Loudest Discovery: Stomp talks about debut DnB EP 'Breach'

By Akriti Niti Guha
November 27, 2017

Stomp's debut EP 'Breach' is one of the first Indian Neuro/Techstep producer to be featured on DnB Portal

Drum n Bass was more like a happy accident. With it’s roots in the UK rave and the jungle scene, there’s no doubt that the first ever DnB playlist I discovered (courtesy the web) had me hooked instantly. It’s amalgamation of bass heavy drops and experimental sounds and loops makes it one of the most interesting genres that I’ve come across in recent times. It became pretty clear to me while exploring the insane world of DnB that this is one genre which has it’s roots firmly in the Jamaican Dub & Reggae sounds yet it’s not quite restricted to that. On digging deeper, I discovered some real aggressive sounds which were more on the lines of sci-fi, distorted and twisted samples with influences from Industrial and Techno. I would soon find out that this was Techstep. Then came the progression of Techstep to Neurofunk and honestly, this is the music of NOW. Neuro is heavy with a dash of house and jazz but also with an edge of funk. Since this style was born in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Neuro has undergone gentrification and represents a varied range of heavy sampling and layered drum hits. Having always been a hardcore fan of higher bpm electronic music like Hardstyle & Psychedelic Trance, Neuro was a revelation to me. It’s energy + chaos. Apart from a few DnB artists which have made their mark in the independent scene, there’s still a lot of room for dope new talent. For most people in the Indian Independent Music Industry, focusing on Neuro, Techstep or just Dnb isn't really the norm but that didn't change Stomp's passion and commitment for these heavy yet mind-bending forms of DnB.

Who is Stomp?

Stomp is a Neurofunk/Techstep producer from New Delhi, India who is taking the DnB scene into soundscapes that we usually see people hesitant to experiment with. His debut EP 'Breach' which was released earlier this year on True Bass Recordings, Portugal consists of bass heavy and fresh sounds ranging from 172-174 Bpm which will leave you hungry for more.

His debut EP was the first Indian, Neuro producer’s music to be featured on the MASSIVE DnB Portal channel earlier this year. We love how his music has this dark tone with EXTREME energy and rhythmic funk. With filthy bass sounds, futuristic sound design, techy elements, a sci-fi undertone and funk all over the place, It's the kind of music that doesn’t just make you jump but gets you raging and takes you places. [embed]https://youtu.be/YONv2KgxQOM[/embed] Listen to Stomp’s ‘Breach’ from his debut EP!

Abducted LTD presents: NEXT GEN v3

Initialized in 2014 in Los Angeles, California, Abducted LTD is an outlet for all styles of Drum and Bass from Neurofunk to Melodic Rollers.

“At Abducted we pride ourselves in finding those up and comers that bust their ass and put in the extra effort that shines through in the works they present to the world. We started the concept of the "Next Gen" series to proclaim to the world that these are the artists we see as the next generation of superstars in the world of Drum and Bass, and this LP may just be the strongest offering of the series to date. 9 tracks of pulse pounding, dark, evil techstep that will infect any system they are played on. Next Gen v3 is here, and we suggest you take notice. These guys are bringing some serious weight!”

The label was quoted saying this above about the Next Gen v3 LP and the 9 artists who have been featured this time round which includes Stomp’s single called ‘Chasm’. We bet it will get you pumped up and make you want to STOMP! [embed]https://soundcloud.com/stompwork/stomp-chasm-abducted-ltd-out-now[/embed] Loudest spoke to Kashish Verma aka Stomp on ‘Breach’, his journey so far and the future of DnB in India. Akriti from Loudest: When did you start making music and how did you discover the terrific world of DnB ? Stomp: I started making music 6 years back and was heavily into metal though I used to listen to a lot of different genres of music, I was just making metal back then. I remember listening to a lot of Black Sun Empire, Optiv, Jade, State Of Mind, Telemetrik etc and I just loved listening to them. Drum & Bass has evolved so much and Neuro and Techstep just hit the spot for me! I love how they got me raving and I knew I would start making Dnb at some point of time. It had all the elements that could drive me mad and to be honest I love that feeling. Akriti: Since Neuro/Techstep is a fairly new sub genre, do you feel that gives you more space to experiment and work on fresh sounds that haven't been done before or does it limit you to just a specific sound? Stomp: Neuro started in the 2000's I think but over the last few years it has really picked up. People have been experimenting with sound and I can relate to that because it has no boundaries. You come up with the weirdest of sounds that make you grin! DnB does have certain restrictions with structure but every artist has a different taste and it shows. But sound design is what I love the most. Sometimes you come up with stuff which sounds like crap but sometimes you can come up with something that really gets you going! I try to get my own idea of music into it - atmospheric, a bit techy, with a spooky, horror vibe going and that's the part of me that loves Dnb. Akriti: How did it feel when you found out about Breach's feature on DnB Portal?! Stomp: It felt pretty awesome! I really didn't expect it (laughs) but it was awesome to get so much support from them. I hope I can keep going and make sicker beats that can be expressive but also has the energy to make everyone rage on the floor. Akriti: I haven't come across many Indian producers making hardcore Neuro/ Techstep. How has your experience been so far with the Dnb and Neuro scene in India? Stomp: Not the best is all I can say. I really don't know many people here making Dnb especially Neuro/Techstep. It has been hard but I hope it gets better and a lot of people here start exploring this awesome style of music. I also know it's not for everyone but man there’s so much energy and you jump around! Dnb has that, ain't it?! There are a couple of artists I know towards this side of DnB in India, like KarmasynK and Mosillator. I feel it will grow more as DnB has all the elements to grow here, might take time but hey! you gotta give it a shot to know. Akriti: We see a lot of dark and funky elements in your EP Breach, where does that come from and who is your inspiration when it comes to producing sick beats? Stomp: I guess that's just my style. I love elements of post apocalyptic scenarios along with funky bits and aggressive pieces - that drives me. Maybe it stems from my obsession with warfare games. I really don't know what goes through my head but I feel it's just a lot of sequences in my head, sometimes they need to go darker, sometimes more techy and sometimes really powerful. My inspiration comes from a lot of different kind of music out there, but in the world of DnB I feel I am inspired by Emperor, Telekinesis, Mefjus, Kasra, Enei, Inside Info, Phace, Icicle , June Miller, Disprove, Malux, Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Culprate, Maniatics, Impak, Cruk, Akov and so many more. Akriti: Abducted LTD. has selected one of your tracks for its Next Gen v3 LP which released last night. How did that happen? Stomp: With Abducted what happened was I sent them a couple of tracks and they selected ‘Chasm’ which had a more techy and darker vibe and would fit well with the LP they wanted to release. I’m just really happy to be a part of Abducted Ltd. along with a lot of talented artists and I feel kind of proud to be honest. It’s out now and I hope people dig it. Akriti: Haven't seen or heard you play many live sets and you're mostly working on your own beats. Do you feel production comes to you naturally as opposed to 'performing' a live set? Stomp: Yeah I haven't really played many live sets for a while now as I felt I needed to brush up my production skills and make music that I could add to my sets and that required time and patience so I just wanted to focus on that for a bit. For me, performing live is a lot of fun. It’s like a powerful exchange of energy watching people jump and go crazy with a big smile on their face. It’s like a connection and it doesn’t matter where they come from or I come from. Love for music just connects us somehow. Maybe producing comes a bit more naturally to me as I absolutely love the process, especially designing sounds or even processing them. It feels like I am learning more every time and it's automatic - I pick up some new technique, setting a track backbone, adding bit of techy flavours, to create a new sound. Akriti: What's next for Stomp? Stomp: Right now I am working on a new DnB EP and have some other tracks ready which should be out soon. I’ve also been writing music other than DnB which is majorly score music. At some point I'd like to start an alias and produce jazz hop as well. So, a lot is happening with respect to music and all I want to do is keep producing and releasing more dope stuff. For more updates on Stomp’s new releases and music, follow him on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stompwork/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/stompwork Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/artist/stomp/86109 Breach EP Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/5gAsMXkNnC4TXAi4bvmeWh Beatport : https://www.beatport.com/release/breach-ep/2036288 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Breach-EP-Stomp/dp/B071ZMPS4Q Google Play : https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Stomp_Breach_EP?id=Bg4eydx5nucyqdy4wzqk6fmb7lq Abducted LTD presents: Next Gen V3 Buy Direct on Bandcamp - http://bit.ly/ALTD059Bandcamp Beatport - http://bit.ly/ALTD059 iTunes - http://bit.ly/ALTD059iTunes Spotify - http://bit.ly/ALTD059Spotify

Tags Featured Music Loudest Discovery Interviews DnB Debut EP New Music Discovery Music Industry India Independant Music

Loudest Discovery: Stomp talks about debut DnB EP 'Breach'

Stomp's debut EP 'Breach' is one of the first Indian Neuro/Techstep producer to be featured on DnB Portal

Who is Stomp?

Abducted LTD presents: NEXT GEN v3

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