Akeos Gives Us the Lowdown on the ‘Material’ EP

After the release of the Material EP, Akeos swung by to chat about the story behind it, collaborating with MUST DIE! and Skream, and their goals!

Within the past two years, Akeos has steadily cemented themselves as an upcoming bass producer to watch. Through a relentless release schedule paired with a definitive heavy sound, it is no surprise that both Akeos’ individual tracks and tracks that they have collaborated on have become fan favorites so quickly. Tracks such as “Toll Gate,” “So Easy,” and “Crescent Moon” showcase Akeos’ thundering bass sound while collabs with artists like Subtronics, Syzy, Neonix, and SampliFire highlight how much of an impact they singlehandedly have on a track.

Continuing their momentum of releases is the four-track Material EP, which recently dropped on Never Say Die to critical acclaim and immense positivity from the bass community. On the EP, Akeos explores various “materials” that make up beings on this planet with each song having distinct. Additionally, the Material EP marks Akeos’ first release on Never Say Die, having previously only released on the now-retired sister imprint Never Say Die: Black Label. Overall, it further pushes the boundaries of bass music and adds some solid tracks to Akeos’ growing discography.

After the release of this stellar EP, we knew we had to chat with Akeos on how the entire Material EP came about, their recent collaboration with MUST DIE! and Skream, goals for the rest of 2021, and more. Check out the release on Spotify, download or stream it on your favorite platform, and read on for our chat!

Stream Akeos – Material EP on Spotify:

Hey Akeos, thanks for chatting with us! Let’s talk about your latest Material EP that was released on Never Say Die. What’s the story behind making this EP and did it differ from your previous releases?

Hi EDM Identity! With this EP I really wanted to take a step outside of the more common tropes with riddim and experiment a lot sound design-wise. I also wanted to make sure each track was very different from one another but also still be enjoyed as a release when listened to front to back.

One of my favorite tracks off the EP is “Health Material”. The track combines a melodic dance intro with the distinctive Akeos hard-hitting drop. What’s your process like in the studio when coming up with a track like this?

I think I’ve always been inspired by really ravey tracks, especially outside of dubstep. I like to try to include it here and there in my songs, but I generally like to try and explore new ideas instead of going back to one style or sound I’m comfortable with.

On “Blood Material”, another track off the EP, you have a vocal sample in Japanese. Do you take any inspiration from Japanese culture, such as anime, when coming up with ideas for new tracks?

I’ve watched a fair bit of anime, so I can probably say that even subconsciously it’s an influence on my music. Some of my favorite songs are from anime OSTs.

Aside from your recent solo work you also released “LOL OK” with MUST DIE and Skream. What was it like working with these two veteran bass producers on the track?

It was honestly a huge surprise more than anything to work with both of them. I’m glad Skream heard what Must Die and I were working on and thought it was cool enough to add his own flair to it.

In the album artwork for your Material EP, along with previous releases, there has been a common theme of demonic-looking creatures all with long, multiple legs. Is this a concept you came up with?

I’ve always really liked that kind of art style and when my manager suggested continuing it as a theme it made sense and I was interested. I feel like it reflects the tone of my music as well as looking really cool.

You recently unveiled a new Akeos emblem right before this release. What does this emblem represent and signify to you?

I wanted the emblem to be something that people could close their eyes and see when they think of Akeos. It’s hard to really connect with a visual representation with music but I think in this case it really worked to just that. Also huge shout out to Smith Comma John for designing it! (@scjreal)

The Lost Lands 2021 lineup recently dropped and we were excited to see your name on the lineup. How does it feel to be invited to play at Lost Lands for the first time after being part of the Lost Lands 2021 Survey List?

It’s pretty surreal and I’m honestly not even sure of what to expect. I’ve seen videos online but I’m sure it’s a completely different experience being up there. I’m excited to play out a ton of stuff I’ve been working on though.

Finally, as we dive deeper into the latter half of the year, what are some goals you’d like to achieve before the end of 2021?

I’d like to break out of producing just dubstep/riddim and really explore other genres. I love drum and bass and hardcore and was producing that kind of stuff before I got into dubstep. I’d say for people who are listening to me right now to be prepared for lots of experimentation in regards to genre, sound design, and melody.