The mix is half an hour of heaters including a grip of unreleased gems. To make it even more massive he’s dropping a video version of the mix which premieres at 6:00 PM EST/3:00PM PST (also embedded below). As for the interview, we touch on his upcoming trip to Japan, the personal nature of his latest album, killing his old self to move forward, the upcoming Team Supreme relaunch, a symphony bringing him to tears, and much more. Check out both below.

Tell us about this mix. Where are we going when we press play?

Okinawa! This mix is a bunch of unreleased tunes from myself and the other artists going to Japan with me this week – Kowta, Luhv & Thumbprints, as well as some Halftime classics. The first track is a really special one that I’m planning to drop as a single at some point, I sampled Naoko Gushima’s “you can fly”.

When this drops you’ll be on a flight to Japan. What are you most looking forward to about the trip?

Definitely the food. I’m a huge sushi/ fish guy so I feel like being on a tiny Japanese island there’s gonna be ridiculously good seafood.

Does where you’re playing influence your set list or approach to DJ’ing?

Yeah definitely. I think the main job of a DJ is to read the room and find the right sound for that audience. I wanna play a bunch of original stuff but I also want to feel out the vibes and see what kind of energy I get back from the crowds in Okinawa. At Halftime (our monthly Brooklyn show) I’ve been spinning a lot more rap music – which is pretty much my favorite genre as a music listener – so I’m stoked to see what kind of hip-hop will pop off over there.

It was really cathartic. I needed to get it all out of my system to move forward with my life.

Epsilon Iguana feels highly personal and very vulnerable. What was it like writing your latest album? How did it feel to finally release it?

It was really cathartic. I needed to get it all out of my system to move forward with my life. Definitely feels like a huge relief to have it finished and out in the world.

The album showcases your vocal talents in a new way. Why did you feel like now was the time to put them on full display? Did this alter the way you think about creating?

I’ve been dabbling with original vocals for a while now with tracks like ‘To Stay’ (2016) and ‘The Lonely Ones,’ but I always kinda masked it and made it sound sort of electronic-y. Putting more of my raw vocals into this album felt really organic and natural, and I think it added to the vulnerability I was feeling at the time.

The last time we connected you mentioned being, “bored with music that is trying to be soooo intense, and dark, and scary.” Is Epsilon Iguana a response to this showing that bass music can be more melodic and emotional?

Haha yeah I mean I’m not trying to necessarily “respond” to anything, but I just like to write music that feels right to me (and isn’t boring). I think at the time I wrote this, it felt right to make some pretty melodies and some moody basslines.

My whole identity was tied to California, so I didn’t even know who I was outside of that. I feel like my new self is definitely rooted in the West Coast – and I’m proud to be from such a dope place – but I get to explore new parts of my personality here and become (hopefully) a better version of myself.

On ‘Royal Perspective’ you said, “Killed my old self just to see if I was capable of loving.” Can you expand on that? What does killing your old self mean to you? Why did you need to go to this length?

Wow you’re paying attention. I think a lot of “killing my old self” just came down to moving my entire life to New York. My whole identity was tied to California, so I didn’t even know who I was outside of that. I feel like my new self is definitely rooted in the West Coast – and I’m proud to be from such a dope place – but I get to explore new parts of my personality here and become (hopefully) a better version of myself.

We’re excited to see Team Supreme is coming back! What prompted you to bring it back now? What can we expect from the return?

Yes!! You can thank the Partica Artist Group for inspiring the return. I was a guest judge on one of their beat battle streams and it reminded me so much of TeamSupreme. On the stream, over 30 producers flipped the 1st track off my album Epsilon Iguana in 30 mins and I was floored by how good they were. I don’t want to spoil the return plans but just keep an eye out in early November for the 1st new cypher and the samples/ rules to the next one.

Do you really make music every single day? If so what does that actually look like? How do you maintain that steady workflow?

I definitely make music every day, whether I want to or not haha. Part of that is because I teach Ableton – at a production school in Manhattan called 343 Labs – and the cool thing about teaching is that I’m constantly honing my production skills. Even if I’m not necessarily working on a new Great Dane beat when I’m teaching, (and sometimes I am) when I get inspired to write at home I have hours of practice under my belt, and that translates into my creative flow.

What’s the last piece of art that really impacted you and why?

I finally watched Tár a few weeks ago and that really stuck with me. It was like the perfect combo of a music movie, but also sort of creepy and horror vibes. I also sat front row (like behind the orchestra actually) at a symphony last week on mushrooms and cried my eyes out to Prokoviev’s Romeo & Juliet.

Basically just keep trying shit. Also take breaks, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

What do you view as core facets of your success?

Tenacity! Basically just keep trying shit. Also take breaks, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

You’ve been able to achieve a lot throughout your career. What’s still on your bucket list?

Still need to play Red Rocks.

Any final words you’d like to leave us with?

I’m just super grateful for all the good things happening in my life right now, and I wanna express that as much as possible!

FUXWITHIT Guest Mix 234 – Great Dane – Halftime.jp – Tracklist

1 Great Dane – You Can Fly ID
2 Great Dane – F My BM (Jersey Edit) ID
3 Traveler x Luhv – ID
4 Kowta – BAD DREAMS
5 Herzeloyde – Breaksta
6 idntrmmbr – lundun
7 CHEE – CLOUTMEISTER
8 Great Dane – NOSE GOES
9 LYNY – Jump Bros!
10 Great Dane – Epsilon Iguana
11 idntrmmbr – big dawg (fendi’d up)
12 Kowta – Need It
13 Great Dane – That Zaza
14 Drake – What Would Pluto Do? (Great Dane Flip) ID
15 Sumthin Sumthin – Poison (Flip) ID
16 Kowta – Click Clack
17 Jengi – Bel Mercy (Great Dane Flip)
18 Luhv x Kurei – Coke w/ My Rum
19 Sameet x Great Dane – Bombarded ID
20 Kowta – I LIEK TO GET HIGH ID
21 Gunna – fukumean (Great Dane Jersey Edit) ID

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Our interview explores his move to NYC, what makes him feel great, how Web3 has changed his life, making bass music fun again, and what drives him to keep creating. The mix is 90 minutes of heat recorded live in Austin at Empire Control Room, showcasing a multitude of great dane’s originals including a number of unreleased tracks, plus gems from some of the underground’s best. This is an absolute can’t miss, so dive in below.

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

This mix is mostly original, recorded live in Austin at Empire Control Room (4/6/2022) for a headline Future Basscamp show. There’s a bunch of new/unreleased tracks in here. The only thing that didn’t get recorded was the mic, so I cleaned up some of the random silences from when I was talking so it would be easier to vibe to as a mix. I also added some watermark “great daaane” shit on some of the unreleased tunes so it would be harder to rip lol.

How’s the move to NYC treating you? What are you enjoying most about the change?

It’s been really dope. Feels like a fresh start. I’ve been an NYC fanboy from across the country my whole life so it’s weird to actually live here now and experience it as a resident. I really enjoy the weather changes. Like yeah it gets cold as FUCK but it makes you appreciate the sun more.

Is there anything you miss about the west coast?

Definitely miss my brothers, and my family in general. But my sister lives here so it’s been nice to see her more often. I get random moments of nostalgia for certain restaurants and streets and things but it doesn’t feel sad, it just feels like I’m lucky to have so many great memories in LA. I know that if I ever leave New York I’ll feel the same way about the places I go here.

I think on some level I would be a much bigger name if I stuck to one genre of music… but my end goal is just to impress myself. I don’t really mind being a lesser-known artist as long as the art is good.

You’ve characterized yourself as a chameleon. Do you think it plays to your advantage or are there challenges to this approach?

I’m not sure. I think all great artists are sort of chameleons. You have to be able to adapt to what is currently happening in art and the world in general. But yeah I think on some level I would be a much bigger name if I stuck to one genre of music… but my end goal is just to impress myself. I don’t really mind being a lesser-known artist as long as the art is good.

What makes you feel great?

I feel great when I’m spending time with the people I love. I’m sort of an extrovert so I’m always trying to fill up my time with activities and social things, but it’s cool because I also get to go home and let out all my emotions in Ableton and that feels great too.

Honestly it’s been life-changing. I’m very grateful to the web3 collectors who helped give me the financial freedom to get my own apartment and generally stop stressing so much about money.

You’ve seen a lot of success lately selling music NFTs. What impact has this new revenue stream had on your life and career?

Honestly it’s been life-changing. I’m very grateful to the web3 collectors who helped give me the financial freedom to get my own apartment and generally stop stressing so much about money. I’m still learning, and I’d like to keep growing in the community, but yeah it feels like a bunch of really cool people giving respect and value to the art they love.

Has the emergence of web3 changed your outlook on the music industry at all?

Sort of. I’m still kind of planning my future album with the same mindset I had before – singles, streaming, playlists, etc. – but I also think that my future releases will definitely incorporate web3 in some way from here on out, it’s just too fun.

From Alpha Dog to Beta Cat, Gamma Ray and Delta Fly there’s a thread of commonality through your projects. What animal is next? How do the project titles inform the direction of the projects?

That’s the million-dollar question. I’m not gonna reveal the next animal/album yet but I have been dropping lots of hints on my socials over the last couple months. And yeah the project titles & cover art (by the goat Emily Bayer) definitely influence the vibe of each album and honestly it goes deeper than that. Like when I was writing Gamma Ray I was so in tune with aquatic shit…I was buying fish/ocean-themed tee’s and jewelry and basically just embodying the energy of the album while I was writing it. I’m doing it now too but it’s like my own little secret game until the cover drops.

You recently tweeted “bass music but fun.” Why do you think bass music is lacking that crucial element as of late? How does that change?

Idk I’m just so bored with music that is trying to be soooo intense, and dark, and scary. I definitely fell into that category a little bit when I started out, but I got over it pretty quickly. It really comes down to the “drop” that I hear a lot in bass music, which is literally just a descending chromatic scale…like how many times can I hear that and be like “OH SHITTT.” I’m not even saying other people shouldn’t be making that stuff, I just don’t really fuck with it.

What’s the secret to getting a rare Jon Casey vocal feature?

Let him crash on your couch in LA and then peer pressure him.

What’s new with ADBC? Is there anything exciting on the horizon for the label?

Definitely got some things in the works…NYC is about to have a new monthly…. Also Samsin has a genius EP ready and jordnmoody is gonna drop some shit with us as well. Hopefully I can get my act together for Halloween Heaters 4.

I value my music more than my own life. It’s going to outlive me, so I take it really seriously and I hope that resonates with people.

With over a decade in the game, what keeps you going?

I value my music more than my own life. It’s going to outlive me, so I take it really seriously and I hope that resonates with people. The fact that I have “fans”, or even just people who think of me as a legit artist, is what keeps me going. When that first started happening I had imposter syndrome. I was thinking like, “maybe I’m not good enough and all these people are just confused,” but the more music I make and the more I look back at the songs I’ve already made, I’m really proud of myself, and that pride is a feeling that can’t be replaced. I’ll probably never stop.

What are three things you want to get out of 2022?

No idea, I hate thinking of time like that. I genuinely believe that at some point I’m gonna blow up (like actually) and putting timestamps on things like “by the end of 2022” is really depressing. I want to continue to make the best music I can possibly make and let the chips fall where they may.

Tracklist

GD (unreleased) – Aka Ferrari
GD (unreleased) – I’m Widdit
GD – 75% Alcohol (ADBC Records)
GD – Dirty Daddy (ADBC)
GD – The Lonely Ones (Great Dane Remix) (ADBC)
GD – Straight to It
Lil Wayne – Uproar
GD – Hyphy for No Reason (ADBC)
GD – Mealy Mouth
GD – Needa Rider (ADBC)
DILIP – bee hive
West1ne – Stim
Mr. Carmack – Things I Cannot Tell You
GD (unreleased) – give it 2 me
Manny Sanchez – Lil Vicente
Jai Paul – Raw
GD – West Coast Stand Up (Alpha Pup Records)
GD – Good Ol’ Days
AedFX – FUCK WITH ME
GD – Stormy Weather (Alpha Pup)
GD – Former Friends (ADBC)
Tsuruda – Hammer
Hapa, Dayle – Chrome
GD – Number feat. Jon Casey (ADBC)
Grape Stain – Metalocolypse
GD – Hypnopotomus (ADBC)
GD – June 2nd feat. King Henry (Alpha Pup)
GD (unreleased) Everything as it should be
GD – Still So Clean (Alpha Pup)
Tek.lun – All That
GD – Invite Only
Herzeloyde – Breaksta (ADBC)
Samsin – twelvefiftynine (ADBC)
Esseks – The Uncertain Future
Project Paradis – PaAarty
Jon Casey (unreleased) – Drop Top (Rework)
AedFX – Lean w/ l o j
AedFX – Ricochet
GD x Sumthin Sumthin – Pop Rocks (Veyron Arche)
GD – Balencisagas (ADBC)
GD (unreleased) – Boundry
GD (unreleased) – Fergaliscious (Edit)
GD – Alpha Dog (Alpha Pup)
GD – Sorry Steve (ADBC)
Skrillex – Humble (edit)
GD – Really Been Sleepin on This One
GD – Whoa Now (ADBC)
GD (unreleased) – The Brooklyn Shuffle

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

The standout single landed a spot in our Top 50 Songs Of 2020 so delivering a fitting remix is no easy feat. However, if there’s one artist that’s more than up to the task it’s Great Dane. Hot off his recent EP Consider The Source, the Los Angeles-based legend brings his signature sauce to this epic rendition of ‘Fire.’ Opening with downplayed drums and smoked-out vocals this one feels effortlessly laidback. The first drop switches the style up delivering an orchestral punch that is grande in impact and scale. It feels regal and opulent yet gritty and mean. The West Coast synths conjure memories of classic Dre beats and bouncing 64s. Add in some wonked out wubs for the finale and this remix is an absolute heater.

I wanted to make my remix of ‘Fire’ like super epic. I found some sick string sounds on the Nord electro and a dope Dr. Dre type lead synth sound on the SH101 so all of the synths in here are analog. Except for the wubs at the end, those are serum as fuck (but also dope) – Great Dane

Stream Great Dane’s ‘Fire’ remix below and look out for the Trinity (Deluxe Edition) this Friday.

Stream Trinity (Deluxe Edition) below.

The post PREMIERE: Great Dane Delivers West Coast Flip Of UZ’s ‘Fire’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Stream Consider The Source below.

The post Great Dane Drops Highly Anticipated ‘Consider The Source’ EP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The post Great Dane Returns With ‘75% alcohol’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Kicking off the project comes Acrillics’ ‘What Do You Want.’ It’s no secret we’ve been longtime fans and supporters and it’s always great to see the duo making big moves. Serving as a perfect introduction, it starts as a slow burner with emotive undertones before unveiling a bass-leaning trap nature. Blending feels with aggressive and powerful energy makes this a can’t miss.

Chromonicci has become renowned for his diversity, from future beat finesse to lofi chill tunes and trap slaps, he can do it all. With ‘Singularity’ he finds a perfect fusion of off-kilter future beats and the chest-pounding energy of raw trap. It’s smooth yet, banging. Experimental but approachable and dare I say… smooth. In short, it’s spectacular.

The stash of unreleased heat that Dabow is sitting on right now is absolutely insane. Any time we get one of his highly sought-after IDs for release we relish it. ‘Poder’ has been a staple in Dabow sets and mixes so it’s great to finally get the proper release. From the bent vocal loops, to ice-cold keys and the blistering brass, this is trap music at its best. People really need to stop sleeping on Dabow’s greatness.

Possibly the biggest surprise on the tape is Giraffage’s’ ‘idgaf.’ Based around the vocal “I don’t give a fuck,” this is a blistering banger here to set speakers ablaze. Booming bass, precise vocals chops, and an almost absurd party vibe make it undeniably infectious. It’s the type of banger you could see getting spun out in trap or bass house sets or serving as the perfect bridge between the genres in a setlist. I didn’t know Giraffage went this hard.

Other mid-to-late tape standouts include Great Dane’s ‘aya hua’ which fuses tribal and spiritual energy with some serious bump, LYNY’s bossed-up anthem ‘Stumble,’ and RamonPang’s beastly ‘Santoor Unkown.’

Last but not least I have to highlight Rome In Silver’s ‘Little Demons.’ I’ve been waiting for this one to drop since I included it as an ID in my Electric Hawk Takover Mix in early 2020. Electric basslines, swooning vocals, crisp claps and a forward-thinking soundscape are expertly intertwined. The drops are funky and inviting while remaining mean. It exemplifies the exceptional balance that Rome In Silver has managed to master.

BOOST TAPE 02 is everything you wanted and more. Stream the full project below and be sure to grab it on Bandcamp.

The post ‘BOOST TAPE 02’ Is Top Tier appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Great Dane took the classic ‘FDT’ we know and love, and gave it an absolute bop treatment. With a bouncy beat, catchy plucks, and a mesmerizing flute, Great Dane reinvigorates our voices to proudly exclaim ‘fuck donald tr*mp’ all the way until he’s out of office.

Check out ‘fuck donald trump’ below

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Upholding their unmistakable left-field sound design, sfam, um.., Elle and Blake Skowron bring the squishy, squanchy and crunchy palette on their flips of ‘Basshead’, ‘Free Money, Free Times’, ‘Wumper’ and ‘Former Friends’, delivering a new edge to the project. Each track bangs in it’s own lane, but if you really want to have your brain dismantled I especially recommend the 2:32 mark in Blake Skowron’s flip of ‘Former Friends’. Samsin and aedfx. bring some Carmack-esque heat to the table with their renderings of ‘Bank On Me’ and ‘We Get Up’ that keeps us coming back for more. ‘Bandz On Me’ gets an especially savory handling from the don UZ, giving  the already radio-friendly original an elegantly executed melodic trap-rap spin. Even the dog daddy himself took the opportunity to breathe alluring new life into his track ‘Lonely Ones’ with Katya Grasso.

Great Dane took what was already a memorable album and enlisted the best talent from far and wide. The project makes an immaculate addition to ADBC Records growing catalog of superb variety and will stick with us for years to come. Take a listen or two (or eleven) and be sure to check out the impeccably diverse all-star lineup of producers that helped make this possible.

The post Great Dane’s ‘Delta Fly’ Enlists All-Star Producers for Remix LP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

So you’re going on tour with StayLoose in February! Can you tell us what you’re most excited for that?

I’m stoked because StayLoose, even though I’m familiar with his productions, I’ve never met him in person, and he has more traditional live elements in his shows. Like he’s still a DJ obviously, but he incorporates a lot of instruments and live pieces as well, and I’ve never gotten the opportunity to tour with someone like that. That’s ultimately where I’m trying to end up. I’ve dabbled with certain elements of live stuff, but not to the extent that he does. I’m excited to learn from him even though I’m not sure how live this particular tour will be. It’ll just be cool to be able to pick his brain about that kind of stuff.

How did you guys get connected in the first place?

I signed with Madison House and we have the same booking agent.  We have the same agent now and when he asked me I was like, absolutely I’m down! It was kind of random when they hit me up, but I respect StayLoose’s music a lot, so I’m really excited overall for this opportunity.

From my background of cool LA bass stuff, it’s a risk to do these emotional pieces. But, I was doing that before I was doing beats, you know…That’s why I want to make an effort to show that to my fans because if someone’s following me and enjoys my music, I hope that they’d want to get to know me more, and that’s really the deeper side of who I am.

Going off of the use of live instrumentation, you actually majored in vocal performance in college, and in one of your older interviews you were talking about how at that point you hadn’t yet gotten a chance to combine the creativity and freedom of your beat-making with the use of your own voice on tracks. Have you since been able to make that work, or do you have plans in the future for attempting to make it work?

I’ve done it a little bit since that interview, most recently on my last album Gamma Ray. On that particular album there’s 4 tracks that include my voice, one of them is called ‘Tokyo Surfer’ and it’s very vocal-focused. A lot of the other tracks I’ve done that have included my voice, my voice has just been an accent, so I’ve definitely been dabbling in it and working up towards it more as of late. On this next EP or album, I’m still not sure what to call it, it’s 8 tracks. I’ve been calling it an album just because all the songs are diverse enough to be called an album, but there’s a track on it that is by far the most vocal-heavy piece I’ve done incorporating my own vocals and I’m a little nervous about it. But, every time I’ve taken a risk like that with a song that I feel might be a little too sensitive, it’s paid off. Like my song with Kayta Grasso ‘Fog and Fear,’ for example, it wasn’t me singing, but it’s really emotional. From my background of cool LA bass stuff, it’s a risk to do these emotional pieces. But, I was doing that before I was doing beats, you know. I was in choir and musical theatre and stuff, so that’s just as true to who I am as being the cool beat-maker guy. That’s why I want to make an effort to show that to the people who listen to my stuff because if someone’s following me and enjoys my music, I hope that they’d want to get to know me more, and that’s really the deeper side of who I am. When I was a kid I thought I was going to be on Broadway, that was my ultimate goal. 

My whole life I’ve been a singer and I did it because I was good at it, but as a fan, my music taste at home was quite different. I wasn’t bumping Broadway, you know, I was on LimeWire getting all the freshest Lil Wayne shit, back when Lil Wayne was almost unknown. I’m just a musical person, I love all music, and my main thing that I loved throughout my whole life was rap music, so once I started producing that seemed like the right thing to try to do.

So how did the Broadway singing choir boy turn into the ‘Drop Top’ gangster beat-maker?

My whole life I’ve been a singer and I did it because I was good at it, but as a fan, my music taste at home was quite different. I wasn’t bumping Broadway, you know, I was on LimeWire getting all the freshest Lil Wayne shit, back when Lil Wayne was almost unknown. I’m just a musical person, I love all music, and my main thing that I loved throughout my whole life was rap music, so once I started producing that seemed like the right thing to try to do. I’m not going to go out and try to produce a Broadway song. The music that I have been making with vocals, I feel, like even ‘Fog and Fear’ is very Broadway in a sense. It doesn’t really firmly fit in the category of anything else, it’s theatrical in a sense, over-the-top, emotional. The track I’m doing on this next album, I was kind of hedging my bets, because if I’m going to do this and I’m going to be fully-exposed and sing this song, I could get ripped apart and get made fun of, so I’m going to hedge my bets and put Katya on it because she was on ‘Fog and Fear.’ The first verse is me, and then the second verse is Katya, and she absolutely knocks it out of the park. I think people will really like it. There’s always going to be some people that don’t like the new stuff you put out, but I like it and she likes it, so that’s what I’m focusing on. I listen to that track in particular more than the others, partially because I’m nervous about it, and I think that because I’m nervous about it I’ve really been trying to perfect it, but now it’s officially done and set for release. That one will be titled ‘The Lonely Ones,’ and the whole album will be Delta Fly.  

There’s been a lot of talk about Grape Stain online, can you confirm if that is you, and if it was, what your intentions are behind making the separate account?

Yes hahaha, I mean it was never really a big secret, I never openly said I was, but I also did promote it on social media. Grape Stain just goes back to me having fun, it’s a throwback to my old SoundCloud days when I could drop just a bunch of random shit without a ton of scrutiny. Like the track ‘Empire Today’ for example, it’s good, but I definitely wouldn’t put it out through Great Dane. It’s like “meme music,” so I like to make it, but I’m trying to make Great Dane more serious, or at least somewhat serious. 

Team Supreme’s been around for 7-8 years and we’ve had lots of big hiatuses, but I always feel like it’s going to come back. People are always really excited when we do end up bringing it back, but as of right now I’m not sure what the next chapter holds.

Can you tell us about the current state of Team Supreme? In the past you’ve mentioned you don’t play as big a role in the day-to-day operations, but you guys haven’t put anything out since Cypher 159. Anything big coming up on the horizon?

It’s kind of on pause at the moment. Everyone’s kind of branching out right now. Preston (Virtual Boy) has really been the lifeblood of it, and he’s been super busy with Icon as well as some health stuff. Recently I’ve had the idea to ask him if I could step in and take a bigger role in it for awhile, but it’s not really my top priority right now either to be honest. Team Supreme’s been around for 7-8 years and we’ve had lots of big hiatuses, but I always feel like it’s going to come back. People are always really excited when we do end up bringing it back, but as of right now I’m not sure what the next chapter holds. It’s tough though man. There’s almost no money in it, so it’s really been out of Preston’s love for it, but it’s understandable that it ends up taking a back seat sometimes. I do have a good feeling Team Supreme will be back, though. We all love and respect him, and when we do get the call we’re all down for the cause, so it’s a matter of time. I really do hope we can make something happen this year, even if it’s just a reunion show or something along those lines.

I wanted to start a label just on my own and basically be like the CEO. So far I haven’t been really active with it, but this year my album is coming out and about a week later we’re going to announce another EP from Samsin. So for 2020 I’m already doing way more for it than I have before, and ADBC is really whatever I make it. Ideally I want it to be a freeform, artistic label that has no agenda or timetable.

Can you tell me about ADBC Records and what’s coming next for that?

For awhile me and Preston were talking about making Team Supreme more along the lines of a label, and I was teaching at Icon Music School at the time, and I really wanted to branch out. Team Supreme has something like a democracy, there’s 17 people included in it, with Preston doing a majority of the work. If we wanted to become a label and put music out, there’s this whole thing where a lot of voices and opinions have to be taken into consideration. Going off of that, I wanted to start a label just on my own and basically be like the CEO. So far I haven’t been really active with it, but this year my album is coming out and about a week later we’re going to announce another EP from Samsin. So for 2020 I’m already doing way more for it than I have before, and ADBC is really whatever I make it. Ideally I want it to be a freeform, artistic label that has no agenda or timetable. For example, the Glitch Mob have their own label that they put most of their music out under, and I like that idea. It makes it somewhat like a home, ya know. We already do the Halloween compilations and we plan on continuing that, and I want to do all my own shit through it. The next step is slowly bringing on other artists, but I don’t want to be thirsty, ya know. Do it just to do it. The reason the Samsin thing happened was because he reached out to me wanting to do it and I was like, “perfect let’s do it, I love your music.” I didn’t like harass him constantly about doing it. He just tells me I want to do it with you and your label. The fact that anyone wanted to do anything on my label is fucking cool, and the fact that it was him was really cool. So, now we’re going to stagger the releases with the first single from my album coming out on the 15th and then Samsin’s will be the following week. His EP will come out before mine because I’m doing a longer campaign, so there’ll be almost back to back ADBC releases in the next few months. 

What artists do you believe are currently making the most headway in changing the foundation of the music community, especially in the underground trap scene?

I’m a little biased, so I’m going to have to go with Samsin. I live with aedfx., another would be Jon Casey for sure.

What was the biggest highlight of 2019 for you?

Burning Man. It was so sick. I got to play at Camp Question Mark and those guys had booked me in San Francisco for years so they gave me this prime time slot. The lineup was me, Diplo, Flume, Carmack. Unfortunately Flume was a no-show, he did an apology set later on, but he missed his scheduled set. But that lineup was just like “what the fuck?” Everyone else ended up playing, and it was just overall sick. 

I’m not expecting them to go on the radio, I’m just hoping they get people to look to me that have never listened to me before. A lot of people don’t listen to instrumental music, so I made an effort to put a lot of vocals on this album because ultimately I want to be known as an artist, not just a beat-maker. That’s my goal in 2020; to have people look at me a little differently. 

What are you looking forward to most in 2020?

I feel like with this album and everything else that’s in the works right now, this is going to be the year I’m going to make the most gains in my career. I mean I want that every year, but with this album I really made the effort to put in a little something for everyone. Half of the album are instrumental beats, and in my opinion some of the best Great Dane beats yet. And the other half of the album is me trying to branch into mainstream rap and hip-hop. I’m hoping that my mainstream attempts go well. I’m not expecting them to go on the radio, I’m just hoping they get people to look to me that have never listened to me before. A lot of people don’t listen to instrumental music, so I made an effort to put a lot of vocals on this album because ultimately I want to be known as an artist, not just a beat-maker. That’s my goal in 2020; to have people look at me a little differently. 

If you’re true to yourself, you can’t really fuck up. If you take a risk and do something that’s not really true to you, it could go well, or it could go horribly. I don’t really want to take that risk, I’d rather dig deeper into myself, over riding any wave.

What advice would you give a producer fresh on the scene in 2020 in terms of navigating the community and growing a following?

It’s hard man, I don’t really know. My start was in 2011-2012, so the whole world is different now. I’d just say try to be as original as possible. I’ve taught music for a long time so I’ve seen a lot of beginner production students. And I mean you have to start by copying someone, by sort of copying them because that’s how you get a start with anything really. It’s just the easiest way to learn. To someone new I’d say to try to get over that hump as soon as possible and then build on it with your own style. I think the reason I’ve lasted as long as I have is because I’ve made an effort to be different. I wish I could jump on all the trends, but I’m just not smart enough. I don’t know how to just copy every style, and I feel like it’s a good and bad thing. I feel like I could be further along in my career if I could do that better, ya know, like pick up all the styles that are the current fads. Made some riddim tracks. Make some house tracks. At the end of the day I just have a deeper goal of projecting my artistic vision, and it isn’t rooted in that. My artistic vision is rooted in hip-hop and the things I grew up with, like indie rock and dumb meme shit. As a fan of music I don’t put on a riddim track, so for now to try to do that would be almost disingenuous. I’d rather go towards the things that I’m naturally listening to. Like the album I’m about to put out has a lot of rap on it, and some of the Great Dane fans might be like “why?” ya know. A lot of people don’t listen to that, but I listen to that. So it’s true to me, and that’s why I’m doing it. I want to be true to myself, because I feel like that’s the only way you can’t fuck up. If you’re true to yourself, you can’t really fuck up. If you take a risk and do something that’s not really true to you, it could go well, or it could go horribly. I don’t really want to take that risk, I’d rather dig deeper into myself, over riding any wave. And I’m not talking shit to people that ride waves. Like I said, I wish I could ride waves better. But, I think when I die I want my music to be consistent from start to finish. Not like “Oh in 2019 he started making riddim,” that would be disingenuous. Although I do want to start making some house music. I have made some 4 on the floor tracks in the past, but they’re not like house house music. In the past, I didn’t want to try to make house music, but now that I’ve started listening to it I’ve gotten the urge to want to try it out. I feel like I want to make whatever I’m listening to honestly. So, to end, be as genuine as possible and make stuff that actually resonates with you. Find an artist that you like, and then do something that they didn’t do. Like if you really love Kaytranada, do a Kaytranada type beat, but put your soul onto it. Imprint it so no one will think it’s a Kaytranada beat. Just be yourself.

If there’s anything to be gleamed from speaking to Dane Morris, it’s that he has an immense passion and attention to detail for every aspect of the work he’s currently doing, and the music community as a whole. From home-growing a movement in LA with one of his closest friends, to now spearheading a solo career and blooming his own record label, he should be an inspiration for all those questioning if all their hard work will pay off. I’m happily left an even bigger fan of this man, not only from the masterpiece that Delta Fly will be, but also from knowing it’s coming from a genuine human being that is expressing himself through the avenue that he feels most comfortable. You can check out the first single from Delta Fly, ‘Former Friends’ below, and if you’re itching to catch a live show, he’ll be on tour with StayLoose in February which you can get tickets here.

The post Great Dane Talks Upcoming Album, Burning Man, Staying Original + More [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Following up on his vibey ‘Drop Top‘ from earlier this year, Great Dane has now exceeded expectations once again with his Respect: Self EP, out now on ADBC Records. “Since these are all instrumental tracks, the title is really the only thing that can bind them together with words. ‘Respect: Self’ started as a mantra for my own life that I began to utilize a lot over the past year, so when this music started to feel ready to release, it seemed like a perfect message to relay to the world,” Great Dane states about his newest project.

Filled with hip-hop inspirations yet still flexing his original trap character, every track on Respect: Self boasts a sound that Great Dane describes as his truest self. Building on his unique flow and signature sounds, the talented beat-maker has created another project that’ll leave you in awe through both its grimy textures and powerful soul. Respect: Self keeps listeners captivated for its entirety with the raw power of pristine instrumentals. Don’t miss it below.

The post Great Dane Stays True To Himself In ‘Respect: Self’ EP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.