Think back to when you were 16… what were you doing? Images spring to mind of getting up to all sorts of mischief, dramas at school, dramas with parents, etc. Now picture yourself releasing your debut EP on Most Addictive Records at the age of sweet 16. Seem crazy? Well, that’s exactly what Ewol & Espired have just done. You’d think that with True Debreuil (Ewol) living in Australia and Espen Lind Hansen (Espired) living in Norway it would make it difficult for the two to collaborate on an EP. Well just take one listen to the Copperhead EP and you’ll realise that’s definitely not the case.
Meeting online and realising they both shared similar tastes in music, the duo have come up with an impressive release showcasing their diversity and suggesting an air of maturity to their production. The title track Copperhead is a no-holds barred neuro banger, with Fraction and Visions the lighter inclusions on the EP, proving that when it comes to drum & bass, these two know what they’re doing.
The EP marks a very promising start for Ewol & Espired, and is just a taster of what Most Addictive Records have lined up from the guys this year. We caught up with the duo to see what inspired them to get involved in the industry at such a young age, which artists they’re feeling at the moment, and how they go about working together on different sides of the world.
First up congrats on the release of your debut EP on Most Addictive Records!! Did you ever think you’d release something at such a young age?
Thanks!! No, we could never have imagined releasing something so early, but we’re happy we got the chance to!
How did the connection with Most Addictive Records come about?
We simply submitted our tracks through email, and just a couple of days later we were greeted with a great response!! And it just went on from there..
When did you both start producing, and what motivated you to do so?
We both started producing around 2012. The motivation behind it was our love for DJing, and wanting to put our own tracks in the sets.
Espen you’re from Norway, and True, from Australia- how did you two meet and establish you both had a love for drum and bass?
We met through social media and the music community that is thriving there, and shared some tracks with each other and figured by combining these elements we would make a great sound.
Did you collaborate on this EP in different countries the entire time? If so, is it difficult working together and living in separate countries?
Yeah we did and it wasn’t much of a disadvantage. If you couldn’t think of an idea and decided to call it a night, the next morning it would have something fresh to it, due to our time differences. We had everything going through our dropbox, so whenever the other person is sleeping, the other is working.
There’s a perfect balance of light and dark on the EP- with Copperhead a heavy, no-holds barred banger, and both Fraction and Visions are much lighter, contemplative tunes, which shows how diverse your sound can be, and which also suggests a maturity in the production itself; how did you learn to produce? Are you self-taught?
Yep, for the most part we’re both self-taught, and constantly challenging ourselves to make something new sounding. We also pick up inspiration from other artists and try giving it our own touch.
With such diverse sounds it also suggests a thorough knowledge of the genre itself. Have any particular artists influenced you?
Yes, definitely! The heavier stuff we made was heavily influenced by artists like Mefjus, Emperor and June Miller. For the lighter stuff we drew inspiration from artists such as Dimension, Muffler and Lenzman.
Favourite artists/ tunes at the moment?
Our favourite artists right now have to be Mefjus, Emperor, Billain, Chords and Calyx & Teebee. Tune-wise we’re very excited for Emperor- Precursor (Mefjus Remix) and currently we’re digging Rawtek- Amber’s Love Was Like a Marble (Billain Remix), Dimension- Command and Conduct – Eternally.
Have either of you had appearances as DJ’s? If so, does it make it difficult being under the legal age?
We’ve done small local gigs and haven’t found it difficult… yet!
Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? Are you hoping to be involved with music full-time?
Yes, we’re hoping to work with music full-time and evolve in the drum & bass scene.
What’s next for you?
Next up we’ve got several new tracks as we’re currently working on another EP, and we’re also thinking about a VIP for Copperhead.
The Copperhead EP is out today on Most Addictive Records. Available via Beatport and iTunes.