Joshua Melody, better known on stage as Zomboy, has been on an explosive tear since his emergence in the dance music industry in 2011. Since then, Zomboy has steadily grown to become a true focal point of the bass music scene. His hard-hitting style and energy on stage have propelled this rising talent to the top of bass music fans’ radars. With a steady line of touring through the U.S. under his belt as well as his first ever Beatport Remix Competition, we had a chance to sit down with Josh and delve deeper into bass music’s favorite undead prodigy.
In all genres of electronic music, crafting a signature sound that differentiates an artist from their peers is often pivotal if not a necessity. Over the years Josh has continued to progress but attributes most of his success and standout sound to timing. “I think in terms of sound, I did the right thing at the right time by doing the , excuse the quotations, but “brostep” thing and loud noises mixed with melodics. There weren’t that many people doing what I was doing at time so I think that definitely helped. As far as production is concerned I’m like constantly writing and always evolving my sound. Writing on the road and constantly developing tracks has kind of taken me to the next level which I know a lot of people won’t do”
However, in my humble opinion, there is much more to Zomboy’s success than just his timing and his ability to produce on the road. His knowledge of audio engineering, creative vision and openness to experimentation are not skills to be overlooked.
“I did for example ‘Run It’ which is more of a trappy tune and I did that literally for something different. I did it mostly to give the audience something to look forward to when they hear some of my newer zomboy-esque tunes to reassure them of my sound.”
“You can’t honestly make too much of a massive leap in the other direction from your style but showing your diversity and showing you can do something different is important”
“I probably did it more for myself, to do something a bit different. Even if it’s a little off, it keeps them on their feet”
Zomboy further emphasized this desire to experiment with new genres and sounds when speaking directly towards the selection process of his recent Beatport Competition and release on No Tomorrow Recordings:
“To be honest there were so many entries that I tried to keep on top of it but we had so many entries we had street teams go through and select their top picks which were then forwarded to me and I had about 50 to choose from. But yeah there were some amazing remixes and obviously it sucks I had to only choose one. I ended up choosing one that was very different because a lot of people were just doing the same thing and sounding almost too similar to me. I was just looking for a genre that wasn’t as represented on the EP”
Zomboy went on to absolutely destroy Red Rocks Amphitheatre later that evening. On par with every performance of his I have witnessed, his energy behind the decks was simply unparalleled. From thunderous dubstep to driven Drum & Bass and even a little trap here and there, Zomboy is a true entertainer. His live performances are electrifying and something I would strongly encourage any bass music fan to attend at least once in their lifetime.
Looking towards the end of 2013, it appears Josh has no intentions of slowing down:
“My plans are to keep pleasing, write more music, keep diversifying, touring, collaborating, everything musical”
Zomboy is clearly an artist with his thumb on the pulse of heavy bass music. His distinct sound coupled with his personal drive to keep learning and develop appears to be the perfect recipe for continual growth and success. His music is dynamic, energetic and constantly evolving while his live performances are truly a spectacle to be witnessed, giving me the overwhelming feeling that the only direction Zomboy is headed is up.
