Known for his groundbreaking contributions to electronic music, bass maverick Phace is making a grand return after a six-year hiatus with his recently dropped three-track sampler and upcoming album ‘Everyday.’ Set for release on May 24th via Deadbeats, Phace’s LP promises a seismic shift in the electronic music landscape.
Recorded in Germany and crafted by Phace himself, ‘Everyday’ serves as a testament to his boundary-pushing creativity. With its fusion of genres, fierce basslines, and infectious anthems, the LP heralds a new era in Phace’s career.
In this exclusive interview, Phace unveils deeper insights into the making of ‘Everyday’, discussing his artistic approach, influences, and the evolution of his sound, while sharing future goals, the evolution of his project, and more.
What inspired your return to the music circuit, and how did you spend your time away from the dance scene?
I never left; it only took me 6 years to release another full-length album. However, during all this time, I did release quite a lot of music, mainly on my own labels (NEOSIGNAL or NËU) or via my PATREON, mainly singles, remixes, collabs, bootlegs, EPs, and even a mini album in 2021.
Also, I was touring a lot worldwide all that time. I have been touring pretty much constantly for so many years in a row. In today’s electronic music scene or industry, you can’t just leave for 6 years, come back, and pretend or think things will be like before.
To stay on the radar of both listeners and media in that vast clutter of content and music that is being presented these days, unfortunately, you are pretty much forced to maintain a constant presence. Especially for independent and more underground artists like myself, who also handle all aspects of their projects themselves.
My music has always leaned towards the underground. Embracing non-standard approaches. I just love stuff that is less standard; that is what drives and excites me. So, with all the time that passed since I released my last album in 2018 and all the things I learned and experienced in between, I felt motivated to reconnect with my passion for the full-length album format.
However, I aimed for a different direction this time. While my previous albums pretty much all focused purely on Drum & Bass, except for “Raum & Zeit” (my NEOSIGNAL band project), for this new “phace record,” I felt the desire to mix things up. To avoid repetition and to embrace more of a multidimensional playground for me to have fun at.
I wanted to personally explore various styles on a deeper level and both express my feelings and challenge myself by doing so. I actually always worked on music that wasn’t just Drum & Bass in the background. The past four years were significantly shaped by stepping out of my comfort zone musically, but also on a private level. Each music style that is out there has its own universe to dive into, and with this record, I sought to make sense of some of these universes for myself and within my own sound.
Could you elaborate on your approach to releasing a 3-track sampler ahead of the full album release?
When Deadbeats asked me to select singles for this album, I felt that an industry-conventional release schedule wouldn’t really do justice to the more unorthodox nature of this record. Rather than choosing traditional lead singles, I pitched the idea of releasing a mini version of the album in advance.
I felt that a sampler, comprising three tracks with different styles and vibes, would offer a sort of preview of the sonics and thematic elements explored in the album—a mini-representation or taster of things to come. They liked and supported the idea, as they have generally been open to many of my ideas and have given me a good amount of freedom with the project.
That was one of the reasons why I decided to go with them for its release. When I finished writing up to 90% of the music, I approached a couple of labels with the music to see where and how I could take it. Labels I actually would have never dreamed of speaking to one day. All the talks were super insightful. Deadbeats convinced me with how they came across; they really gave me a good feeling. I also like the music they release and felt it would be a cool fit for this project.
Of course, I thought about releasing it on my own labels too, as I have done many times in the past with my LPs. I surely love my labels very much and will keep on putting out new music on them. For this record, though, I simply wanted to change a habit and follow my instinct to try something different.
Your 11-track ‘Everyday’ album features a blend of various subgenres like drum & bass, breakbeat, garage, bass house, juke, techno, and experimental bass. Can you share some insights into the influences shaping this dynamic album?
Put simply, ‘Everyday’ is a sort of culmination of my past and recent influences and sonic explorations all mixed up. It literally represents my daily efforts in the studio to translate thoughts in my head into music that resonates with me.
I have always drawn inspiration from pretty much anything happening in my life—the good and the bad. I can be inspired quickly and usually do not need a lot to fire my synapses. So I tried to create an album I had fun with foremost, but that also defies genre boundaries from my own perspective. I am a music lover. No matter what style or genre, I do not think in boxes. For me, it’s either music I feel or not.
How do you perceive your sound evolving since your previous projects?
My sound has always evolved organically, I believe. At least, that is how it feels to me. It will hopefully be a never-ending mission or journey. I have been working on music half my life; it is what I love, what I feel good at, what makes me happy, and what fascinates me.
Finishing a larger body of work can be seen as the closing of a chapter, but to me, it is more equal to opening a new one. It’s just a matter of perspective. It is all an ongoing exploration of sonic territories. I have a strong desire to explore and create stuff that makes me hyped or that I get lost in.
With each project, I tend to push some of these boundaries of sound design and experimentation within myself, but I am not constantly seeking new ways to innovate and challenge myself creatively all the time. I like to combine both my experience and new things, and most importantly, I like to enjoy the actual process of creation. That moment is priceless when you feel good about yourself, and the world around you doesn’t really matter.
Writing music sometimes is indeed like meditating for me—not always, of course. Next to all the fun parts, there is also work. And that keeps me sane and somewhat on track. Sonically speaking, while maintaining the core elements that define my signature sound, I’m always open to incorporating new influences and techniques, trying to keep myself and hopefully others entertained. Nothing is more boring than repetition or just fulfilling expectations, at least to me. I really like to shock and catch others off guard.
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Can you elaborate on any significant changes or developments in your musical style during your hiatus from the scene?
There literally was no hiatus as such; I have been pretty much on a “Music-marathon” for many years and have constantly worked on things. I am restless. I sometimes feel I have to be restless in order to be able to make a living from my creations.
And this is not something I am happy about or proud of, as my mind finds it hard to really relax for a longer time. I also often feel stressed or under pressure. Of course, I still love what I do and the freedom it brings. Next to it being a passion, it is also still a job if you want things to work out.
While I don’t work on music, I frequently dig for new things or look for opportunities to delve deeper into and explore. In the past years, I have experimented with different production methods and also invested in my studio setup. That was a life-changer and a sort of liberation for me. I did not want to worry anymore about not knowing if my music really sounds good, or, should I say, is sonically appealing.
There is actually no perfect sound in music; perfection is always just a snapshot, a style, and generally a moving target when looking at the technology, trends, and “set” characteristics of certain genres. There are literally just great and timeless ideas, and second to that usually follows their style of presentation.
So at least technically, I wanted to trust my studio as much as I could—trust it to be an honest and cool guide that helps translate my work and things I come up with to sound good on pretty much any speaker out there. So I do not have to worry about that sound topic too much anymore and can rely purely on the vibes and ideas.
I tried to push myself creatively out of my comfort zone with this album. I mean, I love a good comfort zone once in a while; who doesn’t? It’s part of being human. But I like to evolve as a musician. And I like to risk things. I told myself at the early start of my “career” that I’d quit music when I felt I had nothing new or exciting to say.
I try to reflect a lot and allow for times of introspection. Having these offline times in between sessions allows me to approach music with a renewed sense of creativity and exploration. In the last two years, I have found pleasure and excitement in these new work rituals. I believe, and I hope, that all this change can also be heard in my music. It all feels a little more mature and reflective to me.
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Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your upcoming album?
Not really, to be honest. Music should simply entertain or clothe time and space. While my music may appear conceptual, it is primarily an expression of my experiences and emotions.
For me, most often in music production, things only start to make sense, or, better said, I start to paint a bigger picture around them, after I have worked out half of the project. I think I am good at navigating a creative process and at creating a vibe, a story, or a sensation. I mainly do that for myself. Not so much for others. It is like an addiction; and music is my drug.
My intention to get involved in the music scene was never driven by factors such as fame or success, nor was it financially driven. I had no plan or initial intention to have a career in music. All I had (and still feel) was a bite for and an interest in music and music production itself.
‘Everyday’ could be seen as a reflection of all that. Specifically, it can be seen as a reflection of all the experiences and emotions I encountered over the past 2 or 3 years. From moments of introspection, depression, pain, and vulnerability to feelings of relief, euphoria, excitement, and liberation.
To me, the album captures a lot of that. Each track tells its own story. If these stories invite listeners to embark on that journey with me, I am very happy to have that company, and I do welcome everyone.
What aspects of the current music landscape do you find most inspiring and exciting?
Every trend, phase, or cycle has its specialties, pros, and cons for me. The current music landscape, at least as it feels to me, is incredibly fast-paced, diverse, and vibrant, with artists and technology pushing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation across all genres.
I personally really like the fusion of different musical styles, mediums, and cultures, reflecting the interconnectedness of the global (music) community. The accessibility and progress of technology have also democratized both music production and consumption, allowing artists to create and share their music with audiences worldwide in no time, and all that at a pretty high quality level.
Of course, AI and algorithms play a big role in all of this. I personally do not really like the trend of music that is merely treated as content to feed algorithms with. A lot of people are actually not aware of it; Spotify is nothing else but an AI doing the music digging or presenting it for you.
Machine learning is taking over big time too, and it’s only a question of time when we do not need to care about certain tasks and have time and free capacity for other things. Maybe I will have the time to finally learn how to play the keys correctly.
The next step is generative AI. It’s a topic that is all out there, and I do not want to dig too deep into it further here. I generally feel quite comfortable with it and with change in general. AI is a creative playmate and friend. I always try to see change as an opportunity to create something better, or at least something fresh or new.
Of course, change also includes the pain of letting go and requires stamina to get through the time needed for adaptation and reconfiguration. But I believe a lot of music out there is so interesting these days because of all that change. With younger artists pushing the boundaries of creation, creativity, and experimentation across all genres with awesome tools at hand—tools I would have only dreamt of when I started to produce music—I like all that very much.
Writing music has never been so much fun for me. And I have always been a fan of exactly that young, rebellious, and ‘raw’ art, and I believe I hold that in my own creations still today. I like things that are unexpected. To me, it is an exciting time to be a musician, with endless possibilities for innovation and artistic expression.
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