Today we have the pleasure of interviewing DOWNSIDE, an artist based in Brussels, who will be in charge of our release No. 18 and last of this year 2022, which will be released on December 28 on all platforms.
Jorge: What are you trying to convey with this EP?
DOWNSIDE: This one feels special to me as all tracks were made to somehow fit in my DJ sets.
In the past, I’ve sometimes made music that sounded good in the studio but somehow never found a place in my mixes.
With that said, the goal was to make something that would fit my style of playing, at different times of the night, depending on the crowd and the energy.
Jorge: I like the 4 tracks a lot but “95 (Original mix)” is my favorite. For you, what is the track you like the most?
DOWNSIDE: Thanks! “95” ended up being the easiest track to make as the original idea came quite naturally while playing with a simple sequence.
I like them all obviously but I can definitely highlight “Fast Import” as it was an homage to some late-2000s tracks that I grew up with.
Won’t tell you exactly which ones but if you are a Planetary Assault Systems fan, you’ll guess them. Just speed up the BPM in your imagination and it should begin to sound familiar.
Jorge: What does Downside use to produce these peculiar sounds?
DOWNSIDE: I use a lot of different gear and virtual instruments. This one was relying heavily on VCV Rack 2 for most of the sequences and Rob Papen’s RAW + the Novation Bass Station 2 for the synths.
The drums mostly came from samples but I was fortunate to get my hands on a real Roland 909 and managed to sample a few loops and bits from it.
Jorge: It’s your first EP with Loopaina Records, what do you think of this Spanish label?
DOWNSIDE: I love Spain! Not only for football and sunshine but also for the constant party mood and nice vibes from the people that I know from there.
The Spanish Techno scene has always been amongst the strongest in Europe and your catalog of releases proves it.
You guys have been very kind to release my music and I look forward to seeing what the future brings!
Jorge: About you, where do you feel most comfortable? In the studio or in the booth?
DOWNSIDE: I feel pretty comfortable in both situations. Playing big venues like Tomorrowland and 25 Years Fuse has taught me to stay calm no matter what and to deliver a good time to the audience while leaving my ego at home.
The studio has always been one of my favorite places around the house. The only time I took a proper break from it was in the past few years but I plan to catch up with that pretty quickly.
Jorge: What are your next projects? Next dates?
DOWNSIDE: I’m currently finishing up a release for Mekanika Recordings. No idea when it will be out but so far it sounds dope!
My own label X/Y/Secret is having its second release by Torc, including a supermassive remix by Insolate. This one is out on the 4th of January.
As far as the next dates, I’m playing at Fuse with Jonas Kopp in February and Indira Paganotto in March.
Thanks again!
All the best!
Interview by Jorge del Río, Loopaina Records.