Tetrad
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Tetrad

El Segundo, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2015

El Segundo, CA
Established on Jan, 2015
Solo Electronic Dubstep

Calendar

Music

Press


"Why dubstep is back at the cutting edge in 2018"

"The list of unique forward-thinking artists extends from Eva808 to Malleus, Foamplate to Tetrad and beyond." - Red Bull Music


"Juno Records Review of "Samos EP" by Tetrad (FAV010)"

Most recently spotted on Foundation Audio's digital arm collaborating on Krook's EP, LA's Tetrad switches lanes to the label's vinyl league with three outstanding system slugs. "Shakuhachi" sets the tone with a rounded unhurried bounce that ploughs though any scoops like lava. It's joined by the similarly flabby bass-slapped "Samos" where there's less of a bass melody but these epic trippy trails coming off each sub. Finally, "MIC" closes on a slightly cosmic-yet-barbed touch as dreamy arpeggios wrap around thick treacle subs and some dark politic messages. Serious bass integrity. - Juno Records


"E3 & Alter Echo (+Tetrad Remix) - Cave Dweller EP Review"

...Tetrad’s remix [of E3's "Stalagmite"] will have the DJ’s drawing, flipping the script into a steppa with plenty of bass weight heft to scuff up some shoes, while liberally sprinkling a few pieces of sound data from the OG. - Trusik


"Juno Records review of Tetrad/Headland release UNITY005 (Unity Through Sound, 2018)"

Following their recent appearance on Well Rounded Dubs, US dubber Tetrad and NZ kindred spirit Headland land on Unity Through Sound with two enveloping, sense-mashing jams. "Green Crack" is Tetrad solo; all molten mechanical reverbs, spry skanks and an MC call-to-arms. "Crossed Out", meanwhile, sees the pair collide for a trippier, more twisted spiralling sludgy number. Drop it and watch heads fry. - Juno Records


"Boomkat Review of "Awaken Dub" (ZAMZAM46)"

Lurching at the heels of Emperor T’s heavyweight delivery, also on ZamZam Sounds, LA’s Tetrad matches it step for step with the propulsive Awaken Dub up top, before going lower with the suspension-testing dubstep weight of Turn 1 on the other side. - Boomkat


"A Chat With Tetrad"

It’s been a hot minute since we last interviewed an artist for UKBM, so it’s a great pleasure for us to be publishing our latest chat with US artist Tetrad. We sat down with Cheyne to chat more about his musical endeavours, including his influences and future musical plans!

Hi Tetrad, it’s great to be able to have a chat with you. Firstly, tell us a little about your musical history… When did you start creating music?

Glad to be talking to you! I’ve been writing music since I was 11 and in a lot of different forms. I started out writing punk rock with a couple different bands, like Issue 89, where I did vocals and guitar, writing street punk and ska. I also did vocals, and wrote lyrics and music with a metalcore band called MidMourn while in high school. But I started creating electronic music at 15 when my good friend Matthew Olmos (aka Endor/DD 2-14) showed me Ableton Live. I started creating experimental stuff and minimal techno, and through an interest in UK Garage and 2-step I discovered dubstep music, through artists like El-B, Burial, and Shackleton.



You’ve released your music on the infamous ZamZam… How did that all come about?

I’m really lucky to have had that opportunity. I always appreciated ZamZam Sounds’ approach to releasing music, emphasizing music releases as individual works of art with gorgeous design and screen printing. I had been sending music out to a few different producers and labels including ZamZam Sounds via SoundCloud and email, and at some point, Ezra (aka E3, co-owner of ZamZam) showed an interest in some tunes of mine and asked others about them; eventually word reached me that he was interested and we got in touch via the web. Took a while of decision-making but eventually we got a release together that Ezra, Tracy (co-owner), and I could agree on. I’m honored to call myself a part of that family, and working with them gave me one of the biggest confidence boosts I could have asked for.

What do you prefer… Sitting in the studio cooking up beats or touring/djing?

It’s funny because if you asked me a year or two ago I’d probably say cooking up beats because at the time I liked the solitary act of creating something, but to be perfectly honest, I get so much joy from performing for people and seeing people’s reactions to my music and the music of my friends these days. That’s where I get my most enjoyment from music nowadays. It’s just too much fun.

Any forthcoming releases we can look forward to?

Right now I’ve got two announced with a few in the very nascent planning stages. Both are 10” vinyl records, one with the fantastic and far underrated Well-Rounded Dubs in the first of a remix series, myself on the B-side with my remix of NZ dubstep stalwart Headland’s “Local” flip from the A-side, which is the naughty Headland remix of NUMBer’s “Æther.” The other 10” is one I’m equally excited about, with the sound-system destroyers at Unity Through Sound, a fantastic UK label that focuses on the individual sounds of each track, keeping each 10” white-labeled with a hand-stamp for good measure. This one will have“Green Crack,”a dub of mine making the rounds for a bit, and on the flip my first collaboration with Headland entitled “Crossed Out.” Very proud to be on both of these wicked labels, and to be able to showcase musical collaborations with such an excellent fellow producer.



If you could collaborate with one artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

That’s tough for me, because this could go so many different ways musically. If we’re talking dubstep or dub-oriented music, I’d have to say Space Ape (RIP). His lyrical style is so unique, I feel like you hear his influence now in the lyricism of great MCs like Rider Shafique and Werd2Jah among others, but what a loss his passing was. “9 Samurai” by him and Kode9 was one of the first dubstep tunes I fell in love with.

Do you have any stand out influences?

My main musical influence overall comes from Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter, Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti, Igor Stravinsky, and Steve Reich, as jazz and classical is where much of my primary musical understanding comes from. I have to include King Tubby and Mad Professor, because their innovations in using the studio as an instrument has had an incalculable influence on my approach, as well as my biggest electronic music influences Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada, both artists that made me want to make electronic music. As far as dubstep/grime, it’s always changing because I’m listening to new stuff all the time, but the primary influences for my sound are Loefah, Appleblim, Kromestar, Coki, Stagga, LAS & Mikael, and VIVEK.



Best/worst you’ve played gig and why?

I’ve been lucky enough to have so far played a ton of great gigs as Tetrad, with only one or two that were less than ideal. But nothing I’d describe as the worst gig I’ve ever played, considering some of the gigs I’ve played in the past with bands I’ve been a part of. I’ve been lucky to play with Hatcha, Mesck, Joe Nice, Vivek, Youngsta, LAS & Mikael, Leon Switch, Fill Spectre, Kursk (the Innamind Recordings label-head), Biome, Sepia, but to be honest the most fun I’ve had is going back-to-back with my brother Ahkur, and especially at small venues with close friends like SRB and B-Side Los Angeles. It’s those shows that truly hold a place in my heart.

By contrast, one of the worst experiences I’ve had playing live wasn’t as Tetrad, but at a Battle of the Bands at the sadly now-closed venue Cobalt Cafe in Canoga Park, CA with metalcore band MidMourn. I was playing guitar and doing vocals, and I had a tendency to jump in the audience and mosh around with friends and fans while I wasn’t singing. On this occasion, someone decided to try to take myguitar WHILE I was playing it. They literally grabbed onto my guitar and tried to pry it from my hands, and at some point in the struggle they hit me square in the head with the headstock of the guitar, and I got a long cut in my head with blood running down my face. I still have a small scar from it. It broke out into a big fight, and I remember my friend Kim socking the guy right in the face, which frankly was awesome. He ran out, and security and some others chased him away. I won’t soon forget that time, and to be honest it is kind of a great memory, but it was a disappointment at the time to be sure.

One record you can’t live without?

Just one? Hahaha. I grew up with records, so it’s tough for me to pick. Across all genres it’d have to be Miles Davis “Kind of Blue.” No album has had a bigger impact on my musical creativity. If it’s a dubstep record, it’s gonna be DMZ009, Loefah’s “Mud” and “Rufage.” The bass on that 12” rips a hole in your soul.

Any advice to upcoming producers/djs?

I have two things to say. A) always be free to experiment; not to say you should always be completely free, you can always create limitations just to force yourself into a certain path, but don’t let that self-imposed limit force you to conform to what the music industry or even your peers think you should do. And related to that last point I’d say: B) take advice, take critique, but ALWAYS consider the source. If some tutorial on YouTube tells you that you have to do something a certain way, do yourself a favor and figure out where this person is coming from. A producer of rock/pop music isn’t necessarily gonna immediately know what works for an electronic track, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. A YouTuber may be trying to come up with ways for you to quickly sound “just like Carnage or Metro Boomin” when they’re really just guessing themselves. Often those who claim to know the most really know the least. If you’re unsure about someone’s critique or their approach, listen to their music. If it doesn’t sound like something you’d do, then take that into account. Don’t take anything you hear from a YouTube production tutorial as the word of a god.

Any producers we should keep our eyes on?

I’ve gotta give the first shout-out to my brother Dillon aka Ahkur. I love collaborating with him because our sounds are different enough that they complement each other, but his solo tunes are so damn on-point and are consistently of high quality, you cannot sleep on him. If I gave a paragraph to each artist I think people should focus on, this would go on forever, so I’d just have to say keep looking out for Akcept, Watchmaker, Rasper, Vexxe, Nytrikz, Raikov, Kali, Cyclopian, Chad Dubz, Krook, Zygos, Soukah, The Greys, Six Sunsets, OldGold, and of course, Headland and Oxóssi. Every single one of these producers is pushing what I see as the next progression in dubstep, beyond the established viewpoints into a new world of possibilities for bass music. - UK Bass Music


"Juno Download review of "Heart of Soundsystem"/"Well Maybe Dub" (SURESTATE013)"

Calling your track "Heart Of The Soundsystem" is a bold move... But it's a move that LA new-blood Tetrad executes with serious skill: the bassline pumping with thick dub blood, power surges through every cone with life as it worms between sub and higher octaves amid a dense array of Pablovian textures. "Well Maybe Dub" is a much deeper, denser construction with a slow-and-steady kick that's wrapped in ten-tog duffle subs. One for lift off, one for come down... Hearty on. - Juno Download


"Juno Records Review of "Ashes Fall/Crumble" by Tetrad & Ahkur (FAV004)"

LA not-so-confidential: Tetrad has been developing a strong reputation for slick sub aesthetics for a little while now, appearing on labels such as Sublimate and Sure State. Now bringing his emerging friend and sonic kindred spirit Ahkur along for the ride, the result is the smoke-stacked, toxic bass croaker that's "Ashes Fall", a powerful piece of darkness designed for 3am and later. "Crumble" sees Tetrad back on the solo flex with a sweet sub that sits behind everything anonymously until it starts to flop out behind the kicks in a dizzying, almost physical way. Authentic. - Juno Records


Discography

Available Releases:

FAV010 "Samos EP" – Tetrad (Foundation Audio, 2019)
Listen/Buy: SoundCloud Red Eye Juno White Peach Unearthed Sounds

UNITY005 "Green Crack"/"Crossed Out" (w/ Headland)
 – Tetrad, Headland (Unity Through Sound, 2018)
Listen/Buy: SoundCloud Red Eye Juno 

WRDUBSRMX1 NUMBer - "æther (Headland Remix)" b/w Headland"Local (Tetrad Remix)" – NUMBerHeadland, & Tetrad (Well-Rounded Dubs, 2018)
Listen/Buy: SoundCloud 

GB011 "Cave Dweller" EP (E3 w/ Alter Echo & Tetrad) – E3Alter Echo, & Tetrad (Gourmetbeats 2017)
Listen/BuySoundCloud Unearthed Sounds Red Eye Beatport iTunes

SMD020 "Signal" EP – Tetrad Ahkur (Silent Motion 2017)
Listen/Buy: SoundCloud Beatport iTunes Spotify

FAV004 Ashes Fall (w/ Ahkur) / Crumble – Tetrad & Ahkur (Foundation Audio 2017)
Listen/BuySoundCloud Red Eye, White Peach, Juno

ZAMZAM046 Awaken Dub / Turn 1 – Tetrad (ZamZam Sounds, 2016)
Listen/Buy: SoundCloud (out of stock, check Discogs)

MATS001 Eazy Street b/w Cyclopian Version – Tetrad (Material Sound, 2016)
Listen/BuySoundCloud Bandcamp (US) Red Eye (UK/Rest of World)

SURESTATE013 Well Maybe Dub / Heart of Sound System – Tetrad (Sure State, 2016)

Photos

Bio

Tetrad is the dubstep and bass music project of L.A.-based musician, producer, songwriter, and DJ Cheyne Bush. A lifelong musician, Cheyne learned jazz on saxophone and guitar in school, and punk and experimental music at home. 

Gaining experience as a youth in punk, metalcore, and ska bands, he turned to electronic music when he started experimenting with music software and DAWs such as Ableton Live and discovered artists such as Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and Autechre. As he was developing his style and listening to deep minimal techno and IDM, a new influence came out of his interest in 4x4 and 2-step Garage music -– this new influence was dubstep, in the form of Burial and Shackleton. Discovering the Hyperdub and Skull Disco artists, as well as the early DMZDeep Medi, and Chestplate releases, instilled a shift towards this new musical direction.


In 2015, Cheyne started to record solo as Tetrad and has since released a clutch of deep and weighty dubstep tunes digitally and on vinyl on labels like American dubstep imprint Sure State, Portland’s vaunted ZamZam Sounds label, newly debuting Bay Area label Material Sound, as well as his first release on a 12" record through Bristol's dark dubstep haven Foundation Audio, which includes a collaboration with his brother, Dillon Bush, under his moniker Ahkur. Last year, Cheyne & Dillon returned with a release on notorious US dubstep label Silent Motion and Cheyne on his own with the release of his remix of a tune by ZamZam Sounds co-honcho E3 through Joe Nice's highly valued label Gourmetbeats. In 2018, Cheyne had two 10" vinyl releases, one with well-worn UK label Well-Rounded Dubs, and a highly anticipated release with UK sound system outfit Unity Through Sound, featuring a collaboration with NZ wunderkind Headland.

As a dedicated fan and producer of dubstep, Cheyne aspires towards the likes of System Music, AMAR, Innamind Recordings, KhaliphonicMoonshine Recordings, Deep Medi, and Scrub A Dub/Scotch Bonnet as places that could serve as homes for potential releases. Though up-and-coming, Cheyne's dedication to dubstep is long-standing and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Band Members