The ever-impressive Volt continues to mesmerize with his ability to push the boundaries of bass music with a sound that is all his own. Having quickly moved from a youngblood bedroom producer all the way to his current milieu as a globe-trotting heavy-hitter, it’s more than obvious that Volt is here to stay.
With his latest cut, “Call Again,” getting some early love from the like of 12th Planet, Ray Volpe, Dubloadz, and more, we’re more than stoked to be showcasing the next wave of sickness coming from the man as we premiere the tune and stop in for an extended chat.
While the full release of “Call Again” doesn’t drop until February 22, we thought we’d give you an early preview of the pain as Volt prepares to electrify once again in 2019.
Once again you are coming with a sound all your own. What’s your secret to staying ahead of the curve and not succumbing to sounding like everyone else pushing beats right now?
There are many different ways I go about trying to make my sound very original to myself. Honestly, it’s mostly trial and error, breaking all the so-called rules of making sounds, and just experimenting with weird techniques and finding something that sounds dope but unlike anything I have ever heard before. I try to get in the studio with a very open mind and without listening to anyone else’s stuff that day. I feel like if I listen to electronic music all day then get in the studio, I just end up making something I have heard that day, or something that has resonated in my brain. Lastly, I like trying to bring ideas, styles, and tidbits from how they make records in other genres like hip hop and heavy metal and incorporate that into my electronic records.
Take us back to your schoolboy days in Australia. What was the vibe of the city where you grew up and at what point did electronic music and bass music in particular cross your path?
I grow up in a town called Redcliffe in Brisbane, Australia. It was a weird but cool music vibe there because everyone was kinda into a bit of everything. I grew up listening to a bit of everything, from hip-hop, heavy metal, rock, anything really. Eventually my oldest sister got me into heavy mental and scream, which really grew my taste for the heavy side of music. I think it’s big reason why I make the style of music I make today. The other genre that always held strong to my heart were hip hop and rap like NWA, Biggie, and Eminem. The first time I heard EDM was around 2009 through UKF and other YouTube channels. I remember hearing artists like Flux Pavilion, Nero, and Xample and have been in love ever since!
From there did DJing or production (or both) capture your attention? Who or what were your early inspirations?
I played with production when I was younger. I was trying out FL Studio making rap beats before I even knew what EDM was. I really caught the bug around 2012-2013, watching all of the old Skrillex tour vlogs! Those vlogs really inspired me and I immediately went and brought some CDJ 350s and started learning how to DJ from YouTube and other friends. I was only a DJ for about a year and a half before downloading Ableton and starting to play around with dubstep and sound design! At that time my main influences were Skrillex, Noisia and Flux Pavilion for sure.
I try to get in the studio with a very open mind and without listening to anyone else’s stuff that day.
Since then you’re been absolutely smashing it across the globe and delivering a sound that is continually being recognized as something new and unique. How should we be describing your music to our friends who may have never heard you before?
I would describe my music as insanely high energy bass music! I want my intros to tell a story. Some weird and unique sounds mixed with chords and grooves to build things up. Then just pure high energy “feel the bass in your chest” drops.
Take us to this cut we’re premiering on Bassrush, “Call Again.” It feels very cinematic, like it’s the soundtrack to a story or dream. What kind of narrative do you see the tune telling and what kind of movie or scene from a movie would it fit perfectly into?
[Laughs] I am really bad at answering my phone, so when I was writing this I was really trying to harness the energy of my friends and family and how angry it must make them when I’m always missing they’re calls. My friends are always giving me a hard time about it, so I used their frustration as inspiration for this record. Thanks, everyone! I feel like this record would fit perfectly into a horror movie like Saw, where someone is given one last chance at life—one more opportunity to make a call to someone—and all they get is the voicemail.
Last but not least, let us know what you’ve got cooking up in the lab and what we should be looking out for in the coming year!
I am currently finishing up my EP which is super exciting. I’ve been wanting to finally show everyone a full set of songs all with a similar feel and theme. I’ve also got some really cool collabs on the way that I’m super excited to show everyone, including one with my best friend Slushii. I’ve also been looking into some support tours coming up that will hopefully bring me back out across the US and more. One major goal of mine for 2019 is to see my name on a major festival line up, so fingers crossed.