us, adding that “in a music market that prioritizes singles and virality over longer-form projects, it was a nice change of pace to work on something more cohesive”.

Actually, NOCTURNE’s greatest asset is probably not the amount of single IDs, but the evocative and immersive power the full project has. Across the forty-six-minute runtime, albeit switching between epic moments, introspective sections, and even gritty bangers, the tracks roll on fluently and, even when the mixes are not technically brilliant, the atmosphere in which we’re immersed does not crack.

It’s an experience worth listening (and watching) from top to bottom to experience its purest essence. “The sounds found on NOCTURNE were inspired and written as a love letter to the early wave of SoundCloud phonk artists such as DJ smokey, Mythic, Soudiere & Myrror while pulling inspiration from wave/witch house.”  Going into more detail, arael continues, “the tracks themselves have been in the works for over a year now, and were inspired by late-night drives, 90s IDM culture & the moodiness of cold weather.” The moody nature of NOCTURNE shouldn’t be a surprise if you’re even slightly familiar with the phonk and wave scene. It’s clearly not a soundtrack that can flavour every moment of our days, but when the perfect moment comes along,  NOCTURNE should be one of your first choices.

Listen and watch NOCTURNE below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gIySrUl5p4?si=29du3Is8Vw6DhbHj]

The post Get Lost Into NOCTURNE, arael’s New Wave And Phonk ID Mixtape appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

To showcase his impressive skills we connected with ESCPE for a guest mix + interview. The mix is a bumpin’ hip-hop-influenced odyssey that’s filled with more than 10 unreleased gems. We talk to ESCPE about Nashville, his approach to creating, what he loves outside of music, and more. Dive in below.

Tell us about the mix. Where are you taking listeners with this?

On a journey to Agartha with lots of unreleased tracks and some tunes from homies.

How’s Nashville treating you? What do enjoy about living there?

I’ve grown to love Nashville and seeing the city evolve since I’ve been here has been cool. Love all my people here.

Where is your favorite place to escape to?

I love to travel to new places and just getting out anywhere in nature really.

my music is just an extension of my energy and I’ve never really put too much thought into my sound. I’ve always just made music that feels good to me.

Your music possesses a wavy laidback vibe. What inspires the sound and direction in your work? What’s the key to bringing it to life through sound?

I think my music is just an extension of my energy and I’ve never really put too much thought into my sound. I’ve always just made music that feels good to me.

On the flip side, it also has a powerful knock. How do you balance the hard-hitting punch with the more melodic, laid-back feeling?

I always wanted to be able to play my music out live and still have it slap but also embody emotion.

You recently connected with BACKWHEN for your ‘Inner Light’ EP.’ What is the collaborative process like between the two of you?

Beck and I linked up for the first time at a show we both played at and started working on music shortly after that and just instantly clicked. I think we both have a really similar workflow and our sounds are very complimentary so it just flows with us.

There’s been a rise in live events for more “chill” styles of electronic music such as wave, phonk, chill trap, etc. There was previously some discourse around these sounds being internet focused and not translating to live events. What’s it been like seeing them continue to expand in real life?

It’s been really cool seeing these styles become more popular and well-received in a live environment. I’ve always been into that kind of music and knew it was only a matter of time before it started getting more love.

What excites you outside of music?

Cooking, traveling, crypto, and just experiencing everything life has to offer. Also Apex Legends.

What should fans expect from you music-wise this year?

More music and shows. Also some really cool collabs I’m stoked on.

I’m forever grateful for anyone that has shown me love and supported my art thus far and I’ll continue to give back as long as I can <3

Any final words for fans?

I’m forever grateful for anyone that has shown me love and supported my art thus far and I’ll continue to give back as long as I can <3

TRACKLIST

ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – DUBLCUP
ESCPE – ID
Lazaru$ – THEY ON MY LINE
BACKWHEN – IN THE DIRT
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE x Vowl – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE x Gladkill – Ancient
ESCPE x BACKWHEN – ID
ESCPE – ID
ESCPE – ROLLN

The post Guest Mix + Interview – ESCPE appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The forty-five-minute mix is an absolute vibe, showcasing BACKWHEN’s production process as well as some of phonk’s finest. Our interview touches on BACKWHEN’s origins, recent collaborations, the evolution of phonk, and more.

Tell us about the mix. What should listeners expect? What was your goal when putting it together?

I feel like this mix fuses together trap, wave, and phonk pretty nicely. I included a few of my personal favorite tracks of my own, as well as some gems from homies. Stoked to showcase some unreleased stuff too!

How does the mix compare to a BACKWHEN live set?

This is pretty similar to a live set. When performing I might experiment a bit more with transitions and play some harder stuff. For an internet mix, I want to make it as seamless as possible and set a vibe because it’s able to be replayed.

What inspired you to start making music?

Around 2013 I got into EDM and DJing which eventually led me to making music. Went through a bunch of sounds and aliases and ended up at BACKWHEN around 2015.

I just love the process of combining other artists’ sounds with mine. Then you put all the songs in a playlist and a project comes to life.

Your latest project Chromesthesia is all collaborations. Was this your intent from the outset? How did it come together?

It’s pretty much a bunch of collabs that accumulated over a few months! The tracks with katebi were over a year old I think. Just Connor and wrcktngl both live in Denver so we are able to work together irl. I just love the process of combining other artists’ sounds with mine. Then you put all the songs in a playlist and a project comes to life.

Do you have a preference for collaborating or working independently? Does your approach change in each scenario?

I love working with and chopping up audio so stems are great to work with. I just try to add my touch to what they have in a tasteful way. It’s different depending on who you’re working with I also really like working with myself and getting in a flow.

I just love the process of curating a project. All the tracks eventually come together and you get to see what you created.

A lot of phonk artists tend to drop their collection of works as tapes vs. singles and EPs. What’s the importance of this approach? Why does it resonate with you?

I just love the process of curating a project. All the tracks eventually come together and you get to see what you created. And it feels so good to find the right cover that represents it visually. It’s probably what other people were doing so I just did it. DJ Smokey’s old tapes were so well put together and we used to bump them all the way through.

Can you tell us about PURPLE POSSE? How did it get started? How has it evolved over the years?

Around 2015/16 I was into the trap and wave SoundCloud scene (artists like klimeks, whispa, misogi, grxgvr, blank body, voduz) I stumbled upon paulo (6-6-6) and aseri and that’s how I discovered phonk. Pretty soon after working with them I got the idea for a group inspired by swisherboyz (loud lord, myrror, xoxainedeezy). We made a group chat and they added all the homies and there it was. This video is spot on and describes it all. So blessed that all our roads crossed there and something great was born. We put out so many classics in such a short time it was amazing. I’m just grateful for all of it and I am proud to be a part of something with them. Always love to hymbeats and mythic <3 There really is no posse without them.

When we connected with Von Storm he cited you as one of the key artists that got him into phonk. How does it feel knowing that you’ve influenced a new wave of producers?

I feel like shows are the next step for sure. People love seeing something live for the first time.

Von is one of my favorite artists now so that’s pretty crazy. His music is influencing mine and the whole scene.

Phonk seems to be making bigger waves than ever with artists such as yourself and Yung Vamp playing more shows and festivals. How do you feel about the genre’s current state and the outlook for the future?

I feel like shows are the next step for sure. People love seeing something live for the first time. The Black Box in Denver has a monthly phonk night bringing in artists from out of state to headline. The couple shows I’ve played with vamp were crazy. I can’t wait to see where it goes!

What do you enjoy most outside of music?

I mostly work at my day job and play video games. Really stoked to travel a bit more to shows and meet people.

What should we expect from you for the rest of the year?

Chillout EP dropping 9/23, also some collabs on the horizon with watermane, everyst, von storm, escape, varo, and probably more. Much love thank you guys for the showcase <3

Tracklist
NECROEZ & BACKWHEN – ID
BACKWHEN – ID
EVERYST – IF YOU WERE HERE
BACKWHEN – Voice of Wind (feat. SMOKEFILLEDDREAM)
BACKWHEN – Rainbow Vision (feat. KATEBI & NECROEZ)
ELK, Chris Dogzout, & UZ – Pressure feat. SoloSam (BACKWHEN Remix)
BACKWHEN – BIG GAME (Unreleased)
Shell Sport – Claymore
jayrewind & varo – frisckk (BACKWHEN Edit)
ESCPE – DUBLCUP
EVERYST & BACKWHEN – ID
NECROEZ – Plain
WATERMANE – JUST THE WAY IT IS
DJ Smokey – Southside Prayer
haku – soletiva
NORTH POSSE – NOT SPOOKY FT. BLUBEAR

The post Guest Mix + Interview: BACKWHEN appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

To get to know the talented artist better we linked with VON STORM for a Guest Mix + Interview. The mix showcases his signature style and is packed full of originals and unreleased gems. Our interview discusses how moved from creating dubstep to phonk, the growth of the genre, what’s next for HOLY MOB, building connections online, and more. Check both below.

Tell us about the mix. What should listeners expect when they press play?

This mix is kinda all over the place, but almost every track is rooted in trap music to some degree. If you listen from start to finish, you’ll get a good idea of what I’m listening to and what I’m working on right now, including some unreleased stuff.

What prompted you to start creating music?

I started getting into dubstep in like 2011, and the idea of being able to make music without knowing how to play an instrument was so sick to me. So I downloaded a “legal” copy of FL Studio 8 and started making really terrible dubstep tracks.

I think the heavy emphasis on sampling was so attractive to me as an amateur producer because I was still pretty bad at writing melodies.

How did you go from producing dubstep to phonk?

For a long time, the only places I listened to music were YouTube and iTunes (where I put all my YouTube-to-MP3 rips). In 2013, I was still deep in my dubstep phase, and YouTube started recommending trap music to me. I kinda just went down that rabbit hole for a few years and eventually started listening to more niche artists on SoundCloud, like Backwhen. When he started tapping into the phonk scene in like 2015/16, I fell in love with the sound. I think the heavy emphasis on sampling was so attractive to me as an amateur producer because I was still pretty bad at writing melodies.

What are the special ingredients to the Von Storm signature?

I use a lot of Splice loops because copyrighted samples have caused me more trouble than they’re worth. You gotta dig through a lot of bullshit to find the good loops though. Been using a lot of sounds from the Holy Mob Sound Kit, DJ Smokey x Soudiere Kit, and 1.9.9.9 Lavish Kit. Favorite tempos at the moment are 144, 151, and 163.

Phonk seems to be bubbling up more and more in the electronic community. What has the growth looked like from your perspective?

I’ve repped this scene hard since like 2017, but its growth is definitely surprising. Not surprised that it blew up, but definitely surprised by how it blew up. I could not have predicted what TikTok did with cowbell/drift phonk. I hope other corners of the scene get some love too.

Discovering hyperpop in late 2020 reignited my love for EDM and had a lot of influence on my releases last year. Everything felt so new and exciting, and I hope that other phonk producers get to experience that.

How do you see the genre expanding or evolving?

I expect to see a lot more electronic influence. Discovering hyperpop in late 2020 reignited my love for EDM and had a lot of influence on my releases last year. Everything felt so new and exciting, and I hope that other phonk producers get to experience that.

Can you talk a little bit about the Memphis rap connection with Phonk and your own sounds?

Apoc Krysis has a YouTube video called “What Is Phonk” that explains the connection between Memphis rap and phonk really well. Memphis rap vocals add a whole new dimension to trap beats, which I guess isn’t surprising considering how much influence Memphis rap has had on hip-hop in general. I still love sampling Memphis rap, but recently I’ve tried to avoid it due to copyright. At this point, I’m more interested in working directly with vocalists.

How did Holy Mob come together and how did you connect with them?

I had just dropped my first phonk project in 2016, and one of the guys I collabed with asked if I wanted to join his new collective.

How did you end up managing/leading the collective?

Right after we dropped our first tape, the guy who started it left. Then we essentially started over. I helped recruit a bunch of the guys on our current roster, and we released a new and improved first tape.

Right now we’re working on something more ambitious than the typical Holy Mob tape. It’s moving slowly, but it will be worth the wait…

Can fans expect Holy Mob Vol. 11 soon?

Right now we’re working on something more ambitious than the typical Holy Mob tape. It’s moving slowly, but it will be worth the wait when it (hopefully) drops sometime next year.

One of the beautiful things about music is its ability to bring people together. How has your musical journey allowed you to build connections online? Have those connections expanded to irl meets-ups as well?

It still blows my mind that I met some of my closest friends through SoundCloud. The Holy Mob group chat is still pretty active 6 years later because we’ve been supporting each other since the beginning. Sounds corny as hell, but it really is more than a collective for me. I’ve only met up with a few of them a couple times, but even that is so surreal to me sometimes.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Getting married soon! It’s been a very busy year outside of music, but I’m also excited to work with more vocalists in the near future.

Tracklist:
1. (00:00) Necroez – You Don’t Need It (feat. Von Storm)
2. (01:55) Von Storm – Weirdo
3. (02:58) Soudiere – FUCKDEMHOES
4. (04:12) Gali & Von Storm – Dreamcast
5. (05:53) olswel – 1/1
6. (08:00) laxcity – Grateful
7. (09:51) Von Storm – LYK
8. (12:06) Von Storm – Master Plan
9. (14:23) HEARSE.T – Havin Thangz
10. (16:14) Von Storm – Scheme
11. (17:37) Von Storm – Horizon
12. (19:28) 6EXTERMINATION – HYPERLEAP
13. (21:21) Von Storm – Coolin’
14. (23:28) Inteus & Von Storm – Animosity
15. (25:00) Apoc Krysis & Von Storm – Spaced Out
16. (26:52) Cvllum – Serenity
17. (29:10) l v k s & Von Storm – Angra
18. (30:58) dark0 – Hardwire
19. (32:33) Roland Jones – SMOKIN ON DIS DOUJA w/ Soudiere
20. (34:19) Von Storm – Warden
21. (36:07) Inteus – What We Need w/ Von Storm
22. (38:00) Von Storm – Hump Day
23. (39:41) Roland Jones – OPP STOPPA w/ Berrymane
24. (41:43) Von Storm – Get Dumb

The post Guest Mix + Interview – Von Storm appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Bump ‘FOK DA DELAY’ below and look out for VAMP’s new mixtape coming soon.

The post DJ YUNG VAMP Drops Top-Tier Flip ‘FOK DA DELAY’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.