Megalodon interview, new Never Say Die mix out today
Published: July 25, 2013
By: Mike Kelly
I got a chance to chat with Cory Artsay, better known as bass producer extraordinaire Megalodon. His debut EP for UK powerhouse label Never Say Die, BOOM, is out July 29th, and features a handful of collaborations with incredible artists from around the globe. His new NSD mix also came out today.
So, Cory tell us what you have been up to? As far as prepping for the release of the EP, touring, etc.
Well, right now I've been working on a lot of projects. Mainly setting up my next European tour in September and pushing the EP. This will be my 3rd time in Europe this year so looking forward to revisiting some of my favorite spots.
Are you originally from Los Angeles and living in San Francisco or vice versa? And what about those places is significant to your style?
I'm actually originally from the southeast, mainly North Carolina and Georgia. I ended up moving to California in 2001 to the San Francisco Bay Area and then later on moved to LA. I guess you could say I don't like living in one particular place for very long.
The megalodon is an interesting creature. Sort of explain to us what the megalodon is and what the inspiration behind your name was? Were you in to sharks and dinosaurs as a kid?
Megalodon was a prehistoric shark dating from the Cenozoic era. It was known to be one of the largest predators of all time. I've always had an obsession for sharks ever since I was a boy. Later on when i started looking for a name to call myself, I found it rather hard. A few days and a couple shark documentaries later, Megalodon was born.
Tell us a little bit about your upbringing in music. I noticed that you officially debuted in San Fran in 2008. But give us your history, how you began playing music to where you are now in your musical career?
From a young age my passion was playing the drums. I played in several bands raging from jazz to death metal. In '06 due to financial woes I ended up selling my drum set and the rest of my gear. Leaving me with just my computer to make music on.
I know you like to stay true to your styles of dubstep and grime, but what sort of other genres did you want to incorporate into the BOOM EP?
I've tried to incorporate some of the newer sounds like trap, and the more mainstream side of dubstep in this EP. I wanted to make the tracks dance floor friendly yet rhythmic and fun to mix. I always tried to keep my sound moving forward. by incorporating sounds I don't normally do is just part of the growing process I guess.
You had the privilege of working with Antiserum on this project. How did the two of you get connected? and can we hope to see any more collaborations between the two of you in the near future?
I've known him for a long time. He was one of the first big guys in the SF scene when I was starting out. We've played our fair share of shows together, so I guess it was only a matter of time. We've talked about getting into the studio again though with our crazy schedules it's no small feat.
Do you have any plans for this upcoming fall? Tours, random shows, more releases in the making?
Yea, I'm in the process of sorting out a European tour for September. Besides that I'm always busy either playing random shows in the states or in the studio.
I know this kind of relates back to the third question, but when did you first hear dubstep and say "that's the music I want to make?" What was the hook for you? Was there an artist who maybe inspired you and caught your attention?
I first got wind of dubstep via grime and to be honest i didn't care for it that much. I preferred a more upbeat rhythm over the more relaxed dub vibe. It wasn't until "Midnight Request Line" by Skream that I started really listening.
Who in the future might you want to work with? Anyone outside of dubstep and grime? Can you give us a little info about your next release after the BOOM EP comes out? anything in the works?
Well I always dreamed about doing a track with some dancehall artists. It's probably well out of reach. But someone like Vybz Kartel would be amazing. As far as future releases, I'm working on something at the moment for Hatcha's Sin City. It will be a follow up to some of the earlier tracks that came out on the label. I'd also love to continue working with Never Say Die, they're amazing to work with.
I got a chance to chat with Cory Artsay, better known as bass producer extraordinaire Megalodon. His debut EP for UK powerhouse label Never Say Die, BOOM, is out July 29th, and features a handful of collaborations with incredible artists from around the globe. His new NSD mix also came out today.
So, Cory tell us what you have been up to? As far as prepping for the release of the EP, touring, etc.
Well, right now I've been working on a lot of projects. Mainly setting up my next European tour in September and pushing the EP. This will be my 3rd time in Europe this year so looking forward to revisiting some of my favorite spots.Are you originally from Los Angeles and living in San Francisco or vice versa? And what about those places is significant to your style?
I'm actually originally from the southeast, mainly North Carolina and Georgia. I ended up moving to California in 2001 to the San Francisco Bay Area and then later on moved to LA. I guess you could say I don't like living in one particular place for very long.
The megalodon is an interesting creature. Sort of explain to us what the megalodon is and what the inspiration behind your name was? Were you in to sharks and dinosaurs as a kid?
Megalodon was a prehistoric shark dating from the Cenozoic era. It was known to be one of the largest predators of all time. I've always had an obsession for sharks ever since I was a boy. Later on when i started looking for a name to call myself, I found it rather hard. A few days and a couple shark documentaries later, Megalodon was born.
Tell us a little bit about your upbringing in music. I noticed that you officially debuted in San Fran in 2008. But give us your history, how you began playing music to where you are now in your musical career?
From a young age my passion was playing the drums. I played in several bands raging from jazz to death metal. In '06 due to financial woes I ended up selling my drum set and the rest of my gear. Leaving me with just my computer to make music on.
I know you like to stay true to your styles of dubstep and grime, but what sort of other genres did you want to incorporate into the BOOM EP?
I've tried to incorporate some of the newer sounds like trap, and the more mainstream side of dubstep in this EP. I wanted to make the tracks dance floor friendly yet rhythmic and fun to mix. I always tried to keep my sound moving forward. by incorporating sounds I don't normally do is just part of the growing process I guess.
You had the privilege of working with Antiserum on this project. How did the two of you get connected? and can we hope to see any more collaborations between the two of you in the near future?
I've known him for a long time. He was one of the first big guys in the SF scene when I was starting out. We've played our fair share of shows together, so I guess it was only a matter of time. We've talked about getting into the studio again though with our crazy schedules it's no small feat.
Do you have any plans for this upcoming fall? Tours, random shows, more releases in the making?
Yea, I'm in the process of sorting out a European tour for September. Besides that I'm always busy either playing random shows in the states or in the studio.
I know this kind of relates back to the third question, but when did you first hear dubstep and say "that's the music I want to make?" What was the hook for you? Was there an artist who maybe inspired you and caught your attention?
I first got wind of dubstep via grime and to be honest i didn't care for it that much. I preferred a more upbeat rhythm over the more relaxed dub vibe. It wasn't until "Midnight Request Line" by Skream that I started really listening.
Who in the future might you want to work with? Anyone outside of dubstep and grime? Can you give us a little info about your next release after the BOOM EP comes out? anything in the works?
Well I always dreamed about doing a track with some dancehall artists. It's probably well out of reach. But someone like Vybz Kartel would be amazing. As far as future releases, I'm working on something at the moment for Hatcha's Sin City. It will be a follow up to some of the earlier tracks that came out on the label. I'd also love to continue working with Never Say Die, they're amazing to work with.
