A defiant pressure within the realm of bass music, MUST DIE! often known as Lee Austin Bates is a relentless innovator, pushing the boundaries of dubstep and past. With a decade of bass below his belt, he has solidified his place as a number one producer within the scene, fascinating audiences along with his darkish, distorted soundscapes and relentless vitality. MUST DIE! started constructing his cult with constant releases on bass music’s most notable labels, main him to signify By no means Say Die, and extra lately Kannibalen Data.
MUST DIE! can’t be contained throughout the boundaries of dance music genres along with his ahead considering sound and bolstering drive to energise crowds worldwide. All through his profession, he’s gone on to constitution his sound design to unknown territories and proceed to enhance on his unyielding craft. As a approach to shut out 2024 with a bang, MUST DIE! lately launched his newest 10 observe album of labor. VAMPIRE WEAPON: MIDNIGHT is his most private album but. Though he’s dropped a handful albums earlier than – all of them being unbelievable – his newest enterprise is one that could be his most pure expression.
Right here’s what he needed to say in regards to the album:
“I’ve labored day in and day trip on this album for practically 7 months. It’s dance music for dance music’s sake, and I made it with love and look after the tradition and music I care a lot about.”
EDMTunes had the chance to talk with MUST DIE! on his newest album, test it out down under!
Hey Lee, thanks for chatting with us. First off are you able to give us an introduction of how you bought your DJ identify, and the way you bought into dance music?
I acquired my artist identify from a foul film known as John Tucker Should Die, and it was my AOL Prompt Messenger display screen identify for nearly a decade previous to my utilizing it as a musical alias. I used to be in love with dance music way back to I can bear in mind. Possible 6 or 7 years previous. It has been an enormous a part of my musical lexicon my total life.
Congrats on the discharge of your newest album VAMPIRE WEAPON: MIDNIGHT. It’s described as your most private but, are you able to elaborate on what makes it so private to you?
Thanks a lot. It’s positively an album that feels extra like a private accomplishment to me than a industrial music product. I held myself to actually lofty requirements and tried to enhance as a lot as doable to succeed in them. It actually helped me modernize my strategy and my sound and introduced the problem and danger again into the method. I’m at my happiest after I’m unsure one thing goes to land however I do know it’s going to get some kind of response both means.
What are a few of your favourite tracks on the album and why?
I liked making ‘2 Ya Face’ as my new alias XBLADE, and debuting that venture on a MUST DIE! album simply appeared becoming. I additionally had a blast making ‘Wanna Rock‘ and ‘Selecta’, which simply jogged my memory of a mode of music I’ve liked for thus lengthy now.
How has your musical fashion progressed over time, and what distinctive components outline your sound throughout the bass music style?
I don’t know if I’ve a lot of a sound anymore versus an ethos or intent. I merely don’t hearken to a lot bass music, so quite a lot of my music is impressed by genres distant from my friends. Over time I’ve positively embraced and allowed myself to pursue aggression or noisiness in a means I’d have carried out in highschool or with different tasks, as an alternative of counting on solely melodicism to get my ideas throughout. It’s positively extra me these days.
Was there a selected track on the album that developed and altered closely from once you began it, to once you completed it?
‘As soon as Once more’ was rewritten twice, so most likely that one. Though, Frequency Knife was initially a really completely different iteration and only a set ID I made just a few hours earlier than Summoning of the Eclipse a few years in the past.
There’s a selected debut on the album we’ve acquired to speak about… Are you able to fill us in on the XBLADE venture?
Completely! XBLADE is myself and Descender, my very long time finest pal, frequent collaborator, and former roommate. Now we have at all times made music collectively and I’m actually pleased with what we’re doing as XBLADE. Very in your face, aggressive, early rave influenced Hardcore and Uptempo. I can really feel us shifting much more excessive as we write the primary few releases, and I’m certain we are going to dabble with noise, splittercore, and many others. Now we have perhaps 5 songs able to go and plan to simply begin letting them free.
Let’s discuss the one different collaboration on the LP “One Eight Seven.” How did that track come about with AFK?
We began it at his home after I stayed with him lately and I used to be so glad we might get it completed for the album. He has been an essential and shut pal of mine for over a decade now and I’ve wished to put in writing one thing new with him for ages. He’s been making actually nice stuff these days on his personal too! I believe we additionally each simply actually despise authority figures, and what higher approach to bond than to make an anti-police dubstep track.
What’s subsequent for MUST DIE!? Are there any upcoming tasks, excursions, or collaborations on the horizon?
I plan on beginning my very own army, and taking up numerous Petco and PetSmart places alongside the west coast. I additionally plan on releasing extra music, perhaps not as a bigger venture however extra constantly being current within the launch schedule. XBLADE and Hivemind have music coming as properly.
If you’re not on tour or busy working within the studio, how do you prefer to spend your free time?
I’m a full time dad or mum in addition to a musician, so if I’m not parenting, I’m normally catching up on Horror motion pictures and novels, taking part in via my online game backlog, or so burnt out I can solely re-watch the whole Star Trek collection.
Lastly, any artists you’d prefer to collaborate with in your subsequent album?
Solely useless ones.
Stayed tuned to Lee’s socials to remain updated with what he’s doing down under!
