Dance Music Northwest virtually sat down with Slowpalace after his recently released single on Music High Court, Quiet Place. This up-and-coming producer filled us in on what his sound means, how he’s been surviving quarantine, and a big moment in his career- so far.
He’s caught the eye of LICK when they produced DISAPPEAR, featuring Sara Skinner. His unique style of atmospheric bass mixed with driving melodies and dark house influences make him a contender to watch.
Quiet Place bookmarks Slowpalace’s venture into the realm of future bass. With a drop similar to Hex Cougar’s sound, the all-instrumental track washes the listener away into an alternate world. Check out Quiet Place out on Music High Court now, and catch our full interview with Slowpalace below.
DMNW: Congrats on the new track, Quiet Place! Can you share how that came to be at all?
Slowpalace: Thank you so much! I made Quiet Place around the later half of last year. I was really starting to experiment with more abrasive and chaotic sounds. I was also inspired by a lot of wave music last year and wanted to incorporate a little bit of those elements. Overall, I don’t think I really set out to make a track like this. It kind of just happened!
DMNW: How has your quarantine been going? Have you picked up any interesting hobbies to pass the time?
Slowpalace: I think things have remained relatively normal for me, but quarantining for so long definitely gets in my head sometimes. Before the lockdowns and self-quarantining began, I was pretty much always an introvert and preferred to stay inside most days. But I’ve also been way more social in terms of messaging friends and talking to them online. After quarantine is over, I’ll make sure to not take socializing and normal interactions for granted anymore, because I’m missing it right now.
Believe it or not, I actually wasn’t that big into DJ’ing before all of this. I was hyper-focused on music production instead. I knew the basics but beyond that, I didn’t really put much time into it. I’m definitely glad I decided to step my game up in that area, taking the time to improve things like mixing, track curation, setlist pacing. Especially with the live streams I’ve done and will do in the future!
DMNW: How would you describe your sound in a few words? Which artists have you drawn inspiration from?
Slowpalace: If I had to describe my sound, I would just say it’s melody-driven, atmospheric, and heavy. Honestly, I’m not too caught up on descriptions and labels for my songs. I’ve been told before that it sounds like there’s a common theme that wraps all of my music together, and that’s so dope to me. Whether I make a house track or a heavy bass song, I’ve always hoped that people would be able to recognize that it’s me just by hearing the song. I’m inspired by a revolving door of artists— it always changes. Right now the main artists would be Habstrakt, Juelz, and Skeler.
DMNW: Is there a feeling you want to convey to fans when they listen to your music for the first time?
Slowpalace: The main thing is a dichotomy between emotional and aggressive. I love the feeling I get when I listen to dance tracks that have very emotional and atmospheric undertones, so that’s what I try to convey. I used a lot of sounds that I’ve never used before in Quiet Place, so the sonic landscape of the song is very different from what I normally release. But the vibe is still the same.
DMNW: If you think of a defining moment in your musical career so far, what would it be?
Slowpalace: Probably the whole timeline between meeting LICK, making Disappear with him, and playing it out with him at Nocturnal 2019. That was a dope moment for me personally. Even though I’m nowhere near my ultimate goals, it was a huge step in the right direction.
DMNW: What’s your dream festival or venue to play at, and why?
I think playing and selling out a headlining show in LA would be the ultimate dream of mine. A venue like The Shrine would be incredible.
DMNW: Is there anything else you want people to know about you personally or the Slowpalace project?
Slowpalace: I have a few online festivals that I will be playing soon, so keep up with my social pages! Besides that, I just want to thank anyone who follows me and listens to my music. I really appreciate your support!
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