DSV AUDIO, MATT DOE, JIQUI, PR1ME X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [COMPILATION, UP COMING PROJECTS, IMPRINT]

UK based label DSV Audio prepares for a thoughtful new phase with the debut of their A Rebirth compilation. Featuring a collection of the finest dubstep and bass music that the scene has to offer, the Rebirth compilation showcases artists of all magnitudes. Each record from the compilation offers a distinctive soundscape while forming a cohesive unit. Rebirth is available now across streaming platforms via DSV Audio.

Rebirth showcases twelve tracks from various artists of all proportions including some returning names to the label such as Detrace, Jiqui, MATT DOE, DirtySnatcha, and Case Closed. In addition to serving as a showcase for the label and artists involved, the Rebirth compilation aims to shed light on the ever-growing mental health issues within the music and creative industries. As a family-run label, the creative forces behind DSV Audio understand the magnitude of shedding light on critical issues such as suicide awareness as the matter is deeply personal to them. In an effort to incite a much-needed movement within the industry, DSV Audio will be donating 50% of the proceeds they receive from the Rebirth compilation to the UK mental health charity SANE, as well as a JustGiving fundraiser. The Rebirth compilation marks the beginning of a long term movement for DSV Audio, as they plan to implement change in their release structure and cohesively boost awareness for mental health for many years to come.

As the label enters a new chapter, DSV Audio will continue to be a driving force within the bass-centric music community. The release of Rebirth is only the beginning of this new direction for the label, as they aim to continue to bring awareness to the mental health issues that plague the music industry. Intertwining their passion to give back to the community and raise consciousness with powerful bass and dubstep releases, DSV Audio takes the label to the next level and solidifies their significant place within the industry. We had the opportunity to interview DSV Audio, as well as some of the Canadian based artists such as MATT DOE, Jiqui, and PR1ME.

INTERVIEW:

CR: Hello DSV Audio, Matt Doe, Jiqui, and PR1ME. Glad to have you on Canadianravers, how are you doing?

Harry: Doing good! Continuing to work hard on this album and really happy to be featured here!

Matt Doe: All good here, thanks for having me!

Jiqui: Stoked to be here! Been doing well, just taking everything day by day at this point!

PR1ME: I'm doing good! Glad to be doing an interview with a Canadian-centric outlet! I'm going to be starting university soon so I'm trying to work on as much music as possible before then!

CR: This question is for Matt Doe, we know you have been Producing / DJing in the scene for a while, how has the bass scene evolved since you have begun producing?

Matt Doe: It honestly evolves so much each and every year. I started out making house music back when big room was really popular and it's wild how much electronic music and sound design have evolved since those days. I started out in the bass scene only a few years ago. Back then 160bpm hybrid trap was super popular and it's cool to see some of the dopest aspects of this genre still being introduced in modern dubstep/riddim tracks!

CR: This question is for Matt Doe and Jiqui, how did you guys end up collaborating for the track 'Doequi'? Was it something that was always in the works for a while or something specific for the DSV Audio compilation?

Matt Doe: We initially started working on another project before making 'Doequi'. It wasn't moving as fast as we wanted and I think we both just needed more time to finish it, so we put that project aside and started working on what is now 'Doequi'. We knew we could not only complete this project in time but also make something very unique out of it. Sure enough, we pulled through and Jiqui really saved the day by fixing the mixdown before we both lost our minds!

Jiqui: Yeah, as soon as Matt showed me the idea for 'Doequi' I knew it was going to be a good one! I got him to send me stems and I made the vocal samples for the intro and we ended up finishing the structure in just a couple days. I think we're both super happy with how it turned out and it definitely was a complete mix of both of us!

CR: This question is for Jiqui, we know you are in love with dubstep but is there another genre that you like to dabble in that your followers do not know about?

Jiqui: I actually love producing house music and have a bunch of house tracks that I'm sitting on and might see the light of day eventually... who knows!?

CR: This question is for PR1ME, we heard the track 'Fakes', would you be able to tell us a bit about the lyrics on the track and why did you choose the track title 'Fakes'?

PR1ME: To be honest, the vocals in this track were from a sample pack, and I just used them because I thought they sounded cool and matched the vibe of the track! I chose the title 'Fakes' because it was the most memorable word in the pre-drop phrase, and so if people hear the track they can easily figure out the name!

CR: This question is for PR1ME, what is the best advice you have received while pursuing your career as a DJ/Producer?

PR1ME: This may sound cliche, but some of the best advice out there for producers is to find your own unique sound/style. In dubstep, a great way to find your sound is by taking elements from completely different genres, and experimenting with crazy and off-the-wall sound design and arrangements! This is something that I'm still working on myself. During quarantine, I've made orchestral music a pivotal part of my style. It's also important to constantly grow and improve, so the music you make is always fresh and interesting!

CR: This question is for all three (Matt Doe, Jiqui, and PR1ME), are there any collaborations or remixes in the works for you guys this year?

Matt Doe: Yes, I can't say too much but I have two collabs confirmed for this year and another one that's possibly being released in November, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Jiqui: I can't reveal everything that's coming for the rest of the year but I definitely have some collaborations in the works! Right now Hi I'm Ghost and I are working on a couple of tracks that we're super stoked on. Kompany and I also started something super cool that we need to finish, but that's all I can say for now.

PR1ME: I'm currently working on a Drum & Bass track with Urbanstep, as well as a dubstep track with Nacha! I also recently finished a special tune featuring a talented singer named Agassi, which has elements of trap, future bass, orchestral, and dubstep all in one. Really excited to release that one!

CR: This question is for DSV Audio, we wanted to know how did the name DSV (DEPRESSION. SUICIDE. VOLUME.) form? What is the story behind that?

Harry: The 'DSV' name actually comes from an old project: a very small SoundCloud network we had called 'Dubstep Vigil'. That project never took off, but we wanted to carry the name forward, so we just used its initials. "DEPRESSION. SUICIDE. VOLUME." is something we're just introducing! We plan to build on that as a key part of our brand in the future.

CR: You guys started the page as a promotional page that later turned into an imprint. What were some of the hurdles you came across while switching from a page to an imprint?

Harry: Man.. too many to count! That initial transition was definitely a huge learning curve, and we learned a lot about the industry by falling over. I think building a close-knit team around you is hugely important, and that's probably what's taken us longest!

CR: We know your imprint has a huge on mental health and suicide awareness mission. What will future projects look like for you with this mission?

Harry: We have a lot of ideas in mind! As a team we really like to spend time on every project, so definitely expect larger-scale events over regular releases in the future. Raising awareness of mental health and supporting its charities is our absolute focus going forward, so after this project, we'll regroup and go again!

LIGHTNING ROUND

CR: Texting or talking?

Harry: Talking

Matt Doe: Talking

Jiqui: Talking

PR1ME: Texting

CR: Coffee or tea?

Harry: Tea

Matt Doe: Coffee

Jiqui: Coffee

PR1ME: Coffee

CR: Hard liquor or beer?

Harry: Neither. #SmoothieGang

Matt Doe: Beer

Jiqui: Beer

PR1ME: I'm 17 so neither, haha! Soda I guess

CR: Cake or pie?

Harry: ALL the pies

Matt Doe: Pie

Jiqui: Cherry Pie all-day

PR1ME: Pie

CR: Hot dogs or hamburgers?

Harry: Hot dogs

Matt Doe: Hot dogs

Jiqui: Hamburgers

PR1ME: Hot dogs

CR: Xbox or PlayStation?

Harry: Xbox

Matt Doe: PlayStation

Jiqui: Xbox

PR1ME: PlayStation

CR: Movie theatre or arcade?

Harry: Movie theatre

Matt Doe: Movie theatre

Jiqui: Movie theatre any day

PR1ME: Movie theatre too!

CR: Guitar or piano?

Harry: Both!

Matt Doe: Piano

Jiqui: Guitar! I've been playing since I was seven but haven't practiced in a few years

PR1ME: Piano

CR: Marvel or DC Comics?

Harry: DC

Matt Doe: Marvel

Jiqui: Marvel

PR1ME: Marvel

CR: Dogs or cats?

Harry: Dogs, we have two!

Matt Doe: Cats

Jiqui: Cats!

PR1ME: Also cats

CR: Hot weather or cold weather?

Harry: Cold, but in England, that's really the only option!

Matt Doe: Hot weather

Jiqui: Tough one but probably cold

PR1ME: Cold weather

Connect with DSV, MATT DOE, Jiqui, and PR1ME

MATT DOE

Jiqui

PR1ME

ROB TIREA X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [RECENT TRACK, UP COMING EP, PERSONAL EXPERIENCES]

Rob Tirea is a DJ/producer and songwriter from Los Angeles, championing his own uniquely mesmeric perspective and format to the dance music landscape. With scope across an array of musical outlets, from vocals and guitar to bass, piano and drums, Tirea elicits his own compelling strain of electronic music through the authenticity of these traditional instruments. Expanding on the deep house genre by incorporating alternative rock, experimental and indie-pop sensibilities, the Huntingdon Beach native is decisively carving out his own musical path and building on a discography defined by originality.

Officially launching his career in 2018, Tirea signed to 2Dutch with ‘Imagine’, a single that was circulated across festival season following a premiere on Nicky Romero’s weekly Protocol Radio show. 2019’s ‘Blue’, a collaboration alongside deep house duo Revelries, and singer/songwriter Kayrae, was another seminal addition to his flourishing back-catalogue, garnering over 4 million Spotify streams a little under a year after its initial release.

INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Rob, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?

RT: Doing really well thanks! I’m stuck in quarantine, as many of us are, but other than that things couldn’t be better.

CR: Your recent track ‘The Storm Front and the Sea’ and your upcoming single ‘For You’ both feature your own vocals, did you have a passion for singing as a kid or was it something that developed more recently?

RT: It was developed more recently. I played ice hockey as a kid (yes very Canadian) but I’m not actually from there. I didn’t really get into music on a more serious level until I was about 18. I’ve been singing a bit for the past two years now. If you’d heard me when I first started you’d be like ‘please, please turn this off’ but now it sounds a little bit better, I hope, and I’m just excited to share more.

CR: Tell us a little bit of the story behind the track ‘For you’, the writing and producing process, as well as the certain connection to the lyrics.

RT: I started writing it on my guitar with this very interesting tuning, I call it DADGAD. The tuning is D/A/D/G/A/D, it’s a really interesting tuning and I wrote some cool chords on it. I wanted to write something about not seeking validation from others. The song ‘For You’ is basically about someone who tries to seek validation through career success because they feel like their friends, peers and family don’t view them as successful. But through the process of seeking that, they become more and more lonely and realize that they had their support from the beginning and through that process, they begin to detach themselves from family and friends until they realize it was futile, to begin with. It’s kind of a dystopian topic but I feel like a lot of people go down that tunnel and don’t do things for their own happiness but to impress others.

CR: Your music is deeply emotive, do your songs always stem from personal experiences and emotions?

RT: Yes sometimes, the songs that I sing on come from personal experience, but the features sometimes come from the vocalist’s perspective and as long as it fits into the narrative that I want to tell, it’s a combination of their feelings as well and I think it’s good to have this collective idea behind your music.  

CR: What is the best advice you have received while pursuing your career as a DJ/Producer?

RT: The best advice I ever received was ‘don’t do it’ - haha no I’m kidding. Just to be resilient and not to take things personally. It is quite a cut-throat business but if you’re doing it because you enjoy the music and achieve happiness from it, that’s the best reason to do it. But yes being resilient and not being sensitive to criticism or rejection are the most important things to remember.

CR: Since you are in the studio a lot this summer, what genres have you been listening to get some inspiration for your debut EP?

RT: I’ve been listening to a lot of stuff within Pop and alt-rock in particular. I actually grew up on the alternative rock with bands like Coldplay, the Editors, Interpol, and MGMT, and still listen to those bands to this day. Phoenix is putting out some new music and the Tame Impala stuff was great! But yea, I’ve been listening to all sorts of stuff outside of dance music and a lot of it inspires me in my own music. Really enjoying Sam Fender at the moment too – the list goes on!

CR: If you were not a producer/DJ what would have been your career choice?

RT: Well I’m still working and have a ‘day-job’ in advertising and media, so it would probably be that. It’s quite difficult to get to the point where you’re completely making a living from your music and very few artists ever reach it, but it’s a process of learning how to build a solid fanbase that you can monetize and build a career on.

CR: Do you like playing in larger gatherings or smaller intimate gatherings and why?

RT: They’re both fun. I was in this duo a long time ago and I played this pretty big college show. I went to UMASS Amherst in Western Massachusetts, Boston and we opened up for 2 Chainz and played in front of like 10,000 people which was pretty crazy, I mean the rush is amazing. But I’ve also played smaller club gigs as well, one with Fedde Le Grand in June of last year in Vancouver, which was about 1500 people - that was a blast too. I think they’re both great, I mean obviously the big festivals are something really special, just to see a sea of people in front of you on stage, I could only imagine what that’s like.

CR: Is there a track that never leaves your personal playlist because it has a certain emotional connection to you?

RT: Yes! ‘Talk’ by Coldplay, probably one of the best songs ever. I mean I know they didn’t write the song, I actually believe it’s a Kraftwerk song, but the way they redid it, it’s so emotional and moves me every time. Their stuff is next level to me, it has such a broad emotional appeal and I can only dream of recreating anything similar to that.

CR: Any message for our followers that are trying to get into this industry?

RT: Yeah I guess to try and make something that’s uniquely you. It’s such a saturated market now that it’s really hard to break in but I think if you can really find your audience and build from there then you have something. I would also say don’t put out your first piece of music out until you feel that it’s at least 80% as good as the people you aspire to be like.

Lighting Round

1.      Texting or talking? Talking

2.      Coffee or tea? Coffee

3.      Hard liquor or Wine? Depends on the night. Hard liquor is for forgetting and wine is for when I’m feeling classy.

4.      Cake or pie? Ice cream cake is amazing

5.      Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers – In-N-Out in California is amazing.

6.      Xbox or PlayStation? I grew up on Xbox but PlayStation has some awesome games as well

7.      Movie theatre or arcade? Movie theatre – I’m too old for the arcade

8.      Guitar or piano? I’m better at the guitar but the piano is such an emotional instrument so I’ll have to say piano.

9.      Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel

10.   Dog or cat? Dogs – I just think they’re nicer.

11.   Hot weather or cold weather? Hot weather would rather sweat through a t-shirt than freeze.

SHAY DE CASTRO X CANADIANRAVERS INTERVIEW [LA SCENE, ASSEMBLY EP, DREAM ARTIST TO OPEN FOR]

The young producer and DJ grew up in the United States, living in some of the best cities for techno music. Playing the guitar and listening to grunge rock since she was a child had a huge influence on her sound today, always making sure to have that enigmatic ingredient thrown into the mix. However, it was during her time in the culture-rich Los Angeles, California and Guadalajara, Mexico that took her productions to the next level, mixing her booming, driving aesthetic with deep, ominous melodies. Perhaps it was the mariachi, or maybe the tequila. Whatever it is, it seems to be working.

Over the past couple of years, her prowess in the studio has landed her on some of the top 50 techno labels in the world, such as Funk’n Deep Black, Prospect Records, Misfit Music, Night Light Records, Frequenza and Renesanz. A true lover of people’s minds, she enjoys listening to others’ views on music and life. This led to the start of her own podcast, Crimethink, where her guests have been among the world’s top artists along with those more underground.

INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Shay, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?

SDC: Hey there! I’m doing pretty awesome, wishing everyone a great day as well! Thanks for having me.

CR: What is the best advice you have received while pursuing your career as a DJ/Producer?

SDC: Just focus on yourself and do your own thing. Don’t hate on others.

CR: As Techno fans, we wanted to know how is the Techno scene in LA and how did that influence you as an artist?

SDC: Yeah, it’s definitely unique, that’s for sure! It’s growing like crazy – more and more every year. The scene is solid and I think very open to a wide variety of techno which always makes for a fun time because the crowd can get down to anything. Because LA is an entertainment hotspot and you see just about everything – the craziest things you can imagine – it serves as a lot of creative juice. It inspires me to just kind of do whatever I want instead of worrying about fitting into a certain kind of role or anything.

CR: On the Assembly EP we love the track ‘Incendium’, Can you tell us a little bit more about the thought process for your EP and the track itself?

SDC: Thank you! Yeah, absolutely. For the EP, I’d started out with ‘Assembly’ actually. I went into Live with the intention of making something that expressed the stress and difficulties I was going through at that time of my life. Very thundering, heavy kicks you know. From there on out, I tried kind of sticking with that theme but my mind was naturally going back to these warmer pads and kind of represented a light at the end of the tunnel, happiness, motivation. The name of the track was inspired because it sparked a fire inside of me to do better and I hope it does the same for listeners.  

CR: Since you have all been in lockdown, what genres have you been listening to get some inspiration for your next tracks?

SDC: A lot of trance from the late 90’s and early 2000s. The melodies are unmatched. Orjan Nilsen, Heatbeat, Talla 2XLC…those guys.

CR: If you were not a producer/DJ what would have been your career choice?

SDC: That’s a great question haha! Probably something to do with human rights. I’ve always been passionate about politics and justice since I was a kid and everything in my life always comes back to that.

CR: If you had the chance to play an opening set for any artist around the world who would it be and where would it be?  

SDC: Oh man…that’s a tough one. Even though our genres are completely different now, it would be Armin van Buuren. That’s the guy that got me into electronic music about 14 years ago now and opening for him would make my dreams come full circle. It would have to be Tomorrowland.

CR: Do you like playing in larger gatherings or smaller intimate gatherings and why?

SDC: I think around 500 people is perfect. That size allows you to really connect with people but is still big enough that you can get away with playing just about anything.

CR: Is there a track that never leaves your personal playlist because it has a certain emotional connection to you?

SDC: So many! ‘Ultrametric Space’ by Skober is a notable one.

CR: Who is your biggest supporter as a Producer/ DJ?

SDC: My family – as it should be!

CR: What do you like to do during your downtime other than producing music?

SDC: Anything outdoors! I’m lucky enough that (when we’re not going through a global pandemic) music has afforded me the privilege of travelling to places that maybe wouldn’t normally be on my bucket list. I am obsessed with architecture and history so as soon as my plane or train gets to the city I am playing in, it’s check-in to the hotel and immediately go exploring. When I can, I love snowboarding and skateboarding, too.

Lighting Round for Shay De Castro

CR: Texting or talking?

SDC: Usually texting – I express myself better through writing.

CR: Coffee or tea?

SDC: Coffee – too much coffee.

CR: Hard liquor or Wine?

SDC: Hard liquor if I don’t have anything planned that day. A nice Riesling otherwise.

CR: Cake or pie?

SDC: The hardest question you’ve asked me so far. Cheesecake.

CR: Hot dogs or hamburgers

SDC: Beyond Burger Hamburgers!

CR: Xbox or PlayStation?

SDC: Xbox! CoD all the way.

CR: Movie theatre or arcade?

SDC: Arcade! Asking the right questions!

CR: Guitar or piano?

SDC: I love both but I am only proficient in guitar.

CR: Marvel or DC Comics?

SDC: Gonna go with DC.

CR: Dog or cat?

SDC: Cat

CR: Hot weather or cold weather?

SDC: Something in-between, like September, is perfect when it’s like light jacket weather. I feel like I was about to go into a Miss Congeniality rant there for a second.