‘Dead Zone,’ released on Never Say Die, is a mosh pit-opening, riot-inducing heater where Samplifire and ECRAZE flex their impeccable sound design skills. Through crisp percussion, piercing synths and mechanical stabs, the two producers prove they are not taking any hostages in their ‘Dead Zone.’ The second single titled ‘MoshGvng,’ released on Never Say Die: Black Label, is the first track’s evil twin. While still boasting pristine production, ‘MoshGvng’ is darker and grungier than ‘Dead Zone,’ as devilish undertones roam in the background throughout.

With both singles, Samplifire and ECRAZE display a new level of sophistication in their production abilities. Don’t miss ‘Dead Zone’ and ‘MoshGvng’ below!

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Channeling this creativity into his music, SampliFire is back with his third project since September of last year. Out today on Never Say Die: Black Label, the aptly-titled Nightmare EP is actually what dreams are made of for heavy bass enthusiasts. A relentless offering of skull-shattering, crowd-ready heaters, every track on Beyou’s latest project is an intricate composition piecing together the various stages of a nightmare. Sure to captivate your attention from front to back, the Nightmare EP is a further display of SampliFire’s ceaseless growth as a producer.

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A burdensome weight rests upon your eyelids as you cling to every last fragment of the waking realm. Fit for your arrival, a siren heralds a foreboding welcome as your conscious drifts unsuspectingly into the perilous grasp of ‘Nightmare’. A Persian-infused riff sets the stage as brain activity diminishes, slipping further and further into the confinements of the nether. Your greatest horrors actualize as a hydraulic riser escalates the tempo of the pervasive urban gauntlet, launching suddenly into calamitous plateaus of bass that mimic the precipitous free-falling of your subconscious.

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Arms and legs are rendered inoperative, body temperature decreases, and your heart-rate begins to decelerate as the turmoil of this ill-fitting sleep possesses your entire being. Repetitive bursts of metallic clicking swarm your hypothalamus amid massive surges of bass and daunting breaks, creating a jagged rhythmic soundscape for ‘NOVISV’.

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In a nightmare, the most terrifying scene comes when one is face-to-face with the monster, with no hope of survival on the horizon. In the deepest stage of sleep, salvation seems impossible, as if being the ‘Last Man Standing’ on an island of bloodthirsty creatures. SampliFire builds to this imminent reality with an orchestral soundscape and fitting effects, before a “prepare to fight” sample catapults the track into a brutally savage attack. In a constant back-and-forth between the protagonist and monsters, ‘Last Man Standing’ is a true display of the terrors of a nightmare, but the conclusion reminds us all that this is but a construct of the mind.

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“In the REM period, breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, eyes jerk rapidly and limb muscles are temporarily paralyzed.” Capping off the sleep cycle is ‘Whoomp’, where a dream-like euphoria is created in the introduction to plant vivid imagery within the listener’s dream. The rapid brain activity of this stage is depicted through the chaotic nature of the track, as SampliFire flexes his synth prowess to draw one last parallel between his impeccable Nightmare EP and the brain’s most active period.

Words by A. Samuel Lewis and Steph Contant.

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Released via Never Say Die, Termination demonstrates an opportunity for two versed styles to embellish and enhance one another, resulting in a project that beautifully encapsulates both the production expertise of IVORY and the sheer volume that Samplifire brings to the table, while the synthesis of the two sounds generates a sense of authenticity as the two join forces.

We had the chance to catch up with the two to learn more about how they first met, the logistics of working on a collab EP and a brief look at what 2019 will have in store for each of them. Be sure to check out the full project and interview below and let us know which was your favorite!

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Tell us a little bit about your backstory together, when did you first meet? Did you hit things off naturally, or did it take some communicating to find a shared concept to pursue?

Samplifire: I think we actually started talking online back in 2014 because we both made the same music and not a lot of people did back then – especially in France. We then had the chance to play together opening a show b2b in Paris. It was also my first show ever, which makes it funny to think about how we’ve grown together. I was so scared, it was also my first time touching CDJ’s! Good times! It all started there, and to now be able to release our EP on such a big label, it is insane if you think about it!

IVORY: We discovered each other through SoundCloud and started to speak a lot together. At this time, I guess not a lot of people had heard of our names. A few months after I joined an agency, I spoke about Samplifire (who isn’t based in Paris) and my agent fell in love with his music, He then decided to book us together and after a real-life meeting and few beers we definitely became good friends! I always been a big fan of his music and it seems like he’s a fan of mine too – this was enough love to think about making a bigger project together!

What would you see as the biggest benefits or hindrances of collaborating on an entire EP, versus featuring one or two collaborations with another on a solo project?

Samplifire: Creating a whole EP together forces us to blend our styles a bit deeper than just having one tune together here and there. The EP has to feel like a consistent project and feel like something that represents both of us. We really took the time necessary to find the right balance between our workflows and styles. We obviously had hindrances at some point because our visions/tastes can differ, but I think we ended up delivering what we had in mind initially. It’s a great feeling!

IVORY: When I’m listening to the EP, I feel like it’s coming from a single artist and not from both of us combined. I had my ideas floating around and he has his own, but we still managed to stay on the same path. We kept the same vision during the whole process. For the record, we spend more than a year making the EP. That can seem like an enormous amount of time, but it was the perfect amount we needed to create something versatile that we would be happy with.

In a collaborative effort such as the Termination EP, is it more typical for each of you to bring a few WIPs and ideas to the table, or are each of the tracks birthed exclusively from your combined minds?

Samplifire: It’s a 4 track EP. We both have two tunes where we made a bit more because we finished the track. So IVORY finished 2 and I did 2. However, the writing process was shared – at least we tried to share the process as deep as we could.

IVORY: I’d say a bit of both? Each of us started projects while thinking of a theme/vibe and as soon as we had something close enough to the discussed ideas, we started sending the projects to each other. We did numerous Skype calls with screen sharing and all that jazz, so it’s almost as if we were inside each other DAW’s.

Was the bulk of Termination produced together in the studio or primarily passed back and forth remotely?

Samplifire: Back and forth remotely.

What is one trait whether personal or related to production that you admire and find most impressive about the other?

Samplifire: IVORY’s workflow perfection, his musicality (intro and all over the drop), his work in general to achieve the goals that he’s set… it’s hard to do that!

IVORY: There’s a ton I could tell you Samplifire, but what pops up first in my mind is probably his kindness and all of the time he’s spent helping the people around him. He can be a busy guy and still find a couple of minutes to help you fix that snare in your mix!

In 2018 we saw a brief taste of a collaborative project between yourselves, ECRAZE and Graphyt titled FOUR HORSEMEN with your debut release for Raw Audio Distortion ‘ANIMALZ’. How did this idea come to fruition and is there any plans to continue working together in the New Year?

Samplifire: The idea was to tour together as a French gang (IVORY, GRAPHYT, ECRAZE & myself) in Europe. To put more shows on the map, we made a track together and acquired some sick visuals thanks to Dr Fanx & Niveau Zero! There is no other plan to continue the project as of now. We want to keep each project separate, even though we collaborate a lot and help each other on a daily basis.

Samplifire, in the last chance we had to catch up with you, following your release of Mancubus on Never Say Die: Black Label, you discussed being in the process of organizing your work visa to be able to travel and perform within the United States. Can we expect for you to make your American debut in 2019?

Samplifire: I completed the US paperwork at the end of 2018 an I’m currently waiting for immigration to decide what to do with my case! I pray that I get the VISA ASAP, even if it’s not easy. Most of my audience has always been in the States, so playing for my wider audience is the main goal for 2019!!!

IVORY, do you have any tour plans on the horizon for Europe or North America in 2019?

IVORY: I would like to perform my own European tour, but I need to create more music first. North America is still one of my main goals, but I can’t tell yet if I’ll make it or not. A working VISA is really hard to get, especially as a dubstep producer who hasn’t yet played a lot of prestigious shows. So for the moment, I’ll stick to my studio and I’ll make music until my time comes!

The post IVORY x Samplifire ‘Termination EP’ is the End-All of Bass Collaborations [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Samplifire about his journey as a producer, as well as about his newest Mancubus EP released today on Never Say Die: Black Label and everything in between. Check out the interview below.

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Who were your biggest inspirations when you started? And now?
When I started it obviously came from Rusko, and a bit after that Doctor P and the Circus team. Shortly after I’d say Skrillex, Noisia, Amon Tobin or Feed Me. Year after year, the inspirations got more underground and I think I grew as an artist with the 2015 underground dubstep movement.

How is the bass scene in France? What would you improve, if you could?
The French Bass scene is doing well! The main cities in France (Paris, Lyon & Toulouse) throw the biggest events like Ambassad, Animalz, EZ and Skurt. I love it here and the vibe is well alive! If I could improve it, I’d throw a BIG, bass-only event outdoors like they have in the US or in Canada! I think these kinds of events really help bring the scene to a totally new level and give dubstep a place in the big world of electronic music. Here in France, techno/house are the main electronic music movements, but with the help of these festivals it would help the scene grow and actually compete with those primary genres.

BUT, I have to say that I’m throwing my own show on Oct 5 in Brest, France with my team Westsound. Ganon, AnswerD, Redpill, GFT and I will play on the bass stage that I run. So stoked for that, hopefully it will help grow the scene here in France.

Have you considered moving to the US, where the bass scene is more prominent?
YES, of course! Being European, I need a special Visa to be able to perform in the US. I have been working on getting the visa for a few months now, I am aiming early 2019 for my first US show! Can’t wait guys!

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Your first work with MVRDA dates back to about two years ago, but has evolved into the highly-regarded (and somewhat meme-worthy) TOOG & GOOT collaboration project. How did that come about?
Ok, so this all started as a joke! Tommy – MVRDA – made some riddim tunes on his alias TOOG when we started this Skype call where he’d show me the new one he was working on. I loved the vibe, the essence of simple yet groovy dubstep – “riddim” – was there. I asked him to collab, which we did, and I called myself GOOT which is the reverse of TOOG.

The first idea was to maintain this secret and build the hype. Eventually, Tommy did announce publicly that he was actually TOOG and so I did for GOOT. We then released the tunes and played a show in Amsterdam as TOOG & GOOT for Shiverz Birthday Bash X Ignition – sick show btw!!

Most of the time a main idea is laid down by one of the collaborators and then we swap the project back and forth until we get a final version of the track.

From TOOG & GOOT to FOUR HORSEMEN, you’ve also collaborated with a ton of heavyweight bass artists in the last few years. What’s your collaboration process like?
Yes I think I did a bit of collabs – that’s why I’m trying to focus on more solo tunes now. Most of the time a main idea is laid down by one of the collaborators and then we swap the project back and forth until we get a final version of the track. It can be a one shot thing, but sometimes it takes a bit more!

The Four Horsemen Track ‘ANIMALZ’ was the second 4-way collab I did (the first one was Gypsy Killers with UBUR, Zaita & Rekkles). Graphyt & IVORY made the whole intro, ECRAZE & I did the drop part using some stuff from IVORY & Graphyt. It was a bit rushed due to label deadlines, but I play it at every show!

What makes you want to collaborate with someone?
Often it’s the production level they have that makes me want to collab. It’s always more fun to work with other people when you learn and share at the same time. Getting the opportunity to work with guys like Downlink on tracks was a huge motivation too!

Do you prefer collaborating or working alone?
Both are required to progress I’d say. If I had to choose only one I’d say collabs

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The last twelve months have been a massive year for you in terms of releases and shows (congrats, by the way). You’re also showing no signs of slowing down, as you just released your Mancubus EP on Never Say Die: Black Label today. How did the transition of a couple of collaborations to a full project with NSD happen?
Good to read that! This year I was also completing my math/computer science degree, which took a lot of time. I got it a few weeks ago and decided to take some time to focus solely on music! It’s a new start for me and hopefully more and bigger releases will come this year! I’ve been making the tracks in my own spare time since around April 2018, so it was work in parallel with my degree and the shows.

On this particular release Mancubus, I’m trying to show a more complex sound design with a darker tone on every tune.

It seems like your sound design is evolving with each and every release. What was your goal with this latest EP in terms of engineering and production?
Thanks, that means a lot! I try to evolve my sound design with every new project. On this particular release Mancubus, I’m trying to show a more complex sound design with a darker tone on every tune. It’s a club based tune with a general structure that suits DJ sets too, so it was made for shows and high energy sets! Stoked for the release!

Finally, if you could warn someone’s grandmother prior to listening to the Mancubus EP with one short sentence, what would you tell them?
I’d tell her to blast the sound at full volume before playing it, as that’s how it’s meant to be played haha!

Cheers to Samy for taking the time to talk with us. Don’t miss the monstrous Mancubus EP below, available for purchase here.

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The post Samplifire Discusses Dubstep In France, Collaboration Process, New EP + More [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.