Rising Bass Artist VRG Dives Into His Backstory and More

VRG made his name known with earth-shattering records and he swung by to chat as he continues on his path to dominate the bass scene.

VRG excelled in many genres in the past, but his latest journey into the bass realm continues to provide some of the best music from him to date. He’s made a name for himself with mind-melting records such as “Brainstorm,” “9Mili,” and fan-favorite, “Womp Womp” with RATED R, and 2021 proved to be a great year as his heavy style landed on labels like Most Addictive Music, emengy, and Subsidia. In addition, VRG returned to live shows with multiple bookings across the country, culminating with a well-earned performance at EDC Orlando.

Fans also got a taste of what’s to come on VRG’s annual “LOCKED IN” showcase mix that featured an abundance of unreleased tunes and edits, proving that this year will be just as hot as the previous ones. So far, “LOCKED IN 2022” has lived up to the hype as VRG came out guns blazing. He recently took over the airwaves with his latest track, “Dimes,” which saw its release on the Lost Lands Compilation 2021 and earned himself a spot at Shaq’s Bass All-Stars: Who’s Next Edition.

Before he completely takes off in the bass music scene, we talked about his influences, production style, biggest releases, future goals, and much more. There’s no doubt VRG is turning heads and putting the scene on notice with his heavy style, and he’s one of the artists you need to have an ear on in 2022. So sit back, crank the volume up for “Dimes” on Spotify, and read on to get a glimpse into the mind of one of the guaranteed future stars of bass music.

Stream VRG – Dimes on Spotify:

Hey VRG, thanks for taking some time to chat with us. We really appreciate you stopping by. Before moving into the present, I’d like to turn back the clock a little bit. What inspired you to start creating music, and in turn, creating VRG?

Hey, likewise! I appreciate you guys for covering this tune as well. It means a lot. Man, I already knew that I wanted to do something that had to do with music from a super young age. It was either be in a band, be a sound engineer, or something else. When I found out about electronic music, I fell in love with it and saw that [people] DJ’d and produced their own music. I knew almost instantly that this was what I wanted to do.

Who were some of your earliest influences in bass music?

Some of my earliest influences in bass music are Knife Party, Skrillex, Ookay, NGHTMRE, Boombox Cartel, Rickyxsan, and ATLiens, only to name [a few].

You’ve found a home in bass music, but you’ve experimented in many other genres in the past. How has this experience in other genres of music been a benefit to your productions today?

Sometimes, I’ll use different techniques that I’ve done over the years or use a sound from a different genre I’ve made in the past. For example, I’ll use breakbeats in builds or as fills, hardstyle kicks for fills, rave stabs, “think” jersey club breakbeats, among other things!

You’ve had a number of incredible releases, but “Womp Womp” with Rated R put your name on everybody’s radar, becoming one of your most popular releases. Did you feel any pressure, from yourself or fans, to follow up such a massive release?

Not at all, honestly. On the contrary, I was excited that my music finally reached that popularity, and it was given a platform of that [large] scale. I just wanted to go with the flow of things from that point on, and whatever happened, happened.

When you go to produce music, are there any challenges you set up for yourself in order to come up with unique ideas or finish tracks quicker? Can you share what your production process is like for a normal session in the VRG studio?

The only challenge I give myself when it comes to producing is to be different every time and to be as forward-thinking as possible. Whenever I get that burst of inspiration, I’ll start sound designing and building a drop, depending on how I feel. Then, I’ll work backward. I make my intro, break, build, the second half of the song, and I mix as I go. The time of the process depends as well [, it’s always different].

2021 was a stellar year for you as you released multiple singles, even landing your song “Brainstorm” on Subsidia’s Night: Vol. 4. Are there any releases coming in the near future that you can share with us today?

Nothing set in stone yet, but I am looking at possibly releasing another EP this year and some singles, both on labels and independently.

About three months ago, you released a future riddim edit of “Midnight City” by M83, showing a more melodic side to your music. Was this just a special, one-off release or do you plan on exploring the genre and the melodic aspect more in the future?

This was definitely just one of those one-off experimental releases. It was dope while it lasted, though.

Your music has taken you all around the country and even EDC Orlando back in 2021. If you could choose any festival or location to play a set, where would it be and why?

Lost Lands is definitely the top festival I want to play. It’s been a goal of mine to play [there] since the beginning of the festival. In terms of venues, Bootshaus in Köln, Germany, is a dream as well. The energy I’ve seen from the crowds is insane, and I hope to be able to make it out there soon.

Before we wrap up, what are some goals you have now for the VRG project with 2022 in full swing?

I have several goals for the year. One of them is to truly solidify the visual image and branding of VRG. I’ve had so many ideas that I haven’t executed or executed well, and I will be striving to do that better this year. Another goal I have is to release as much music as possible and play as many shows as possible, so I can get myself out there, grow, and make some more memories doing what I love the most.