At some point in our lives, most of us have known the discomfort of feeling like an outsider, of not fully belonging to any one crowd. Australian-born, Canada-based producer/DJ Pretence taps into that feeling with his new single, “Outcast,” released on HypnoVizion. Inspired by his personal journey and his refusal to bend to trends, Pretence opens up about the inspiration behind the track and the larger vision guiding his artist project.
“Outcast is a track for the misfits. I’ve always felt like I didn’t fully belong in any one crowd, but the one place I could lose myself was in dark electronic music.”
Pretence shares that “Outcast” is for the misfits, a sentiment that feels deeply connected to his artist name. By definition, “pretence” refers to something that is not exactly what it appears to be, reflecting the way misfits are often misunderstood before they are truly known.
That feeling of being misread, of existing just outside the frame, can become even more heightened during a major life shift. For Pretence, moving from Australia to Canada brought that outsider feeling into sharper focus.
“Growing up, I was bullied, and that experience actually inspired the name Pretence. The word itself reflects the idea of something not being what it first appears – people might come into a show expecting one thing, but leave with a completely different perspective. A lot of my life I’ve felt rejected or overlooked, but I’ve used that as fuel to keep pushing forward and building this project into what it is today.”
Experiencing two very different scenes, from Sydney’s underground to his current home base in Canada, has played a major role in shaping Pretence’s sound and creative direction. Growing up around events like Deeper Than House, Chinese Laundry, and SASH helped shape his taste early on, but over time, he felt his production style no longer fully resonated with the Australian market. While bass house had a strong moment in Australia, that wave began to fade after 2020. Rather than stop making the music he loved just because it was no longer trending, Pretence chose to stay true to himself. Canada offered him more room for his sound to grow, evolve, and exist without having to chase trends.
“Between 2017 and 2020, bass house was thriving in Australia, but when it started to fade, I was still making it. I didn’t want to abandon something I loved just because it wasn’t trending anymore. I truly believe chasing trends isn’t sustainable. What is sustainable is experimenting, evolving, and staying authentic to who you are as an artist.”
Pretence’s creative process is less about committing to one genre and more about following the feeling behind each track. Rather than entering the studio with a rigid plan, he allows the music to take shape naturally, following whatever emotion or idea rises to the surface. That openness to experimentation is central to his artistic ethos and helps explain the wide range of styles across his discography. Whether he is creating techno, dark house, or bass music, the theme remains the same: every track still lives within his true creative expression.
“I don’t really stick to one genre anymore – I create based on feeling. One day it might be techno, the next dark house, then bass music, etc. The key for me is making sure everything still fits within the same world and vision of the project.”
Rooting his artist project in authenticity has led Pretence here. Instead of chasing trends or reshaping his sound to fit what is expected, he continues to create from a place that feels honest to him. That kind of commitment can sometimes make you feel like an outcast, but “Outcast” reframes that feeling as something worth embracing. Through the track’s vocals and message, Pretence reminds listeners that feeling different does not mean you are alone. Sometimes, it is the very thing that makes you unique.
“I hope people connect with it on a personal level, especially through the vocals. The message is that you’re not alone – it’s completely normal to feel like an outsider sometimes. That’s what makes you unique!
Pretence’s darker, cinematic, and cyberpunk-leaning sound is heavily inspired by composer Le Castle Vania, whose work in the John Wick films left a lasting impact on him. The intensity of those fight scenes, paired with Le Castle Vania’s music, helped shape the kind of energy Pretence wanted to bring into tracks like “Jawbreaker” and “Outcast.” Built to open his sets and create tension from the very beginning, these tracks rely on layered pads, atmospheres, drones, vocal delays, and reese basses to build that immersive, cinematic feeling.
“Watching the John Wick films – especially the fight scenes with his music always gave me goosebumps.”
For Pretence, “Outcast” is only one piece of a larger vision. He and his team have big plans leading into 2027, including working toward securing his U.S. visa. From there, Pretence is excited to expand the project globally and build a full visual experience that complements both his releases and live shows.
