Bass On The Flow is a Brazilian artist from Florianópolis who has worked with record labels such as Platform 7 and Fleshtones. His new single "Ziriguidum" comes via Ciclé Records which is a UK-based imprint, which has a stripped-back and techy style.
Ziriguidum showcases Bass On The Flow's upbeat style with fusions of flowing percussion and trippy vocal textures. Impressed by the track, we invited him for this interview so we could learn more...
Hi Bass On The Flow, can you start by explaining your music style?
“As the name suggests, I try to create a striking groove in my bassline. Of course, the stereo part of my music also gains a lot of notoriety, with the drums and percussive elements holding a strong presence, but for me the soul of electronic music is in the low!”
You are based in Brazil, how did you first discover electronic music, and what is your opinion of the Brazilian club scene?
“Yes, I am currently living in Florianópolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina, an island in the south of the country. There are large clubs that are highly regarded worldwide in Brazil. Mainly here in Santa Catarina, where the scene is very strong, clubs like Warung Beach Club, Surreal Park, Green Valley, El Fortin, Terraza, Baroque, Sungai and many others keep the scene alive with lots of good parties and great artists, all year round. The states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo also have great relevance in the national club scene. The space for underground music is huge in this scene, with many talented producers always putting new things on the dance floor.”
Who are some of your favourite DJs, and how has their influence helped develop your own sound?
“Obviously, there are many, but I could divide them into two groups... one from an older generation, and the other from a new generation. Jamie Jones, wAFF, Booka Shade, Hot Since 82, Format:B and many others from different genres I could mention, were my first influences for production and DJing.
Currently my main influences come from minimal/deep tech producers from the United Kingdom that I'm fortunate to be friends with such as, Ping, Jack Realist, Mattr, Kirkie, Baylee Brown, Brad King, and Blaqq & Why'd (Switzerland) are massive influences on me. I think I identified with the sounds of these artists, as they bring a lot of aggression to the groove and very abstract minimalist ambience like the inclusion of glitch elements for example. It's a club track sound, with impact, that has been growing with increasingly expressive releases.”
When did you start producing music, and what equipment do you normally use?
“I started producing a very experimental sound in mid-2018, based on an old "psycore" project. It is a new aspect of high BPM, where there is no limit to BPMs and musical patterns. I made music with 200 BPM or more... It was in a very underground scene, and in 2021, I decided to focus my productions on low BPM. My setup is quite simple, I have a notebook, with an external audio card. A pair of 5-inch monitors and a good headphone jack. Unfortunately, my studio doesn't have acoustic treatment yet, but doing this is my next upgrade goal here.”
Your next release is a single called “Ziriguidum” and I wanted to know more about the concept of that track?
“The concept of this track starts with vocal sampling of a popular Brazilian song, called "Seu Ziriguidum." I tried to put a little Brazilian-ness in the context of this minimal track with the influences I mentioned, mainly from the UK. It's a track where there are conversations of rhythmic percussions and glitches, which accompany a massive bassline. The break is engaging, and gives the necessary tension for the final drop of this track. Ziriguidum brings a very "cool" atmosphere to the dance floor.”
Ziriguidum is being released by Ciclé Records, and I’m interested to know the story behind how you first made contact with the record label?
“The person who introduced me to the great Gussi, the label boss of Ciclé, was Jack Realist. He owns the Realism93 record label in the United Kingdom and asked me if I would like to release something on Ciclé, and I was immediately available to make a new track for it!”
What else is coming up in your music schedule, any other releases or DJ gigs you are excited about?
“So, it's only been a little over a month since I moved here to Florianópolis, I already had the opportunity to perform at a club, which is Sixx House, an amazing boiler room here in SC. Right now, I'm looking to make partnerships and contacts so I can perform here. Recently, I had great support from Marco Carola on Blaqq & Why’d’s remix of my track "Knock Knock" (released on Realism93). After he played this track, Stefano Noferini and Silvie Loto also played it.
This was also a year in which I focused a lot on releasing more music, which already has a total of 20 EPs and singles.”
Thanks for doing this interview, is there anything you want to add before we finish?
“I would like to thank you immensely for the opportunity to tell you a little more about myself and my work. Thank you for the work of the guys at Ciclé Records who have been doing great behind the scenes work this launch. I promise a 2024 with more major releases and if everything goes well, lots of gigs!”
Out now, you can buy Bass On The Flow's new single Ziriguidum, HERE.
Comments