Stranjah chats with Anna Morgan about “Muerte 808″
Deviant Audio label boss Alan Lam aka Stranjah makes his Aufect debut with “Muerte 808,” a delicious forward thinking dance floor focused 5 track bundle of bangers. From the footwork jungle hybrid “ Cashme,” a collab with fellow canadian producer Captivate, to the fun hyphy half time bounce of tunes like JWBRKR, and Wildstyle, this release is full of the fusion of fresh bass sounds the Toronto pioneer is known for, but with a distinctly new twist that perfectly suites Aufect’s “half time” direction .Rasss has actually been a staple in my DJ sets since January. So, I can account first hand how hard these tunes have been hitting crowds in the dance.
I was able to catch up with Stranjah about the upcoming release and his career:
Anna: Hi Alan! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today!
You’ve released on many legendary labels like Metalheadz, 31 recordings, Hospital, Critical and now you’re about to release your “Muerte 808” E.P with Greazus’ lauded Aufect Imprint, how did this pairing occur?
Alan: “The EP almost did not happen. I had sent Greazus a mashup of a Devilman acapella over my track “Rasss”. They had expressed interest in signing the track, but at the time I was dead set on releasing it for free. Although I was a fan of Greazus’s music, I was not familiar with their label Aufect. My buddies Captivate and Groves were big fans of the label, so when they heard about the interest they strongly suggested to go with them. The rest is history.”
Anna; While obviously very break centric, your sound is super eclectic, I can hear such an array of different influences in what you do. How would you describe your music?
Alan: “Ever since I was a kid I was into music with electronic beats and heavy bass like Depeche Mode, Madonna and Ace of Base. It would be fair to describe my music as bass-centered too. I often like to layer with syncopated drums and musical stabs. Producers that I looked up to include Timbaland, Neptunes, Dillinja and Photek. So you could say those early influences have shaped my sound.”
Anna:This particular release is a different sound then most people would associate with the Stranjah project, to what do would you accredit this venture into this sound?
Alan:“I’ve been programming my beats in half-time, and it allowed me to add more movements between beats. Tyr Kohout also got me into FM synthesis last year, which strongly influenced my sound design”.
Anna:What are you listening to these days? Any new sounds you find exciting?
Alan:“I’m very excited about current Rap and Hip-Hop. There is a fresh energy to the music and the beat production is super tight. I also enjoy listening to the Grime, Bassline and Dubstep shows on Rinse FM. I’m starting to explore latin music like Reggaeton and Cumbia.
My crew at Rumpshakers introduce me to really cool electronic music like Eva808 and Mad Zach. I try to listen to music outside of my home genre so I don’t end up regurgitating similar ideas.”
Anna: So, you’re one the early electronic producers to get your music out of Canada and into the ears of the rest of the world, I’ve recently come to learn about so many dope Canadian producers and honestly feel there’s so much talent there that kinda feel gets slept on. How do you feel about that statement? How did you start to get your work out?
Alan: “What’s missing in Canada is a culture embedded with the music. You're right that people are not aware of who and what we have. The aim with my label Deviant Audio is to correct for this while pushing forward burgeoning artists. I also launched a YouTube Channel called Cadence focused on exploring music and culture in Toronto through video. My hope is to create a buzz around our scene, cultivating interest so we can grow.”
Anna: As someone whose been at this for quite some time, what advice do you have for young producers?
Alan: “My advice would be to practice making music regularly and strive to improve your skills. Don’t be afraid to be different. Build a strong support group that offers encouragement and honest feedback. Build your communication skills and learn how to foster meaningful relationships. You can make all this great music but your success will be dependent on getting it heard by the right people.”
Anna: I've been stalking your Insta and you've got quite a knack for photography. Are you also doing this professionally?
Alan:“I love to create images that grip an audience. My uncle and brother are talented photographers too. I guess it runs in the family! I have a company called Afflux Media which is focused on creating digital content geared towards the interests of small to medium-sized businesses. Shooting under a wide range of circumstances has only served to enhance that passion.”
Anna: Can you share some other future releases, or upcoming tour plans?
Alan:“There's quite an exciting line-up! Deviant has a lot of material catalogued, including releases from Depf, Greazus, David Louis, Lecoughski, Vortex, Captivate and further undiscovered talent in Toronto. I’m sitting on new music of my own that I’m figuring out how to best release as well.”
The release comes out via Aufect’s Bandcamp July 27th:
https://aufectrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/stranjah-muerte-808-ep-2018-aufp005
By Anna Morgan
