From electronic trap, house, and even a little UK Garage, QGRC-006 is a burst full of many different emotions. Each track represents the artists in a beautiful way. And what a lineup they brought us this year! Artists such as Virus Mafia, Polar Youth, MIRZHA, and others have all put their energy into mind-blowing compositions. Emanating pure passion and inspiration for the arts. Bass-fueled sound design, angelic tales of melody, you name it! There’s so much to behold throughout this journey from beginning to end. Making this one of their best compilations to date! So make sure to show your support by streaming QGRC-006 everywhere via Quality Goods Records! We’re excited to see what else they have in store for listeners.

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The post Quality Goods Records Give Light To A Garden Of Frequencies With Their ‘QGRC-006’ Compilation appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Our conversation covers everything from his return to Perth in light of the pandemic, to the evolution of the HWLS project, why he says no to most things, and much more. The mix is an absolute journey, truly showcasing his diversity and pristine mixing. Clocking in at over 90 minutes it’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions, vibes and sound palettes. Enjoy the experience below.

Tell us a little bit about the mix. Where are you taking listeners with this one? What is this the soundtrack to?

The mix is a bit of everything really, I wanted to get a bunch of forthcoming music from artists I know or that I’m a fan of and involve as much as I could of what they have been up to the past few months during this weird time in the world. Hopefully it can make you dance, chill, be abrasive, kind of fit into some point of anyone’s day at the moment.

…it’s good to be grounded and just focusing on the simple things in life.

You moved back to Perth at the beginning of the pandemic. How’s Australia been treating you? Are you planning to stay long term? 

Perth has been real good to be honest, minimal to none amount of COVID cases recently so things here have opened up a bit which has made life a little easier, hopefully we can keep it up. Glad to have made it home when I did and it’s good to be close to family during these times. I’d say I will be in Australia for quite some time at the moment, I usually travel a lot but with all the restrictions in place it’s good to be grounded and just focusing on the simple things in life.

When we last spoke you mentioned getting outdoors has been keeping you sane, what are your go to outdoor activities? Have you started doing anything new in recent months?

I’ve been getting out and hiking a bit, there are some great areas to explore in WA which are only a short drive out of the city, so it’s good to get out and clear the mind with some nature. Other than that, still playing Basketball and have been getting back into golf with some friends recently during this time. Nothing too new in my daily routine really.

You run your own business outside of music. What do you do? How do you balance the two? Do you have any desire to do music completely or do you prefer splitting your time?

I have a few businesses and investments outside of music which don’t chew up most of my time away from music but still need to pay attention too. I have been doing music full time for 10 years or so now but I just try to use my time in the studio more efficiently rather than sitting there all day to make something happen. I need to be able to do other things to appreciate my music career side of life.

What inspires you to create?

People pushing themselves and experimenting, my friends and life helps my mind come up with ideas or motivates me to make something. I try not to force things anymore and rather put production techniques I have learnt over the years to use when I have an idea in my head.

HWLS was originally a duo, what prompted the evolution to a solo project? What was the biggest challenge as a result of the change?

It was mainly our schedules and allocation of time, I was working with Ta-ku helping with production for his project as well as preparing tracks for HWLS at the time. We always knew I would tour this project solo, so when he had to spend more time on other ventures outside of music I thought it would be easier to just keep doing what I was doing with HWLS and concentrate on that. There were no challenges during that time, we just made logical decisions that made sense for us moving forward on our own paths.

I rarely come across suited people within the industry that are fans of music these days. It would be nice to see artists not get taken advantage of anymore with shitty contracts, that would be a good start.

You recently tweeted, “People talking about shifts in the music industry, but I haven’t really seen anything get done or change.” What changes would you like to see and what needs to be done to actually make them happen?

I just saw things being said and taken notice of but people in the ‘high’ positions of the industry kind of really do nothing about it. It’s like they’re listening but they’re not hearing you. I’m not the biggest fan of the music business side of things, I rarely come across suited people within the industry that are fans of music these days. It would be nice to see artists not get taken advantage of anymore with shitty contracts, that would be a good start.

How did you end up co-producing tracks for Jaden Smith’s & Denzel Curry? What was the experience like? Do you have any other big rap collabs in the works?

I had worked on previous things for Jaden in the past but ‘Ghost’ came about from a session with other producers and they ended up placing the beat, so that was all handled by the internet. My friends FnZ work closely with Denzel Curry on all his projects so I was joining sessions with them regularly. We have all made a bunch of music together but Zel’s creativity and workflow is amazing and he is always up for trying new things and sounds. I work on a number of other projects contributing production for them but some things are best kept to myself.

You’ve mentioned that you say no to most things. Is this a conscious choice you’ve made? What’s the upside to this approach? Is there anything that you really regret saying no to in hindsight?

Over the years it has been a more conscious choice, I just didn’t want to be saying yes to everything and giving too much of myself away for the purpose of ‘good exposure’ or a ‘good look’ that shit would make me anxious like I felt I needed to do it. I say yes to the things that feel genuine and to people that are supportive and moving things forward. I rarely want to do interviews anymore because who cares what I have to say haha. I’d much prefer to have people listen to my music and personally chat about it with them if it connects somehow. I appreciate what you guys do and support so was up for the chat, but this will probs be my last interview haha :)

My brain still ticks a little differently during the late evenings, I like that it’s quiet…

What keeps you up at night and/or gets you out of bed in the morning?

My brain still ticks a little differently during the late evenings, I like that it’s quiet and I guess the fact that most people are resting makes it feel a little more isolating which can let ideas breathe a little more haha. Sounds kind of dumb but I guess minimal distractions in a calm environment let the thoughts of the day come to life.

What’s on the horizon for you musically this year?

The first half of the year I have just been spending time on demos and production for other projects but I do feel like getting these demos done and out there. Just going to feel things out and take it day by day, no rush or time limit on anything, we all got time on our hands these days.

Tracklist

Charles Murdoch – PURPOSE
HWLS – Powders
The Faded – Pull up
Hate – Brilliant
FnZ – ID
Dabow & LYNY – Caliente
TNGHT – CLEVER PANTS
Little Snake – ID
Rustie – Terra Star
Baauer – Dip Wah
HWLS – Delta Ft. Akouo
Jackal – Christ person, Woman God
AEDFX – Cold with it
HWLS – Ktown Ft. Tapecut
Dj Q – Back 2 Bassics
Modeselektor – Prugelknabe
AWE – Luvit
Blake Skowron – Sofia’s Bridge
FnZ – ID
Kendrick Lamar – PRIDE (Louis Futon flip)
?? – ID
Quiet Bison – Thimble
Jamie xx – Idontknow
t1r – ID
HWLS – Epsilon
Holly – ID
t1r – ID
**IDWL** (Little Snake true grit edit)
S-Type – Grace
Ganz – Rufio’s theme
Ninajirachi – Rainbow Train Ft. Coucheron
HWLS – Beta
Hudson Mohawke – Shanghaied
Charles Murdoch – SURGE
Christopher Port – ID
Boddika & Joy Orbison – Dun Dun
Kilter – One in Hand
Joy Orbison & Overmono – Bromley
Randomer – Bring
Dj Seinfeld – Please Slow Down
Pearson Sound – Untitled
Tiga & Hudson Mohawke – Love Minus Zero
Proxy – Raven
DaBaby – Bop (Bleep Bloop & Little Snake flip)
Tek Genesis – Sequence 999
Ginoli – Highest Point
Tessela – Hackney Parrot (Special Request VIP)

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

Last week, Quality Goods Records kicked off their inaugural digital festival, Quality Goods Exports, with sets from Ian Munro, Perk Pietrek, UZ, HWLS, and more. The event continues May 14-16 with Dabow, GANZ, Cozway, tapecut and many others. The fest showcases some of the best musical talent from around the world, so we thought it would provide the perfect opportunity to find out how artists around the globe have been adapting to the pandemic. We caught up with Cozway (Canada), Dabow (Argentina), GANZ (Netherlands), HWLS (US/Australia), Ian Munro (Australia), & Perk Pietrek (Singapore) to see how things are where they are, what they’re doing to stay motivated/sane, how fans can help artists during this difficult time and much more. Check out our full interview with the artists below!

How are things where you are right now? What are your days like? 

Cozway: Things have been pretty good. I’ve been working on lots of music stuff. One thing I have noticed is that I’ve been getting to bed and waking up later than usual haha.

Dabow: We are in complete lockdown! I think it’s going to be over soon, but it’s going well, I mean it could be worse… My days are pretty much the same as before, I wake up, breakfast with my gf, work on music a little bit, work out a few mins, eat, I watch something online, eat, maybe watch some Twitch again, eat dinner, and go to bed haha.

GANZ: I’m sort of used to the fact of working at home. I got my setup in my apartment, although I do miss being around people and my students sometimes! I’m teaching my students via internet right now (yes, I’m also a teacher nowadays). Since the Corona situation I’m waking up with with the curtains half open/closed to get used to the light. This is because I’m normally waking up at midday but now I’m trying to get more out of my day. So, waking up between 8:00-10:00, getting some latte macchiato or Red Bull and see what things I need to finish, doing the things I like the least such as accounting first. After that I’m having lunch around 12:00-1:00 and doing some Netflix after for an hour to break the day a little! Until dinner I’m continuing all the earlier stuff and getting started with the more creative stuff such as mixing tracks and working on new ideas. After dinner I’m trying to finish heaps of stuff and watch some Netflix or something later on before I go to sleep.

HWLS: I was in LA but came back home to the most isolated city in world (Perth, Australia) to isolate and spend time with my fam but my days are mostly the same, day to day hasn’t changed a great deal.

Ian Munro: To be honest, this end of the world is definitely managing it pretty well. That being said, our days are mostly spent inside, or at least away from people.

Perk Pietrek: I think things are pretty in control out here in Singapore. Obviously we all need some adjusting to but what matters is that we’re safe and with our loved ones. My days are pretty much the same as before except that I can no longer travel to my studio.

Making a lot of music for shows that nobody can hear right now. I’ve got more time now to find new music and come to new ideas. – GANZ

What’s been keeping you sane/motivated/excited through this?

Cozway: For me it’s been the hope that everything comes roaring back to life once this is over.

Dabow: Mostly working on my album, making samples, and some other online stuff like collabs and being in touch with the community, also being with someone during this quarantine, being alone could make it more difficult. I’m having fun mostly.

GANZ: Making a lot of music for shows that nobody can hear right now. I’ve got more time now to find new music and come to new ideas.

HWLS: Getting outdoors and a bit of exercise where I can has helped, but just learning new things in music and life helps to keep days occupied, just gotta keep working.

Ian Munro: Haha it’s hard, but I’ve just been trying to keep my head down and get shit done. I guess the only real driving force is the knowledge that I’ll never have this much free time again — it feels like a waste if I don’t at least attempt to make the best out of it.

Perk Pietrek: Now is a good time for me to think through what’s next after all of this. Make some exciting plans and look forward.

I’ve definitely felt a lot looser, and more relaxed these days. I’ve always been too much of a perfectionist when it comes to work so now’s a good time to change that into a more positive experience. – Perk Pietrek

Have you been able to find any positives or unexpected upsides as a result of the current situation?

Cozway: Yes, this is basically like someone froze time and let every artist work on their art without worrying about much else. In many ways it’s a huge blessing in disguise for us.

Dabow: Yeah, I think that the music industry is going to do a backflip after this, I am not sure in what way but changes are coming. Also not having the possibility of going to the outside world makes you go to the inside and get deep on stuff you didn’t see before. Or you didn’t make time for it.

GANZ: I’m able to work on more music and finding inspiration in new ways by seeing the world being super empty and quiet and I think a lot of people are exploring heaps of new music these days.

HWLS: It’s been good to get back to the simple things in life and learning new techniques with hardware I already have, the positives are to just make the most out of what you have.

Ian Munro: I picked up skating again — something that I haven’t done in like 8 years, but used to be such a huge part of my life. I’m rusty as fuck but it’s definitely keeping me active and giving me a reason to get out of the house.

Perk Pietrek: I’ve definitely felt a lot looser, and more relaxed these days. I’ve always been too much of a perfectionist when it comes to work so now’s a good time to change that into a more positive experience.

A few weeks ago I went to a shop and they told me I couldn’t get in without a face mask, I said, “oh do you sell these here?” “Yeah, but you can’t get in,” and I was like, “how can I get one if I can’t get into the shop to get one?” – Dabow

What’s the weirdest change or experience you’ve had amidst the pandemic?

Cozway: Having to lineup to get into limited capacity stores has been pretty odd, also not being able to sit and eat in my favourite restaurants.

Dabow: It’s not weird but it’s funny, a few weeks ago I went to a shop and they told me I couldn’t get in without a face mask, I said, “oh do you sell these here?” “Yeah, but you can’t get in,” and I was like, “how can I get one if I can’t get into the shop to get one?” Made no sense and they didn’t know what to say, I left and made one at home lol.

GANZ: Not being able to do shows or going to other artists shows!

HWLS: I haven’t felt to much change within myself or any experiences, I guess people are a little more hesitant to just go out for no reason at the moment, hopefully the paranoia will be something humanity can get through quickly post COVID-19.

Ian Munro: We moved from New Zealand to Australia one week before the whole world locked down. It’s definitely been a crazy adjustment living in a new country but being confined in four walls.

Perk Pietrek: It’s weird because this was actually the life I had in the past 1-2 years after I got out of the army. I was at home all the time working on music, and barely went out. But this time due to different circumstances, everyone else is going through it too.

How much has the closure of clubs and shut down of touring impacted you? What do you miss most about performing?

Cozway: It has certainly impacted me. I miss the audience and the ease of plugging in USBs and playing a set without having to worry about green screens, lighting or recording it.

Dabow: Oh man, I had the biggest show of my life coming. Two weeks before they announced it was postponed by the pandemic, I was supposed to play Lollapalooza Argentina at the end of March, now it’s supposed to happen end of November.

GANZ: Since I was planning the new EP drop, I hoped to do shows! Which unfortunately isn’t happening at this moment but I hope it’ll be sometime soon again. I miss seeing crowds going wild on your tracks and seeing their faces when dropping some demos.

HWLS: Hasn’t affected me too much, I haven’t really played a proper show since early 2018 so my time is still spent in the studio. I do look forward to getting back out there again in the future though, I am feeling more excited about performing again.

Ian Munro: Well, I quit my job right before this all happened, so no income is dope — but that’s part of the industry I guess. If I wanted stability, I should’ve been a fucking accountant haha.

Perk Pietrek: I think all performers are pretty bummed out about this. And we all definitely miss performing. We all just need to hang tight and things will get better in time

Have you been exploring any new revenue streams lately? If so, what are they and how are they panning out?

Cozway: Hmm not really, in Canada we’re blessed to have a government that is providing pandemic relief money to most citizens. But I will be looking into artist grants soon too.

Dabow: I’ve released a secret collection of 12 unreleased songs only on Bandcamp, for the Friday they gave artists 100% of revenue, that was a great way to get support. Also been working on samples, hopefully will get something going soon. And I am trying to get SYNC’s on my music too. I think that it’s something that could really help finances in the long term. Also I’ve been trying to get closer to my label idea, I just gotta keep working on it!

GANZ: I’m now able to find more time to do mixes for other artists.

HWLS: I still have my businesses outside of music to worry about and stay on top of so that keeps my days back home busy. At the moment I just been watching the stock market a lot too.

Ian Munro: Doing a bit of ghost prod, and a bit of graphic design where I can. Pretty much just picking up odd jobs to get the rent paid. We’ve just launched a YouTube channel too — so I’d love to build that to a point where we can monetise.

Might start trapping or start an onlyfans, who knows.

Perk Pietrek: We’re working on some stuff and will announce them hopefully soon!

Support the music and artists you care about. That doesn’t have to be financial either. Spread their music, get them heard, tell everyone about them, interact with their posts on social media – we do well when there’s demand for our work, so create that demand. – Cozway

What can fans do to help support artists right now and in the future? 

Cozway: Support the music and artists you care about. That doesn’t have to be financial either. Spread their music, get them heard, tell everyone about them, interact with their posts on social media – we do well when there’s demand for our work, so create that demand.

Dabow: Buy their art, sample packs, albums, singles, donate directly to PayPal. There’s a campaign on Spotify to help artists by donating directly but it’s not available for Argentina and a lot of other countries, and that’s kind of sad.

GANZ: Keep on streaming their music and don’t forget about them although there are no shows besides streaming shows.

HWLS: They can listen to their music, make playlists and share songs that are helping them, buy an artists merch if they have any for sale, donate through Spotify directly and cut them out. Basically just help anyway you can so they can keep creating and delivering you the goods.

Ian Munro: It’s hard, because as much as I believe we should support our local/favourite artists — I don’t think the responsibility should lie on the fans to keep us afloat. I guess the best thing we can all do is just do what we can. Tune in to a livestream or two. Stream music that you love. And once all this shit dies down — GO TO LIVE SHOWS.

Perk Pietrek: Buy their merch, support their bandcamp, share their music. And most importantly, fans need to engage with their favourite artists and show them support.

I’m really hoping that if there is something good to come from it all, that it gives local talent a time to shine. Since the borders are all shut, we need to be building up the talent from our own neighbourhood. – Ian Munro

What long term effects do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the industry?

Cozway:  I think digital festivals and livestreaming are here to stay and will become another important way for artists to build a fanbase.

Dabow: A huge cleanup, hopefully!

GANZ: I think the clubs will be closed for a while and some people might be afraid because of getting too close to others again in venues.

HWLS: I think things will be downsized for a few years while the live aspect builds up. Probably more local support and line ups in the near future because travel will be minimal for some time. I hope promoters and industry people will see more talented people get opportunities they deserve during this time and put them on rather then build someone up because of a certain look/demographic.

Ian Munro: I think it’s hard to tell the extent to it all. I’m really hoping that if there is something good to come from it all, that it gives local talent a time to shine. Since the borders are all shut, we need to be building up the talent from our own neighbourhood.

Perk Pietrek: I think for some people, it is a good lesson to learn how to diversify their income streams. As for the music industry, this might just be the tiny nudge/push for everyone else to start spending more time and money investing into newer ideas and technology rather than sticking with the old

Just keep busy, keep doing you, keep learning. Be passionate about something and apply yourself to it during this time. You can make the most out of this time or you can sit around being bored out your fucking mind. – HWLS

Any final thoughts on the situation?

Cozway: I hope everyone’s doing well out there and keeping healthy! Better days are coming

Dabow: Appreciate everyone who’s helping each other. And never take anything for granted, what the media says, what the government says, do your own research, there’s info you can understand only by yourself.

GANZ: I hope it’ll bring people more together now and find love in music they didn’t know excited

HWLS: Just keep busy, keep doing you, keep learning. Be passionate about something and apply yourself to it during this time. You can make the most out of this time or you can sit around being bored out your fucking mind.

Perk Pietrek: Hope everyone is hanging in there! If you need to talk to someone, we’re here for you.

Everyone is dealing with the pandemic differently. Stay strong, stay healthy, stay smart, support your favourite artists. We’ll all get through it together.

The post How Artists Around The World Are Adapting To The Coronavirus Pandemic [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The track sees Slumberjack, ShockOne, Twerl, HWLS & Loston coming together for a work that’s nothing short of epic. “There is so much emotion in the song and that’s exactly what we wanted the listeners to feel, how much emotion there is in our country right now over what’s happening,” Twerl explains. He’s certainly not overselling it. ‘INFERNO’ is one of most moving and impactful electronic records in recent time. Leveraging samples from news coverage, the track reminds listeners of the intense reality being faced in Australia right now. Add in haunting vocal bends, somber undertones and intense drums and the intro is gripping. The drops hit hard, powerful enough to go off at a festival or club, but packing so much more within them. Poignant and powerful, ‘INFERNO’ is a political statement, a work of art, and a great way to help a country in need. 

How does a collab this massive come together? “Well originally Scott (Loston) had a benefit show planned in Perth, where a bunch of creatives were going to come together for a show to raise as much awareness and money as possible but unfortunately it couldn’t go ahead. So I thought, why don’t we all get in the studio for a giant collab to raise some money? So that’s exactly what we did. Scott also did some amazing artwork and made a fkn dope shirt that will be available to purchase too, all profits for that will be donated.” Twerl tells us. He expanded upon the charitable efforts saying, “Proceeds will be going to Red Cross Australia. They were chosen because they are a reputable charity organisation who’ve operated over 100 years in Australia. On the Bandcamp $2 will get you two versions of ‘INFERNO,’ but you can actually donate as much as you want. Any little bit helps! We thank everyone in advance for your support in such hard times, it means a lot to a lot of people.”

Stream ‘INFERNO’ below and donate to download and grab the merch here. If you’re looking to donate further, head over to the Australian Red Cross. Australians tend to loosely use the term legend, but Slumberjack, ShockOne, Twerl, HWLS & Loston are bloody legends for this one in the truest sense.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=1908709948 size=large bgcol=333333 linkcol=0f91ff tracklist=false artwork=small]

Lead photo by @nushade_

The post Slumberjack, ShockOne, Twerl, HWLS & Loston Team Up For Australian Wildfires Benefit Track ‘INFERNO’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

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