Zomboy Speaks About His Album ‘Outbreak’ and The Walking Dead in Interview
Last weekend Zomboy performed to a massive audience at New City Gas, who got down and dirty to some classic dubstep tracks.
The proceeds from the night were donated towards building a school in Ethiopia, so it’s very encouraging to see an artist at his status helping out with positive causes.
The English producer has done significantly well in the electronic industry by keeping his fans satisfied with several EPs and a debut album in just the past few years.
I spoke with Jousha to hear more about his creative habits, thoughts on the music community, and apocalyptic living conditions.
Canadanightlife: To start, six months ago you released your first major album, ‘Outbreak’. You’ve spoken previously about how an album should be a complete work of art that has an intended flow. Do you feel you’ve accomplished this with ‘Outbreak’?
Zomboy: I feel I went against every rule of an album because albums are typically meant for showing your diverse side. I went against the stream here and made ten hard-hitting dance floor tracks. It was a bold move because people generally want to hear you experiment, but I delivered ten heavy hitting tunes, no intros or outros or anything.
CNL: Every bass show I’ve gone to in the last few months has dropped “Survivors” in their set. Can you explain how this collaboration with MUST DIE! came about?
Zomboy: The track was an old idea that I opened up again to revamp. The way it started to sound seemed like a perfect opportunity to get MUST DIE!’s edge on it. I sent it to him and he nailed his parts and sent it back in only a few days.
CNL: Did you two meet in person or was this all done online?
Zomboy: That particular collaboration was done completely online because Lee was living in America at the time. He lives in Berlin now though. We were just sending stuff across the Internet back and forth at first.
Zomboy: That’s typical how collaborations are happening these days, people don’t have time to sit down at the same time in the same studio. Everyone has such busy schedules so the only way is to send music over the Internet.
CNL: It seems when you have that freedom you can collab with anyone.
Zomboy: Definitely. Personally, I don’t like working with anyone else in the studio. It’s more comfortable for me when I can work on a song, get it to where I’m happy about it, and then send it back for the other aritst to do the same.
CNL: What was the hardest and most time-consuming track to produce on “Outbreak”?
Zomboy: They all kind of flowed out of me super quickly. The album only took two to three months to fully write, but I write ideas all the time. I have multiple folders full of unfinished projects. “Survivors” was the only track that was an older idea. That track feels different to me as well, it really stood out compared to everything else on the album. It sounds like chaos with the build up and air raid sirens.
CNL: Which track did you have the most fun creating?
Zomboy: Probably “Outbreak”, it was the most fun to write. I wanted to do my own style by putting hundreds of noises into one bar. The sound design in that track was the most fun to work with.
Photo credit: Patricia Brochu
CNL: Do you feel that genre labels restrict an artist’s creativity or provide routes for them to expand on their sound?
Zomboy: Well the fan base are very much the ones who constrict an artists. Myself for example, I got known for making dubstep. So anytime I try something new, my hard core fans will be like, “Dude, what the fuck? That’s not dubstep”. Although as a producer you want to be able to experiment and try different things.
Zomboy: It’s not always the easiest job to get the backing of your crowd to follow you on your journey. Your fans are the hardest people to get new ideas through because they follow you for what you did, not what you’re about to do. A lot of people can cave in and just carry on doing the same shit. It takes some balls to believe in what you’re doing and know that your fans will follow as well.
CNL: I have to really respect Skrillex for that. He started with dubstep, but his sound has developed a lot.
Zomboy: Yes! Of course. He’s just one of the many people that aren’t afraid to go try new things. He’s got his hardcore fan base that will follow him no matter what and his surrounding fan base that will only like him for one thing. He does receive a lot of hate about not making dubstep anymore, but at the same time look how much he’s grown. He’s definitely doing something right.
CNL: It seems that bass producers avoid using the term dubstep now; do you think this term has been too pigeonholed in the widespread music conscious?
Zomboy: It has a really bad stigma around the name now. People are like, “dubstep? That died ages ago.” Yet it definitely didn’t, people typically refer to it as bass music now. I’m totally behind that because it is bass music. Dubstep alone has so many different sub genres. You couldn’t say one track is dubstep in this day and age because there are so many subcategories of dubstep.
CNL: Who is an upcoming musician to keep our eyes on in 2015?
Zomboy: He’s not really upcoming, he’s kind of already established, but Snails. Snails is fucking killing it right now. I believe he’s from Montreal too. His music is amazing and he’s really taking it to the next level.
CNL: What upcoming music, whether remix or original, can we expect from Zomboy?
Zomboy: I have a remix album coming out called “Resurrected”. I’m bringing back all the big tracks that I’ve released from my different EPs’ and album from a ton of different artists, I’m also throwing in a few originals tracks.
The concept behind it is a remix album, but each track is going to have a remixed artwork. We’re going to make big prints and an exhibition for it as well. It will all come out together on the album and I’m getting a new artist to make all the artwork called CryFace.
CNL: What are you most proud to have accomplished in the industry?
Zomboy: Hitting a million fans on Facebook was pretty cool, that was a big milestone for me. Getting numerous number ones on iTunes and Beatport has been great! There is no one particular thing that I’m particularly grateful for because its all been amazing.
CNL:Last show attended but did not perform at?
Zomboy: Technically the last time I went out I still played a little bit. I was in LA and 12 Planet was playing at Exchange, he texted me to come down to play a back-to-back set with him. I went down and did a little 15 minute set with him, but I was there the whole night which was wicked. It was nice going to an event without having the pressure of playing and being able to hang with friends.
CNL:Longest set you’ve ever played?
Zomboy: Honestly only about 90 minutes. I just get tired out because I jump around so much on stage. I normally only do 75 minutes so tonight is one of the times that I’ll do a 90 minute set.
Photo credit: Patricia Brochu
CNL: Smallest crowd you’ve ever played in front of?
Zomboy: There was this random show in the absolute middle of nowhere in the centre of America. It was a Tuesday night a few years ago, maybe a hundred kids came out. Whether a hundred people or a thousand people, I’ll still give the same performance. I pretty much did a meet and greet with everyone there after because there was so few people.
CNL: First thing you do in a hotel room?
Zomboy: Unpack, I’ll get all my toiletries out, and get all of my clothes ready for the next day. Then normally I’ll have a shower or a bath if they have a bathtub. After this show I’m going back and passing out in a bubble bath.
CNL: Favourite remix of your own song?
Zomboy: I’ll be playing it out tonight actually, it’s a remix that will be on the ‘Resurrected’ album. It’s a dubstep remix of “Airborne” by MUST DIE! that is fucking gnarly.
CNL: Favourite remix that you’ve made?
Zomboy: I had the most fun making the remix of “Where We Belong” by Fredde Le Grand. I make it last January when I had some time off, I spent all my time in LA by the poolside with my Macbook and headphones.
CNL: Weirdest place you’ve been recognized?
Zomboy: The other week I was with my girlfriend in a mall near Michigan, in the middle of nowhere. Some kid ran up to me and asked if I was Zomboy, he took pictures and had me sign some stuff.
CNL: Do you ever get noticed in your home town at all?
Zomboy: I never get noticed in England because I never play there anymore. I’m playing one show there this year in London next weekend. Sadly there is no scene for dubstep there anymore. Deep house has completely taken over.
Photo credit: Patricia Brochu
CNL: I’ve never done this before, but because you are Zomboy, I’ve made a Apocalyptic Series of Questions.
Zomboy: Ohhh shit.
CNL: Your preferred gun of choice? Mine is 12 Gauge Shotgun.
Zomboy: Ak-47 because it doesn’t lock up on you and has little recoil. A shotgun would take too long to reload.
CNL: Melee weapon of choice? I choose katana.
Zomboy: Machete!
CNL: Where you would choose for a stronghold?
Zomboy: Taco Bell (laughs). No, either a bank because they have vaults and safes. Or a prison, just like in The Walking Dead.
CNL: Ideal group size to travel with?
Zomboy: Not too big, not too small. I’d cut off at 6 maximum. That way you have room for damage in case a couple of people get killed.
CNL: Your biggest weakness in the abandoned supermarket?
Zomboy: Twinkies and Cheetos.
CNL: Would you constantly be moving or find some where to defend?
Zomboy: It depends on the supplies you got, if you have a supermarket stacked up then great, stay there. But if you’re running around trying to find rations then you got to stay moving. I’m pretty much basing all my answers on The Walking Dead.
CNL: Thanks for speaking with me today Zomboy! I will attach my finished portrait to the interview.
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