Bali-based duo DONT BLINK are on a mission to supercharge the dance ground. Identified for his or her relentless high-octane tech sound, knowledgeable by progressive, indie dance and techno, they’ve simply dropped their maiden EP on Adam Beyer’s Truesoul titled ‘ACTIVATOR’. This follows earlier releases on labels together with Nervous, Tomorrowland Music, Repopulate Mars and their very own LOW CEILING imprint.
EDMTunes caught up with Aleks and Oskar to speak concerning the making of the EP, what makes their decade-long collaboration tick and the way frisbee video games in Bali in some way impressed one in all their most explosive tracks up to now.
What do you want most about working with each other? What’s one thing distinctive that every brings to the collaborative undertaking?
Aleks and I’ve been working collectively for over a decade. In the beginning, we belief one another’s style and should not afraid to inform one another if we don’t like one thing. Aleks is an especially expert producer, combine and mastering engineer. He masters all of our tracks to present them the standard DONT BLINK sound. Oskar is nice at discovering distinctive concepts for our relentless grooves, developing with toplines, vocals and sounds that make our tracks stand out.
How lengthy did the ACTIVATOR EP take to create within the studio? Have been there any roadblocks alongside the way in which? Are you able to share any tales from its creation.
We wished to create a monitor that instantly cranks up the vitality and picks up everybody right away. ACTIVATOR was the proper idea, and fortunately it rhymes with absolutely anything.
The vocal concept of STIMULANTS got here to us when enjoying frisbee on the seaside in Bali. One in every of our younger crew mates has ADHD and we had been speaking about Ritalin and Adderall and the totally different results on the mind and focus. Her response: WE ALL NEED STIMULANTS. It actually caught so we needed to file the vocal and make it right into a monitor!
Who’re your manufacturing heroes?
There are a few producers we glance as much as! Boris Brejcha has at all times been an enormous inspiration for crafting his personal sound and being tremendous expert and environment friendly within the studio, making music precisely the way in which that he feels within the second.
Extra just lately guys like Mau P and Max Styler are actually lifting the usual for high quality manufacturing and are definitely producers that we use as reference factors.
What’s a dream little bit of studio gear you’d like so as to add to your assortment?
Aleks already has a large assortment of controllers. He may most likely begin a museum or dangle them on the partitions as artwork items for adornment. Pondering again, after all the unique Moog synthesizer can be an epic piece to personal, although it wouldn’t actually match into our studio in Bali.
Do you set profession targets and attempt to manifest sure issues or simply let issues move? If that’s the case, what would you want to realize waiting for 2026?
We set fairly formidable targets and at all times attempt to develop. This yr has been an enormous step up for us and has created fairly some momentum. Our plan for 2026 is to develop that momentum – larger releases – larger exhibits – extra festivals.
It’s troublesome to develop a fanbase of devoted listeners outdoors of the DJ realm and that is the subsequent massive step for us. To domesticate a tradition for our relentless sound and for our label LOW CEILING.
Outdoors of music, what kind of hobbies or practices do it’s a must to hold stability in your life?
Oskar is enjoying final frisbee and attends a bunch of worldwide tournaments yearly. Aleks is into boxing and MMA. We’re each travelling lots and love to attach music with exploring new nations.
Share a musical suggestion you possibly can’t cease listening to.
Most just lately somebody who is actually cranking out one nice monitor after one other is fellow German producer Kolter, particularly along with his enjoyable aspect undertaking known as J.Okay. Rollin. Because the identify suggests it’s tremendous driving, rolling grooves cranking up the BPM on the minimal deep tech style and actually creating an awesome vibe to get the social gathering began.
What’s developing subsequent by way of your studio initiatives?
We’re at all times cookin within the studio. Our units now are 100% DONT BLINK productions and normally half of the exhibits are unreleased tracks. We love that we’re not sure to 1 style however are in a position to infuse our signature relentless sound with parts from Techno, Indie Dance and Home.
By now we have now a fairly insane again catalog of tracks and at all times new releases within the pipeline, permitting us to take the gang on a journey. Developing subsequent is the discharge on Truesoul, then following up are tracks on Meduza’s label AETERNA, Oliver Koletzki’s label Stil vor Expertise, in addition to an enormous one on our personal label LOW CEILING.
You’re based mostly in Bali. Inform us concerning the experiences of residing there and the way the native scene goes?
Bali is a good house base. We’ve been right here now for 10 years. We bought our studio right here and it’s one of the best place to return to after a tour. Whereas others come to Bali to sit back, surf and drink coconuts on the seaside, we normally lock in and actually concentrate on the subsequent tour.
The native scene has seen fairly some development lately, with golf equipment like Savaya bringing just about all the greatest names in dance music to the island. There’s a wide selection of venues and events just about all yr round.
What’s your most anticipated gig of the Fall followers ought to try?
We simply introduced our Fall Tour with about 20 exhibits throughout Europe, Thailand and Australia. ADE goes to be particular this yr with us headlining a few massive occasions. The Thailand tour is shaping as much as be the largest one but with a bunch of superior festivals and personal island gigs, after which after all Australia is at all times a blast!
Anything you’d wish to share?
Our music has seen super assist over time from among the greatest names within the trade in addition to so many resident DJs. For us it’s not about creating hits for Spotify, all of our tracks are devoted to the dance ground and we don’t copy ourselves or others.
We don’t imagine in becoming into one particular style, however let our relentless grooves direct the vitality. We need to give rising expertise a platform by our label LOW CEILING and pay attention to each demo, irrespective of what number of followers or listeners an artist has. Screw the numbers, let the artwork communicate for itself. And screw the style haters, let’s create the underground sound of tomorrow!
DONT BLINK ‘ACTIVATOR’ is out now on Truesoul: https://truesoul.ffm.to/true12193
