Bass Music Producer – Forreign Gets Personal & Finds New Musical Direction w/ His New 5-Track Revitalization EP on Crowsnest Audio -Featuring 3 Solos + 2 Collabs
Storm Coverage By: Garth Jones
art by: chp_thrll
Over the past year, rising bass music producer Forreign has been steadily releasing heat on massive labels like Disciple Round Table via his collaboration with INHUMAN titled “External_Combustion”, his latest compilation release with Soundwreck on Megalodon‘s imprint – Bypass Audio, titled “Crack Yo Back”, and his work with Digital Reject, “Waiting For A Sign” which features Tokyo Mandy on Maverick’s Playlist.
Forreign | pic by: natesinsight
It’s been nearly three years since Forreign‘s self-released Black Sun EP. Now he has his new 5-track Revitalization EP to excite fans and listeners which garners three solo works, “Revitalization“, “Hyōsatsu“, “Loose Skin“, as well as two collaborative pieces on the EP.
One of the joint efforts on the EP is with underground German artist – Brain Palace titled “Return” and the other being with rising Australian artist Dreer titled “Depths“.
Forreign | pic by: kyphotovideo
This new Revitalization EP from Forreign is a deviation from his older aforementioned works. His new EP implements new sounds, several (sub)genres, his own voice, and are directly inspired by or created from taboo subjects, ideologies, and mental health conditions that we all face in society.
He has been developing this new sound and vision for sometime now after closely working with rising icon, INHUMAN, and others who push the idea of being creative, unique, and true to oneself in an artistic manner.
The first three tracks on EP are all solo works beginning with the flagship titled track – Revitalization which is a bass-heavy and orchestrally-stylized original that sets the pace for the rest of the tracks. Then, followed by experimentally-driven Hyōsatsu, and lastly is the metal-infused heavy-hitter titled Loose Skin.
Then, the collaboration with Brain Palace – Return, and lastly, the collaborative piece Depths with DREER. You can expect to hear varied styles in the form of metal, trap, dubstep, experimental (wook bass), and even sound usage from his Middle Eastern background.
All of which, encapsulates the Revitalization EP as a fresh and forward-thinking development from Forreign.
Forreign shares with us before the interview:
“This EP is a defining factor of my new direction in music for the future. It enhances stories in different songs, for example: Loose Skin is about body dysmorphia, anorexia, self consciousness and the way we masks ourselves to hide our true selves. Following tracks along like ‘Relapse‘ and ‘External_Combustion‘ with INHUMAN, I have found my reawakening.” – said Forreign
[INTERVIEW FOUND BELOW]
Let’s Chat w/ Forreign About His EP, Mental Health, & What To Expect in 2023.
Q1. How does it feel that your Revitalization EP is finally out on Crowsnest Audio?
Forreign: It feels like I took in a deep breath of fresh air, the wait since my last EP is finally over. I feel very content with this EP and the directions I’m taking my musical identity.
Q2. You mentioned that this is a new musical turning in terms of your identity and vision. Can you expand on that and how it ties into this EP?
Forreign: I’m implementing a lot of other styles, genres, and roots into this EP. Ranging from Metalcore, Trap, Wook Bass (per say), experimental bass, and also rooting in my Middle Eastern background.
The shift into my musical identity is tied to this EP as the word Revitalize, means ‘to give new life or vigor to’. I’ve been stuck over the years after the ‘Black Sun’ EP was released on finding my next sound, to keep myself fresh and to stick out from the crowd. I come from a background of various music types, and I thought ‘why should I stick to just making dubstep, when I can form my own style using other genres as well.
Forreign | pic by: kyphotovideo
Q3. Each track is symbolic of taboo subjects and issues we all deal with daily as a society. What led you to translate this idea through your music?
Forreign: The one subject that really sticks out to me that I want to share the most is my song ‘Loose Skin’. I’ve been writing about imperfection for about 6 years now, and this lyricism I have in this song is inspired by my friend (who I won’t name just in case) that had anorexia to the point that he had to be treated by doctors. I have body issues of my own, and I understand a LOT of people do, this is something I wanted to connect with my audience so that they are not alone in this mental battle.
“Drown my head in a sea of clay” is a reference to performance artist Oliver De Sagazan, who performs the act of ‘Transfiguration’, which shows him literally drowning himself in clay, Oliver De Sagazan is a big inspiration of mine and the ideology of imperfection for me. “Imaginary faces shape the pieces of me. Scarring through my personal portrait, to turn a facade of the imagery” is referencing body dysphoria and how us individuals look at mirrors viewing someone that isn’t “us” per say.
Q4. Can we expect more personal musical developments like this in the future?
Forreign: As long as I continue, there will be more and more personal musical developments. I am always trying to find ways I can implement certain things, topics, sounds, genres into my creative process. For example, the vocals in ‘Loose Skin’ and ‘Revitalization’ are by me.
Forreign | pic by: kyphotovideo
Q5. How important is mental health for artists and fans alike? Do we talk about it enough in the industry and if not, how can we better implement awareness?
Forreign: Mental health is probably the most important thing in my opinion. I notice the only time we really talk about mental health in the industry is when someone passes away or departs from the industry.
I think honestly the best way to better implement awareness is just to be open to your fans and be transparent.
Social media nowadays seems so fake and unrealistic, and I feel like people are chasing that certain “high” these “influencers” show off in their fake lives, which turns into some type of psychological hysteria.
Which is why I think transparency is good for the soul, and for your fans to know the REAL YOU.
Q6. What’s next for you? 2023 has a long way to go until it’s over.
Forreign: Right now, I am really focused on the EP and pushing physical pieces, like merch and physical copies (CDs).
But as for the rest of the year, I have some dope collaborative pieces in the works with some amazing artists such as Skxlvtor, Tremorr, Mataio, Akira Kahn, Antikvng, and the legend himself Megalodon.
Forreign | pic by: natesinsight
Q7. Shout out some folks who had a helping hand or inspired you to create this meaningful Revitalization EP!
Forreign: First of all I need to shout out my big dawg INHUMAN for always pushing me to be my creative self.
Big shouts to the 2 big dawgsss on the EP Brain Palace & Dreer, 2 underground legends in the making!!
I have to give a grateful shoutout to my close friends, they all know who they are, for always having my back, always bein there for me whenever I need to talk about anything serious, and helping me stay leveled.
Gotta give a shout to my boy Cam, who goes by Soru, for always sticking by my side since 2014. That’s my dawg for life right there.
And lastly, a HUGEEEE shoutout to my Kabob Society, fans, and listeners worldwide for being here for this musical journey!!!
Thank you, Forreign!
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