Known equally for his prowess behind the decks and his comedic antics, SKisM has risen to the forefront of the scene where he and Never Say Die have fostered and curated one of the most dynamic and talented rosters in all of bass music. With the recent release of Never Say Die & UKF‘s Volume 2 Album Compilation, we here at Your EDM were extremely fortunate to link up with SKisM to gain some insight into the project and the artists making waves over at the label. With records from the dubstep kingpin himself, the Belgian bass technician known as Eptic, and their American counterparts such as Mayhem & Antiserum and Figure, their latest compilation proves once again that when it comes to bass, Never Say Die are in a league of their own. Continue on for the full interview.
Your EDM: How do you think the NSD UKF Vol. 2 showcases the changes that have taken place at the label since the first album release?
SKisM: I think you can really hear the evolution of not only the producer’s respective sounds, but also in bass music in general. A year is a long time in electronic music and 2012 was a really important one for Never Say Die. Everyone really stepped up and we had some big hitters on the label but I felt like we’d be foolish to ignore what other artists are doing, particularly our American peers. This album showcases the best of what we’re known for but also welcomes people like Dirtyloud, Figure, Schoolboy, Antiserum & Mayhem and Buku to highlight the different sounds we’re into right now.
Your EDM: With a project as encompassing as a compilation album, how did you go about the selection process when making the album?
SKisM: Well the first point to consider was what to put on there from the back catalogue. What often amazes us at NSD is how many people still haven’t heard tracks that are fairly old, so we always consider this as a reason to justify bringing older tunes to a new audience. Secondly I set all of our exclusive artists the task of writing something exclusive for the album. Thirdly, I hit up all the external guys whose stuff I’m into and asked what was available. Once it was all in a big folder it was just a matter of imaging what I’d want to hear on a cd, and hey presto NSD Vol.2 was born!
Your EDM: In 2008, your “Down with the Kids” EP was banned in all countries except for North Korea who adopted The Blank as their military theme song. If Kim Jong Un were to ask you for a newer tune from the album to represent his military, which track would you choose?
SKisM: Eptic – Death Ray
Your EDM: In your opinion who’s making the biggest “noise” or “sound” over at NSD?
SKisM: It’s impossible to name a favorite child as we’re super proud of all our guys, but in terms of LOUDNESS, it’s undisputedly Zomboy, the kid is progressing at such an amazing rate, both in production value and as an artist in general.
Your EDM: After the release of your remix of ShockOne’s “Lazerbeam” you stated that you felt that you really tapped back into your roots in breaks. How do you stay inspired as an artist and when making new tunes, do you think about the genre first or is that just a classification that comes after the fact?
SKisM: Yeah, I definitely felt like I was making a Ctrl Z record on that remix. I even used some of my old sounds and samples from back in the day! At the moment I’m staying inspired by trying different things, I wouldn’t say any of them are new as I’ve made all genres of music before but it’s cool to be in a time where you can put out a record outside of your predominant genre and have it heard by the same audience. I don’t really think about the genre as such as most of my tunes are blurry when it comes to that word.
Your EDM: As festival season approaches and the year progresses, what can fans expect from you as far as releases and touring?
SKisM: Touring wise, I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy, lots of festivals (including EDC New York, Shambhala in Canada, Demf in Detroit, Exit festival in Serbia, Secret Garden Party in the UK to name a few..) Unfortunately lots of gigs makes it hard to get in the studio but I’ve got some pretty cool stuff in the works, including a remix package for one of my old tunes (and fan favorite) ‘Elixir’ and another genre blurring single.
Your EDM: Any releases on No Tomorrow Records?
SKisM: No plans for a No Tomorrow release at the moment, but Never Say Never, or Die for that matter.
Once again we’d like to thank SKisM for taking the time to catch up with us and if you haven’t already make sure to check out our review of the entire NSD & UKF Volume 2 Compilation Album here as well as the UKF Megamix below!
