After the sudden passing of his Grandfather & Uncle within a short period late last year, Las Von aka Douglas Young focused all his despair and emotions into his productions in the studio which will be released via Somatic Records on May 28: Breach EP
Breach, The Passing & For Them – 3 Original tracks, that have been created with the amazing memories left behind.
Based in Toronto & Vancouver, Las Von has been a name steadily rising in the Deep Progressive scene since his debut less than a year ago. He has made many strong appearances in countless charts over the World and is beginning to capture the attention of many high profile names. His remix of Hail & Fire on our imprint introduced him to the world on our own imprint and we can expect so much more to come.
We are to showcase one of the tracks of his upcoming work and to have chat about the release and the future.
How are things going these days?
Thanks for having me guys! Things are great on my end! I’m in the studio every day working hard to improve my sound and releasing more and more music. It’s been a fun ride since I started the “Las Von” alias a year ago. It’s constantly growing so I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the future!
You are about to release new work ‘Breach EP’ with the fantastic Matchy & Clint Stewart on remix duties. What can we expect from the release?
First and foremost you can expect a lot of emotion. It was written from a deep place inside of me as it was immediately after the passing of both my Grandpa and Uncle late last year. It shook me and my family, so in order to help cope, music was there to express what I was feeling. It was written with my Grandpa and Uncle in my thoughts and so I dedicate this EP to them. I hope people hear that in this EP. “For Them” is a special instrumental tribute, and for me, possibly the most meaningful piece of music I’ve written to date. I’m happy I now have something that I can easily remember them with, all it takes is a listen and it’ll bring back amazing memories. Extremely grateful for that!
The label did a huge effort and found these 2 fantastic artists for a remix. How did the collab go?
I really can’t thank Somatic enough for their persistence and determination to make my vision come to fruition. They worked tirelessly to find the right remix artists for this EP as they knew it had significant meaning to me. When they pulled in both Clint Stewart and Matchy I was absolutely ecstatic. I knew that they were the right guys for the job. Both are hugely talented! They both did an amazing job, staying true to the original tracks but bringing a darker side to the EP. Both remixes are heavy hitters! A perfect complement to the emotion in my originals. Couldn’t be happier with the end product, the entire package is absolutely perfect. A massive thank you to Somatic, Matchy, and Clint Stewart for making it all happen!
Clint Stewart and Matchy both did an amazing job, staying true to the original tracks but bringing a darker side to the EP. Both remixes are heavy hitters!
We recently had an interview with Matchy, down to earth person, but with such a potential. The way his career took flight is awesome. How do you see the progress of your career as an artist and maybe a glimpse into your future?
Yes, I agree, Matchy’s rise has been very inspirational to me! He has put in a ton of time learning his craft and only deserves the best. It definitely motivates me to make that a reality for myself as well in the future!
In the near future, I will be working out of my studio as a Mix/Mastering Engineer and Music Producer. I am currently in school and graduate in August, then up goes my professional studio. I am investing a lot of time and money into it to get it just right. It will help both my sound, as well as my clients’. I’m excited to get it up and running! Within a few years though my ultimate goal is to become a touring Producer/DJ, making a living solely through producing music that I love every day and playing whenever and wherever I can. I’m determined to make it happen, and I feel as though I am on the right path, I just need to show persistence, patience and work as hard as I possibly can and the rest is out of my hands. I’m excited to see where it all goes!
Within a few years though my ultimate goal is to become a touring Producer/DJ, making a living solely through producing music that I love every day and playing whenever and wherever I can.
Tell us about how you ended up with playing and producing electronic music to make people dance. Did you see this all coming?
I had always been a huge music fan growing up. I liked any and all music and eventually, that led to me learn to play both the guitar and drums. But when the jamming sessions with my buddies stopped happening I needed something else to satisfy the creative in me. And after a while, I discovered Ableton and the rest is history. Initially, I wanted to just jam, like guitarists and drummers do, but it became an addiction and soon after starting I was already finishing a wide range of tracks. Not all in the genre, I am in now, which I think helped me. I didn’t confine myself to any genre, I just went in the studio with an open mind and started creating, not worrying about the genre or what things should sound like. Just purely made music for then of it and eventually, my first release came!
How has your music been influenced by other artists, musicians, or life in general?
I’m actually quite new to the deep progressive house/melodic house & techno scene. So growing up I wasn’t listening to the big names in the European underground scene, it was mainly rock like Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, and newer bands like Default that my Dad always had on. Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers were my introduction to electronic, as I think their sound more aligned with the rock I listened to. But once I start digging into everything electronic I found different variations of house music and absolutely fell in love. I always thought I should make music in some way or form, but I didn’t commit to the electronic side of things until a year and a half ago. I bought Ableton and a Push and I’ve been in the studio every day since!
I always thought I should make music in some way or form, but I didn’t commit to the electronic side of things until a year and a half ago.
Currently, though, I find a lot of inspiration in epic cinematic scores as well as a genre of music called Post-Rock. They both contain aspects that are extremely emotional and powerful. They consistently evoke emotions in me when I listen, and that is what I strive to do when making my music as well.
Every artist started out with something. What were the first types of music you tried to make?
You’re absolutely right, I didn’t initially set out to make what I make nowadays… Like I said, I went into the studio just to make sound for fun, and when one sound went well with another sound I kept it and moved on to the next one. That’s how my “sound” was sculpted I guess. I just started realizing I was playing certain things certain ways and it turns out it’s what people call deep/progressive/melodic house! Haha.
Initially, though I started out trying to make what people term as “Bass House” or “G-House” over here. It’s a huge genre in Canada and the USA. Artists like Tchami and Shiba San really motivated me to start playing around in Ableton. However, I found creating the music that I make now was a much more enjoyable experience for me. I felt I could insert what I was feeling into sounds with ease, and so I just slowly drifted towards making more and more progressive house and melodic techno (without really knowing it). I definitely wouldn’t have got to where I’m at without experimenting with other genres though, but I’m definitely happy to have landed in the underground!
Maintaining a successful working relationship in a crazy space like dance music is crucial? What’s your approach or how do you see this working?
I honestly believe that you just need to be a good human being. Be genuinely interested in other people’s lives. Celebrate their ups with them and help them get back up when they are down. By doing this you’ll gain their trust, and having a healthy working relationship is easy when you have full trust in people. On top of that, be humble, be kind, and always lift people up. When you lift others up they naturally want to do the same for you. So ultimately, my approach is just to be positive and kind to people. Kindness really does go a long way.
Your feeding ground is Canada. Tell us all about it. We know there is a lively scene in the larger cities so what makes this country so special for you?
Canada is absolutely amazing. I lived and breathed hockey growing up, and so that was only made possible because of my Canadian roots. Thankful for what hockey has taught me over the years!
The underground scene is great here too, you just need to know where to look to find it. Because of this, I think it has endless potential to grow even bigger! That’s what I’m so excited about. There are plenty of Canadians already working to grow the scene here even further, so my hope is to do the same alongside them once I make a more prominent name for myself!
Besides the upcoming release, what other exciting news do you have in the works?
I have tons of new music coming out. Originals, remixes, collabs, everything! On top of that I have a new radio show that was just recently started by me and my friend Hoopski. We’ve been getting great reviews so far so I’m excited to see where it goes. Ultimately, I just plan on making and releasing more and more music. It definitely won’t be a quiet year for me as I already have a ton in the works, so stay tuned!
Ultimately, I just plan on making and releasing more and more music. It definitely won’t be a quiet year for me as I already have a ton in the works, so stay tuned!
Let’s end with a fun question. If Las Von would have been a beverage, what would it be?
Hmmm, this is a tough one, you’re putting me on the spot… But I’d have to go with a Rye and Ginger. Make that a double Rye and Ginger! Made with Canadian Rye and Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Can’t get much more Canadian/Las Von than that!
We’ll drink to that! Cheers
Thank you so much for having me guys, was a pleasure!
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