Repping South Jersey and serenading audiences with heavy doses of experimental bass, Digital Ethos has carried himself as a pioneer in the electronic scene since he began producing in 2015. Through sheer innovation and a yearning to create music that’s both boundless and undefinable, the hip-hop head-turned-bass music producer has carved a lane all his own, catching the attention of labels like Wakaan, Bassrush, and more. After taking a brief hiatus from releasing music in 2021, Digital Ethos is officially back with a brand-new single, Kill Em, on Rezz’s label HypnoVizion, as he showcases a new sound while pushing the boundaries of bass even further than before.
Following the release, The Daily Frequency caught up with Digital Ethos to discuss the new track, his upcoming Red Rocks show with Rezz, hip-hop, and a whole lot more.
Check out the full interview below.
DF: You just dropped a massive new single with ‘Kill Em!’ How does it feel to not only put out a track of this magnitude but do it with a label like HypnoVizion?
Digital Ethos: To say it feels good to release this song is an understatement. It has gone through many changes over the last year, and for it to finally reach completion and be released into the world is a great feeling. As far as labels go, I couldn’t be happier to have it on HypnoVizion! Rezz has always been a massive supporter of my music from an early stage, so it feels awesome to release a song on her newly created label.
DF: On top of the new single, you rinsed a ton of new music on the HypnoVizion Sirius Radio takeover. How do you feel about the direction of your sound right now?
Digital Ethos: The Sirius XM takeover was such a great experience. Hearing my music on a nationwide radio channel, let alone Diplo’s curated station, was nothing short of amazing. Not only do I feel confident in the new material I have been working on, but I am ecstatic that I got to showcase and even debut this unreleased music to such a large audience. I feel like people have come to expect a particular style from me. However, the new music I have been sitting on is a much more diverse and expanded version of my current sound. I feel like I’ve leveled up tremendously, and am taking my time rolling out everything to ensure that I capture the attention of my listeners.
DF: When talking about ‘Kill Em,’ you stated, “The rest really wrote itself.” Do you ever feel that inspiration or ideas ever come from something outside yourself?
Digital Ethos: I think after doing something long enough, when in a ‘flow state,’ I can unconsciously write and make decisions without thinking. When you can see and feel the potential of an idea, maximizing it becomes muscle memory. I will say, though, only a few songs that I have written over the years have made me feel this way. Another one that comes to mind is my track ‘Superhuman.’ This is a song that I feel I was able to write, and feel 100% satisfied and confident that the song was finished. When writing music, it is very easy to get caught up trying to make something perfect, and it becomes counterproductive. Either you create more work for yourself, it sounds worse, or it never gets released. There is such a balance to creating art, and nothing will ever be perfect. It’s all about making it sound the best you can for yourself and your listeners.
DF: You were the first artist to join Rezz for her debut Rezz Rocks takeover in 2018. How does it feel to come full circle in 2023 and join her for the fifth edition of Rezz Rocks?
Digital Ethos: I couldn’t be more hype to run it back five years later! It feels pretty crazy to me that my first time performing at Red Rocks was in 2018, but here we are…. I’ve worked hard over the years and feel like I deserve the opportunities I’ve gotten to showcase my music on such a special stage. We’ll be doing it bigger and better this year! My project and sound has come a long way since then, and to be able to do it all over again is insanely special to me. Can’t even begin to thank Rezz and her team enough for the constant support and keeping me in mind for an event as special as Rezz Rocks.
DF: What can fans expect once you take the stage at Red Rocks?
Digital Ethos: I don’t like to set expectations for people. I’d like to think I incorporate something for everybody in my performances, but the only way to find out is to buy a ticket and show up early! 🙂
DF: Before you got into electronic music, hip-hop was your first love. What was it about bass music that not only pulled you in but made you want to create it?
Digital Ethos: I feel like the evolution of my music taste ultimately led me to this. I always was the friend in the group who was finding all the really sick underground songs, and it got to a point where I didn’t want to show and DJ other people’s music anymore. The only thing left to do was to create my own. With the help of close friends around me who were already producers, this transition from avid music lover to producer was seamless and enjoyable from the start. I had people in my corner, constantly pushing me and helping me level up. I’ve always been competitive and driven, and when I do something, I want to be great at it. Seven years later, I am still hungry and constantly pushing myself to be the best producer and version of myself that I can be.
DF: Do you feel like there are more similarities between hip-hop and bass music than people realize?
Digital Ethos: I think the similarities (in my eyes) are there, but it is up to the listener to draw their own conclusions on that. The bridge between rap and EDM is undoubtedly becoming stronger. I personally have seen rappers like Denzel Curry on Twitter trying to work with Electronic Artists. Not to mention other cultures where rap is almost completely integrated into the electronic sound, like UKG. Fusing rap and EDM together makes for an awesome blend of genres, and I think the masses are starting to realize that. Being a 90s baby, there’s no way around the fact that Hip-Hop ruled the airwaves growing up, at least where I’m from in South Jersey.
DF: If there was one hip-hop artist you could make a track with, who would it be and why?
Digital Ethos: This is such a tough question! But to name a few, I would have to say A$AP Rocky, BIA, Dave, or Little Simz. This is just what comes to mind in the current moment. So many talented rappers out there. To work with anyone in that space and help further bridge that gap between genres would be an incredible experience.
DF: Overall, you have such a unique sound and really seem to push boundaries in a new way with every release. What is it about your style that gives you such a distinct and authentic sound?
Digital Ethos: I Think being true to yourself through and through is the big one when I think of artists with unique and recognizable sounds. It’s so important to write music that is expressive of yourself, not just trying to write what is popular in the current moment. I think a lot of my success stems from these beliefs or Ethos (haha). I want to be known as an artist who was true to myself and what I love about music. With every release, you will get a piece of that from me, and it’s something that I will continue to do throughout the course of my life writing music.
DF: Lastly, what can fans expect from Digital Ethos for the rest of 2023?
DE: I fully intend on dropping another single or two before the year’s end, but the most concrete and exciting thing is an all-unreleased mix that will drop at the end of the year. It will include collabs, edits, and even some tracks that will never be released. The primary focus of it, however, will be showcasing tracks from my Debut Album, that I have been working on for the last 2+ years, set to release in early 2024.
Check out ‘Kill Em’ by Digital Ethos HERE!