After being apart of the standout single “forever free” from San Holo’s debut album, album1, the UK-based producer Duskus continues to be one of the names leading the charge behind electronic music’s continuous evolution with another stunning production of his own “Longtime.”
Officially becoming first ever artist of Holo’s bitbird imprint just about four years ago following the label’s head honcho leaving a simple comment on Duskus’ first track, it’s safe to say all three pieces to this puzzles have come quite a long way since then.
With summer 2018 officially coming to a close and Duskus being hot on the heels of his latest single in addition to sitting on a bevy of fresh original material, we took to some time to get to know the blossoming talent a little better.
DJ Times: Some may not remember this but you’re bitbird’s first ever artist, how would you say your sound has evolved since you released your first track just about four years ago?
Duskus: I would say a lot has changed since four years ago. The core of my sound is still there though, which involves my vocal chops. I think as I have grown older, my taste in music has changed and because of this I wanted to implement this taste in music within my core Duskus sound. The Duskus sound has always been the same at core, but its just improved and evolved. I don’t want my sound to ever stop evolving, I want to tell a story.
DJ Times: Your relationship with San Holo essentially started with a simple SoundCloud comment. Tell us a little about your relationship with San and what’s it like to work with him.
Duskus: Yes haha, it started with a comment which is crazy because maybe without this little comment I would be doing something totally different. San and I’s relationship is great, he is such an inspiring character and has always cared about me as an artist, as much as i care about him as an artist. Most of our communication these days are just whatsapp messages and voice notes.
DJ Times: bitbird has transformed into quite the eclectic powerhouse right before your eyes, what makes bitbird so special compared to all the other labels out there?
Duskus: bitbird puts music first and cares about developing each artist rather than throwing out singles every day hoping for a miss or hit. I think they have really taken everything into account. The branding is also really special, they keep it simple and it fits the sound extremely well because of this. Everything about bitbird is really tight and they push music that isn’t quite crazy enough to scare people away but is still different. It pulls the audience in slowly until they understand it completely.
DJ Times: What’s it like being apart of the bitbird family?
Duskus: Its very heartwarming to be apart of a family of incredible musicians and producers. I honestly feel like I’m surrounded by some of the most forward thinking and creative humans. Every single person involved with bitbird are just so passionate and show so much love to one another. Being apart of the bitbird family is amazing.
DJ Times: When did you first get introduced to electronic music?
Duskus: I think it was around the days of Nero and Skrillex. I was around the age of 15 and wanted to know how those sounds were made. I went home and typed into youtube “how to make cool skrillex beat”
DJ Times: What’s current studio set up look like? (gear and DAW)
Duskus: I have Yamaha HS7s, which I still need to get in the right position as I have been moving around a lot recently. I mainly use my headphones HD 25s, which I have used the whole time I have been producing. I trust any mix through these headphones even though they could be considered average. My DAW of choice is ableton 10. I like ableton the most, I’m not sure why, but for me, I’m very consistent within it, more so than other DAWS. I also have a Focusrite 2i2 and a stylophone.
DJ Times: Your recent single “Longtime” is quite the majestic production, tell us a little about your creative process behind it.
Duskus: As a lot of people have noticed, I have been making a lot more songs around the 120ish BPM range. I believe I was messing around with my vocals and melodyne at the time of creating the core idea to this track. I would record my self doing an awful hum into the microphone as Im terrible with lyrics and somehow figure out I i could autotune a melody out of this into a drop. I then started messing round with some 808 sounds and placed a nice baseline under these autotune vocals. Thats how I got the core of “longtime” and the rest of the song came naturally.
DJ Times: What can we expect from Duskus in the future?
Duskus: You can expect a constant developing sound. The core of Duskus will always be there, but the sound will continue to tell a story. Within the upcoming months, you will be able to hear this story as my new singles will be coming out. Im currently sitting on some of my most favourite music I have ever written and I am more than excited to get it out. I am also going on my first debut tour with San holo. This is the first time I will ever be playing in the states and I am happy that I will be able to play this new music to the fans. The next 12 months will be a turning point for me and my career. Keep your eyes and ears open as I have so much more in store for you!
