Hailing from Chicago, the rising producer KTRL has garnered a reputation for his boundary-pushing sound and ever-evolving artistry. Drawing from a vast sonic spectrum, he compiles everything from experimental bass to hip-hop and dubstep into a strikingly raw audible experience. With his latest release, Jinzo, he not only highlights his innovative sound but takes his creativity to another level.
Released on March 7 through HypnoVizion, Jinzo takes listeners on a mind-bending journey through sinister soundscapes, ominous wubs, and conceptual storytelling, inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh!, video games, and the darker corners of electronic music.
Serving as one of his most cohesive projects, Jinzo is more than just another EP. It’s the sound of an artist discovering the full scope of his identity, blending experimental bass with anime-fueled lore, and channeling nearly a decade of musical evolution into four tightly woven tracks.
“Dropping Jinzo feels wonderful, honestly,” KTRL shared in an interview with The Daily Frequency. “I’ve been waiting to get this one out for a little bit now. I feel like it defines me as an artist for sure.”
Manifested through dark wobbles and distorted basslines, that sense of self-definition forms the foundation of the Jinzo experience, a concept that’s been in the works for years.
“I’m a huge nerd, honestly! I wanted to do a play off of one of my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, Jinzo. The concept was created in 2022 for me, and I began writing the songs in 2023. I didn’t write it in order at all, and in 2024, I put the four songs together and realized this was literally it! They all fit! All had a theme around the same base, and the Jinzo EP was created.“
Much like the character it’s named after, Jinzo lives in the space between human and machine.
“Jinzo is an Android Psycho Shocker who seeks to become a real person by taking the souls of those who summon him. I wanted to rewrite the character that I loved from anime into a sound-bending frequency monster,” he laughed. “The rest of the title tracks are inspired by cards I used to play growing up.”
But within the chaotic realm KTRL created Jinzo is no more a monster than he is a savior.
“He is not a monster nor is he a savior. He is both the song & the silence that follows, a being who survives by consuming the very humanity he mesmerizes. And as this EP unfolds, the listener will face a question: will they break free, or will Jinzo claim their soul for his eternal opus?”
Illuminating an impressive sense of storytelling, KTRL’s compelling narrative doesn’t just stop at the theme. Painting pictures with sound, the music itself reflects that eerie duality between human and machine, emotion and precision, soul and circuitry.
To accurately capture that nightmarish space, KTRL had to step outside the sounds he typically creates and dive headfirst into the darker, heavier realms of bass music.
“Yu-Gi-Oh! has a lot of eeriness to it, along with darker soundscapes,” he explained. “I think the direction of that made me want to push that narrative in the project a ton! This is definitely heavier and darker than my previous stuff.”
Of course, his creative influences don’t stop at Yu-Gi-Oh!. Jinzo draws from a wide range of cinematic and animated worlds, which come together into one cohesive sound.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!, Solo Leveling, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners were huge influences for sounds in this one! Even Blade-style stuff,” he says, referencing the moody, dystopian aesthetics that seep into every corner of the EP.
From the heavy-hitting tremors of Jinzo to the tripped-out basslines of Illusion Ritual and the intense vibrations of Shield Crush, KTRL immerses listeners in a vast, unearthly realm of sound.
Another standout is Unreality, a high-octane collaboration with Quackson that fuses an array of wompy basslines, hypnotic tones, and grimey beats that overtake your being.
Perfectly capturing the essence of the EP, the track not only defies the conventions of bass music but also highlights KTRL’s versatility as a producer and collaborator.
“We’ve been friends for a while now! Have been talking about making a song for years. I had a keen idea with a catchy vocal I sent him, and it got turned around pretty quickly! I ended up working on it twice, and he worked on it twice to complete the session. Would love to work with him again!”
However, while the album plays like a cinematic experience, it wasn’t produced in the way you’d think. Instead, it came together by fate.
“I didn’t write it in order at all, and in 2024, I put the four songs together and realized this was literally it! They all fit! All had a theme around the same base, and the Jinzo EP was created.”
Creating an album like Jinzo is no easy task, and for KTRL, writing a concept around each track proved to be both creatively fulfilling and technically challenging.
“I think tying a story to the intros is always the toughest. I heard so many reverbed/atmospheric intros that don’t move the needle for me. So I wanted to make sure the EP captured the vibe early in every song! So you have something to latch onto instead of skipping to the drops.”
Not only did he meticulously craft each track to fit a specific feeling, but he channeled that intentionality into the storytelling, a skill he feels like he’s just beginning to unlock.
“I honestly think I unlocked it with this project! I’ve always had the ideas, but putting them into a cohesive project with a story from start to finish has always been tough for me. This unlocked my artistry, and I couldn’t be happier :). I feel it’s coming from knowing who I am now and not being afraid of putting what’s in my mind out to the world.”
While inspired by storylines like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jinzo isn’t just about building a world—it’s a personal narrative reflecting KTRL’s journey in finding balance, and maintaining control within the chaos.
“100%. I love this question,” he exclaimed when asked if the EP represents his experience as an artist.
“I’ve been at this since 2014, and it’s been a lot of chaos and control. I feel like now I’m really stepping into the control path. Knowing who I am and what I want to be as an artist. It’s been so fun tapping into a real identity.”
In his corner stands Rezz’s HypnoVizion, a label that’s become synonymous with dark, experimental bass and as KTRL sees it, the partnership has been nothing short of inspiring.
“HypnoVizion inspires me every day! I love this label! Rezz has a great ear for that specific sound, and I’ve always been infatuated with this genre and darker things in general since I was a kid. I’m grateful she gave me a chance here, along with the rest of the team.”
What makes an artist stand out is not just the capacity to capture different sounds but the ability to do so while remaining authentic. That being said, despite his steady evolution and fearless experimentation, KTRL remains rooted in his sonic identity.
“It’s just being consistent with what the brand is, along with what you’re trying to portray,” he explained. “I’ve built a backlog of sounds I use and have created, so I feel like in any genre if I’m using my sounds it will always be me!!”
Whether it’s chaos or control, bass or storytelling, one thing is clear. KTRL has tapped into a sound that’s both true to himself and powerfully innovative. With the release of Jinzo, it’s clear he’s not just on top of his game—he’s a rising force in the bass scene who shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
“Expect more music! More shows! I currently just hopped on an agency, so we have been cooking stuff up, trying to build something here. I wish I had a more set-in-stone answer as to where I’ll be playin,g etc. in time <3”