Dive Into the Creative Mind Behind Strobez

Rising Bay Area-based DJ and producer Strobez stopped by to chat about his earliest inspirations, his debut EP, and what’s coming up next.

Few and far between are artists who have a consistent and unwavering vision for their creative endeavors from day one. Zach Breindel, better known by his stage name of Strobez, is one of those creators. Based in the Bay Area, he has been producing music since the age of 12 years old. Now, at 19, he’s catching many eyes across the electronic music space.

First coming to our attention in the Bay Area scene, he was quick to make a name for himself at the local level as well as online, enamoring fans and fellow producers alike. He’s quickly become known for his signature breaks-driven sound, unmatchable flips, and high-energy sets. Strobez’s creativity knows no bounds as he continuously explores his skills in music production, DJing, graphic design, and even acting in his very own homemade music videos.

The last few years have already seen him take to stages in support of artists like Nitepunk, Pauline Herr, Jon Casey, and Wavedash, as well as making his festival debut at Toxic Summer. He’s also garnered some notable support across the scene for his releases, including his flip of Charli XCX‘s “1999” and, more recently, his flip of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ “Heads Will Roll.”

With all this in mind, we knew it was about time to get the scoop on all things Strobez, so we jumped at the chance to have an insightful chat with the young star. Continue reading for our interview below, and dive into his guest mix on our SoundCloud!

Stream EDMID Guest Mix 425 || Strobez on SoundCloud:

Hi Strobez! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We’re stoked to share more about you with listeners.

Thanks for having me! You guys have been a big supporter of my project for a while now, so it’s awesome to finally chat with you.

We understand that you’ve been producing since you were 12 years old, and you’re 19 now. How does it feel to reflect on the last seven years and how much you’ve grown as an artist?

Even as a little kid, I banged on makeshift drum kits, so making music has been a constant for me while growing up. It’s cool to think back and see all the different things that have inspired me over the years, but I’m finally getting to a place where I know where to take things.

Making music, for me, is blending all my favorite things together, and the music I’ve been writing recently feels the most genuine. There’s always room for change, but I feel like I have the Strobez world down, and I know what works there and what doesn’t.

Let’s explore your influences. You started producing at a very young age and have seen some fluctuations in the scene. What were some of your earliest influences, and how have they changed over time?

When I was 10, my dad gave me a copy of Vegas by The Crystal Method. That was the first electronic album I owned a copy of. A couple of years later, I discovered Skrillex and my whole world changed. I totally forgot about Vegas for the longest time, but recently I was looking back and realized that listening to that album as a kid was where my love of breaks came from. That and The Prodigy, of course.

Another life-changing moment for me was finding Untrue by Burial. That’s one of the very few albums that just completely puts me in another place. Listening to it for the first time felt like putting a name to something I’d always felt but never really understood.

But aside from electronic music, I love ’90s hip-hop and R&B. My late grandfather was a jazz saxophonist, so there was a lot of jazz around as a kid. I think that translated into a love of everything with smooth chords.

We see that you’re based in the Bay Area in California. How has the local scene there impacted you as an artist?

I remember when I was 16, I was typing into Google, “Where to find underground raves, Bay Area,” because all the artists I wanted to see live were playing venues with 18+ and 21+ age restrictions. I had an amazing introduction to the scene that summer. I stumbled into a super supportive, passionate community, and since then, I’ve made some wild core memories playing in the coolest, sweatiest warehouses, forests, and even abandoned military bunkers here.

What’s cool is that over the last six to eight months, dance music has been making a comeback in the Bay in a way that I’ve never seen before. There have been a lot of brand-new, forward-thinking crews popping up that are putting on some of the coolest underground shows I’ve been to.

This year is my first time performing in other markets, but I’ll always have a ton of love for everything happening in the Bay. We have such a long history with dance music, and I’m always incredibly proud to be a small part of it.

For such a young artist, you seem to have a very specific vision for the Strobez project. What does that vision look like to you, and how do you stay so consistent with it?

It’s funny to hear that since I feel like my discography is all over the place. I have a tendency to refuse to make the same thing twice. I try to follow what’s exciting and fun to me and not pay too much attention to what’s currently hot or trending. For better or for worse, I’m also extremely self-critical. I’m not afraid to push a release back if I don’t feel like it’s the right moment to put it out. But I’ve come to learn that the best I can do is make sure each record I put out holds some part of me inside it. It’s not worth getting hung up on the rest, as long as the record really resonates.

You released your debut EP, Restless, about a year ago as your biggest body of work yet. What was that release like for you? What emotions and experiences did you channel throughout its creation?

Restless was my first time fully diving deep and completing a big body of work, which is something I wanted to do since I started making music. My priority was making the rollout an experience, and I’m super proud of how it all came out. Huge shouts to my manager and mad talented photo and video wizard John Slack. He worked pretty tirelessly to help me build the whole world around it.

Restless encapsulates a whole chapter of my life as a teenager growing up in a small town. That record holds everything I went through then, mixed with a big theme of escapism. Looking back a year later, having graduated high school and moved away, that project almost feels a bit distant from me, but that’s a good thing. It’s nice to have that project out there as a reminder of everything I’ve been through, though.

You also recently released an incredible flip of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” which has received some notable support in the scene. What has it been like to see the reception on that release?

The support has been great so far! Wavedash found that one pretty early and they’ve been playing it out on their tour. Finding that remix led to him asking me to play support on their stop in the Bay Area last week, which was surreal considering I’ve been a huge Wavedash fan for years. They put on such a fun show; it was an honor to be a part of it.

What’s coming up next for Strobez?

At the end of the month, I’m releasing a record with one of my best friends, the mad-talented Phantomhouse. This record has been in the works for three years and finishing it nearly killed both of us, so we’re both stoked to be putting this one out! Keep an ear out for it at the end of the mix.

Other than that, be on the lookout for a bunch more new music throughout the rest of the year.

Finally, just for fun, what’s one local place you’d take us for a bite to eat if we were visiting the Bay?

Yonkers Cafe in the Sunset. Awesome sandwiches.