A listen-through of Ring Noord’s debut set reveals a simple yet thrilling theme: expect the unexpected. Listeners should not confine themselves to anticipate a certain genre when diving into what Ring Noord has to offer. Their set is genre-fluid, incorporating aspects of drum and bass, techno, hardcore, garage and so much more. In their words, “the set serves as Version 1 of their ongoing experiment – where tracks take shape, shift, and may be entirely reimagined in future iterations.”

Today, the Dutch duo are unveiling ‘Wild Flowers,’ the first single from their newest joint venture. The track merges haunting atmospheres with a rave-inspired edge, featuring ethereal vocals from Former’s sister, Asa. ‘Wild Flowers’ bridges electronic music’s past, present and future, channeling elements of jungle, breakbeat, and early 2000s hardcore into a futuristic drum & bass framework. Highlighted by pristine production and an incredibly unique combination of sounds and textures, ‘Wild Flowers’ offers a glimpse into the creative genius that is Ring Noord. Don’t miss it below and stay tuned for more from the great Groningen minds.

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Modestly calling his new project an EP, Sorza unveiled this newest chapter last week in the form of a nine-track collection titled Pillars released via Noisia’s VISION. Demonstrating an evolution in his production and in his personality, Sorza has elevated his art to another level with the release of Pillars, taking listeners on a voyage through many facets of bass music and beyond. In tracks such as ‘Visions of what could be’ and ‘Hiding in the sea,’ Sorza showcases his ability to engulf listeners through ethereal textures and airy soundscapes. In ‘Take me’ and ‘I’m here,’ the artist flexes his versatility, going from a swagger-filled halftime cut to a boundary-pushing dubstep/future bass/trap hybrid. Through the other five tracks, Sorza further displays this knack for creating meaningful narratives that very few artists have replicated this year, attesting to why he, and his project, landed on a label as coveted as VISION. Pillars is a beautiful project that any fan of electronic music should dive into.

We had the extreme pleasure of connecting with Sorza to talk about his journey as a solo artist, the creation of Pillars, other avenues of artistic expression, and more. In addition, we have been graced with a guest mix riddled with unreleased material, giving us a taste into what a Sorza live experience would resemble. Don’t miss Pillars, as well as the mix and interview, below.

Welcome, Sorza. We’re really stoked to have you on for a mix and interview today. First, can you tell us a bit about the mix you put together? What’s the best setting for listening? Is this a cut from a typical Sorza live set, or something different meant for individual listening?

Thanks for having me over for an interview. It’s a mix between a dance set and a listening experience at home. Depending on the occasion and the type of event or audience, I love incorporating breakdowns in my live sets to create more ambiance, rather than just spamming drop after drop. I drew inspiration from a B2B set I performed with Jukaa (Jozef from The Outsiders) at Liquicity Festival last month. There was something truly magical about that set.

What initially prompted you to create the Sorza alias?

Before I started Sorza, I had always made music as part of a duo and never really explored my solo potential. During the 2020 lockdown, it felt only natural to focus on an alias that was fully me and to let people into the sound world that was inside my head.

When approaching production, how is your mindset different when creating a track for Sorza as opposed to a track for The Outsiders? Is it difficult to separate the two?

I think I have different modes, and I can switch between them depending on what the track needs. For example, ‘Does it Hurt Me’ really needed a rough, dusty, and not-overly-clean production. I wanted to give it an analog/modular feel. In contrast, the track ‘Never’ had to be ultra-clean, synthetic, and overproduced. I’ve stopped trying to pull everything together too much. I feel like I don’t have much influence on what the tracks want to be – I just go where the production takes me.

Singles push artists to create tracks that stand on their own, but it’s hard to create depth if all your music is meant to stand alone.

Congratulations on your latest release, Pillars, released via VISION. Can you tell us a bit about how the project came together?

Thank you! I never thought it would turn into such a big project. I’ve known Noisia (and their team) for quite a few years. At the end of 2022, we released an EP with The Outsiders on VISION. Now, Jozef (Jukaa) and I are more focused on our solo projects, so it made perfect sense to do a full project with Sorza.

I think the idea for a solo EP on VISION started in March 2023. There was a huge A&R process, with tons of demos and concepts. It was a real struggle to determine what this project was going to represent and what shape it would take.
Instead of pursuing one clear direction, we combined multiple EP ideas into one big project. We came up with the Pillars concept, which showcases different sides of me and the various sonic directions I’ve explored.

You don’t seem to be the type to release individual singles. Is this intentional? Have you been in album-mode since the release of I IDENTIFY?

It’s true I’m not a fan of the single-release format. I think it pushes artists more and more to create tracks that stand on their own, but it’s hard to create depth if all your music is meant to stand alone. I’ve developed quite an obsession with the way an album flows. I love it when one track sets the vibe for the next, with everything moving toward a certain climax followed by an aftermath, creating a cohesive journey.

About I IDENTIFY, you said “I was in a really weird headspace and I definitely wouldn’t say that it felt very good, but on the flip side I have never felt more connected to the music I made before. I could fully express myself through audio.” How was the mental journey of creating Pillars compared to I IDENTIFY?

To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get into that headspace again, and I’m totally fine with that. The entire 9-track record was written in just 2 months, but figuring out what should come after that took me over 2 years. So, to answer your previous question, it wasn’t entirely intentional to stay silent with original material for so long and then return with such a big project, but I’m very happy I did. I needed that time to figure out what I wanted with Sorza.

Pillars feels like the project where you can hear my search, explorations, and development since the release of I IDENTIFY.

Your music really transcends a number of genres, fusing elements from all walks of bass music and beyond, with ‘Sonyo’ carrying a particularly interesting story. Could you tell us about some of your musical inspirations and what they mean to you?

I’ve been into what you might call “non-Western” music for quite a while now. It all started with Indonesian microtonal gamelan music. I won’t go too deep in the microtonal rabbit hole now, but it’s something I’m really into. More recently, my interest in foreign music has shifted towards Middle Eastern and Balkan music, which you can hear in ‘Sonyo’ and ‘Does It Hurt Me.’

I’m currently working on a record where I’m diving really deep into this microtonal exploration. It’s also something that came out of the A&R process for Pillars, but I won’t bore you with that for now ;)

Would you say you make music more for yourself, or for your listeners? Do you ever feel pressured to change a track you’ve written because it might not be what listeners expect?

It’s always a bit of a mix. I want to create music that’s enjoyable for people who are into bass music or experimental electronica. Music needs to have a certain purpose, and for me, it’s important that listeners engage with the entire project and really get into it.

During the A&R process, there was some struggle because we were missing a “banger” track. When I was working on ‘Never,’ I was very conscious of the type of track I wanted to create. My brief to myself was: “I want a modern dubstep track with Hamdi grooves and Skrillex vibes, something that would fit well for a UKF upload.” I really wanted to create a track like that, but I also did it to serve the overall project because we needed a track like that. So, it was for myself, but also for the audience.

I think Sorza will develop in a way that is not directly linked to bass music, but rather into an even freer electronic realm.

Can you tell us a bit about ARSYN? Does that work translate to things you do for the Sorza project? If so, how?

Definitely, ARSYN is the name we gave to my collaborative project with visual artist Aidan Mulcahy, one of my closest friends. He is also involved in all the visual content we create for Sorza. We are currently working on a full A/V set that will be finished very soon.

ARSYN is a bit more focused locally. When we do A/V performances and installations or work with theaters, it sometimes diverges from what we do with Sorza, so using a different name makes a lot of sense.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I’ll be one of the artists at the forefront of experimental bass music in Europe. I’m currently focused on establishing a scene and building a community in the Netherlands for the music I make and for more experimental club music in general.
I think Sorza will develop in a way that is not directly linked to bass music, but rather into an even freer electronic realm, similar to where artists like Lapalux and Flying Lotus operate. I love bass music, but I think I’ll be moving more towards music that’s made primarily for the listening experience.

Tracklist

1. Sorza – Never
2. The Glitch Mob – Higher (Sorza Remix)
3. Sorza – ID
4. Sorza – Dumble
5. Sorza – Visions of what could be
6. Sorza – Hiding in the sea
7. Sorza x Gaszia – ID (Sorza Flip)
8. Sorza x Gaszia – ID (Sorza Flip)
9. Keenan Mundane – O.U.Y.S – (Sorza UK Flip)
10. Sorza x ID – ID
11. Keenan Mundane – Die Broke (Sorza Remix)
12. Sorza – ID
13. Sorza – ID (DnB flip)
14. Sorza – ID
15. Sorza – Does it hurt me
16. Razat – D Worry (Doubled)
17. Sorza – Lucid Disconnect (ID Remix)
18. Chase & Status, Bou – Baddadan ft. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga, Takura (ID x ID Bootleg)
19. Willow – Whip My Hair (Sorza Bootleg)
20. Keenan Mundane – Black Enough (Sorza Loud Halftime Bootleg)
21. Sorza – I’m here
22. Sorza – Creating An Oasis (ID Remix)

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It’s been six years since the release of Outer Edges, and twelve since Split The Atom. The impact that these projects have had on the electronic music industry at large is indescribable, and the number of artists that they have inspired is countless. Noisia have become legends in the scene, all while helping elevate up-and-coming talents to the mainstage with their various labels and radio show. Yet, for some reason, they still felt like we deserved more from them, and that’s where Closer comes in. The third and final Noisia album, comprised of twenty tracks, is the cherry-on-top of the extravagant career that Noisia have had.

Featuring nine previously-released tracks such as ”Shibuya Pet Store’ and ‘Halcyon’ with The Upbeats and ‘Deep Down’ with Phace, as well as eleven new originals, Closer is everything one could have imagined, and more. From a neurofunk masterclass in ‘Shift’ with IMANU, to an exquisite collaboration with Skrillex in ‘Horizon,’ to tracks like ‘Scrapped’ and ‘Shutters’ that remind us of Noisia’s true greatness, the album is a demonstration of Noisia’s unquestionable status as some of the best to ever do it, and they have taken some of their talented friends along for the ride. It’s a journey worth listening to from start to finish multiple times over, as every new listen reveals something new and exciting.

“After ‘Outer Edges’ we were trying to find a new direction for Noisia. This resulted in an extensive journey that took us through a lot of new ideas and music. In the end, we didn’t manage to figure things out. But we did get closer.” In this case, close is beyond good enough. Don’t miss Closer below.

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A personal favourite from this year’s arsenal is The Upbeats‘ high-octane roller titled ‘Realm,’ and now the Wellington-based duo are back on VISION with a follow-up single, ‘Divide.’ Legends in their own right and frequent collaborators with Noisia, The Upbeats have been releasing exquisite material for years now, and their experience is evident in their latest singles. While the soundscape behind ‘Realm’ is haunting and the meat of the track is more on the aggressive side, ‘Divide’ edges more on the emotive. Sylvee’s raw vocals provide a welcome introduction to this heartstring-pulling aura, before the duo build to a crescendo of rolling percussion, melodic undertones and danceable grooves. Not too complex with its ideas but executed to a tee, ‘Divide’ is perfect in that it primes listeners in the Northern Hemisphere for the impending summer, while equally providing warmth to those listening in the Southern Hemisphere.

Don’t miss it below.

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“Let us take you on a trajectory across bass music, where we seek to create new combinations and incite experimentation; accomplished heavyweight names mixed with exciting new talent from all over the globe. We look for different and unique sounds, place them in complementary contrast and hope to inspire not only the listeners, but also the artists to open their minds and sequencers to each other’s work. For we are many faces and many sounds. This is MISSION.”

The above is an extremely fitting introduction to the lengthy compilation that is MISSION 01, which sees a plethora of talents offer a wide array of bass music sure to tickle anyone’s fancy. Fans that are peculiar about what they like are sure to find a couple of favourites throughout the compilation, while general admirers of bass music are sure to be enthralled from start to finish. Personal favourites include ‘Barnacles’ by Levela, ‘Caesium’ by Annix and ‘This World Stopped’ by The Caracal Project, but we urge you to listen for yourself and form your own opinion of the compilation as it has so much to offer in terms of ingenuity. Dive in below.

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“It’s totally more than a name change. I want to do new things, beyond the technical stuff people know me for, as Signal. The name does fit that sound. It’s the sound I had in mind when I picked the name. Now I want to try more sounds,” says IMANU about the needed change in his vision.

With the EGO EP, the talented Dutch producer has truly outdone himself, offering six equally pounding yet intricately diverse tracks that will get your heart racing.  Not letting go of his drum & bass roots while pushing his innovation to new limits, every track provides a wild journey into high BPM bass music, often drawing influence from other genres to keep listeners on edge for the entirety of the project.

Any fan of fantastic bass music needs to hop on the IMANU train. Don’t miss the EGO EP below!

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