Los Angeles based Meduso is an underground bass producer, as well as a designer for Adidas and Beyonce’s Ivy Park clothing line. His latest bass-heavy release, Yugen, comes with a unique 360/VR immersive experience that takes listeners on a journey through his unique world perspective. Meduso has performed at ILLENIUM, Mersiv Support, and myriad venues across the U.S. and will soon be taking the stage at Northern Lights Festival, Sound Haven Festival, Mishawaka Amphitheater and more.
He sat down with SPIN to talk about his upcoming performance, Adidas and Ivy Park, his interest in the experimental bass genre, and much more. Stream Yugen here and check out Meduso’s electrifying SET below! Want more SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJ/producers breaking through the electronic sphere.
Who is Meduso and what do you stand for?
Meduso is an audio visual project focused on creating multimedia, experiential art that elevates the mind, body, and soul. Meduso stands for multi-faceted creatives and the ability to tell stories that encourage new perspectives and states of mind for the observer.
Tell us about your sound – where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?
Although my sound is constantly evolving as my sphere of influence flows from genre to genre, the sound most familiar to my fans is influenced by older dubstep acts such as rusko, jantsen, and truth with a focus on some of the newer experimental sounds and arrangements of artists such as GJones and Kursa. I have recently begun to describe the new music I have been creating as “Heavy Psychedelic Bass Music”. As a drummer myself, I take a lot of influence from heavy and psychedelic rock + metal/ nu metal artists as well. Sonically, bands such as Linkin Park, Tool, System of a Down, and Disturbed (just to name a few) have always been major influences to my sound. In terms of the project as a whole, I’d honestly say Svdden Death’s Voyd is one of my greatest inspirations for the project. Not only do I really admire his originality, storytelling, and intention behind everything he works on, but the fact that he has been able to create this whole universe that feels very cinematic is insanely cool to me. Its left me really inspired to work and find an authentic way for me to incorporate design, themes, and storytelling into all aspects of the Meduso project.
Was there a definitive turning point to your success? When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?
To be honest, I’m the type of person who is never satisfied and have never truly been able to accept that I have made any type of impact within the music community. I have had a few really amazing moments with fans who have expressed their love for some of my music, art, and mixes, and that’s all I can really ask for. The most exciting thing for me as an artist is when people express to me that my art has inspired them in some way. That’s truly why I create and why I love talking and working with other creatives. There is nothing more exciting and inspiring to me than when someone shares a unique perspective/ experience they have had with my artwork. I always have an intention when I’m creating, however you never truly know how your work may be interpreted by the observer. Everyone has their own unique perspectives, experiences, and reality that they live in, and its a really beautiful thing watching people have a collective, yet unique individual experience with my work. I hope I can continue to create art that inspires people to create more art and beauty.
What are you most excited about and what can fans expect from you at the Northern Lights Festival?
Since Northern Nights is in such a beautiful, unique location on a river in the Redwoods of Northern California, I am really excited to create a special experience for attendees that pulls influence from the surrounding environment and helps further immerse people in the setting, music, and experience as a whole.
How does music inspire the designs you do with Adidas and Ivy Park?
I think my sphere of influence and inspiration is pretty fluid. For both music and my design work, I’m constantly pulling from everything and anything that sparks my creativity, makes me feel any type of intense emotion, or just resonates with me in that moment. Because of this, I personally can see a red thread as I’m creating new ideas in both avenues. However, that’s really more for me internally, creating meaning and intention behind my work as I create, opposed to sharing it outwardly.
What was your vision for your latest EP Drop In?
The Drop In EP paralleled my move out to California, and likewise was inspired by West Coast bass music and culture. Additionally, I wrote most of these tracks at the end of quarantine when the world was starting to open back up and I was just excited to get back out there and have some fun again. These tracks are three bouncy, high energy songs that I hope everyone can get down to!
What interests you about the experimental bass genre of today?
I think the experimental bass scene offers an inclusive community with diverse art and people. Artists and fans alike can really express themselves through the genre due to its wide range of sounds and emotions. It’s really inspiring watching this genre grow and evolve as new artists continue to push the boundaries of sound.
In what ways have you pushed yourself beyond existing self-imposed limitations?
I think pushing myself past my internal imposter syndrome has been my biggest, yet most rewarding limitation I’ve had to work through. Recognizing that my perspective as an artist is valid and creating out of pure love for the music and art has really been able to allow me to feel more confident in not only my art, but in myself as a whole. Its really easy to only focus on what’s next for the project, or what I could do better, but I’ve found it really important to be more present in the moment and take a second to look around and appreciate how far ive come and how thankful I am to be on this journey.
What’s next for Meduso?
As mentioned, I have upcoming gigs at Northern Nights Festival and a return to Sound Haven, one of the premiere underground bass music festivals in the country right now. I’m also making my debut at the historic Mishawaka Amphitheater with SoDown at the end of July. After that, I’m looking forward to releasing more new music through the end of 2022 as well as exploring new mediums to further immerse the observer in the Meduso project.
What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?
I hope that electronic music is able to continue to be so open and accepting of new artists’ unique ideas and perspectives. This genre has always been enticing to me because it is so fluid and ever evolving. It keeps things fresh, but also allows for the artist to create in a more authentic way and really encourages pushing boundaries and exploring the future of sound. I hope that this genre continues to evolve, encourage creativity, and hope that it can continue to expand on telling stories through audio/ visual experiences.
Any last words for the SPIN-verse?
Thanks so much for reading about and supporting the Meduso project. Its truly humbling and inspiring to be able to create freely and have it resonate with so many people. I hope you all enjoy my new EP, Drop In, and hope to see you out at a show sometime!
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