One of the fun parts of running a bass music blog is all the new material you either find or stumble across, which inevitably leads to further networking and then one-on-one communication with the producer(s). There’s a huge amount of music out there being shared, swapped or streamed for us followers to emerse ourselves in and then share with our friends on the many social networking platforms we are a part of. It’s only a matter of time before we start to recognise familiar names and certain production styles as the “hype” begins to spread. And the best bit? It all comes in a number of diverse creative styles, techniques, and professional level to create a unique sound personal to that particular producer.
An artist who has recently caught my attention is TZR. Arizonan born and bred, Tom is one of many fast growing producers / DJs found caught up in the Skrillex / brostep sound that currently dominates the dubstep scene in the United States. “In my opinion, there’s not enough representation by the DJ’s here of the other side of dubstep to properly expose people to the sound”, a factor which certainly plays a pivotal role in order for this change to happen. Tom believes the scene in the U.S. is still in a state of growth musically, as people are still discovering dubstep, particularly the deeper bass driven style that appears to be the favourite among only the minority. All in all, “I see nothing but positive growth here for the deeper sounds as more and more people are looking for more depth with the dubstep they listen to, and with more DJ’s and producers pushing the sound”.
Tom TZR first picked up a guitar in 1995, only to replace it with a set of decks in ’98 which eventually led to producing by 2005. Initially playing around with the DnB side, Tom switched up his style a few years later favouring the 140 speed, and began writing tracks with close friend and producer, Press. His early material was snapped up by Seattle based label, Shift Recordings and since, has worked with a number of global labels including; Paradise Lost (US / EU), Requiem Audio (AUS), Gamma Audio (UK), Sub Pressure (US), Gradient Audio (US), Subline (RU) and Onset (US), of which he helps run with production partner, Grym.
Tom explains that a lot of his inspiration draws from neurofunk DnB, which is certainly reflected in his current material and the mix he has put together for us. “Though a lot of my tunes tend to gravitate towards the deep end of the spectrum, and I love to work on music with a great sense of depth and space within the mix”. Further musical inspiration comes from his close friends – Press, Dubtek, Boot & Droid Sector from Australia and many of the big names including; J:Kenzo, TMSV, Benton, Killawatt, Shredexx, DJ Madd, Kryptic Minds, Phaeleh, Tunnidge, Distance, Vivek, Pinch, Loefah… “there’s so many great artists making superb tunes right now that I’m digging, I could go on forever”. Agreed.
To round up. TZR has an EP on Sub Pressure and a 2 track digi single with Press on Shift Recs, both forthcoming next month, so keep an eye out for them. In the meantime, enjoy some fresh dubalicious beats from TZR with this monumental one hour mix he has kindly put together for us.
TRACKLIST:
- TZR – Dark Circles (Feat. J:Kenzo and Bleed) [Shift.]
- TZR & Press – Eastern Dreams [Shift.]
- Droid Sector & TZR – Cleanse the Universe [Requiem Audio DUB]
- TZR – Temple of the Ancients [Gamma Audio]
- TZR & Press – Horrorshow [Shift.]
- TZR – Offworld [Gamma Audio]
- TZR & Press – Another World [Shift.]
- TZR & Press (Feat. Grym) – Leviathan [Onset Audio]
- TZR – Beneath the Surface [Gamma Audio]
- TZR – Lorazepam [Gamma Audio]
- TZR – Crimson Dawn VIP [Shift. DUB]
- TZR & Press – Like Minds (Droid Sector Remix) [Shift DUB]
- TZR & Press – Shadowlands [Gamma Audio]
- Boot & TZR – Pathetic Earthlings [DUB]
- TZR – Spectre [Sub Pressure]
- TZR – Afterlife [Onset Audio]
- TZR & Press – The Black Gate [Requiem Audio DUB]
- TZR – Forsaken [Sub Pressure DUB]
- TZR – Entombed (Boot Exumption) [Shift. DUB]
- TZR & Press – Caverns [Shift.]
- TZR & Press – The Duel [Paradise Lost DUB]
- TZR – Dead Planet [Gamma Audio]
