Ram welcome a new name this week in the form of Raiser.
An alias of well-known act who wishes to operate anonymously, few people know his identity but many more will be familiar with his brazen compositions; his entry track The Weapon has been a significant set-opening scud for select heavyweights, including Ram boss Andy C, for over a year.
It’s not hard to hear why… Opening with an evocative rush-riddled arpeggio before dropping into savage sirens and a high voltage bass riff, The Weapon is a turbo-charged riot that leaves you under no illusions that Raiser has no other intention but to fire up the dance. According to the mystery man himself he plans on doing it with a fresh, no-boundaries approach that will reveal more genre, tempo and collaborative hybrids imminently.
Rumoured to be the man behind the hack on Ram Records’ website last Sunday, word is that he plans on delivering these new chapter constructions with a fresh approach, too.
In a bid to unravel the mystery we were given five minutes with him on an encrypted deep web chat call to see what we could decipher…
Can we ask who you are?
No you definitely can’t.
What can you tell us then?
I’m not sure, you need to ask the right questions.
Was it you who was involved in Sunday’s Ram Records website hack?
No comment. Next question.
Seriously though, a lot of people want to know.
Seriously though, no comment. Next question….
Well you can tell us about The Weapon, right?
I can. This whole project started with that track. A few DJs picked up on and were using it as a big opener at key festivals like EDC and it made me think a whole new game-plan and approach is in order.
Would you mind if I said it pays homage to Dead Limit?
What’s a Dead Limit?
Ha. Okay so what’s next?
I’m collaborating with a lot of different artists, I’m exploring a lot of different tempos and genres. I want to blur the lines between tempos and styles. Our audience has changed but sometimes I feel drum & bass hasn’t changed with them? I want to present a fresh take on bass music and drum & bass culture.
So The Weapon isn’t even a clear indication of what’s coming next?
No. It’s merely an introduction. The rulebook is out of the window; any tempo, any genre, any sound, any vibe.
That’s going to make it harder to decipher who you are…
Exactly. But that’s not why I’m doing it. I’m doing this because I can feel that’s what people want from an artist; they don’t want the same old formula, they want to be kept on their toes and excited by stuff.
Fair. So there are people out there who do know who you are, people you’ve collaborated with for this project for example, how have you kept this secret?
There are some top secret individuals who know who Raiser is. You’d be surprised how I’ve kept this secret. The collaborations will be listed as named artist and we actually made the tracks in 24 hours.
The old ‘vibe catcher’ approach…
Yes. I’m not wasting hours and days and weeks fine tuning tiny details that only around 0.0001% of people give a fuck about. It’s definitely about creating the vibe, locking it down, getting it out and creating a world we can be part of.
“A world we can be part of”… That sounds like a clue!
It’s a new world…
A new world order?
A new universe that everyone is invited to take part in.
What are the property prices like in this universe?
Relatively cheap right now. There’s no elected leader, we have our own currency, we all run the universe ourselves. It’s beautiful anarchy.
What’s in the name Raiser? Any clues there?
Raiser means to lift doesn’t it? I think as a drum & bass artist for many years raising things is what I’ve done. What we all try to do. Raise spirits, raise the roof and also help to raise upcoming peers and artists I’m really inspired by. It felt apt to this new character.
What happens after The Weapon?
Lots. Very soon, too.
Can you tell us when or what?
I think you’ve asked enough questions for now….
