Last Friday, MalLabel released Scales’ newest EP, Techs! We got the low-down from the man himself:
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MalLabel: You are a classically trained music theorist who came up on metal and hard rock and played guitar in rock bands. Does your background in those genres influence your electronic productions?
Scales: Definitely! When I started producing in 2010 I was mainly trying to record material for my band at the moment. I started diving deep into electronic music and took a huge liking to it, and knowing music theory definitely helped shape my music. I love combining beautiful, big layers and then flipping it around and making low, heavy distorted sounds, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.
M: 2016 was your breakout year, with the beginning of two residencies, getting on the Imagine Festival lineup, and the Equilibrium EP. That momentum has continued throughout 2017. How do you stay grounded amidst the success?
S: 2017 was also a great year for me… I grounded myself by staying busy the whole time. I had the chance to play more festivals this year as well as more headlining shows…I’ve been diving deeper into production and closing down 2017 by adding more tracks to my unreleased collection in hopes of dropping it all by 2018 🙂 This EP definitely captures what sounds and styles I have been mainly focused on, and I will continue to advance and make bigger and better productions. All about that underground sound!
M: You were born in LA but moved to Atlanta at age 12. What do you see as the biggest differences between the East Coast and West Coast bass scene?
S:Hmmm… I would say they favor the underground bass style in the west coast a lot more, yet the east coast is definitely making a mark with a lot of up and coming talent and not to mention all the great shows we have.
M: On the Techs EP, you did 3 collaborations [with Ricky Raw, Messinian, and Malfunctron]. The Legends Make Change EP was also a collaboration [with NoisyDubs]. What are the advantages of collaborating with other artists?
S: As far as working with the OG’s Ricky Raw (Mighty High Coup) and Messinian (Destroid, Planet of the Drums), they added that hype that music alone couldn’t do. Both have very unique vocals. Layering them and chopping them up definitely brought the tracks to life not to mention both of them have a great signature sound. My buddy Malfunctron (Greensboro, NC) is a mastermind when it comes to bass music, and being able to work off each others’ ideas was really fun. It pushes you to leave the door open and keep adding to your creations.
M: You’ve developed this heavy-hitting, trap-infused, techy-but-grimy sound. What do you love about this particular style of bass music?
S: I love the hybrid sound a lot because it has that clean bouncy 808 feel, yet has the wobbly mid range bass that everyone loves… when done correctly I think you can achieve a perfect medium.
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Interviewer: Lauren D, Blog Coordinator