Zeds Dead the Deadbeats Duo!

“Whose chopper is this?” “Zed’s.” “Who’s Zed?” “Zed’s dead, baby, Zed’s dead.” Now for all film buffs out there, you may remember this sequence from Quentin Tarantino’s classic “Pulp Fiction.” But, for our purposes, we refer to this quote as an introduction to one of the biggest names in the world of bass music.

No, Zeds Dead didn’t conquer right away – it took awhile. Like many DJ/producers at the top of the EDM game, they achieved incrementally until they became recognized as genuine genre leaders. But these days, Zeds Dead enjoys a thriving career.

Comprised of Dylan Mamid (aka DC) and Zachary Rapp-Rovan (aka Hooks), the Canadian duo began its artistic partnership when DC, himself a graffiti artist, asked Hooks to paint a mural in his garage. As their mutual interest in music production began to blossom, the Toronto natives started a ’90s hip-hop-influenced group called Mass Productions that ran 2006-07. Two years later, when their interests migrated to tougher forms of electronica, they became Zeds Dead and began making remixes.

Playing live required some patience and ingenuity. With it being difficult to get booked as DJs back in 2009, especially when wanting to play underground electronic music, DC and Hooks went the DIY route. They connected with a group called The Killabits to host Bassmentality, their own weekly party in the basement of the Toronto bar, 751. While it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, the party featured sets from the likes of Skrillex, Borgore, and Nero well before they became the electronic stars they are today.

The duo’s first release, “Journey of a Lifetime,” was delivered in 2009 and bass fans would soon see a bevy of new tracks. They included tweaky favorites like “White Satin” (yes, it borrows from The Moody Blues), “Out for Blood” with Omar LinX, “Rude Boy,” and “1975.” Plus, they did a number of bone-rattling remixes for tunes from acts like Radiohead, Massive Attack, The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters and Sublime.

Finding its niche in the fast-rising realm of dubstep, the duo quickly became recognized as one of the genre’s elite talents, bringing their sounds to the biggest festivals and venues across the globe.

Fast forward to 2016 and we find the Canadian bass enthusiasts launching Deadbeats, their own record label. It will serve as a platform for their own releases going forward and will showcase productions from up-and-coming talent. Later that same year, DC and Hooks would release the Zeds Dead debut album, Northern Lights.

By now, with bass music exploding on the EDM landscape, it isn’t much of a surprise that Zeds Dead is considered true pioneers of the genre. In recent collaborations with Jauz, NGHTMRE, Illenium, and Snails, the duo has shown that it has embraced the next generation of bass talent, while helping them all continue to push the genre forward.

This month, Zeds Dead will have plenty of presence throughout Miami Music Week. In addition to closing out Ultra Music Festival’s Worldwide stage on Sunday, March 31, the duo will host its own label showcase with Jauz for “Deadbeats Goes Off The Deep End” at Soho Studios on Thursday, March 28.

We recently caught up with Hooks to discuss the duo’s present, past and future, while getting the inside scoop on everything Deadbeats.

DJ Times: Since its debut release back in 2016, your Deadbeats label has quickly become a household name in the electronic scene. When did you two realize it was time to launch your own label?

Hooks: It’s something we always wanted to do, but we were touring so often we kept putting it off. When we finally took a bit of time off to write our album, Northern Light, we felt like it was the right time. By then, we had amassed a following that look to us for music and we wanted to build on that and show them artists we were into and make an even more immersive world they could dive into.

DJ Times: So, how do you balance running a label while producing a radio show? You have to maintain a steady flow of releases while delivering a consistent radio program.

Hooks: The radio show is another thing we wanted to do forever, but couldn’t find time. Doing that show every week is a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding to see the fans loving it. The radio show sort of acts as a representation of the vibe of Deadbeats through all the music we play on it. It’s also a great vehicle to showcase the releases and artists we release on the label. I think our only responsibility is to put out music that we love. That’s really the only criteria. It doesn’t matter how big the artist is so much. We try to listen to all the demos with the same mentality – like or no like.

DJ Times: From an A&R standpoint, what’s the process of weeding through demos to sign with Deadbeats?

Hooks: We’re looking for the ones that stand out. There’s a lot of stuff that sounds the same, like it could have been made by anybody. When you’re going through a lot of music, you tend to notice the ones that sound the most unique and original.

DJ Times: Would you say there’s a certain “sound” you two look for when it comes to releases?

Hooks: Not really. I don’t go looking for a specific thing – rather, I know when I hear something whether or not it’s a good fit for Deadbeats. So yes, there is a vague idea of what is a good type of song for Deadbeats, but it’s so broad and hard to define it wouldn’t be right to try to. And there would be so many exceptions to the rule. When I hear it I know.

DJ Times: The Deadbeats label has delivered a bevy of curated events and festival stages. Did your time hosting those Bassmentality parties back in Toronto prepare for all of this?

Hooks: It’s different. The Deadbeats parties are in different cities and much bigger, so I think the anticipation from the fans is a lot crazier than having a weekly party. Bassmentality parties were legendary and nuts, but it was just different. They were very bare-bones… like no production, which is its own vibe. With the Deadbeats events, we try to put a lot into the whole environment from stage production, visual effects, big sound, decor, food [Dead Eats] and even an arcade. Also, I try to organize graffiti painting at whichever ones I can when I have time. I used to do a lot of graffiti, so it’s a cool opportunity to collab with other artists and meet fans while we paint. Bassmentality is coming up on its 10-year anniversary – I can’t believe it’s been that long!

DJ Times: DNMO seems to have become a fan-favorite from the label and you guys have even collaborated on his track, “We Could Be Kings.” What drew you to him?

Hooks: He sent us this sick track he did called “Broken.” It was really dark and melodic – right up our alley – so we put it out. He’s such a talented producer, and so young! It’s exciting to watch him come up and we’re happy to be doing releases with him. I mean, he doesn’t come off as young as he is. I didn’t even remember until he told me he had been listening to us since he was 11! Then I was like, “Damn! I am old now.”

DJ Times: Speaking of producing, what gear and programs do you use in the studio?

Hooks: Nothing fancy, really. We haven’t gotten that much into hardware. It’s pretty much the same as how we started – just our computers and a keyboard, maybe a guitar here and there for writing. We used to use FL Studio, but then Dylan switched to Ableton Live. I still worked mainly in FL Studio for a few years, while gradually switching over. Now that we are both in Ableton Live, it’s really great for passing our projects back and forth to work on.

DJ Times: Who are a few other names that have caught your attention as of late?

Hooks: SHADES, Champagne Drip, 1788-L, Peekaboo, Loge21, DroeLoe, Shlump, G Jones, and DNMO.

DJ Times: What advice do you have for any up-and-coming DJ/producers looking to break into the scene?

Hooks: There’s no real short cuts. You have to just love it and that will motivate you to keep making music and keep improving. Send your stuff to artists and labels. Don’t send too many songs at once, and make sure it’s your absolute best music. Maybe remix a song by an artist you like. It could be a good way to get on their radar, especially if it’s something they may play in a set.

DJ Times: The label game may be relatively new to you guys, but Zeds Dead has been a staple in bass music for about a decade now. How has the genre’s scene, specifically, changed since the group began?

Hooks: For one, it’s become a lot easier to hop in and make something that sounds pretty decent. When we started, the preset sounds and samples available were mostly trash – but it forced us to learn how to make our own. I think having to figure a lot of things out on our own like that helped us define our sound. Nowadays, the sounds available are pretty much instantly caught up with what’s trendy at the moment. When somebody comes out with a new style, it’s almost immediately jacked and then there’s a ton of same-sounding stuff. It’s a bit harder to stand out now, but the cream still rises to the top.

DJ Times: The quality can always be found.

Hooks: Before, I used to always look to certain acts for good tunes. Now there’s so many good songs that come from people that I only find one thing from. Much less do I have artists that I become a fan of and have a lot of anticipation for their next album or release. I often forget names of people, in fact, because I only knew them for one thing. Maybe it has to do with what I was saying about how it’s easier to make something now, but harder to have your own sound.

DJ Times: How would you say your sound has evolved since your early remix days?

Hooks: I feel like we’re just continuously adding to a big painting that is Zeds Dead. Like a tapestry, everything we’ve done is a part of a larger picture and we’re still working on it. I think the picture is much more clear now than it was in the first couple years. We never wanted to just make one sound or one type of music, rather to explore anything that inspires us. I think, at this point, our fans know not to expect any one thing in particular. Hopefully, that’s a good thing.

DJ Times: Some of the biggest names in bass music are Canadian – how did that happen?

Hooks: Maybe it’s because when the weather is shit during winter you’re more inclined to stay in and work on music.

DJ Times: What is it that made you fall in love with the genre?

Hooks: So many different reasons. I remember I was a big hip-hop head, but when I discovered drum-n-bass I liked how it had a lot of hip-hop influence and vibe, but had such interesting sounds. It sort of was my gateway drug into electronic music. A little while later, my friends and I used to sit around and sketch while listening to Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Calyx and Teebee. I liked it for listening to.

DJ Times: Did you hear DJs in clubs or festivals?

Hooks: I never went to clubs – I was too young, had no money. I never went to festivals – I didn’t even know about them. When I first heard drumn-bass in a club, I loved how heavy the sub-bass was and you could feel it in your chest. I loved how dubstep was so underground and dark and hypnotic. I loved the energy of dirty electro house. I just gradually really got into all that stuff and wanted to put my own spin on it.

DJ Times: You guys seem to collaborate with artists quite a bit these days. Why do you choose to go that route as producers?

Hooks: There’s still way more solo stuff, but we’re just trying to finish those and put them out at the right time in the right way. I think we were very insular and didn’t really entertain the idea of collaborating that much before – I don’t know why, really. Maybe because Zeds Dead is a collaboration between the two of us, we didn’t think to bring other people into the mix. At some point, we became more open to it and sometimes it really works out incredibly.

DJ Times: What’s the process?

Hooks: Usually, it’s ideas that we got to a certain point and then never finished or hit a wall with creatively. We have a lot of these laying around, so sometimes somebody else can bring something new to the table and then something that was dormant gets awoken. It goes the other way, too – artists send us starting points and that can inspire us. These days, we’re into trying anything. At the end of the day, it’s just about making good music however it gets there.

DJ Times: You two recently joined forces with Delta Heavy for “Lift You Up.” What was it like working with them and how did the track come together?

Hooks: That collaboration felt very natural and we loved how that track came together. We’d love to do more with them in the future – they’re really great producers. We sent them an idea for “Lift You Up” with the vocal and a melody and drop idea. It was very rough, but they saw the potential in it. We went back and forth on it throughout, but they really injected their flare into it and made it the beast that it became.

DJ Times: Now speaking of collaboration, there was “Lights Go Down” with Jauz and the “Deadbeats Goes Off the Deep End” concept where you all play back-to-back. How did this come about?

Hooks: Jauz is a friend of ours and we have a lot of the same tastes in production, so collaborating with him always feels really natural. We were just in the studio a couple days ago and made something we’re really excited about.

DJ Times: Is there anyone else out there you’d like to go back-toback with?

Hooks: We’ve gone back-to-back with a lot of our favorite DJs – Diplo, Skrillex, Skream, Dillon Francis, Kill the Noise, to name a few. I think it would be fun to do one with Rusko.

DJ Times: Most artists dream to play Denver’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre at least once in their career and this year will mark as the sixth installment of your annual Deadrocks event. How does it feel to host such an event?

Hooks: It kinda blows my mind when I think about it. We did this so organically, just kept at it, putting out songs and doing shows, never signing to a label, never having a mainstream hit, and now we do two nights at Red Rocks. We’re still pretty under the radar – like we’re so far from celebrities – but when we do a show there, 20,000 people come. It’s insane.

DJ Times: Deadbeats is already off to a hot start, DeadRocks dates have been revealed. What else can fans expect from Zeds Dead in 2019?

Hooks: Lots more music. We have so much Zeds Dead original music in the works and we’re just figuring out what we’re going to do to finish and release it. We also have several more collabs to be coming out shortly and some remixes. Some amazing releases coming out on Deadbeats, too, and we’ll be playing some great festivals, as well as more Deadbeats parties. Can’t wait to show you what we got cookin’!

DJ Times, By Brian Bonavoglia