You’ve probably seen Screamarts’ name when scrolling through new releases at least once, because this DJ and producer from Vienna doesn’t sit still. Back in 2021 he started the label Symbiotik Records together with friends AKOV and Pluvio. He’s also releasing EPs on labels like Eatbrain and Dispatch Recordings, and playing events like Blackout and Let It Roll. Screamarts is definitely an artist you just can’t miss.
His newest EP on Eatbrain, Feral, came out on April 14. It’s an EP filled with big tracks, ready for the dancefloor. “I really made this EP with Eatbrain in mind already. I wanted to create dancefloor tunes that evoke big crowd reactions.” We had a chat with Screamarts discussing his latest project and all of his plans for this year.
Feral is your third EP with Eatbrain already. Can you tell us more about the process behind the EP?
Yes that’s true, it’s my third solo EP with them actually. I also did my collaboration EP with Current Value last year. As for the process, making an EP isn’t always straight forward. You collect a couple of tracks, send them to the label, make changes, it’s a cycle. For this EP that was particularly true because I made a lot of changes along the way. What I didn’t change though, was the story and the theme I had in mind. I made the EP with Eatbrain in mind already. I wanted to create dancefloor tunes that evoke big crowd reactions.
I had a lot of fun figuring the tracks out. For ‘Nightmare’ I wanted a bass that sounded like a type of whale, or a sound that a huge animal would make. That’s why I started out with deep notes that sounded like a roar, getting bigger and bigger. This tune really reaches and fills the whole club. ‘Feral’ gave me a vivid idea of this place infested with huge rats where our warrior has to fight his way through. This was also Jade’s favourite track, so that’s how the title track came together in the end.
Talking about artwork, I always speak to the visual artist of Eatbrain. I always have ideas of how the artwork should look and always try to make the connection between my different EPs on Eatbrain. I try to keep the story alive of a lone warrior having his journey through this magical world where he has to defeat entities and beings. These stories combine well in my head with the music I’m making.
Storytelling seems to play a big role in your tracks. Why is that?
When writing music, I can’t help but daydream about situations, it really helps with creating a theme around a track. What kinda sounds to put in the intro, breakthrough, outro… it helps to have an outline, a vague story, or like a scene in a movie.
There’s always stories being told in my EPs and I like it that way. Talking to the writer from Eatbrain really helps to make it come alive as well. I share my thoughts about my music, she writes it down and adds backstories to the tracks. For me it’s really cool to have it all. Some people ask questions about it, and it’s nice to have an answer to it, to have it all tied together and not just being dancefloor bangers. Even if that’s mainly what these tracks are.
It makes sense when I’m playing these tracks with my Samurai mask on. On all my EPs the artwork has a Samurai on it, and now the Samurai is standing in front of the ravers playing these tracks. I like that connection, that’s why I keep doing it.
Why did you choose to wear a Samurai mask on stage?
It helps to have a musical alter ego to go with your music. I didn’t plan this, it just came to me after a while of playing out. I noticed that I was going to be able to work with Eatbrain for a while, I’m really a part of the Eatbrain family. It came to me that it would make sense to tie my persona together with my liveshows, and my actual music, artworks, and create this whole theme and story around Screamarts. It’s not who I am in real life, I created this detached version of myself.
It’s also a marketing strategy, people remember the DJ with the glowing Samurai mask, they think back of various artworks being Japanese themed. It ties everything together. And it’s just aesthetically pleasing as well, it makes the world a more magical place.
The last time we interviewed you was when you first started out with the Symbiotik label. How is it going with that?
It’s going really well with the label, we now have Hivemind 02 out. It’s a 10 track concept which we release in single format, so two tracks each time. We had the first Hive Mind LP in 2022 and it did well, so I’m glad we were able to release a second one.
Other than that I’m really content with how it’s going, because Symbiotik is such a new concept we wanted to try. The music we release is full of breaks, but with a modern twist. Neurobreaks are heavily inspired by neurofunk as well.
People really seem to like it, just playing out some of these tracks during a drum & bass set has been really nice, it’s giving a different vibe to it. Even though it’s drastically different in tempo, because it’s around 140, the tracks still have amazing crowd reactions. Ravers seem to really love it. We’re still a fairly small label in numbers, but we are reaching people with it, that’s the main goal.
You are not only a label owner, you also release a lot of tracks. How do you combine all of that and what keeps you inspired?
It’s like a vortex pulling me in. I’m not extremely ambitious, I just have a lot of time and I love making music. Of course I have my lazy days, but as soon as it extends a couple of days of me not making music, I have a call that I have to do it, I have to sit down and make something. I can’t help but make music.
I’m very lucky to have so many labels and people to send my tracks to, so many doors have opened to me. Almost all the time I can sign a track when I send it out. I make music full-time and I never really spend time going partying. A lot of my friends are music friends, so meeting up means making music together, so I think that explains why I’m able to release a lot of music.
And that’s not the only thing keeping you busy. People can also book 1-1 production sessions with you. How did that come to be?
It started very naturally, but it was also about need at first. There was this covid crisis, so I did not have many gigs, Austria had many lockdowns, just like many countries.
I needed some extra money, so I asked around online who would be interested in music lessons. Quite a few people showed up, and I noticed it was something I really liked doing. I saw progress with my regular students. They were able to make better mixdowns, sometimes better music. It was good to see that you can make a change.
I enjoy it, I’d like to do it more, but sometimes I can’t do it as much, because of shows and touring. Whenever I have time I make a post and people can hit me up anytime. It’s a cool little side thing I have going on.
What are some things you’ve got coming up still?
So this year I have a project with Dispatch Recordings which will be more stripped back tracks, where I’ll be heading on a deeper route, as well as some collabs with Exposure. Then I’ll also bring my Mylo Fane alias back to life once again for Surveillance.
The rest is in the cards. I have loads of new music, so there’s definitely more coming from me after these new EPs. I’m constantly in the studio and I’m very excited for this year and these new opportunities. As they say, ‘big things coming’.
Follow Screamarts: Soundcloud/Instagram/Bandcamp
