H.O.:   From Justice and Bloody Beetroots on up to Skrillex, EDM artists are becoming the Nine Inch Nails and Metallicas of the this generation. Why do you think Electro, and especially Dubstep, have become the new outlets for artists who would have probably been making Metal and Industrial 10-years ago?

D:   I think, at least for me, with Justice and the Beetroots (who are two of my later major influences) they introduced the idea of blending organic rock-style music with electronic structure, which lends to a very rich and diverse listening experience. Justice and BB really dialed up the distortion and raw power of tracks, which really appealed to my metal sensibilities, and prior to discovering these guys, I hadn't really heard all too much electronic music that really stimulated me this way. After this point, my music stopped being rock or hip hop with hints of electronics, and shifted to electronic with a rock backbone with hints of orchestration, hip hop and other things I enjoy. For me at least, aggressive Electro and Dubstep bridges the gap between electronic music, and the heavy rock stuff I was into when I was younger. I think the flexibility of the genres as well really resonates with listeners- there's really something out there for everyone. And with how easy computer-based production has become this last few years, more people are able to get their music in a tangible format by themselves without the hassle of depending on things like bandmates, and other outside influences. 

H.O.:   Have you traveled much in the Mid-West and southern parts of the U.S.? Dubstep has penetrated middle America in a way Dance and EDM have never been able to, selling out shows from Texas to Colorado to South Carolina. Why do you think that is? How much of that is due to its Rock style headbang/mosh-pit energy?

D:   I actually haven't been out that way yet. I think that there's a certain sense of stimulation that 'New' Dubstep and Heavy Electro presents that other EDM genres didn't really hit. We live in a generation now of constant high octane stimulation, and Dubstep has really resonated as a sort of soundtrack to this always-in-your-face, maximum-blast sort of society that we (especially the 15-30 year old market) live in. People seem to have shorter attention spans these days, and don't often take the time to sit down with a record and really absorb something in full like that any more, so really high-stimulus singles are becoming the norm.

H.O.:   Your bio states that Drivepilot is the name of your side project. What other projects are you involved with?

D:   Well, it actually says it's my solo project. I have tried the band thing a lot of times in the past, but I'm really a control freak. I can play most instruments to a fairly proficient level, so I've always recorded stuff solo-style for a lot of years, and Drivepilot really just became the name for what my solo music became.

H.O.:   You’re from Canada, which has birthed some major producers/DJs, but you live in Portland. When producer/DJ Hatiras, who’s originally from Toronto, told me he lives in Portland I thought that was crazy. Is there a big Dance scene there?

D:   No, not at all. It's slowly growing and maturing, but in a way, it's stuck between the rave scene of the 90's, and this new EDM scene, but it's a strange market for music. And on a wider scale it's really big into Indie bands. We don't have huge clubs/nightlife like LA, NY, or Chicago, but Dubstep has definitely penetrated here... The Pacific Northwest has always been into Hip Hop, and Dubstep borrows sensibilities from this, as much as Hard Electro borrows from Hard Rock. So it makes sense to me that now all the kids that would have been listening to hip hop are die-hard Dubstep fans.

H.O.:   You were recently on the bill for Identity Festival, which had you along side a big list of both up-and-comers as well as veterans. Who right now has a live show that is really taking it to the next level? What do you bring to the table for live sets?

D:   Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Danger and Deadmau5 are really setting the bar for live shows in my opinion- it really goes back to what I was saying about stimulation. People don't just want to see a DJ spin music.. they go for the lights, the visuals, the projections, etc, and these guys have really incorporated crazy visuals that blend music, technology, and visual arts into a memorable experience. Totally insane sensory stimulations. I'm not lucky enough to have enough exposure yet to have this kind of visuals traveling with me for my shows, but I really try to bring a real and honest sense of energy to my shows. I have always only played my own productions at gigs, so I'm not DJ'ing any other artists' music, and I really get in a zone and get crazy during my sets. There's nothing worse than watching a DJ or performer just stand there. I love music, and I love to be able to play my tracks out live and really vibe off of the energy of the fans, and just have this mutual experience.

H.O.:   I can’t think of any other producer who has released as much as you in 2011. 2012 is around the corner so will you keep the same intense momentum going or focus your attention on something like touring or a full solo album?

D:   I think I released so much based on the sheer obsession level I had with creating music that I personally enjoyed listening to, as well as just being the side-effect of fine-tuning and dialing in my production value. Originally I had no idea what a huge scene this was, and was becoming, but slowly I've been able to foster a loyal fanbase of listeners who really enjoy what I do and are amazingly supportive. Some people write a song or two, and blow up out of nowhere, and end up spending all their time touring and on the road DJ'ing... but initially much of my early fanbase was in Europe, so my touring was much more scattered, leaving me plenty of valuable time to be in my studio and focus on production. I put out the equivalent of 2 full albums since early last year, and more than 20 remixes, but am still relatively underground. So recently my focus has definitely shifted to trying to share this huge back-catalog of songs that I've written before making heaps more. 2012 is already looking much fuller tour-wise, so that's pretty cool. I've been lucky enough to go all over the place already, but I'd definitely love to hit more of the US. And as much as I'd love to write a full LP, I think the 5-song EP format that I've been releasing in has worked really well, and may continue to stay the platform I release on, as it really gives each song a chance to breathe- no songs get lost- and really keeps things fresh due to shorter release cycles. I also have a really hard time keeping songs that I'm proud of under wraps, and I think it would make me pull my hair out trying to keep the wraps on that many songs. But who knows. I always end up writing more music faster than I think I will, so only time will tell I guess.