To celebrate the release, we had the pleasure of catching up with him for a brief interview, where we spoke about his recent trip down under, remixing Noisia, streaming on Twitch, and more. In addition, the veteran has blessed us with a mix tailor-made for the FUXWITHIT audience, featuring dope originals and edits from the man himself as well as a couple of tunes from some of his friends. A Carmack and Tsuruda ID, a Losco and Asau ID, and so many more unreleased gems… this is a mix you won’t want to miss. Dive in below.

Welcome, Tsuruda, and thanks for this dope mix! What vibe were you going for when putting this together? What’s the best setting for listening?

To be honest I lost loads of my DJ selection when my last laptop got murked by orange soda (haha woops). A lot of the tracks in the mix are just my own. Fresh bounces off my studio PC… oh and a few tracks from some friends that I was able to grab off my Dropbox etc. Defs gotta slap in the whip or while brushing teeth.

There definitely was a different energy down under.

You were recently down under, correct? How was that experience?

Yes mainly in Auckland. It was dope AF. Needed that time away for sure.

Are the crowds different in Australia/NZ compared to North America? If so, how?

Hmmm… yes I suppose..? Everyone seems so happy and genuine down there. But also North American crowds vary greatly by region, venue etc. There definitely was a different energy down under but it’s hard to put into words. It was positive though.

Congrats on your latest Deathwish EP on Deadbeats. You rap on ‘Pillz,’ right? Is that your first time rapping on a Tsuruda track? Any more of that planned in the future?

Yes to both of those questions.

You’ve rapped on cousin litt tracks though. Will you ever revive that project?

Yes cousin litt is my main focus lately. Still doing Tsuruda stuff but I’m really trying to switch it up and drop several cousin litt projects and just see what happens. Definitely a different lane music wise.

You also released a dope remix for Noisia and Prolix’s ‘Asteroids’ recently. How did that track come together? How did it feel when you were asked to remix those legends?

Got back from Auckland late January and the Noisia team was asking if I had messed with the stems yet. I hadn’t but decided one night to start throwing the bass samples over a drum loop I was working on. It was immediately clear that I had something. Kind of got lucky an was able to knock the majority of the song out in a few hours. It was dope.

You’ve been quite active on Twitch lately. When and why did you first get into streaming?
COVID lockdowns were the catalyst to my Twitch career (lol). A lot of music folks got into it in those odd times. Just something to do.

How does streaming impact your production process?

I’m a bit camera shy. And too self-conscious when I produce in front of others. Twitch has been helping me get over these two personal issues but also it defs impedes my production process. I often find I get that “deer in the headlight” energy and overcoming those nerves is always a challenge. It’s oddly fun though.

Maybe I just gotta prove some things to myself.

You recently tweeted “I’m capable of so much more than I’ve done so far. gotta work 10x harder. smarter.” Can you elaborate on this?

Honestly I wasn’t that deep. Just gotta try and be the best person I can be.

Many would say that you’ve done a ton to prove yourself. What makes you think you need to do more?

Maybe I just gotta prove some things to myself. But also… cousin litt. Sh*t needs to come out.

Any final thoughts?

Just wanna say thanks to the Deadbeats team for giving this EP a home. Ya’ll are the best f’real f’real.

Tracklist:

Jaw Jam – The Truth
Tsuruda – Pills
Tsuruda – ID (baby keem flip)
Losco and Asau – ID
Tsuruda – don’t f*cking lose this
Carmack x Tsuruda – ID
Tsuruda – ID
Nik P – ID
Tsuruda – Migi
Tsuruda – Deathwish
Tsuruda – HERO
Tsuruda – ID
Tsuruda – JPEG 152
Asau – ID
Tsuruda -ID
Tsuruda – cardi yo
Chrome Republic – Gunslinger
Tsuruda – Out Of Pocket
Tsuruda – Out Here
Tsuruda – Running Shit
Asau – ID
Diplo – Biggie Bounce (Losco edit)
Dr. Derg x Gangus – Hypnotize
Cousin Litt – ID
Dabow x Herzeloyde – What’s Up

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

While the last few months have been relatively quiet for the talented artist (albeit compensated by a mind-melting remix for Noisia), he now returns to Deadbeats with an epic four-track project titled the Deathwish EP. Coming as no surprise, each track offers a unique auditory experience, as the producer taps various influences to concoct an extremely well-rounded body of work.

In ‘Moxy,’ Tsuruda brings a groovy house vibe highlighted by a punchy bass and hypnotizing rhythm that grows into an ethereal, uplifting track. In ‘Deathwish,’ the artist goes straight for the jugular with a riddim-leaning cut that carries an oddly satisfying swagger with it. The previously-released single ‘Lazer’ follows, where Tsuruda gives house a futuristic soundscape donned with lasers and catchy vocals. ‘Pillz’ closes the project with bars from the man himself layered atop a wonky bass beat. Altogether, the Deathwish EP captures all of Tsuruda’s strengths and packs them into an enjoyable experience.

In the words of the artist, “this a collection of four songs and it’s just me… being me, no filter. Wanted to give y’all some variety and express myself as an artist in full form.” Don’t miss it below.

The post Tsuruda Showcases Masterful Versatility In ‘Deathwish’ EP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Coming off an electric remix for Dabow’s ‘Trap On My Mind,’ Tsuruda returns with his first original of 2022 in the form of a wicked single titled ‘Headshot.’ Released via Jadū Dala, the track finds a welcome home with a label that continuously showcases the hottest talents in the game. ‘Headshot’ is equal parts hip hop and trap sprinkled with a touch of dubstep, finding itself perfectly in the niche that Tsuruda has championed. Sure to appeal to many due its diverse influences, ‘Headshot’ is a steady offering of the artist’s strengths, balancing crisp percussion, rugged sound design and a natural flow that few can mimic. Don’t miss it below.

The post Tsuruda Makes Jadū Dala Debut With Heavy-Hitting ‘Headshot’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Aptly titled after the creative minds behind the beat, ‘Trailblazer’ is a flawless combination of both artists’ sounds, demonstrating their ceaseless forward-thinking beat-making abilities. Chee’s sinister soundscapes paired with Tsuruda’s crisp flow provide an eerie introduction to the piece, with effects and textures quintessential to both interwoven for the duration the track. Stabs of menacing bass contrast the meticulous vocal sampling, giving ‘Trailblazer’ an intriguing hip hop appeal without removing the undeniable banger energy sprinkled throughout. The chemistry between Chee and Tsuruda is truly unmatched.

Chee states that ‘Trailblazer’ is “the first track from Tsuruda & I as we head on the road for our Trailblazer tour,” and the fact that he explicitly states first has us antsy for the potential of more this madness. Don’t miss ‘Trailblazer’ below.

The post Chee & Tsuruda Join Forces In Menacing ‘Trailblazer’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The SOLUS album has a ton of new surprises and ear candy from the legend himself. His studies and overcoming new obstacles have definitely paid off with each track. He even recruited some heavy hitters in the game to help contribute to a remarkable outcome. Artists such as Potions, Tsuruda and kLL sMTH all got to share the spotlight and showcase their raw and jaw-dropping talent. Creating a perfect combination of heaviness and gentleness. Every song channels its inner difference and forward-thinking abilities. From dreamy soundscapes and melodic wonders, to grimy bass leads to fill the arrangements, you can easily hear the amount of work and thought that went into this album. Feeling the emotions running through your veins. Creating a psychedelic trip for the ones who need an escape. The outstanding messages and storytelling from the melodies and notes alone grip your soul tightly with tender and care. Not to mention how crisp and elegant the drums go together. No matter where you are in the world, this journey will make you feel truly at home.

Go show your upmost support by streaming the SOLUS album everywhere!

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The post CharlestheFirst Taps Into The Inner Pool Of Feeling With ‘SOLUS’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Sidestepping from the belligerent flavors of Lifeline and evolving from the bewitching ruckus of FUBAR, this beat tape illustrates the variety in Tsuruda’s taste and production finesse. The project features garage cuts in the track ‘call me’, some OG Tsuruda-esque lo-fi bumps like ‘delivery’ and ‘save brooklyn’, a rare Mike Parvizi collab, and is filled to the brim with zealous halftime dubs and vigorous, trunk-shaking slappers. Drawing from all corners of his beat-making toolkit, this ass-kicking collection of tracks is exceptionally dynamic, assertive, and carries the unmistakable flair of the underground.

The project is truly a siege on your eardrums and a remarkable showcase of Tsuruda’s incorruptible talent. The tape is so raw you can hear the reverential sincerity gleaming through one song after the next. Highlighting his technical prowess in every avenue, it’s personally one of my favorite Tsuruda projects to date and unquestionably worthy of sinking a few bucks into for a high quality download.

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The post Tsuruda Delivers Raw New Project Dubbed ‘siege’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Be sure to check out vide’s flip of ‘Jokes’ by tsuruda, out now below!

The post vide Couldn’t Be More Serious with His Take of tsuruda’s ‘Jokes’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Revisiting a staple tune from Tsuruda’s infinite arsenal of weaponry, the enigmatic trap punchline and gargantuan plunges of bass in ‘TFW u stand on the dj table’ still hit as hard and true today as they did when the track was first unleashed in 2016.

Reminisce with ‘TFW u stand on the dj table’ from Tsuruda below!

The post #tbt – Tsuruda – TFW u stand on the dj table appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Although Tsuruda has largely kept to the shadows, we had the honor of catching up with him on the tail end of his FUBAR Tour.

How did you get involved with Courteous Family?

Courteous Family was started by my two friends Tristan & Anton. They were actually some of my first friends in LA. I remember I was visiting there looking for apartments on Facebook and was like “do I know any homies in LA?” They’d just moved there and liked my music and we’re just like “yo come through, smoke a spliff, let’s kick it.” They told me about their vision and I really fucked with it.

Do they produce?

Yeah, they both produce. One produces under Hapa and the other one is Courteous Tone and he does more live instrumentations. First buds in LA and they wanted to start some shit and they’re still some of my best friends. I feel like I’ll always be homies with them because of music.

What parts of your music education do you find the most useful in your current productions? Which parts haven’t proven to be useful?

As weird as it is, I went to school for classical singing against my will. I really didn’t even want to do it, but my mom went to one of the concerts and she loved it, so she put me and my two sisters up in there. I’m so grateful I did. I honestly don’t think I’d be anywhere near the level I am right now without that training as a kid because most of that was ear training. Selecting samples and song structure is like second nature because my ears were trained throughout my childhood.

Have you ever sampled your own voice?

I used to and yeah, sometimes. I don’t have a proper microphone so I don’t get down on it that much, but you can translate a lot from singing structure into a song. It’s all the same. Structure-wise it really helps finding the key signatures and pitch of a sample after all that training.

Do you play any instruments?

Honestly the laptop is my instrument. I can’t really play anything super well. I was always trying different instruments in high school. I wanted to play upright bass and bass guitar, electric guitar… harmonica I got really into randomly. I think I was 16 or so when I got my first MPC and that was my instrument.

What’s the most slept on Ableton feature?

Hmmm, there’s so many. My favorite thing right now with Ableton 10 is the Drum Buss. I’m not sure if it’s that slept on, but I do see a lot of my homies on it. You can get your shit sounding really nice with that. I feel like Corpus is really underrated too. Honestly, the Saturator too. There’s different little features in it that you kinda have to delve into and mess with, but can really change up the noise.

What’s the most slept on Saturator knob?

Waveshaper.

Lately I’ve been doing a lot more of my own digital synthesis because I’ve been a sample head my whole life and it’s been really refreshing to learn a new set of skills.

Your sound design constantly challenges my understanding of what’s possible. What portion of your tracks typically use samples vs digital synthesis vs hardware?

Lately I’ve been doing a lot more of my own digital synthesis because I’ve been a sample head my whole life and it’s been really refreshing to learn a new set of skills. I’ll still resample those digital noises and mess with them in audio, but yeah. Lately the majority of my tracks have been digital synthesis, but if I can get my hands on a Euro rack or anything like that and they’re cool with letting me take home the noises… I’m all about that.

Who are some of your favorite under-the-radar producers right now?

This guy, Gangus! Literally almost my entire friend group.

How about non-Courteous Fam?

Chee should be a god. Jason Wool (Woolymammoth). X&G, my boys from Salt Lake… so incredible. Gotta shoutout Noer the Boy, KIN, Herzeloyde, TEK.LUN & Gravez… all criminally underrated.

Speaking of TEK.LUN, you recently rinsed his track ‘les elephants’ along with some other house tracks and even released one with Carmack recently. What kind of house music do you like to listen to?

Imma be honest, I barely listen to music these days. I spend a lot of my time listening to obscure things to sample and talk radio and shit like that. My favorite stuff to listen to is what my friends make. It’s been such a long road of production and constantly hearing music… I don’t really dig like I should.

Loved the Apex Legends sample on ‘Caustic’.

Literally made five other Apex tracks because the vocals are just so easy to slice. The next Tsuruda thing I’m dropping is a little group of those songs; all just ignorant slaps. Dubstep always has some weird little vocal shit. I’ve watched King of the Hill episodes looking for some funny ones.

Who do you main on Apex?

Pathfinder, all day.

Why Pathfinder?

That grapple man. Once you get used to it… it’s like when you don’t have it, it’s a handicap. I’ll play Gibraltar cause he’s fire this season. Wraith is tight. Typical Pathfinder main though. Drop in solo, toxic as fuck.

You also sampled Yu Yu Hakusho on FUBAR, yeah?

Yeah, it’s like my favorite anime. A lot of people come up to me… I guess the correct term is “weeb”, and they’ll start spitting all this anime… I know the anime I like, but I don’t really love anime the way that people think I do which is funny.

Which ones do you dabble with?

Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter, Attack on Titan, Samurai Champloo, etc.

What’s it been like living, touring & collaborating with Carmack?

(Jokingly) It’s been a nightmare. Nahh, it’s been chill. Honestly shoutout my other roommates, ONHELL, PJ (Promnite)… Not gonna lie after living with them and working with them, my confidence in the studio with other people has drastically increased to where I’ve pretty much learned to not care. I’ve learned how to work a lot better with others and on other people’s studio setups. We all have our own style of music that we’re tryna do, so it’s cool to come together and make something. Lately everyone’s been touring so much and no ones home.

I was trying to put my own twist on what’s popping right now

Would love to chat about FUBAR for a second. What inspired the project?

I wanted to write an EP/album/project where you could upload every song to a USB and play it in a club. And… I think I kinda nailed it. It’s pretty much there. That was my direction. For that, you gotta pay attention to what music trends are happening and I was trying to put my own twist on what’s popping right now. A lot of that is dubstep, half-time and stuff, so I kinda just took those genres and put my own spin on them.

You’ve been pushing that half-time wave.

I’ve been more focused making that 140-150 dubstep. Haven’t been making too much half-time lately.

These songs are… you know… fucked. In the best way possible.

Where did the name FUBAR come from?

I was watching Saving Private Ryan hungover on my couch for the millionth time and they keep bringing up the word FUBAR. “Fucked up beyond all recognition” or “repair.” These songs are… you know… fucked. In the best way possible.

Word on the street is there’s a cousin litt album in the works. Can you tell us anything about it? Will there be any rappers featured?

That’s all up in the works right now. I’m honestly debating dropping it as Tsuruda, but I don’t know. I don’t know if you know Kenny Beats; he went from LOUDPVCK to his Kenny Beats shit. I just kinda teased the idea that cousin litt could be that one day.

Could be a rap producer?

Yeah, for sure. It has a cool name and I definitely have a lot of fun making those style of beats.

How do you decide what goes out under cousin litt vs. Tsuruda?

Honestly, I really don’t know. I’ve been trying to brand Tsuruda as more of an electronic, bass heavy act. Since I haven’t really had a debut release on cousin litt, I just wanted to make it different and special, like that OG lofi sound that I’ve been making for years, just refined with really cool rappers. Honestly working with rappers is not my forte. It’s hard enough for me to work with other producers, let alone rappers that are apparently some of the hardest people to work with. I’m envisioning for the first cousin litt album seeing a bunch of my friends who rap on those tracks just to get shit poppin’.

Do you find you ever have songs that don’t fit under either the cousin litt or Tsuruda umbrellas?

Yeah, I have a group of those songs that I’m imagining for like a masterpiece, like if I ever make a Flying Lotus type Tsuruda project, but everyone wants a certain sound and I’m just tryna be myself and still cater to what the kids want.

Can we expect any more PAINT releases in the future? Are there any hints of other collaborative projects down the road?

We have a couple tracks that we haven’t put out but I’ve been so busy managing the Tsuruda project and developing this cousin litt project and everything else in between that I barely have time to collab with anyone right now. I was thinking about doing a Huxley Anne x Tsuruda tour where we could do a PAINT set at the very end. I think that’d be really tight. She’s awesome to work with and has so many good ideas about the art involved and the visual aspects of curating a show.

 I didn’t blow up and get this amazing team that took care of everything I did; I had to do everything myself.

What’s something you wish someone told you when you first started producing music?

That’s a really philosophical question. Honestly, stay in school… which I didn’t do. But stay in school and know your shit about business. Fuck learning about music theory in school. Learn business and how to operate a business. In today’s world if you wanna do music, you’re basically operating your own business and I don’t know shit about operating a business. Definitely set me back hard, not knowing the ins and outs of things. I didn’t blow up and get this amazing team that took care of everything I did; I had to do everything myself. I wish I not only stayed in school but studied how the economy works and shit like that. It’s so important to know all those things. Stay in school. Don’t trip. You can get done with college in your early twenties and that’s perfect. You don’t wanna blow up that young. It’s hard to really keep it going throughout your whole life. Pace yourself. Learn all the shit you don’t wanna learn.

Alright, gonna throw some quick-fire ones at you. How long have you been flipping a kendama for?

Since 2017.

Favorite sound system you’ve ever played on?

Commonwealth, Las Vegas has a really awesome small Void system. It’s my favorite system to play on. It’s perfectly tuned.

Favorite fruit?

Pineapple.

Large venues, small venues, or festivals?

200 cap, dark, small, intimate venue.

If you could only play one instrument for the rest of your life, which would it be?

If you take the laptop out of the equation? A Rhodes keyboard. It sounds pleasant, even if you don’t hit the right notes.

Does the “perfect” song exist?

Yes. Almost the entire Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus. I feel like there’s a lot of perfect songs on there. They’re so imperfect that to me, they’re perfect.

Major or minor?

Minor.

Clipping or nah?

Yes. Clip it then bring it down. Honestly working with Carmack completely changed up how I do my mixdowns. I’ll do what he does and then bring everything down at the same time so it still has that super loud noise but it’s like hitting -3db so you can properly master it.

Do you master your own tracks?

Lately yeah. A lot of the masters I’ve gotten back from people I’m not too stoked on. But I’ve learned a lot since other people have mastered my shit. It’s just in a constant state of progression. Even to this day I’m just trying to get better / getting better. And then I think I’ll be good, but then I’ll go listen back to a track from a year ago and think damn, that was the sweet spot.

Headphones or speakers?

Laptop speakers.

Mixing in mono or stereo?

Stereo, but I actually have a perforated ear drum (or had one). It’s hard for me to hear shit out of this ear. I don’t even notice it until I’m in front of speakers. But a lot of my tracks do end up sounding mono because the whole right side is a little weird to me so I’ll mix things down more mono. But stereo mixdowns all day. Slap a utility on and turn it to mono just to make sure there’s not any weird phasing going on.

Living in LA for this shit kinda wears on you after awhile, but it’s nice. There’s a nice creative energy there. It’s cool to be a part of it.

If you couldn’t do music, what would you be doing?

Honestly, I would be living out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe raising some livestock, running a forge. Going snowboarding as much as I could. Maybe teach. I don’t know. Anything that would get me out of a big city. Living in LA for this shit kinda wears on you after awhile, but it’s nice. There’s a nice creative energy there. It’s cool to be a part of it.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee!

What’s the last song you had stuck on repeat?

This is kind of an interesting one but… ‘Wrecking Ball’ by PEEKABOO. I was listening to that over and over referencing that song and honestly I really like all the shit that dude does. It sounds really great. Shoutout PEEKABOO.

Keep your eyes peeled for more ear candy from “the boi named tsu” leaking its way into your SoundCloud likes and be sure to dive into the rest of Courteous Family’s sound.

The post Tsuruda Chats Sound Design, Side Projects, Apex Legends & More [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

One year after his earth-shattering album Unlimited Data, the masterfully humble bass music phenomenon has pushed the envelope yet again with his self-mixed/mastered EP titled Fubar. As the title subtly suggests, this body of work is most assuredly “fucked up beyond all recognition”. While the EP contains the distinct flavor of Tsuruda we’ve come to know and love, the LA-based producer has ventured further into the deepest darkest reaches of experimental bass music and brought us along for the ride.

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Whether he’s slaying unconventional grooves on bumps like ‘Prologue’ and ‘Run It’ or exemplifying the richest aspects of halftime on ‘Little Mac (feat. Mr Carmack)’ and ‘Dragon Of The Darkness Flame’ (which samples an old Japanese anime called Yu Yu Hakusho), Tsuruda commands sound waves with the boldness and respect of a shōgun. Having gone from uploading mixes of straight Carmack to living with the legend himself, it’s evident in both their collaborations and solo work that the forward thinkers have been rubbing off on each other. ‘Hammer’ is driven by a familiar Carmack-y flow with a cacophonous Courteous Family spin. ‘Kimchi Crisis’ embodies Tsuruda’s signature liquid lofi drums intricately woven through atmospheric effects alongside monstrously thick basses wrestled into place between staunch fills. The man even stylishly samples an Apex Legend character known for dropping toxic gas on the aptly named ‘caustic’.

Each track is like it’s own canvas; unique and sits well alone, yet tastefully tied to all the rest. Tsuruda has yet again illustrated his mastery in diverse, meticulously crafted bass music and we simply cannot get enough of it. Fubar has the character of a tastemaker, the innovation of a pioneer, and the execution of a perfectionist. His tunes have been rinsed by dons like Noisia and Ivy Lab for years. He makes the heaters Bassnectar fans don’t even know they like yet, paving the way for producers to stumble over each other trying to catch up. Tsuruda is slowly making the weird, normal, for all those that can hang. He’s dragging us across the floor with unapologetically rule-breaking, yet elegant sound design that gives distortion a whole new meaning. And he has some of the dopest merch & cover art to boot!

Don’t miss Fubar and be sure to check his tour poster to see if he’ll be coming to a city near you.

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The post Tsuruda Raises The Bar With ‘Fubar’ EP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.