When it comes to the best artists in funky bass music, there's some serious talent pushing things into a new realm at the moment. We had a chance to catch up with one of them who has plenty of mystery around his image – Labrat. He's lingered in the dungeon of dubstep and filth for some time. Now, he seems primed to come out of his rabid state to get really active on the hunt for EDM cheese. We had a chance to catch up with him at Northern Nights Music Festival two weeks ago.
“I'm always in a renaissance myself,” he admits.
Labrat's set left fans buzzing all over Cooks Valley and online, with an uptempo Sunday throw-down just after midnight (1:30) on the silent disco stage.
We could even say that his great performance was expected based on the hype. The Huffington Post pre-warned fest goers that he'd just shredded Serenity Gathering and his funky new mix (listen here) was required listening. But the real wild card? Learning that mega talented songwriter with a mean guitar itch is part of a low key super duo.
“I started this thing with my buddy Jamburglar called Hoot & Holler… I think we add a lot together. We're trying to get an EP together for it.”
With only a couple song uploads, Hoot & Holler is one of the best hidden Soundcloud Gems out there. Jamburglar is even getting more serious on the project thanks to Labrat, who keeps rediscovering what he expects from his sound. Besides two tracks as Hoot & Holler (Twath and Caveat), they've made three tracks together including a collab remix in the past. It all started three years ago with a psychedelic dubstep track called “Planet of the Chaunch.”
But what is Labrat's “sound” anyway?
“It's always an evolution for me,” he explains. “Questions like that force me to think about it. I started my Soundcloud as not trying to promote myself. I started it to chronicle myself, hopefully getting better. That was all it was. And then it led to now… I've got so many followers that I'm scared to put a track because I was making bro step for five years. Probably five thousand of my followers are kids who followed me from brostep. But I'm getting over that, That's why I want to get into Hoot & Holler.”
With ridiculous wobbles and gut-wrenching basslines, his Labrat edge really took off with his dubstep sounds in the past. We discussed the similarities in dubstep, glitch hop, and his musical influences.
“It's funny how dubstep was the flavor of the week and trap has kind of taken that role. I'm sure there will be something new down the road. A lot of people would say, I don't want to do this genre or fuck that whole thing. I used to see stuff that way but I don't anymore. Everything is a challenge how can you make it ‘good,” put your twist on it.”
While his approach seems nonchalant on the outside, it's not a stretch to categorize Labrat in the same pool as an artist like Bassnectar. Coming from death metal in his high school band and turning to dance music, his focus is to find something that engages the crowd.
Like a true labrat, there's always a new maze ready for experimentation.
“I've been working on this one trap song that I'm really stoked on… been waiting to post it.”
And he's even trying to go swing-house. It won't be that big of a stretch after all, since his glitch funk approach (like the “Break the Cage” EP on Adapted Records released about a year ago) has a groovy, vintage undertone.
“DJ's when they started, it wasn't about going to shows and ‘lets watch this guy.' We're in to disco and its all about creating this dance floor vibe and everyones doing that… keeping it together.”
He goes on to confess, “I take myself as a producer first, it's all about my tracks, my set. I do care about my sets, but yeah.”
Never in a box, he's always been consistent with his jams thanks to a keen sense for sound design.
“I didn't want to do strictly metal, that's why I left my band. Going into producing, it was very liberating in the sense that I'm in charge of everything. When you're producing, you gotta be the drummer, the bass player, and make everything mash together.”
It seems only natural that glitch hop is the neutral spot where Labrat dives head first, complemented by some tasty riffs.
“Glitch has only gotten stronger… I think the future is probably more… in live performance aspects, it is going to become a lot bigger thing. Talking to my friends that go to shows, they want to see you do something. It makes sense.”
At the moment, it's not easy to find festivals that revolve around midtempo, bouncy glitch music as often as 140-BPM trap or house. But making special tracks is changing the way people look at electronic music – and Labrat is certainly part of an evolving breed. The Hoot & Holler sound brings together delicious beats with melty “future bass” style.
“I was really stoked on Twath. That's the best thing, when i feel like I'm going up the steps and going towards something better.”
Have a listen to “Twath” below and stay connected with Labrat on Soundcloud, Facebook, and Twitter.
