DJ Shadow‘s Liquid Amber imprint continues to push the boundaries of electronic music, showcasing releases with innovation found in few other places. Their latest release in the Digital Dubplates series is a perfect example, featuring a bass laden tune from San Diego’s DJ Pound. Featuring booming 808s, forward-thinking sound design, and a dash of turntablist flair derived from his deep hip-hop influences, ‘Trades’ displays what we’ve come to recognize as the signature sound of this talented individual. Call it ‘trap’ if you like, but this unique style of genre-bending, crossover production has an artistry to it that more straightforward trap music often lacks.
The full stream of ‘Trades’ can be found after the jump; if you’re feelin’ the vibes, you can grab a copy of your own for the extra special price of free. And, if you’re looking to learn a bit more about DJ Pound, we were lucky enough to have him answer a few questions for us. Enjoy!
DJ POUND
Facebook || Soundcloud || Twitter
Tell me a bit about your musical background; what’s the origin story of DJ Pound? Why did you choose that for your alias?
I was trying to find a cool DJ name when I was a kid and that one stood out to me. Music pounding, bass pounding, and weed as well. Dumb kid shit; everyone started calling me that back in high school and it never changed. Just kinda stuck.
Your production style is quite eclectic; how would you describe your sound?
What was the very first piece of electronic music you heard? Did you love it or hate it?
The first thing I remember hearing was Afrika Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock’ and ‘Freestyle’ stuff, when I was just a kid listening to the radio. Loved it; made me want to be a b-boy and learn to pop haha.
What’s been the high point of your career as a musician? The low point?
The high point is definitely getting to work with artists like DJ Shadow, people I’ve looked up to since I was a younger DJ. As for the low point, I’d say it’s having to play lame, commercial gigs that have nothing to do with our culture to make money.
Do you have any major plans for 2016?
I’ve got a few projects in the works, and will be dropping a new EP with Saturate Records later this year.
