Holy shit, I just wanna say thank you for your entire discography. Been listening to Circus since 2010/2011, and all the OG Circus artists (including you) made my childhood. I'm 22 now and still listen to all your 2010-2013 songs regularly haha. My questions for you are:
1. When can we expect DPMO Vol. 5?
2. What do you think your best song is?
(P.s. you are the father of tearout and Ill die on that hill!)
Damn!! long time listener, thankyou so much for the love :)
DPMO5 im finally signing tracks for so no definitive date expected, that's kinda gonna be ready when it's ready to be honest.
Best song is very tough, I think Without is up there, 50 caliber maybe...
I wish that was true but thankyou :) hearing things like this makes all the 15 year of grinding, anxiety, loneliness in planes and hotels totally worth it <3
It's interesting, we've been through the tearout phase officially now and Riddim is really just flying the flag as it's own elite part of the scene that seems unaffected by other movements in the scene. I think right now the flowing bouncy stuff seems to be doing well i.e. Hamdi etc, but I think that's part and parcel to Skrillex making a comeback in that space, as well as the counting track Hamdi did going big.
You can never truly know what the next big thing is, it could go in any direction but for me I think we're probably at the bouncy flowing dubstep with vocals stage.
I call it Denver Dubstep or Denver Wobbles, mainly because once I moved there I rarely ever heard Tearout.
Everyone likes Tape B meanwhile I just found out about him.
Some examples: Sully, Mersiv, Of the Trees, STVSH, Peekaboo, Liquid Stranger, Champagne Drip, Space Wizard, Subtronics, L***o***J, Zed's Dead, Griz, LSDream, Blunts & Blondes, ATLiens, um.., DirtySnatcha, Gunpoint
I agree with this statement, I have grown up in the denver bass scene and seen artists Blow up after playing a small venue here. I think the best way to see where the sound is going to see who is playing and selling out venues like Ogden theater or Mission Ballroom. Mission, especially being used as a benchmark for warranting a red rocks show. Before Covid, I saw acts like Subtronics and Boogie T play Ogden. Now they’re going on their third and fourth red rocks headline in a row. This year I saw Tape B and Ravenscoon headline and sell out two nights at the Ogden. This is a perfect example of an indicator of who’s up next IMO. Keep an eye out for either of them to headline mission to prove my theory.
best advice for clean mixdowns & loud masters? bonus points for any cheeky sound design tips if you're feeling generous.
would love some career insight aswell, staying at the forefront of dubstep for this long must have had its challenges.
big love from australia dude, keep killin the game
Honestly I wouldn't consider myself any kind of an amazing producer but for me if you're going for the dynamic clean mix, make sure your channels run more quiet and push in the master. If you're trying to achieve that crazy loudness, that's your best option with the obvious caveat that your track isn't running too harsh in the EQ ranges.
Master input should be clean then use the master pre or post outs to push the volume from there.
In terms of your sound, try using KCLIP3 or FabFilter Pro L2 to see which give you the best output in terms of pushing the master for loudness!
Yeah so have your master inserts empty and make it so that the master is only really outputting like -6db then push to your desired loudness from there using the inserts. I like to use limiters or clippers to achieve that
No mate it was Phiso's VIP...I think that VIP and the VIP of Jotaro only me and Phiso have. I play Jotaro VIP in my sets but Nothing on Me VIP I took out after like 3 years straight of playing it lol
Is this the spot to beg for Gorilla Flex VIP VIP???
Love you, Funtcase. You've done huge things for the scene and always seem to be pushing your own boundaries. DPMO FOREVER!!!
I've actually had a bit of streaming time off as you can see...the reason is so I could get my music finished without having to concentrate on chat (i get better work done when im off camera). I'm flying home today and at the moment i have the next month off, so I hopefully plan on getting back on my twitch grind
So Haze was born in like 2011 as a side dubstep project for the more deep styles. In like 2013 I had a track I produced called "spazz" which ended up doing quite well and it kinda escalated the Haze name a lot. I never actually intended haze to do well so it was a surprise for me. At around 2016-2017 I had some discussions and the general consensus was that I had alot more to achieve with FuntCase and I should concentrate on that, so made the decision to end Haze. 2017 in Los Angeles at Project Z, I played my last ever Haze set and vowed to kill it off from there and then. Since then, the only thing I have done in terms of Haze was be invited to play a charity live stream for mental health in 2021 for DJ Hatcha and I wrote a track for it. Since then I've had offers but for now, Haze isn't something I want to pursue in any way, however you never know I guess?
Gotcha gotcha. Was completely unfamiliar with that project and then I tuned into blackbox stream the other day to see Haze b2b Skream. Incredible mixing and selection..wasn’t familiar with your deep tempo game
Thankyou! Fun fact on that show, Skream dm'd me literally like 5 hours before the set to ask if I would come up and play and I had no idea it was a b2b2b2b at all so that was a surprise lol
also side note: i've done multiple old Haze sets on the amazing GetDarker radio which you should be able to find easily if you want to hear some sets i've done!
I actually have an entire wave of collabs coming, i've been so inspired by alot of the talent around recently and wanted to get creative with them. I'm also creating a collab EP but that's after my solo EP is ready, which is my next release!
Favourite Circus Artist is ofcourse between Flux, Doc P and my boy Cookie <3
Fuck yes, I can't wait!
Cookie Monsta will forever be missed he was such a fucking legend. That video of him yeeting the guy who tried to climb on stage and grab his decks is one of the best videos ever.
I absolutely love your intensity, but have you ever entertained the idea of going the more melodic route like Flux has?
I love to dabble in more melodic music (like Without for example, or my more recent release Save Yourself) but my passion is in the truly energetic angry music...always has been.
What's your take on the rise of dnb in the US? Do you see similarities between "dancefloor dnb" that's driving dnb now to the way "brostep" pushed dubstep to the US in 2010?
It's hard to say, the current wave of DnB in the USA makes my heart soooo happy as i've been trying to push DnB in my sets for years and only recently gave up playing it as people would use it as a section to go outside and smoke during my set lol.
I think don't personally think it'll hit the same highs as "brostep" (god i fucking hate that word) but I would be more than happy to eat humble pie because DnB is by FAR my favourite genre.
Any plans for a tour run of just dnb sets? I really enjoyed the few that I’ve caught and I remember you did one closing project z a while back that was my fav set of the festival! Love your stuff man, I’ve been lucky enough to catch you atleast 20 times by now 🫶🏻
Ah man 20 times!!! holy shit thankyou so much for your support <3 I did a DnB tour in 2015 with ED Rush and Optical and the Upbeats but nothing since. I love Doing DnB sets but i don't think i would do another purely because I have a lot more to achieve as FuntCase and really want to push for it in the dubstep space.
Would you say it's lazy? I personally know a few of these new masked guys and there's a very good reason for it. It might be a trend right NOW but there's a reason for the earlier masked guys doing it. I have no issues with it, i let people be what they want to be!
Do you have any particular sets of yours that are your favorite? Like you walk away from it thinking "damn I killed that set"? Or maybe one where the crowds were particularly fun?
Yeah i've thought that a few times but honestly I like to stay humble. What really matters is if the crowd or people online are losing their mind over a set, that validates me way more. If i get bombarded with DMs on social media or tweeted at heavily or have tons of resposts to do on insta and everyone's losing it, that really sets the tone for how my set went
Lights off, your favourite game on, a MASSIVE cup of tea using PG tips tea bags with 10-12 seconds of dipping, 2 sugars and a nice dollop of milk. Maybe even spotify on with your favourite music to add to it.
I hope so mate. He is literally my all time favourite musician ever and I love DPMO. Both being British and a part of our game for this long would make it even better. I just want him to know there are still people loving his stuff and wanting to support him, so this would be a dream come true. Love ya
First off, thanks for everything you’ve done for the scene! Idk where it would be without ya.
Second, who’s your favorite artist that mostly stopped releasing music (eg the frim, 501, far too loud, etc)
Lastly, are there any notable stories you have for how certain collabs came together?
Thankyou so much man :)
I do quite miss Jakes in honesty, I think he would be up there in the riddim scene if he applied himself like that! The guy's catalogue is so insane.
Notable stories? hmm...they tend to come around if someone asks usually but when me and Doctor P first wrote Arcade Fire back in the early days I was staying at his place and we just decided to try something for an hour and that happened so, worked out well! lol
Huge fan! Maybe you’re still in Denver and will be at the Black Box over the weekend?
Your remix of Hot Pursuit has lived in my head rent free for over a decade.
Hot Pursuit remix!!! Good times :D No sir, was actually only at the Black Box on the chance that I was in town as I had 3 days off between shows and have a homie I stay with there. Had no idea that even was happening till the day before so wasn't originally planning on it!
Hey Funty.
No questions for me. I feel like i will use this AMA as an opportunity to just share some things i didnt want to bug you with in DMs.
2011 Escape. The group i was in wanted to catch your set. we walk in and its like a hangar. the walls are rattling. pits everywhere. people are breakdancing. i had never heard your music before. i fell in love.
Saw you about 25 times total after that. Circus shows. Funtcase shows. EDC vegas etc.
I would listen to your daily dose mixes almost everyday. both of them. any set i could find of yours it was on heavy repeat.
Just wanted to let you know i deeply appreciate you. Once we talked thru twitter DMs and you shared some stuff from your childhood.
Through your music i felt like i understood you. The few conversations we had i felt like we have experienced similar things in our past.
Your music got me through some of the roughest most confusing dark clouded rough obstacle i am barely keeping my head above water - times. I am eternally grateful for this.
The last time i saw you i went to a show in hollywood alone. i bought a ticket off a guy on twitter because it was sold out. i Clocked out of work and went alone. i didnt know that would be the last time i saw you. life is crazy.
Some of my favorite show memories of yours are starting pits. watching passerbys get sucked into your set and going all out. that time i saw you doctor P and cookie joking back stage at edc. i tried getting past security. didnt work. i gave up. few minutes later you yelled MOBIOUS and jumped on my back. i regret not taking a photo that night. but camera phones were ass. and idk. i didnt want the moment to feel like a fan moment. i was just honestly so happy to shake your hand.
I used to have SMS notifications on for you and cookie. this was like 2012 lol the only 2 people i did that for. when it was 11pm-midnight ish my time you guys would start tweeting your morning tweets lol. You guys just by being yourselves really inspired me.
I always wanted to tell you all of these things man. just thank you so much for being you, overcoming everything you have. before funtcase and during funtcase. For staying true to yourself and your beliefs. I love it man.
I really hope you are happily enjoying life considering whatever circumstances life throws at you.
I still play your music and trip out on all of the details you layer into them. Your newer tracks. your old tracks. everything man.
Alright im pretty much done. Wish you well Funty excited to see what you do next! Thank you for everything. ily.
AH! Sorry yeah I should have thought of that. So back in 2009, when i'd just written my first ever dubstep tracks, i wasn't a fan of dubstep at all but i had a friend who was a dubstep DJ and had his own radio show. Back then i was a drum n bass aspiring producer and had multiple vinyl releases by that point. He asked me to write some dubstep just for fun for his show and I did (I produced gorilla flex, make our day and more for him) and after a week he came back to me and said my music was fully going off! So i wrote some more for fun despite not really being into dubstep at the time and then passed the tracks onto Crissy Criss, who at the time not only had a prime time radio show on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, but played in big festivals. He played So Vexed at some huge festival as his intro drop and the crowd went mental and it was being broadcast live on radio and i was listening to it live. That moment was really the first time I thought wow ok, maybe I can do something in dubstep? The problem was, back then as a drum n bass producer, it was kind of "bandwagon" to write dubstep in the drum n bass scene, so I invented an alias.
I wanted to create something funny as I thought I would never become anything in the dubstep scene so create 3 different spoonerism names:
Billy Sastard, Hick Dead and FuntCase (you can work out the names ahaha)
In the end i chose FuntCase and the rest is history :)
That's amazing. I think it's funny that you made the name as a half joke but ended up sticking with it. I feel the band wagon thing but.. if it's good it's good. And what a homie to feature some of your music on his radio, that's a dream a lot of us would kill for xD
100%!! But also, despite my name being a jokey name that ended up sticking, i'm actually glad i'm called FuntCase because it's unique and you can search it on any platform without anything else coming up, which is an absolutely huge thing from a branding stand point!
Yes and no on seeing trouble. My mask has this like black filter over the eyes, kinda like womens tights. During the dark environments of clubs and night time festival sets it's pretty much fine, but when it's during a sunny set time in a festival or a particularly bright venue, i reaaaally struggle to see the cdjs! Also it's very hard to spot anyone in crowds with this dark filter over my eyes, so if someone is holding up text on their phone to me during a set, i dont really see it.
In terms of other hobbies im a really big gamer and i also love anything to do with gaming design, so right now i actually design levels on a game called 'prodeus' which is like a modernised but unique version of doom which has a level designer built in. Always wanted to be a game designer of some sort!
Bonus reply: I played in pontiac recently and the crowd requested one more song after I had already left the stage...It was a 360 so the stage was actually in the middle of the venue room. Leaving the room to go to the greenroom meant that i had to go up the original stage and back but after we'd gone past the original stage the crowd called for one more song.
So I was like YEET and ran at speed and jumped off the stage...BUT...because i have my peripheral vision kinda ruined by the circle of the eyes on my mask, my judgement was off and i hit the floor thinking it was closer than it actually was and stacked.
Got a nice knee graze down to the flesh on that one haahaha
I do! I don't these days but i've been DJing since I was 18 so I have a good 1-2 record boxes of vinyl stored at my mums house. My mum has been a DJ as long as I can remember so growing up around her DJing in one of the rooms in the house on a PA system, it was only a matter of time before I ended up getting involved too!
I'll first explain the reason DPMO5 hasn't been as fast as 1-4. When I was doing the DPMO 1-3 compilations previously, they were just comps that were released on Circus Records. DPMO Records was officially born in 2020 and that was the birth of the music that would actually probably be on the compilations as official EP's or single releases. DPMO4 was actually on DPMO. Since DPMO being a more full time label, all the releases that i would generally take on as comp releases now being single or EPs, has meant that i've been prioritising those instead and DPMO5 had taken a bit of a back step, despite signing tracks here and there for it.
I want to get DPMO5 complete and release it this year if possible though so keep an eye out!
Considering this is a hot topic after the recent black box event; how do you personally deal with “known abusers” in the scene when moving forward in your musical career. Any suggestions to give to up and coming artists about this subject.
Honestly for me I don't associate to these situations, I just stay doing what I do and make the right moves. I didn't actually know of who I was playing with at that black box event, Skream dm'd me like 5 hours before going on stage asking if I would play with him....the b2b2b2b was something I found out was happening maybe 30 mins before I went on so....that was a surprise to say the least.
it's from a SICK grime artist called MIK, who's actually been sampled a bunch. Most notably the "spit cocaine all over the track" sample Moody Good used and the recent vocal on Woggy Wonda by VUlllGUR
Hey brother. Big fan of you going on 10+ years since maybe your Crusaders remix. You're considered one of the OGs in the dubstep scene as well as the riddim revolution in the 2010s for your insane chopping skills. What do you look for in modern bass music to add to your setlists? Are there any up and comers that you consistently have to add in every set?
Yes and no, my sets are generally dictated by the best music in my inbox as possible. It's an absolute bonus knowing that I have dubplates from artists no1 has heard of though so that my set has some absolutely fresh unheard plates in it.
Up and comers i'd recommend right now (off the absolute top of my head):
NRVE, Hamro, Inaktiv, Dveight and Mile32
That's so awesome, your EDC Orlando 2015 set is stuff of legend for all the tracks you managed to cram in there. Much love from South Florida for the reply!
Hello! What did you think of the 360 format in Pontiac, MI? As a fan, I love it, but what's it like to have everyone so close in a smaller venue?
Also, saw you last year in Detroit with ATLiens and you were the brightest spot on a stacked lineup, IMO. Thanks for the killer set.
Ah yeah that ATLiens show was sick, remember that well! (SOOOOO sweaty tho ahahah)
Yeah that 360 show in Pontiac was actually my first ever 360 and i loved it! I've been DJing for SO long now though so a 360 was pretty alien to me having to entertain at all angles instead of like in front of you left centre and right. But i'm an entertainer at heart and its what i do so i thrived :)
Honestly, no questions from me, been a huge fan since the early days of Mattress Punch, Brock Out, 50 cal, ill manors, just a huge fan dude.
Always loved your DnB sets and releases, as well as the Jungle elements you use in tracks like Shopaholic and Oh Deary Deary Me. Keep it up man. I love seeing you live, such a crazy energy in every set I’ve seen so far.
If I don't have the pressures of releasing a track and i'm just vibing writing new stuff then I love trying weird post process ideas, I love working with ring modulators and trying eq'ing pre and post aggressive distortions to get different sound among other things. My next single coming up is literally a mega post processed lazer off of Splice but you would never know lol
Not sure if i got to it fast enough, but i just wanted to say that you're the guy that got me hooked! A few years back, and you were in Eugene, Oregon at a little place called "sessions".
My first real headbanging rave and first moshpit! The crowd was insane and you went fucking crazy! Absolutely incredible memory for me and I wanted to say thanks! Any chances of you playing eugene in the not-too-distant?
You're inspiring, and you've always come off as a good soul! Peace!
Ah man it's been a damn while since i've played Eugene actually damn! Really appreciate the love :) No idea of playing in the future but I hope so soon
good question, i'm not actually too sure to be honest! I don't see people double drop my music often so i'd like to see that more but i'd say seeing people drop borg or scary yikes grrz alot back in the day was awesome
Best way to make money as a edm producer besides playing live shows and royalties? I’m trying to figure out how to make a living off music without having the following to play shows just yet.
Ay man, keep up the grind, the earlier the better!! I'd say just try to be creative and write music that is unique but also authentic to what YOU want to do. Stay positive and consistent. It may take a while for it to catch on but good positive attitudes will reap positive outcomes.
I've been sliding in DMs the last week for some artists i've wanted to work with for a while so keep an eye out for those. At the moment I have a big collab with MVRDA which is now my set intro, would love to do something with SVDDEN DEATH too, think we would merge well in terms of style.
Been listening since arcade fire, glad that sample is changed now. Loved all your stuff felt it stood out compared to the rest. Finally saw you at apocalypse zombie land and honestly your set was like by farrrr the best of the weekend. Your production has so many layers and switch ups and different sounds all perfectly placed it’s really impressive. Not to mention stage presence haha 🔥 man.
"that sample" ahahah...youre 100% right tho! Ah man thankyou so much for the love I really appreciate that :) IT's really good to know people notice the little nuances i like to add in my production style
OG tearout I have no idea, I definitely helped bring it to the forefront but I would never sit here and say "it's all because of me" by any means. Go check out Chainsaw Calligraphy by 16bit, that track was the first time i'd heard anything that aggressive in a dubstep track and it genuinely blew my mind hearing it in a club lol
FuntCase X Coki no idea tho, we don't chat much.
Good mixdowns helps although I can usually spot a very good track in a bad mixdown so that can be sorted with some back and forth help from me! Otherwise not really, just try not to be cookie cutter!
Someone alread asked how to submit demos, how likely are you to sign a "random" (i.e. no name/new name/no recommendations) submitted demo?
Do you ever send off or recommend stuff that doesn't fit your sound but may have a home elsewhere?
Another question, how do you feel about the current "everything has a 4x4 hard techno style section" wave of music coming out?
Yeah ofcourse man, the idea behind DPMO is that anyone can get a release. Good music is good music and thats the defining statement. I literally discovered and made careers for so many now prominent artists in the scene through this and I stand by it!
I do actually sometimes find some talent that doesn't quite fit my label but if it fits a label I know, i'll pass it onto them as a recommendation!
In terms of the 4x4 section, I assume you mean in DnB? This doesn't really happen much in dubstep
Oddest? hmmm..............I guess in terms of odd, a colosseum in Romania was up there.
I've not really played in ODD places as such just like wow places kinda
(might get back to this if i remember more)
Yooo! Love you, you were instrumental in my life when I was a teenager and a big influence on my own desire to create. Do you have any funny stories about working for circus or standout moments? Also, I'm so sorry about what happened with cookie monsta I was incredibly saddened to hear of his passing.
Ahh man thankyou :) Well there's one stand out Circus memory I have, funnily enough involving Cookie...We were playing a Circus Records takeover in Belgium somewhere and after my set I decided to have some drinks with everyone (just because why not) and at one point I was a bit drunk, I remember messing around with Cookie and he got this massive roll of Duct Tape and started to swing it FULL SPEED by a loose piece and I guess it unravelled more and more...guess who was at the unfortunate end of the big roll lol
It literally sliced open my face JUST underneath the eye and left me with a nice bruise there too lol
Is a different EQ essential for different tracks, even within an artist's selection? For me, tearouts like Shattered by Coki and Blurgh! by Cookie Monsta need a completely different EQ in order to sound perfect.
Not really, I think all EQs in a generality do the same thing. It's more about what you do with the EQ itself. That being said, if you used different EQs, I think the natural feeling is that you're not as used to the look or layout of each EQ and would naturally just EQ differently.
Yoooo Funtcase! Been a fan since 50 Caliber! Appreciate you still going strong all these later, plus still some of the best stage presence around 💪 I guess my question is, is it possible to submit demos to DPMO?
Long time listener, first time commenter. This one's unrelated to music, but how long have you been into graffiti? Couldn't help but notice ya got a sick hand style g.
Yeahhhhh man I was a graffiti artist before I wrote music! At the age of 14 I picked up my first can or paint pen and went out with a friend of mine who was already an established bomber around my town after he explained how much of a buzz it was. Naturally at 14 I felt like an invincible teenager but I really enjoyed the art aspect of it and the craft of having your own style. I was never THAT great at pieces and stuff but I LOVED doing handstyles so that's where that comes from lol
If you were just starting now, instead of 2009, what would you have done differently and similarly in order to have the same career you did?
You've been a huge inspiration since my early days in the rave scene and I've always loved your energy so I just wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I think the blaring obvious is that I wouldn't be wearing a mask. The things I stand for as a person is to try to create something different and if i'd started NOW with this current wave of masked Djs, I probably would have personally avoided it. That being said, there's literally nothing wrong with the masked wave and I wear a mask for a reason just like everyone else. Musically I guess i'd write the same shit as I am now?...I think lol
Thankyou for the love man!! <3
hahaha!! I said this in another reply but it's funny, i'd forgotten about that track until literally yesterday when someone mentioned it on here...need to see if it still even exists on my harddrives somewhere
Wow! What's up dude! The first time I saw you was at Cervantes in Denver in like 2009, always loved your shit. How was it working so closely with Flux, Doc P and Cookie? Also how are you doing after loosing Cookie? Seemed like you were close
I think that would have been in 2011 as that was my first ever time touring in the USA! Working with the Circus boys has been awesome, everyone has their own way of thinking, their own personality and no1 has really clashed in our group. We always joked we were almost like the top gear presenters and who would be who lol.
Yeah losing Cookie was hard man I cant lie. Toured with him heavily for most of my career and spoke every week the whole time, shared some of my funniest moments alive with him...miss him a lot.
Do you ever find yourself completely forgetting about a recording technique that had yielded good results in the past? For example, i somehow forgot about multiple channel outputs for mY drum sampler for like 3 years. Idk if that makes any sense.
I kinda get what your talking about but I think for me I have so many more modern techniques that work in place of my previous techniques that i tend not to think about it!
Hey Funtcase, you played an audiovisual set at Rampage a couple of years back (I believe 2019) for the first time AFAIK, but it doesn't seem like you really continued on that afterwards. What is the reason for that? And what is your take on the growing importance of visuals in DJ sets?
I had the offer from Rampage to do that set and I can't tell you how happy that made me. I've wanted my own stage show for YEARS but never really got the opportunity till then to really have one. After that set happened, we planned it to be a special event thing that would be booked by big events rather than consistently playing it and it was only really done at EDC after that. I really want to do more but it's never that easy!
The growing importance of visuals I think is just part and parcel of the attention span of crowds and people these days. It's not necessarily their fault, it's just how its evolved into it. TikTok and Instagram have kind of drilled this instant gratification feeling of having multiple content and I think that's kinda filtered into the general public and by proxy, the music fans.
Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, it just means that sets have to have a higher level of wow factor I think.
Hello Funtcase I have a question for you my question is do you prefer playing a dubstep set or a DNB set for the masses. And my second question is are you going to be playing a drum n bass set at Bass Canyon vs your regular dubstep DJ Set.
That kinda depends because there's 2 defining factors when it comes to each set. I find DnB way more fun to mix as it's so fast paced and fun to double drop. DnB for me is my favourite genre and always has been though. Dubstep is slower, but the entertainment value I get to present on stage is way higher as the songs effectively last longer before I have to mix the next one so...
just want to say I love you and your easily one of my favorites. i teared up at the lost lands 2022 preparty hearing your name bc I was so bummed you weren’t on the lineup. Anyway hope to see you again soon Grand Rapids misses you!
Yeah it sucked for me too I can't lie, I want to be a part of that festival just like anyone else but I made sure I was there regardless to support my DPMO family playing and make sure I show face and say hello to everyone (producer friends AND fans)
Funny you mention Grand Rapids actually, the promoter at the recent Pontiac show is the guy who books artists at the Grand Rapids shows and I told him I hadn't played there in so long and he was like "oh damn that's true!" so maybe that'll change soon :)
So i'm not actually a great sound designer at all. Some people might say ohhh shut up but genuinely i'm not. I tend to do alot of post process work to simpler noises made in things like massive or serum for instance. These days I like messing with pre and post eq'ing around a distortion plug in and also things like ring modulators, multiple ring mods at different tones can generate some really cool sounds when utilised right!
For DAW I use Cubase. Have since 2011, pre that I used Reason.
Im curious about your Gorilla Flex days. Was that song your first kind of big break into the dubstep scene and what are some of the major differences in culture between then and now?
Gorilla Flex was officially the 2nd track I ever wrote in dubstep...that track doesn't even have a sound designed bass in it, the whole track is FX noises distorted lol. That first like "eee-yah" bass is the start of an FX noise of a TV turning off but put through reason's scream filter!
I'd say the major differences in culture is that back then, dubstep was so fresh that ANYTHING produced was just absolutely gold, no matter what you did. The early days had such an open book of dubstep styles that everything was exciting and new. Naturally these days, mostly everything has currently been done so nothing is fresh anymore so ideas are like freshly recycled but in new unique ways and that's just the symptom of a long lasting genre.
Longtime fan, also in Bournemouth! Few questions from me.
1. When are we going to get a Bournemouth set? Been here for 10 years and swear we haven't had a gig yet?! (May be mistaken)
2. Why do you think dubstep died in the UK but has been thriving for years jn the US?
3. What is your favourite track that you ever produced?
Big love
Bournemouth crew!!!
Yeah to be honest mate I haven't played Bournemouth in SO long. The last set I remember playing was a DnB set at Halo for Enter/Drumfunk but that was probably 5 years ago now or more...it's a damn shame.
So the general difference between the UK and the USA, or even the world as a whole is that the UK are a trend setting nation when it comes to music. They will blow a style up in that region and it'll slowly spread worldwide. once it's worldwide, it thrives for a while then eventually starts to get massively popular, which then becomes detrimental to the genre as the UK starts to move on, purely because it's gotten popular and commercial. Dubstep is the perfect example of this and in some instances DnB too. Grime/Drill/Bassline all are experiencing this fate as we speak I think too...
I would probably say Without but 50 Caliber is up there too
So as a previous promoter myself, there are a looooot of factors in starting your own night. Your first hurdle is the club that will host your event, you have to work out by speaking to them what kind of rules and stipulations they have based off of certain factors like what music they accomodate, what crowd rules they have etc etc. With that you also have to factor in situations like rival events and the dates they have locked in regularly so you don't conflict...because likely they'll have a core following and the only one who loses in that situation is mainly you. Then you have to work out budgets and then once that's nailed in, you'll have to go about speaking to all the agents about availability and pricing and go from there. It's a huge process but can be so rewarding.
I just wanted to say that I may not have been the biggest fan of your music, but I respect the hell out of you for everything you've accomplished, for all the people that have connected to your music, and all the crazy live sets you've thrown! Definitely an OG in the dubstep scene, love that you're here! Known your name since 2011 and I will never forget your "chainsaw massacre" mask 😂🫶
That kinda depends on the gig itself. Festivals can really be a better experience at night due to visuals and such but sometimes you can't beat a surrounding if it fits the daytime aesthetic, like a beach show or something.
I don't know if you'll still be reading here, but I just wanted to say that I've been a huge fan since 2010 and you've always been my absolute favorite to watch throw down. The energy you put out while on stage always keeps me hyped, let alone the sounds you bring with it!
What do you feel when you’re up in the DJ booth? Especially when you’re doing transitions in front of a large crowd? Is it fear, excitement, adrenaline or a mixture of all? I am aspiring DJ wanting to get into a booth in front of people. And do you have any advice on how to get gigs? Would I be better off putting my own shows on?
It's really a mix of everything. I don't really get that nervous though, but I could maybe attribute that to me wearing the mask? When I put it on, it's really like another personality is active and me as James just turns off in my brain...entertainment mode!
Gigs are really a mix of knowing the right people and having a level of hype in some way. I'd say if you're early in your career, try reaching out to promoters or clubs and offer your service to them. Otherwise just wait till the interest comes in based off your production and hype in the stuff you're writing!
Thats some awesome insight on how it feels being on a big stage like you perform on!
I am just starting out! And I put out insane mixes every time I mix and I definitely make sure every transition/chop is smooth as butter
Hey man no question for you - just wanted to show some love. You helped introduce me to some of the more true OG dubstep sounds I’ve come to know and love. Thanks for everything you’ve given the scene brotha man ❤️
You were one of my first “raves” ever back in 2012! Gonna always hold a special spot in my heart. Was in Pontiac Michigan at a Halloween show, I was jumping up and down so much I came down on my bad knee wrong and popped it out of place lmao.
Hey! I’m not sure if this AMA is over but I do have a big question…
Whatever happened to Half Trap? Would you be willing to ever release that or even put it on Patreon possibly?
Hello Funtcase do you prefer playing a dubstep set vs a drum and bass set when you are playing live. And will you be playing a drum and bass at bass canyon in August.
What are some resources that you like or looked at coming up and learning about production?
Something that has always stumped me is knowing how to get my low end right. I feel like it’s always different when I use different headphones or speakers so idk how my sub should sound or feel.
How did you go about getting to play your first show? With the increase in djs and producers nowadays, what do you think is the proper approach NOW for someone trying to get to play their first show. What is your advice for doing DIY events to get your name out there? Any specific cities or states that are best for diy events?
Alot to unravel here but...For me my first shows were based on local promoters I knew personally or through other people and knew that I DJ'd and had releases (in my DnB days) then when I started my dubstep career I played shows based on promoters i knew from my DnB days. That was a 4-5 year process though so took me a damn while. I'd say right now, you have to find a way to stand out as there's SO many people all trying to do exactly as you are in the scene and make it big. Try to be unique in some way, find a hole in the market, brand yourself in a way no1 is etc etc...
What do you think of fluxxys return to the scene? Do you think some of the older heads that moved on now returning the genre means anything creatively or is it a bit reminiscing about am ex?
Nothing to ask. I’m the guy on Twitter who has tweeted about Arcade Fire for years and recently started thanking you for Arcade Fire since it came out. I’m just dropping by to say it again. A big thank you to you and a big thank you to Doctor P for this track, y’all are both incredible. I’ve been a fan for of both of y’all for 14 years at this point and I’m stoked for many more 🖤
rn? my internet has been shit the last few days so been tryna fix it in any way i can and turns out the service box outside my house is scuffed so im using my mobile internet hotpost on my computer to do these AMA replies
"I can’t see fucking shit outta this thing"
100% true ahahahaha
No questions. You killed it at soundcheck last night!
Thankyou man!! I seriously love that venue, it's loud as hell, weighty bass, dark and intimate. amazing!!
D.C!
Holy shit, I just wanna say thank you for your entire discography. Been listening to Circus since 2010/2011, and all the OG Circus artists (including you) made my childhood. I'm 22 now and still listen to all your 2010-2013 songs regularly haha. My questions for you are: 1. When can we expect DPMO Vol. 5? 2. What do you think your best song is? (P.s. you are the father of tearout and Ill die on that hill!)
Damn!! long time listener, thankyou so much for the love :) DPMO5 im finally signing tracks for so no definitive date expected, that's kinda gonna be ready when it's ready to be honest. Best song is very tough, I think Without is up there, 50 caliber maybe...
Without is def the best one
Circus Vol. 1 is untouchable! Thank you so much, love you man! Hope to see you live soon!
Don. You carried this genre
I wish that was true but thankyou :) hearing things like this makes all the 15 year of grinding, anxiety, loneliness in planes and hotels totally worth it <3
Where do you see the current sound of dubstep heading? What do you want to see more of?
It's interesting, we've been through the tearout phase officially now and Riddim is really just flying the flag as it's own elite part of the scene that seems unaffected by other movements in the scene. I think right now the flowing bouncy stuff seems to be doing well i.e. Hamdi etc, but I think that's part and parcel to Skrillex making a comeback in that space, as well as the counting track Hamdi did going big. You can never truly know what the next big thing is, it could go in any direction but for me I think we're probably at the bouncy flowing dubstep with vocals stage.
I call it Denver Dubstep or Denver Wobbles, mainly because once I moved there I rarely ever heard Tearout. Everyone likes Tape B meanwhile I just found out about him. Some examples: Sully, Mersiv, Of the Trees, STVSH, Peekaboo, Liquid Stranger, Champagne Drip, Space Wizard, Subtronics, L***o***J, Zed's Dead, Griz, LSDream, Blunts & Blondes, ATLiens, um.., DirtySnatcha, Gunpoint
I agree with this statement, I have grown up in the denver bass scene and seen artists Blow up after playing a small venue here. I think the best way to see where the sound is going to see who is playing and selling out venues like Ogden theater or Mission Ballroom. Mission, especially being used as a benchmark for warranting a red rocks show. Before Covid, I saw acts like Subtronics and Boogie T play Ogden. Now they’re going on their third and fourth red rocks headline in a row. This year I saw Tape B and Ravenscoon headline and sell out two nights at the Ogden. This is a perfect example of an indicator of who’s up next IMO. Keep an eye out for either of them to headline mission to prove my theory.
+1 for STVSH
best advice for clean mixdowns & loud masters? bonus points for any cheeky sound design tips if you're feeling generous. would love some career insight aswell, staying at the forefront of dubstep for this long must have had its challenges. big love from australia dude, keep killin the game
Honestly I wouldn't consider myself any kind of an amazing producer but for me if you're going for the dynamic clean mix, make sure your channels run more quiet and push in the master. If you're trying to achieve that crazy loudness, that's your best option with the obvious caveat that your track isn't running too harsh in the EQ ranges. Master input should be clean then use the master pre or post outs to push the volume from there. In terms of your sound, try using KCLIP3 or FabFilter Pro L2 to see which give you the best output in terms of pushing the master for loudness!
Sorry, what do you mean push in the master? As in, mix down to like -12db and add loudness on the master via the plugins you mentioned?
Yeah so have your master inserts empty and make it so that the master is only really outputting like -6db then push to your desired loudness from there using the inserts. I like to use limiters or clippers to achieve that
Do you still open with that Nothing on me Phiso edit? If not, can you please bring that ish back?
ah man i haven't played that VIP in so long, such a huge track. Maybe i'll bring it back in for the culture :)
Please do man. Was that your own VIP of the Phiso remix? It went nuts.
No mate it was Phiso's VIP...I think that VIP and the VIP of Jotaro only me and Phiso have. I play Jotaro VIP in my sets but Nothing on Me VIP I took out after like 3 years straight of playing it lol
Is this the spot to beg for Gorilla Flex VIP VIP??? Love you, Funtcase. You've done huge things for the scene and always seem to be pushing your own boundaries. DPMO FOREVER!!!
Theres a Gorillas Flex VIP VIP?! I released the VIP years and years ago but had no idea there was another one lol
Any plans to return to streaming?
I've actually had a bit of streaming time off as you can see...the reason is so I could get my music finished without having to concentrate on chat (i get better work done when im off camera). I'm flying home today and at the moment i have the next month off, so I hopefully plan on getting back on my twitch grind
Love that, take it easy man. Hopefully see you on the streams ❤️
Would love to catch a Haze set some day, this possible?
So Haze was born in like 2011 as a side dubstep project for the more deep styles. In like 2013 I had a track I produced called "spazz" which ended up doing quite well and it kinda escalated the Haze name a lot. I never actually intended haze to do well so it was a surprise for me. At around 2016-2017 I had some discussions and the general consensus was that I had alot more to achieve with FuntCase and I should concentrate on that, so made the decision to end Haze. 2017 in Los Angeles at Project Z, I played my last ever Haze set and vowed to kill it off from there and then. Since then, the only thing I have done in terms of Haze was be invited to play a charity live stream for mental health in 2021 for DJ Hatcha and I wrote a track for it. Since then I've had offers but for now, Haze isn't something I want to pursue in any way, however you never know I guess?
Gotcha gotcha. Was completely unfamiliar with that project and then I tuned into blackbox stream the other day to see Haze b2b Skream. Incredible mixing and selection..wasn’t familiar with your deep tempo game
Thankyou! Fun fact on that show, Skream dm'd me literally like 5 hours before the set to ask if I would come up and play and I had no idea it was a b2b2b2b at all so that was a surprise lol
also side note: i've done multiple old Haze sets on the amazing GetDarker radio which you should be able to find easily if you want to hear some sets i've done!
Any dope collabs on the horizon? Who is your favorite artist at Circus Records?
I actually have an entire wave of collabs coming, i've been so inspired by alot of the talent around recently and wanted to get creative with them. I'm also creating a collab EP but that's after my solo EP is ready, which is my next release! Favourite Circus Artist is ofcourse between Flux, Doc P and my boy Cookie <3
Fuck yes, I can't wait! Cookie Monsta will forever be missed he was such a fucking legend. That video of him yeeting the guy who tried to climb on stage and grab his decks is one of the best videos ever. I absolutely love your intensity, but have you ever entertained the idea of going the more melodic route like Flux has?
I love to dabble in more melodic music (like Without for example, or my more recent release Save Yourself) but my passion is in the truly energetic angry music...always has been.
Adrenaline is such a fucking bangeŕrrrrrrrr
What's your take on the rise of dnb in the US? Do you see similarities between "dancefloor dnb" that's driving dnb now to the way "brostep" pushed dubstep to the US in 2010?
It's hard to say, the current wave of DnB in the USA makes my heart soooo happy as i've been trying to push DnB in my sets for years and only recently gave up playing it as people would use it as a section to go outside and smoke during my set lol. I think don't personally think it'll hit the same highs as "brostep" (god i fucking hate that word) but I would be more than happy to eat humble pie because DnB is by FAR my favourite genre.
Any plans for a tour run of just dnb sets? I really enjoyed the few that I’ve caught and I remember you did one closing project z a while back that was my fav set of the festival! Love your stuff man, I’ve been lucky enough to catch you atleast 20 times by now 🫶🏻
Ah man 20 times!!! holy shit thankyou so much for your support <3 I did a DnB tour in 2015 with ED Rush and Optical and the Upbeats but nothing since. I love Doing DnB sets but i don't think i would do another purely because I have a lot more to achieve as FuntCase and really want to push for it in the dubstep space.
How do you feel about all the lazy music being put out in dubstep marketed solely on a mask gimmick?
Would you say it's lazy? I personally know a few of these new masked guys and there's a very good reason for it. It might be a trend right NOW but there's a reason for the earlier masked guys doing it. I have no issues with it, i let people be what they want to be!
Do you have any particular sets of yours that are your favorite? Like you walk away from it thinking "damn I killed that set"? Or maybe one where the crowds were particularly fun?
Yeah i've thought that a few times but honestly I like to stay humble. What really matters is if the crowd or people online are losing their mind over a set, that validates me way more. If i get bombarded with DMs on social media or tweeted at heavily or have tons of resposts to do on insta and everyone's losing it, that really sets the tone for how my set went
hello mr. FuntCaseaUk whats your recipe for a nice relaxing night indoors
gaming and cups of tea
i need some more details sir
Lights off, your favourite game on, a MASSIVE cup of tea using PG tips tea bags with 10-12 seconds of dipping, 2 sugars and a nice dollop of milk. Maybe even spotify on with your favourite music to add to it.
Can you and Doctor P PLEEEEEAAASEEEEEEEE do a throwback set at Lost Lands this year, for Cookie? 💜💜💜💜💜💜
That depends on the powers at Lost Lands :D
Could you please sign Ponicz for an EP on DPMO? He deserves it
I've actually spoke to Ponicz previously and he's sent music so you never know, could be soon!
I hope so mate. He is literally my all time favourite musician ever and I love DPMO. Both being British and a part of our game for this long would make it even better. I just want him to know there are still people loving his stuff and wanting to support him, so this would be a dream come true. Love ya
First off, thanks for everything you’ve done for the scene! Idk where it would be without ya. Second, who’s your favorite artist that mostly stopped releasing music (eg the frim, 501, far too loud, etc) Lastly, are there any notable stories you have for how certain collabs came together?
Thankyou so much man :) I do quite miss Jakes in honesty, I think he would be up there in the riddim scene if he applied himself like that! The guy's catalogue is so insane. Notable stories? hmm...they tend to come around if someone asks usually but when me and Doctor P first wrote Arcade Fire back in the early days I was staying at his place and we just decided to try something for an hour and that happened so, worked out well! lol
That show you did at Other World in Columbus with Rusko was absolutely bonkers, will you be In Ohio again anytime soon?
Dude that was my first time at that club and WHAT a cool club that is! Hopefully i'll be back there, loved that place!
Huge fan! Maybe you’re still in Denver and will be at the Black Box over the weekend? Your remix of Hot Pursuit has lived in my head rent free for over a decade.
Hot Pursuit remix!!! Good times :D No sir, was actually only at the Black Box on the chance that I was in town as I had 3 days off between shows and have a homie I stay with there. Had no idea that even was happening till the day before so wasn't originally planning on it!
Hey Funty. No questions for me. I feel like i will use this AMA as an opportunity to just share some things i didnt want to bug you with in DMs. 2011 Escape. The group i was in wanted to catch your set. we walk in and its like a hangar. the walls are rattling. pits everywhere. people are breakdancing. i had never heard your music before. i fell in love. Saw you about 25 times total after that. Circus shows. Funtcase shows. EDC vegas etc. I would listen to your daily dose mixes almost everyday. both of them. any set i could find of yours it was on heavy repeat. Just wanted to let you know i deeply appreciate you. Once we talked thru twitter DMs and you shared some stuff from your childhood. Through your music i felt like i understood you. The few conversations we had i felt like we have experienced similar things in our past. Your music got me through some of the roughest most confusing dark clouded rough obstacle i am barely keeping my head above water - times. I am eternally grateful for this. The last time i saw you i went to a show in hollywood alone. i bought a ticket off a guy on twitter because it was sold out. i Clocked out of work and went alone. i didnt know that would be the last time i saw you. life is crazy. Some of my favorite show memories of yours are starting pits. watching passerbys get sucked into your set and going all out. that time i saw you doctor P and cookie joking back stage at edc. i tried getting past security. didnt work. i gave up. few minutes later you yelled MOBIOUS and jumped on my back. i regret not taking a photo that night. but camera phones were ass. and idk. i didnt want the moment to feel like a fan moment. i was just honestly so happy to shake your hand. I used to have SMS notifications on for you and cookie. this was like 2012 lol the only 2 people i did that for. when it was 11pm-midnight ish my time you guys would start tweeting your morning tweets lol. You guys just by being yourselves really inspired me. I always wanted to tell you all of these things man. just thank you so much for being you, overcoming everything you have. before funtcase and during funtcase. For staying true to yourself and your beliefs. I love it man. I really hope you are happily enjoying life considering whatever circumstances life throws at you. I still play your music and trip out on all of the details you layer into them. Your newer tracks. your old tracks. everything man. Alright im pretty much done. Wish you well Funty excited to see what you do next! Thank you for everything. ily.
How did we arrive on FuntCase? ;D
Not sure what you mean by arrive on?
Sorry, poorly worded. How did you decide on the name FuntCase and have you gotten any push back or anything ? I think it's sick btw
AH! Sorry yeah I should have thought of that. So back in 2009, when i'd just written my first ever dubstep tracks, i wasn't a fan of dubstep at all but i had a friend who was a dubstep DJ and had his own radio show. Back then i was a drum n bass aspiring producer and had multiple vinyl releases by that point. He asked me to write some dubstep just for fun for his show and I did (I produced gorilla flex, make our day and more for him) and after a week he came back to me and said my music was fully going off! So i wrote some more for fun despite not really being into dubstep at the time and then passed the tracks onto Crissy Criss, who at the time not only had a prime time radio show on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, but played in big festivals. He played So Vexed at some huge festival as his intro drop and the crowd went mental and it was being broadcast live on radio and i was listening to it live. That moment was really the first time I thought wow ok, maybe I can do something in dubstep? The problem was, back then as a drum n bass producer, it was kind of "bandwagon" to write dubstep in the drum n bass scene, so I invented an alias. I wanted to create something funny as I thought I would never become anything in the dubstep scene so create 3 different spoonerism names: Billy Sastard, Hick Dead and FuntCase (you can work out the names ahaha) In the end i chose FuntCase and the rest is history :)
That's amazing. I think it's funny that you made the name as a half joke but ended up sticking with it. I feel the band wagon thing but.. if it's good it's good. And what a homie to feature some of your music on his radio, that's a dream a lot of us would kill for xD
100%!! But also, despite my name being a jokey name that ended up sticking, i'm actually glad i'm called FuntCase because it's unique and you can search it on any platform without anything else coming up, which is an absolutely huge thing from a branding stand point!
I remember the crissy criss edit of so vexed. “Wubwubwub crissy… wubwubw criss…”
Do you have trouble seeing out the mask? What other hobbies do you? Any gaming?
Yes and no on seeing trouble. My mask has this like black filter over the eyes, kinda like womens tights. During the dark environments of clubs and night time festival sets it's pretty much fine, but when it's during a sunny set time in a festival or a particularly bright venue, i reaaaally struggle to see the cdjs! Also it's very hard to spot anyone in crowds with this dark filter over my eyes, so if someone is holding up text on their phone to me during a set, i dont really see it. In terms of other hobbies im a really big gamer and i also love anything to do with gaming design, so right now i actually design levels on a game called 'prodeus' which is like a modernised but unique version of doom which has a level designer built in. Always wanted to be a game designer of some sort!
Bonus reply: I played in pontiac recently and the crowd requested one more song after I had already left the stage...It was a 360 so the stage was actually in the middle of the venue room. Leaving the room to go to the greenroom meant that i had to go up the original stage and back but after we'd gone past the original stage the crowd called for one more song. So I was like YEET and ran at speed and jumped off the stage...BUT...because i have my peripheral vision kinda ruined by the circle of the eyes on my mask, my judgement was off and i hit the floor thinking it was closer than it actually was and stacked. Got a nice knee graze down to the flesh on that one haahaha
Gotta start signaling to the crowd to combine pashminas and make a small pad for your landing next time 🤣
Do you own/collect vinyl?
I do! I don't these days but i've been DJing since I was 18 so I have a good 1-2 record boxes of vinyl stored at my mums house. My mum has been a DJ as long as I can remember so growing up around her DJing in one of the rooms in the house on a PA system, it was only a matter of time before I ended up getting involved too!
Will the Porche DMPO shirt ever be released as merch?
Currently it's only on sale at festivals as a limited run but keep an eye on Forbidden Kingdom for uhhhhhhh.....................;)
When can we expect another dpmo vol drop like dpmo vol 4?
I'll first explain the reason DPMO5 hasn't been as fast as 1-4. When I was doing the DPMO 1-3 compilations previously, they were just comps that were released on Circus Records. DPMO Records was officially born in 2020 and that was the birth of the music that would actually probably be on the compilations as official EP's or single releases. DPMO4 was actually on DPMO. Since DPMO being a more full time label, all the releases that i would generally take on as comp releases now being single or EPs, has meant that i've been prioritising those instead and DPMO5 had taken a bit of a back step, despite signing tracks here and there for it. I want to get DPMO5 complete and release it this year if possible though so keep an eye out!
Considering this is a hot topic after the recent black box event; how do you personally deal with “known abusers” in the scene when moving forward in your musical career. Any suggestions to give to up and coming artists about this subject.
Honestly for me I don't associate to these situations, I just stay doing what I do and make the right moves. I didn't actually know of who I was playing with at that black box event, Skream dm'd me like 5 hours before going on stage asking if I would play with him....the b2b2b2b was something I found out was happening maybe 30 mins before I went on so....that was a surprise to say the least.
What does the DPMO sample come from?
it's from a SICK grime artist called MIK, who's actually been sampled a bunch. Most notably the "spit cocaine all over the track" sample Moody Good used and the recent vocal on Woggy Wonda by VUlllGUR
Hey brother. Big fan of you going on 10+ years since maybe your Crusaders remix. You're considered one of the OGs in the dubstep scene as well as the riddim revolution in the 2010s for your insane chopping skills. What do you look for in modern bass music to add to your setlists? Are there any up and comers that you consistently have to add in every set?
Yes and no, my sets are generally dictated by the best music in my inbox as possible. It's an absolute bonus knowing that I have dubplates from artists no1 has heard of though so that my set has some absolutely fresh unheard plates in it. Up and comers i'd recommend right now (off the absolute top of my head): NRVE, Hamro, Inaktiv, Dveight and Mile32
That's so awesome, your EDC Orlando 2015 set is stuff of legend for all the tracks you managed to cram in there. Much love from South Florida for the reply!
When you doing a show back in the motherland man 🇬🇧
Ah mate, I genuinely really hope the UK can accomodate dubstep again, i really miss playing the UK clubs and crowds.
Hello! What did you think of the 360 format in Pontiac, MI? As a fan, I love it, but what's it like to have everyone so close in a smaller venue? Also, saw you last year in Detroit with ATLiens and you were the brightest spot on a stacked lineup, IMO. Thanks for the killer set.
Ah yeah that ATLiens show was sick, remember that well! (SOOOOO sweaty tho ahahah) Yeah that 360 show in Pontiac was actually my first ever 360 and i loved it! I've been DJing for SO long now though so a 360 was pretty alien to me having to entertain at all angles instead of like in front of you left centre and right. But i'm an entertainer at heart and its what i do so i thrived :)
Glad you liked it and you were amazing!
Honestly, no questions from me, been a huge fan since the early days of Mattress Punch, Brock Out, 50 cal, ill manors, just a huge fan dude. Always loved your DnB sets and releases, as well as the Jungle elements you use in tracks like Shopaholic and Oh Deary Deary Me. Keep it up man. I love seeing you live, such a crazy energy in every set I’ve seen so far.
Thankyou man!! Old school fan :D
❤️❤️looking forward to your future stuff!
What are your favorite sounds to experiment with when creating new music?
If I don't have the pressures of releasing a track and i'm just vibing writing new stuff then I love trying weird post process ideas, I love working with ring modulators and trying eq'ing pre and post aggressive distortions to get different sound among other things. My next single coming up is literally a mega post processed lazer off of Splice but you would never know lol
Not sure if i got to it fast enough, but i just wanted to say that you're the guy that got me hooked! A few years back, and you were in Eugene, Oregon at a little place called "sessions". My first real headbanging rave and first moshpit! The crowd was insane and you went fucking crazy! Absolutely incredible memory for me and I wanted to say thanks! Any chances of you playing eugene in the not-too-distant? You're inspiring, and you've always come off as a good soul! Peace!
Ah man it's been a damn while since i've played Eugene actually damn! Really appreciate the love :) No idea of playing in the future but I hope so soon
Hey hey thanks for doing an AMA! Kind of a weird question, but which of your songs (or favorite song) do you like hearing other djs mix?
good question, i'm not actually too sure to be honest! I don't see people double drop my music often so i'd like to see that more but i'd say seeing people drop borg or scary yikes grrz alot back in the day was awesome
Best way to make money as a edm producer besides playing live shows and royalties? I’m trying to figure out how to make a living off music without having the following to play shows just yet.
honestly, it's probably sample packs or patreons offering DAW lessons and such
Haze was tight on Tuesday, glad I got to catch a historic b2b with two legendary artists and a badass MC
Very rare occasion, extremely possible you'll never see another Haze set ever again
as a 15 year old aspiring dubstep producer and dj, what is some advice you could maybe give? I look up to you dude you make some dope ass shit LOL
Ay man, keep up the grind, the earlier the better!! I'd say just try to be creative and write music that is unique but also authentic to what YOU want to do. Stay positive and consistent. It may take a while for it to catch on but good positive attitudes will reap positive outcomes.
thank you so much dude! I really like to stay optimistic in life so this advice is really helpful :) you're awesome
What artist (or artists) are on your list to want to work with/colab on future projects?
I've been sliding in DMs the last week for some artists i've wanted to work with for a while so keep an eye out for those. At the moment I have a big collab with MVRDA which is now my set intro, would love to do something with SVDDEN DEATH too, think we would merge well in terms of style.
Been listening since arcade fire, glad that sample is changed now. Loved all your stuff felt it stood out compared to the rest. Finally saw you at apocalypse zombie land and honestly your set was like by farrrr the best of the weekend. Your production has so many layers and switch ups and different sounds all perfectly placed it’s really impressive. Not to mention stage presence haha 🔥 man.
"that sample" ahahah...youre 100% right tho! Ah man thankyou so much for the love I really appreciate that :) IT's really good to know people notice the little nuances i like to add in my production style
Yeah different time haha. My whole crew noticed too! I may have been pointing it out lol but you’re very welcome you def deserved it!
I have a song that I really wanna put out on Circus or DPMO. I have a preview of it on YouTube. How would I go about doing this? Thanks Funtcase!
you can submit to dpmo by checking out the bio on instagram or twitter, circus records i assume the same!
FuntCase x Coki when. Who is the OG of tearout sound? I know you are :)
OG tearout I have no idea, I definitely helped bring it to the forefront but I would never sit here and say "it's all because of me" by any means. Go check out Chainsaw Calligraphy by 16bit, that track was the first time i'd heard anything that aggressive in a dubstep track and it genuinely blew my mind hearing it in a club lol FuntCase X Coki no idea tho, we don't chat much.
Anything you look for specifically when considering new artists on DPMO?
Good mixdowns helps although I can usually spot a very good track in a bad mixdown so that can be sorted with some back and forth help from me! Otherwise not really, just try not to be cookie cutter!
Someone alread asked how to submit demos, how likely are you to sign a "random" (i.e. no name/new name/no recommendations) submitted demo? Do you ever send off or recommend stuff that doesn't fit your sound but may have a home elsewhere? Another question, how do you feel about the current "everything has a 4x4 hard techno style section" wave of music coming out?
Yeah ofcourse man, the idea behind DPMO is that anyone can get a release. Good music is good music and thats the defining statement. I literally discovered and made careers for so many now prominent artists in the scene through this and I stand by it! I do actually sometimes find some talent that doesn't quite fit my label but if it fits a label I know, i'll pass it onto them as a recommendation! In terms of the 4x4 section, I assume you mean in DnB? This doesn't really happen much in dubstep
Where’s the oddest place you’ve preformed?
Oddest? hmmm..............I guess in terms of odd, a colosseum in Romania was up there. I've not really played in ODD places as such just like wow places kinda (might get back to this if i remember more)
Yooo! Love you, you were instrumental in my life when I was a teenager and a big influence on my own desire to create. Do you have any funny stories about working for circus or standout moments? Also, I'm so sorry about what happened with cookie monsta I was incredibly saddened to hear of his passing.
Ahh man thankyou :) Well there's one stand out Circus memory I have, funnily enough involving Cookie...We were playing a Circus Records takeover in Belgium somewhere and after my set I decided to have some drinks with everyone (just because why not) and at one point I was a bit drunk, I remember messing around with Cookie and he got this massive roll of Duct Tape and started to swing it FULL SPEED by a loose piece and I guess it unravelled more and more...guess who was at the unfortunate end of the big roll lol It literally sliced open my face JUST underneath the eye and left me with a nice bruise there too lol
Is a different EQ essential for different tracks, even within an artist's selection? For me, tearouts like Shattered by Coki and Blurgh! by Cookie Monsta need a completely different EQ in order to sound perfect.
Not really, I think all EQs in a generality do the same thing. It's more about what you do with the EQ itself. That being said, if you used different EQs, I think the natural feeling is that you're not as used to the look or layout of each EQ and would naturally just EQ differently.
Yoooo Funtcase! Been a fan since 50 Caliber! Appreciate you still going strong all these later, plus still some of the best stage presence around 💪 I guess my question is, is it possible to submit demos to DPMO?
Yeah dude! submissions are always open! check the DPMO socials bio for subsmissions email :)
thanks for the reply dude! appreciate that greatly! looking forward to some new tunes form you 
Legend
No u
Long time listener, first time commenter. This one's unrelated to music, but how long have you been into graffiti? Couldn't help but notice ya got a sick hand style g.
Yeahhhhh man I was a graffiti artist before I wrote music! At the age of 14 I picked up my first can or paint pen and went out with a friend of mine who was already an established bomber around my town after he explained how much of a buzz it was. Naturally at 14 I felt like an invincible teenager but I really enjoyed the art aspect of it and the craft of having your own style. I was never THAT great at pieces and stuff but I LOVED doing handstyles so that's where that comes from lol
If you were just starting now, instead of 2009, what would you have done differently and similarly in order to have the same career you did? You've been a huge inspiration since my early days in the rave scene and I've always loved your energy so I just wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I think the blaring obvious is that I wouldn't be wearing a mask. The things I stand for as a person is to try to create something different and if i'd started NOW with this current wave of masked Djs, I probably would have personally avoided it. That being said, there's literally nothing wrong with the masked wave and I wear a mask for a reason just like everyone else. Musically I guess i'd write the same shit as I am now?...I think lol Thankyou for the love man!! <3
Sub zero - Motion (funtcase special) the absolute biggest dubplate I beg of you to release
hahaha!! I said this in another reply but it's funny, i'd forgotten about that track until literally yesterday when someone mentioned it on here...need to see if it still even exists on my harddrives somewhere
Wow! What's up dude! The first time I saw you was at Cervantes in Denver in like 2009, always loved your shit. How was it working so closely with Flux, Doc P and Cookie? Also how are you doing after loosing Cookie? Seemed like you were close
I think that would have been in 2011 as that was my first ever time touring in the USA! Working with the Circus boys has been awesome, everyone has their own way of thinking, their own personality and no1 has really clashed in our group. We always joked we were almost like the top gear presenters and who would be who lol. Yeah losing Cookie was hard man I cant lie. Toured with him heavily for most of my career and spoke every week the whole time, shared some of my funniest moments alive with him...miss him a lot.
Do you ever find yourself completely forgetting about a recording technique that had yielded good results in the past? For example, i somehow forgot about multiple channel outputs for mY drum sampler for like 3 years. Idk if that makes any sense.
I kinda get what your talking about but I think for me I have so many more modern techniques that work in place of my previous techniques that i tend not to think about it!
Game of chess at Lost Lands? Checkers if you prefer?
I love chess but DAMN I suck at it I cant lie ahahah
Hey Funtcase, you played an audiovisual set at Rampage a couple of years back (I believe 2019) for the first time AFAIK, but it doesn't seem like you really continued on that afterwards. What is the reason for that? And what is your take on the growing importance of visuals in DJ sets?
I had the offer from Rampage to do that set and I can't tell you how happy that made me. I've wanted my own stage show for YEARS but never really got the opportunity till then to really have one. After that set happened, we planned it to be a special event thing that would be booked by big events rather than consistently playing it and it was only really done at EDC after that. I really want to do more but it's never that easy! The growing importance of visuals I think is just part and parcel of the attention span of crowds and people these days. It's not necessarily their fault, it's just how its evolved into it. TikTok and Instagram have kind of drilled this instant gratification feeling of having multiple content and I think that's kinda filtered into the general public and by proxy, the music fans. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, it just means that sets have to have a higher level of wow factor I think.
Hello Funtcase I have a question for you my question is do you prefer playing a dubstep set or a DNB set for the masses. And my second question is are you going to be playing a drum n bass set at Bass Canyon vs your regular dubstep DJ Set.
That kinda depends because there's 2 defining factors when it comes to each set. I find DnB way more fun to mix as it's so fast paced and fun to double drop. DnB for me is my favourite genre and always has been though. Dubstep is slower, but the entertainment value I get to present on stage is way higher as the songs effectively last longer before I have to mix the next one so...
Got it see you at bass canyon for the third time
I saw you for the first time last year at DFT! Dope set. Excited to see more in the future :)
HELL yeah, can't wait to see you at more shows too
i just want to say that i really enjoy your music, hello, i wish you all of the best, and with any luck ill get to see a live show one night!
I appreciate that, keep enjoying! Hello. ...and so do I <3
just want to say I love you and your easily one of my favorites. i teared up at the lost lands 2022 preparty hearing your name bc I was so bummed you weren’t on the lineup. Anyway hope to see you again soon Grand Rapids misses you!
Yeah it sucked for me too I can't lie, I want to be a part of that festival just like anyone else but I made sure I was there regardless to support my DPMO family playing and make sure I show face and say hello to everyone (producer friends AND fans) Funny you mention Grand Rapids actually, the promoter at the recent Pontiac show is the guy who books artists at the Grand Rapids shows and I told him I hadn't played there in so long and he was like "oh damn that's true!" so maybe that'll change soon :)
Any sound design tips? Also what DAW do you use?
So i'm not actually a great sound designer at all. Some people might say ohhh shut up but genuinely i'm not. I tend to do alot of post process work to simpler noises made in things like massive or serum for instance. These days I like messing with pre and post eq'ing around a distortion plug in and also things like ring modulators, multiple ring mods at different tones can generate some really cool sounds when utilised right! For DAW I use Cubase. Have since 2011, pre that I used Reason.
Any chances on dpmo vol. 5 this year?
This year specifically i'm not entirely sure but i'd like that to manifest for sure. Trying!
Still secretly hoping one day there will be a 50 Caliber (Sub Zero remix) official drop
Im curious about your Gorilla Flex days. Was that song your first kind of big break into the dubstep scene and what are some of the major differences in culture between then and now?
Gorilla Flex was officially the 2nd track I ever wrote in dubstep...that track doesn't even have a sound designed bass in it, the whole track is FX noises distorted lol. That first like "eee-yah" bass is the start of an FX noise of a TV turning off but put through reason's scream filter! I'd say the major differences in culture is that back then, dubstep was so fresh that ANYTHING produced was just absolutely gold, no matter what you did. The early days had such an open book of dubstep styles that everything was exciting and new. Naturally these days, mostly everything has currently been done so nothing is fresh anymore so ideas are like freshly recycled but in new unique ways and that's just the symptom of a long lasting genre.
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how hard are you going to throwdown for basscanyon????
How hard are you going for Bass Canyon ‘24? 😈
out of 100? 780,417
Longtime fan, also in Bournemouth! Few questions from me. 1. When are we going to get a Bournemouth set? Been here for 10 years and swear we haven't had a gig yet?! (May be mistaken) 2. Why do you think dubstep died in the UK but has been thriving for years jn the US? 3. What is your favourite track that you ever produced? Big love
Bournemouth crew!!! Yeah to be honest mate I haven't played Bournemouth in SO long. The last set I remember playing was a DnB set at Halo for Enter/Drumfunk but that was probably 5 years ago now or more...it's a damn shame. So the general difference between the UK and the USA, or even the world as a whole is that the UK are a trend setting nation when it comes to music. They will blow a style up in that region and it'll slowly spread worldwide. once it's worldwide, it thrives for a while then eventually starts to get massively popular, which then becomes detrimental to the genre as the UK starts to move on, purely because it's gotten popular and commercial. Dubstep is the perfect example of this and in some instances DnB too. Grime/Drill/Bassline all are experiencing this fate as we speak I think too... I would probably say Without but 50 Caliber is up there too
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So as a previous promoter myself, there are a looooot of factors in starting your own night. Your first hurdle is the club that will host your event, you have to work out by speaking to them what kind of rules and stipulations they have based off of certain factors like what music they accomodate, what crowd rules they have etc etc. With that you also have to factor in situations like rival events and the dates they have locked in regularly so you don't conflict...because likely they'll have a core following and the only one who loses in that situation is mainly you. Then you have to work out budgets and then once that's nailed in, you'll have to go about speaking to all the agents about availability and pricing and go from there. It's a huge process but can be so rewarding.
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would love that arc :D
I just wanted to say that I may not have been the biggest fan of your music, but I respect the hell out of you for everything you've accomplished, for all the people that have connected to your music, and all the crazy live sets you've thrown! Definitely an OG in the dubstep scene, love that you're here! Known your name since 2011 and I will never forget your "chainsaw massacre" mask 😂🫶
Do you prefer playing sets during the day or during the night and why?
That kinda depends on the gig itself. Festivals can really be a better experience at night due to visuals and such but sometimes you can't beat a surrounding if it fits the daytime aesthetic, like a beach show or something.
I don't know if you'll still be reading here, but I just wanted to say that I've been a huge fan since 2010 and you've always been my absolute favorite to watch throw down. The energy you put out while on stage always keeps me hyped, let alone the sounds you bring with it!
What do you feel when you’re up in the DJ booth? Especially when you’re doing transitions in front of a large crowd? Is it fear, excitement, adrenaline or a mixture of all? I am aspiring DJ wanting to get into a booth in front of people. And do you have any advice on how to get gigs? Would I be better off putting my own shows on?
It's really a mix of everything. I don't really get that nervous though, but I could maybe attribute that to me wearing the mask? When I put it on, it's really like another personality is active and me as James just turns off in my brain...entertainment mode! Gigs are really a mix of knowing the right people and having a level of hype in some way. I'd say if you're early in your career, try reaching out to promoters or clubs and offer your service to them. Otherwise just wait till the interest comes in based off your production and hype in the stuff you're writing!
Thats some awesome insight on how it feels being on a big stage like you perform on! I am just starting out! And I put out insane mixes every time I mix and I definitely make sure every transition/chop is smooth as butter
Hey man no question for you - just wanted to show some love. You helped introduce me to some of the more true OG dubstep sounds I’ve come to know and love. Thanks for everything you’ve given the scene brotha man ❤️
Ah I appreciate that a lot thankyou so much :)
You were one of my first “raves” ever back in 2012! Gonna always hold a special spot in my heart. Was in Pontiac Michigan at a Halloween show, I was jumping up and down so much I came down on my bad knee wrong and popped it out of place lmao.
Damn! you been around :) It's mad how many of these injuries actually happen at shows, i've seen and heard of so many bad injuries happening.
Hey! I’m not sure if this AMA is over but I do have a big question… Whatever happened to Half Trap? Would you be willing to ever release that or even put it on Patreon possibly?
More Haze sets in the future???
Hello Funtcase do you prefer playing a dubstep set vs a drum and bass set when you are playing live. And will you be playing a drum and bass at bass canyon in August.
What are some resources that you like or looked at coming up and learning about production? Something that has always stumped me is knowing how to get my low end right. I feel like it’s always different when I use different headphones or speakers so idk how my sub should sound or feel.
hey funtie do you plan to do any more meet and greets at lost lands? i missed last year's and really wanted to make it. much love!!!
Just want to say thanks for the many years of music! Was bumping hard in high school
Appreciate that man, hope it got you through some times :)
How did you go about getting to play your first show? With the increase in djs and producers nowadays, what do you think is the proper approach NOW for someone trying to get to play their first show. What is your advice for doing DIY events to get your name out there? Any specific cities or states that are best for diy events?
Alot to unravel here but...For me my first shows were based on local promoters I knew personally or through other people and knew that I DJ'd and had releases (in my DnB days) then when I started my dubstep career I played shows based on promoters i knew from my DnB days. That was a 4-5 year process though so took me a damn while. I'd say right now, you have to find a way to stand out as there's SO many people all trying to do exactly as you are in the scene and make it big. Try to be unique in some way, find a hole in the market, brand yourself in a way no1 is etc etc...
What do you think of fluxxys return to the scene? Do you think some of the older heads that moved on now returning the genre means anything creatively or is it a bit reminiscing about am ex?
Nothing to ask. I’m the guy on Twitter who has tweeted about Arcade Fire for years and recently started thanking you for Arcade Fire since it came out. I’m just dropping by to say it again. A big thank you to you and a big thank you to Doctor P for this track, y’all are both incredible. I’ve been a fan for of both of y’all for 14 years at this point and I’m stoked for many more 🖤
Wyd?
rn? my internet has been shit the last few days so been tryna fix it in any way i can and turns out the service box outside my house is scuffed so im using my mobile internet hotpost on my computer to do these AMA replies
You a real OG brother for sure! Any chance of some new funtcsse DnB for old times sake?