Get to Know the Eerie Yet Energetic Style of PHANTASM

PHANTASM swung by for a chat about the direction of his project, his high-impact sound, and the Boston scene. He also spun a guest mix that showcases his distinct style in the house scene.

The East Coast has brought forth plenty of talent to the electronic music scene over the years, and PHANTASM is looking to help shape its future. This Boston-based DJ and producer originally released tunes under the Achilles alias before switching gears to focus on this new era dominated by his love for horror flicks and high-impact sounds.

Press play on a tune from PHANTASM and you’ll find yourself on quite a ride as he melts your mind with his bass-driven, club-ready style that’s dripping with influences from bass house, dubstep, and other sonic realms. Labels like Space Yacht and Bite This! have become a home for his tracks, including the recently released “BOUT DAT,” which features a bumping bassline that you can’t help but move your body to on the dancefloor.

As PHANTASM continues his ascent through the scene, we caught up with him to chat about the project’s roots, his recent release, and the goals he hopes to achieve in the future. Listen to his exclusive guest mix on SoundCloud and read on for the full conversation.

Stream EDMID Guest Mix 483 || PHANTASM on SoundCloud:

Hi Matthew, thanks so much for chatting with us today. Let’s get right into it! You previously released music under the Achilles alias. What prompted you to change to this new moniker?

Originally, ‘PHANTASM’ was the idea for a side project to ‘Achilles’. It was hard to take a full stop and reset with all those years under the ‘Achilles’ alias, but it was at a brick wall. The branding was failing, and I knew that if I wanted to keep moving forward, change was needed. ‘PHANTASM’ was everything I wanted my project to be, branding and music-wise. It makes me so happy to see people see the real vision for this project.

You’ve described PHANTASM’s signature sound as “Horrifying sounds from the depths of hell.” Can you expand on your love for horror and how that’s played into the house music you’ve produced lately?

I grew up a horror fanatic, watching movies like Dawn of the Dead when I was six, and it had a sense of comfort. I had a rough childhood mentally; horror was my safe space, almost. I tend to keep making music that’s neutral, but more of my self-releases are sampled from movies that I loved growing up, with my own spin on them.

Your latest single, “BOUT DAT,” is a bangin’ bass house tune that found a home on Jauz’s Bite This! Imprint. Tell us about how this track came to life! What led to it landing on Bite This?

“BOUT DAT”’” has been in my vault for about three years now, and I knew it was special. I was influenced by Skrillex for the “jungle” sound design. I knew it needed the right home, and Bite This! was the perfect fit. Jauz and the Bite This! team have been so supportive of my project and gave me an opportunity again to showcase my art. I’m very grateful.

This fall has already seen you perform at Breakaway Music Festival, as well as in Philadelphia and your hometown of Boston. Can you share a standout moment you’ve had during your recent tour stops?

I debuted my “PHANTASM: EVIL SET” when I performed direct support for ATLiens in Boston this past September. It’s basically a ridiculously heavy dubstep set with loads of horror sounds and samples. It’s a way to express that side without making a side alias and showing my love/talent in multiple genres. More of those sets to come.

Speaking about Boston specifically, what do you feel makes the scene special there? What’s something you’d like to see happen in the future that might not be happening there currently?

Boston truly has a die-hard scene. Very supportive of DJs, producers, and artists of all kinds. I would love to see the underground scene return more here, bringing rising artists with serious talent before they blow up.

As someone who’s been active in the scene since 2015, you’ve certainly noticed the ebbs and flows of genres and the community as a whole. What’s the biggest thing you’ve noticed about the current community compared to the one from a decade ago?

I think when I first got into producing, it was all about sound design when people spoke of a project’s ’signature sound’. I notice more so now that artists will explore avenues of a signature sound consisting of one-shot samples, FX, drums, etc. It shows electronic music continues to evolve and how many pioneers we have making strides to create new waves.

If you could give one piece of advice to other artists who are rising through the ranks of the scene, what would it be?

Produce. Building your brand, shows, etc., is all a part of the plan, but for a project to thrive and succeed, music will always come first. I would rather discover someone with 10 followers who has an impressive discography and potential than someone playing every local show and has no music released.

Looking toward the future, where do you hope to take the Phantasm project next? What goals do you hope to achieve a year from now?

I’m looking to really take this project to the next level. We are expanding the team, working on a spring tour, festival bookings, larger collaborations, and overall big picture stuff. This time next year, I would like to double stream counts, release an EP for my ‘Evil Set’ vision and overall continue pushing boundaries that my last project could not.

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