TCLYDE

Now dexterity and diversity is an attribute of a music producer that will be eternally beneficial. The personal asset keeps doors open, keeps the mind refreshed, and allows your listeners to see a new, experimental, and more creative you. That is exactly what TCLYDE is doing with this fissure of an installation in his catalog of music madness, ‘Blaster‘.

[Basshouse] is the game, ‘Blaster‘ is the name. This monstrous beat is excessively built up with a mean loop of deep, dark, and dominating bass. The easy let offs are only backed up and fortified by more electrifying and immense bass-lines. As it is carried through with intensity, complexity, and energy whilst we are left in our utmost delirious state of mind. You can wipe the sweat off your forehead now.

Keep TCLYDE close in your playlists as he is increasingly developing a worldwide name for himself in the bass-music industry. In addition to the prolific and earth-shattering music, this up and coming talent is releasing his new merch/clothing line. Show your support! - Monsoon Season

Please welcome TCLYDE to the storm!

Q1: Welcome to our ever-growing storm! Can you introduce yourself to our readers and your soon-to-be fans? Walk us through the shoes of TClyde?

A1: It’s great to be part of the interview! My name is Timothy Clyde Johnson. I am from a little small town in Indiana and I currently live there with my beautiful wife Brookelyn. The persona of TCLYDE started almost 7 years ago after I left Manchester College. I was a Music student studying Music Theory and Percussion hoping to become a high school teacher. During that year, I found something that really drew my attention, EDM. I applied my past musical influences such as Deathmetal and Jazz and started writing music for myself to play percussion along with. I shortly moved to South Bend, Indiana in 2014 when I ment my mentor Ian Gibbs who influenced me to persue my love for dance music. My life now as TCLYDE is surreal to be honest…sometimes it is overwhelming. There is a lot of perssure being one of few producers from my area. I spend most of my time as an artist writing new material and helping others on their music.


Q2: What musical genre are you primarily working with right now?

A2: DUBSTEP

Q3: How have you been occupying your 2020 year? Any sort of new ventures we can expect to see in 2021?

A3: I have been spending a lot of my year so far working on new music and seasoning my sound. As side from writing, I have been working on my live mix sessions. In the next upcoming year, I plan on releasing a new EP along with bookings into different states that I have yet been to.


Q4: What’s your favorite thing to do after a set? Back to the green room or head to the crowd?

A4: After a set, the first thing I do is give my wife a hug and thank her for supporting my dream and being my cornerstone. After that, I venture into the crowd to thank everyone for being there and supporting. An artist is a fraction of a show, the crowd is the other 99%. I continue to support and watch other artists after my performance.

Q5: Walk us through the creative process behind Dastardly and Empty.

A5: Dastardly and Empty are yin and yang. When I was in the process of creating Dastarly, I wanted to have the track stay true to me roots. I have always been a fan of agressive/high energy music. Like in any track I start, I start making the drums first. I used Tama snares and DW acoustic kicks during the recording process, then reprocessed them in Ableton. After I was satisfied with my drumset, I recording some drum fills on a Roland Vtech kit, then imported them into Ableton. Next, I used and FX chain that I have in nearly all of my tracks. Once the drumset, fills and fxs are complete and complimentary to one another [key and antecedent consequent relationships], I would then start on the basslines & melody-harmony. While doing the sound design of the track, I sent snippets of it to my close friend Micah Ross..who ended up naming the track. Dastardly is something that is “evil or wicked”. The track embodies frustration and malice. It is very hard for me not to smack my head against a wall while listening to it.

Empty is just that..the void of nothingness. I named the track Empty for my uncle who was murdered last Thanksgiving. It was exactly how I felt. I felt that there was nothing left for me to do, nor anything else that I could write. I truly believed that Empty was going to be the last song of TCLYDE. I started of the track the same as I did Dastardly EXCEPT I built the melody first. I used some of my old piano compositions in college to build an atmosphere of mysticism and sorrow. After I finished the melody/harmony, I then built my drum racks, fills and FX chains. Lastly I built the bassline between compound meters and duplie meters [standard counting and swing counting]. The bassline is simple, two 8th note groupings followed by a triplet and another 8th note grouping. Instead of searching through Ableton to find different sounds to add, I tried to minimize as much as possible and reuse sounds throughout the piece. Surprisingly enough, what I thought would be my last track ended up sparking inspiration for 12 other tracks that I am currently working/finishing.

Q6: What has been your experience with festivals in regards to witnessing wild shit? Give us an example of a time you couldn’t believe your eyes!

A6: One of the craziest things I have ever seen/attended/played was Carnival of Choas Tour. It was pretty shocking seeing people with hooks in them and even more surprising them offering other people to tug on them for cash. Like SERIOUS SHIT LOL! I knew that shit was wild as fuck when I seen two little people being pulled by a golf-cart at 3 in the morning. Hands down, craziest thing I have ever been to.

Q7: Who is in your scope as far as collaborations go?


A7: As far as collabs go, I really haven’t worked with anyone. I have not really given myself and opportunity to do so. If I would collaborate with anyone, I would love to work with some of the Grand Rapids family. I would really like to work with Charlotte Webb and Bosstatus! If I where to work with any major labeled artists, I’d want to work with my favorite artist, Dubloadz.

Q8: Dream venue/festival? Where and why?

A8: My dream gig is to be playing at Lost Lands. Lost Lands, to me anyways, is where the lines between being a local talent and a major talent is blurred away. To be able to play on such a big platform with so many talented artists would be such a blessing. One day it will happen, but in the meantime I am just going to keep grinding.

Q9: Who do you see killing it on the daily? Shout-them out!

A9: CHARLOTTE WEBB, BOSSTATUS, ICEBREAQKER, BVSSMADDER, MEGAHURTZ & DEUCES - Monsoon Season