After a career spanning the better part of a decade, Hydraulix is ready for his biggest artistic venture yet with his forthcoming debut album. Bass fans worldwide know Hydraulix as a household name, most recently from his time touring across North America in support of Liquid Stranger and performing speaker-knocking live sets at festivals like Lost Lands, Bass Canyon, Wobbleland, E-Zoo and more. Often seen releasing via Wakaan, Hydraulix has been sought after by such major labels as Never Say Die Records, Disciple, RAM Records, and Circus Records, to name a few. After years of earning the widespread respect of the industry and the die-hard fans, Hydraulix’s long overdue debut record is sure to make massive waves for bass heads everywhere.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Welcome to Canadianravers, Damien! How are you? Tell us about the history of your name, Hydraulix.
H: The name actually came about when a duo partner and I stopped doing our hustle together and I needed a solo name. I couldn’t come up with anything but another friend of mine actually had a list of names he was going to potentially use and Hydraulix was one of them! He was kind enough to gift me the name.
CR: Can you get a little more into ‘IMPOSTER SYNDROME’, the creative process, and what was the inspiration for this album?
H: Imposter Syndrome is something I’ve always dealt with since I’ve had any form of success. Feeling like I didn’t deserve what I had because I wasn’t doing anything too special in my mind and still aspired to be better. So, the album was my way of pushing myself and making myself realize that what I’m doing is unique and something I should, in fact, be very proud of.
CR: You collaborated with some heavy hitters in the industry; can you tell us more about that?
H: I was super fortunate to get to work with so many talented people and funnily enough when I told people I was writing an album everyone was super supportive and excited to be involved. It was really a lot of fun and I got to work with a few people I’ve really wanted to for some time.
CR: During your childhood, did you play any instruments and how did that influence your decision to pursue producing/djing?
H: I was a drummer boy down in my parents’ garage because they wouldn’t let me have my kit in my room haha. It’s been a while but it’s one of the only instruments I’ve really stuck with. It was more playing on my cousin’s turntables at a young age when I started to realize production and mixing was something I was super interested in. I’d always be hassling him to show me how to mix a track.
CR: What makes Dubstep more exciting than other genres?
H: I wouldn’t say dubstep is more exciting than other genres. I really enjoy everything from house to dubstep to drum and bass to even some classic electro anthems. I think anything that’s got a good bassline really catches my ear. I will say dubstep was some of the first music that made me want to learn how to make music though. Dubstep will always hold a special place in my heart.
CR: Before your track is released do you listen to it repeatedly to see if anything is missing?
H: This is such a curse. I listen to it so many times. Usually, by the time it’s coming out I start questioning if it’s even good anymore. I feel this is the curse of the producer though. You have to be particular without being too particular. But yes, I listen to my tracks entirely too much haha.
CR: Which subgenre do you feel doesn't get enough attention?
H: Neuro. It baffles me some people don’t appreciate this more. Maybe it’s a producer thing to really appreciate neuro as it’s so sound design-focused and might go over some people’s heads. It’s so complex and hard to make.
CR: What is the best advice you've received as a DJ/Producer?
H: Don’t overthink things too much. We get so focused on what everyone’s doing and what’s the hot thing of the time. Just have fun with it and enjoy what your doing. Try not to overthink it and have some fun.
CR: Which venue are you most eager to visit now that everything is open again?
H: That’s tough.. I’ve got a lot of places on this tour that I’m super excited to visit, but going back to Lost Lands in Columbus is super special. It’ll be awesome to play see a whole bunch of my bass music homies.
CR: As you relaxed and recharged, did the lockdown help you come up with musical ideas?
H: In some ways, it helped in other ways it didn’t. It got me not so focused on what everyone was writing and let me just enjoy the process but at the same time, I wasn’t able to test any of the music out on crowds which meant I really had to trust I knew what was up.
CR: What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not producing or DJing?
H: I’m a big gamer I love my Switch, you can catch me on that quite a bit. I also love to shoot some hoops on my basketball ring out back and can also catch me playing a bit of ping pong.
CR: What makes you happy?
H: My girl, my puppy, friends, family, writing music and playing shows. These are the things that bring me endless joy.
CR: Do you have any projects in the works that our followers should know about?
H: I don’t wanna give away too much as I just dropped the album. I definitely have some cool stuff coming down the track. It’s so funny I just dropped that album and we already planning a bunch of the next stuff.
Lighting Round
Texting or talking? Texting
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Hard liquor or Wine? Hard Liquor
Cake or pie? Pie
Hot dogs or hamburgers? Burgers all-day
Xbox or PlayStation? PlayStation
Movie theatre or arcade? Movie theatre
Guitar or piano? Piano
Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel for sure
Dog or cat? Dog
Hot weather or cold weather? Cold
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