Round about ten to twelve years ago, the Russian-Ukrainian trio of Teddy Killerz were only just beginning to make their mark on the scene. Throughout their journey, they gave dancefloor drum & bass a dimension that was heavier, dramatic and as they went on, almost impossible to mistake for anyone else with releases on labels like releases on influential labels like Bad Taste Recordings, RAM Records, Subtitles Music, and more.
A decade on, they are still pushing the style and sound they believe in which is rooted in neurofunk and tech-driven drum & bass, but also incorporating aggressive, groove-heavy jump-up and rolling elements into their recent sound.
On the other side of the Atlantic is AIRGLO. The American drum & bass producer has taken a very different route into the genre. One moment he is writing something emotional and uplifting, and the next he is delivering something turbocharged, with barely a pause in between. This diversity in his sound which he’s showcased on imprints like Viper Recordings, RAM Records, Bassrush Records, DeVice Records, and Jungle Cakes to name a few, has helped him emerge as an important figure within the American electronic music scene for his productions and DJ sets, but also through his efforts to bring people together and help build a stronger community around the music.
When these two worlds eventually collided, the end result was always going to be interesting. Well, the worlds have collided and it has led to their latest collaboration, ‘IN MY HEART’. It’s heavy, but it’s playful, it’s emotional, it’s energetic; there’s a bunch of things happening inside a single tune, and this range is what makes the tune work in so many different settings.
The track is already well into its release cycle, but the timing makes the story behind it especially interesting. Drum & bass in America is reaching new audiences, the genre’s global footprint continues to expand, and artists from different corners of the scene are finding more opportunities to connect than ever before.
That raises some interesting questions.
What happens when artists from two different generations and sides of the drum & bass world come together to make a record? How do you actually navigate a collaboration across continents and time zones? Where does the creative process begin when both artists already have such defined identities?
And beyond the track itself, what does the growing globalisation of drum & bass mean for the artists, communities and scenes that are helping shape its next chapter?
So, to understand all these questions better, we caught up with AIRGLO and Teddy Killerz to get into the story behind ‘IN MY HEART’, from how the collaboration first came together and the creative process behind the track to working across time zones, the changing American drum & bass landscape, the genre’s increasingly global identity, and where they think the music could go from here.
Let’s get into ‘IN MY HEART’. When did the idea for this collaboration first come together, and who made the first move?
AIRGLO: I was flying from Let It Roll Puerto Rico and I was trying to make a tune that sounded like a typical festival drum & bass banger. I kept it simple and wanted to make a beautiful intro for it. Showed to Oleg during one of our sessions, and he liked it so much that he wanted to make a collab out of it. He then showed it to the rest of the crew, and they agreed to make it a collab. That’s in a nutshell how it started.
There are elements of both of your identities in the tune. How did you decide where to let the Teddy Killerz sound take over and where to leave space for AIRGLO’s approach?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): AIRGLO laid the whole musical foundation of the track, so we never wanted to get in the way of that. Our role was more about adding some extra bite and aggression – pushing certain elements a little harder and bringing in that Teddy Killerz edge without losing what made the original idea work.
Language, time zones, studio habits. Was there a “translation” moment where you had to find common ground creatively?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): Not really. We were friends before we started working together, so finding common ground creatively came pretty naturally. We actually started the track while Oleg was living in LA, and by the time he moved back to Europe, most of it was already there. From that point, it was mostly about ironing out the details and getting the rest of the Teddy Killerz crew involved.
What did you learn about each other’s production process while making this? Was there anything one of you did that made the other rethink your own approach?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): What really struck me was AIRGLO’s musicality. Chord progressions and melodic ideas seem to come very naturally to him. It wasn’t two sound designers sitting around comparing whose snare is bigger – it was more like a musician and a sound designer bringing completely different strengths to the same track. That contrast was probably the most inspiring part of the process.
It wasn’t like 2 sound designers meet, where they compare their snare sizes. It was more of an accomplished musician meets a skillful sound designer.
AIRGLO: I most definitely took a lot from working with Oleg and felt like the perfect collab where both sides actually complement the tune and added something the other side didn’t have.
Each of you has a distinct signature within the Neurofunk/DnB space. How would you describe your own sound right now, in this moment, versus a few years ago?
AIRGLO: I started primarily as a foghorn artist and slowly transitioned into jump-up-esque with elements of dancefloor. I am definitely not trying to stay and be one type of artist, I’d rather explore and find more angles you can spin the genre. That’s what I love about dnb, it’s a bottomless pit, there is so much more unexplored that I can’t wait to discover.
GREG (Teddy Killerz): We’ve been tired of labels for a long time, to be honest. Neurofunk, jump up, whatever – we don’t really think about it that way when we’re making music. We just follow whatever feels exciting in the moment, and artistic expression always comes first.
You can hear that across our discography. We’ve moved through different sides of drum & bass, but also explored bass music outside of DnB completely. Compared to a few years ago, I’d say our sound is probably a little less relentlessly heavy and aggressive, and there’s definitely more jump up influence creeping in.
But the core idea hasn’t really changed: we want to make fun, banging, energetic dancefloor music. Recently I heard that someone called it Neuro-Jump up 😉
AIRGLO – how would you describe the evolution of your sound, and what’s shaping where you’re taking it next?
AIRGLO: I never really enjoyed doing one type of dnb… I guess my adhd is acting out; I get too bored doing the same thing over and over… and I am still looking for my own sound that is not going to be boring replicating… I might never find it, but whatever it’s going to be, I am going to step into a bit darker side of dnb in the next months. I think the scene is a bit overwhelmed with dancefloor and I am starting to slowly veer off into the darker more angsty side of the genre.
Both of you have reached a point where you have a recognisable sound, but there’s always the danger that an established sound becomes a formula. How do you challenge yourselves creatively without losing what makes your music identifiable?
ANTON (Teddy Killerz): We experiment a lot and try not to put ourselves in a box. The moment you think you’ve figured out a formula, it probably means it’s time to do something different.
We’re constantly learning new things about production, and right now there’s an insane amount of knowledge out there – through Patreons, YouTube, production communities, all of it. There’s always some new technique or approach that can change the way you think about making music.
We also spend a lot of time experimenting with genres outside of drum & bass. That’s probably one of the biggest sources of fresh ideas for us. You bring those influences back into DnB, but they still go through your own taste and instincts – and that’s what keeps it recognisably yours without repeating the same track over and over.
AIRGLO: Being a musician first and listening to music 24/7… all the time, Ideas come most of the time with genres outside of dnb…Also I’m an avid Plugin Junkie… Any New plugins, New ways to mangle the waveforms…I am always there. There is such a plethora of new plugins… truly there is no excuse to not be experimental and come up with the most out-of-this-world stuff in this day and age.
The drum & bass genre’s audience is expanding rapidly, but so is the range of music being released under the drum & bass umbrella. Do you think the genre is becoming more creatively open, or are we simply seeing more established boundaries being blurred?
GREG (Teddy Killerz): I think it’s a bit of both. DnB is definitely more open now, which is great, but at the same time some parts of the scene are starting to feel a bit more… streamlined, maybe even slightly EDM-ised.
TikTok and social media are obviously a big part of how people discover music now, and that can sometimes push the same kind of sounds and moments over and over again. Nothing wrong with that on its own, but it would be cool if people getting into DnB also went a bit deeper and discovered where all of this actually came from. There’s so much history and so many different sides to the genre.
And funny enough, I think some of the best DnB experiences right now are not always at the massive festivals. A lot of the smaller local nights and more niche parties still have that variety – you can hear completely different styles in one night, and it feels a bit less predictable. For us, that’s still a huge part of the magic of drum & bass.
We’re also seeing younger producers discover D&B through festivals, gaming, social media and other electronic music communities rather than through traditional UK rave culture. How do you think that changes the music being made?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): I think the biggest difference is that a lot of younger producers don’t necessarily see drum & bass as this isolated world anymore. For them it’s just one part of a much bigger electronic music landscape. So they bring in ideas from dubstep, techno, hardcore, trap, game soundtracks whatever they grew up listening to without really asking whether those things are “supposed” to be in DnB. And I think that’s why you hear so much genre mixing now.
There’s something really healthy about that. Sometimes not knowing all the unwritten rules means you’re more likely to break them.
What excites you most about the growth of drum & bass in America right now? And what do you think the US scene still needs to develop in order to build a sustainable culture around the music rather than simply a larger audience?
AIRGLO: I believe US needs to invest in US acts to perform on US soil. I understand that it’s easier to sell tickets having UK acts come and dominate the scene, but that doesn’t go towards the actual US DnB scene growing and expanding. I get it, we are the underdog, but We have the infrastructure to make it big. I mean I live in LA. Where else can this thrive but not here. I have countless conversations with my peers almost every week about what to do, but in the end of day it comes down to Tunes that get big and get charted and lots and lots of money to burn. It’s expensive to blow up in anything these days.
DnB has properly taken hold in North America over the last several years. What’s it been like watching that scene grow, and how does a US crowd react differently to a European one?
AIRGLO: Most definitely, I have seen a change. I used to be the only DNB act in the midst of a full Dubstep lineup and I would always start with half time and slowly introduce double time just to not scare the crowd off… Sometimes when I played for dubstep crowds, I would literally get people stand in front of the stage with their hands crossed shaking their heads with the mean faces literally showing me – get off the stage haha. Yeah, it changed a lot – now people like it – but it’s definitely not as hype and wild as EU crowds are – The EU/UK crowds are just hungry for anything fresh; you give em a surprise – they respond immediately. The US crowds I find it’s a bit of slow cook – more of a bootleg mentality: take something they know and love and flip it innovatively, and if you are consistent, you’ll eventually get everybody dancing.
Are there specific cities or scenes, East or West, where you feel the energy is doing something genuinely new right now?
ANTON (Teddy Killerz): Myanmar really surprised me. I played a show there and the energy was insane! We also always love touring Australia and New Zealand. There’s a really strong energy there and the crowds are very open-minded.
I think that’s one of the most exciting things right now is some of the freshest energy isn’t necessarily coming from the places you traditionally associate with drum & bass. There are scenes growing all over the world, and sometimes you arrive somewhere with no idea what to expect and get completely blown away.
For artists coming out of Eastern Europe and other historically less visible drum & bass markets, do you feel the international industry is more receptive now? Or are there still barriers that artists have to overcome to get their music heard globally?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): I’m not even sure I’d call Eastern Europe a less visible drum & bass market anymore. You have Let It Roll, Darkshire, Beats for Love and so many other events and local scenes that have been a huge part of the culture for years. There’s an incredibly healthy audience here, and a lot of great artists have come out of this part of the world. I do think the industry is more open now in general. Where you’re based matters less than it used to. People discover music online, collaborations happen remotely, and you don’t necessarily need to live in London to be part of the conversation.
You’ve both worked across different countries, scenes and musical communities. What has working internationally taught you about drum & bass that you don’t think you could have learned by staying within one scene?
AIRGLO: You won’t believe me, but my whatsapp is literally all EU/UK artists… My days usually starts at like 9-10am until 2pm being on the phone with EU/UK producers all the time. In the end of the day UK is the absolute mecca of DNB and I believe that if you want to succeed in this business, dominating the UK/EU Market is an absolute necessity. Luckily my top Spotify engagement is UK and EU and AUS/NZ – so basically anywhere DNB is popping, they are listening to AIRGLO! That’s a good sign. I learn a lot from every producer I talk to – sometimes I see someone working in another DAW – I download the demo and try it – I was watching one of the producers using FL Studio, I bought it the next day and still use it to this day. Why can’t Ableton fix the bulk adjustment of the fades… it’s so absolutely useful to create intricate grooves with drum patterns.
If you look five years ahead, what do you think D&B will sound like? And more importantly, what do you hope it sounds like?
OLEG (Teddy Killerz): DnB has always been pretty cyclical. Certain sounds become huge, everyone pushes them as far as they can, and eventually people start looking for something else. So, I think at some point the frogs and lasers will get a little tired and there’ll be more appetite for deeper, more musical or more stripped-back styles again.
And you already see younger producers digging through older DnB and jungle and discovering ideas that are completely new to them. I think the interesting part will be hearing them reinterpret those sounds rather than just recreate them. That’s probably what I’d hope for, not necessarily going backwards, but rediscovering some of that depth and doing something new with it.
GREG (Teddy Killerz): At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if DnB gets even heavier. Look at what happened with hard techno in Europe – people clearly still have a huge appetite for fast, aggressive, high-energy music.
So maybe both things happen at once. One side gets deeper and more stripped back, while another gets heavier and more extreme. Personally, I’d love DnB to keep that range rather than everyone chasing the same sound.
AIRGLO: I don’t know; DNB has changed so much every single year. Whatever it’ll be, hopefully, it’ll come back to being more about the music and less about social media. NO matter how good your TikTok numbers are, when the tunes are garbage, the dancefloor suffers, and the scene gets less exciting.
Teddy Killerz: if you could take one element from the current US D&B scene and inject it into the Eastern European scene, what would it be?
GREG (Teddy Killerz): Ridiculous outfits and a bit more colour. The US scene has this playful festival culture where people really make an effort with how they show up, and I love that. Eastern Europe could probably use a little more of that vibe:)
AIRGLO: if you could take one element from the Eastern European D&B ecosystem and bring it into the US scene, what would you choose?
AIRGLO: Bangers 😉
…and finally, what’s next for each of you? Are there particular projects, collaborations or directions you’re excited to explore after ‘IN MY HEART’?
ANTON (Teddy Killerz): We’ve got a new label coming, which we’re really excited about, and Teddy Killerz will actually be the first release on it. So that’s a pretty big one for us.
There are also more collaborations on the way.
AIRGLO: I got so much coming up this fall it’s going to be extremely busy.
First I got “Chunami” a DVBBS & Borgeous DnB flip coming out on my own Label AIRGLO MUSIC.
In September, it’s the 1st anniversary of my debut album “Directive”, so I am releasing a Remix album called “Redirected” with remixes from Mob Tactics, Mums, Zombie Cats & Nemean, Cuvurs. Extremely excited to get this one out
Also looking forward to my collabs with Vegas, Dossa, Natty D and my new EP on Eat Brain with Infiltrata.
There is so much more in the works. Can’t wait to showcase it all! Big ups UKF!
