When it comes to the wild world of bass music, there seems to be a never ending supply of talent which can be a bit overwhelming but that’s where we come in to help! If you’re a fan of mind-bending beats Noer the Boy is one name that needs to be on your radar.
Proving to be a promising producers kicking things into high gear over the past year in addition to releases on such esteemed labels such as VISION, Subsidia, and Mass Appeal throughout his career, this Portland native is slowly separating himself from the rest of the pack when it comes to his undeniable production prowess.
Fresh off the release of his Mr. Gibbons EP on Rezz‘s HypnoVizion, we took the time to get to know Noer the Boy a little better!
Noer the Boy – Mr. Gibbons EP | Download |
TSS: Who or what introduced you to the world of electronic dance music?
Growing up in Wisconsin, my introduction to electronic music came mostly from the Library and internet in my early teens. I’d go and check out 20+ CDs at a time and was exposed to so many different styles. Having dialup internet at the time made online music discovery slow but I remember downloading a free iTunes song of the week back in 2008 that blew my mind. Positif by Mr. Oizo is still one of my favorite tunes to this day. Then followed Boys Nozie, then Justice, and Ed Banger Records. I’d wait an hour just to load the one-minute Ed. Rec Vol. 1 and 2 teaser videos. That era of electro house instilled a love for distortion and wacky production.
TSS: How has the bass music scene, specifically, changed since you first emerged onto the scene?
A lot has changed for good or bad but I’ll share one positive change in bass music. Nowadays more and more producers are sharing their techniques and creative philosophies online and I think the democratization of electronic music production only benefits bass music as a whole. I’m a big proponent of sharing what I’ve learned and hearing producers build on concepts and take them in new directions is so exciting.
TSS: How would you say your sound has evolved since the earliest stages of your career?
I’ve always been drawn to chaotic sounds and unpredictable rhythms, but earlier on it was a lot more overt. For a long time I was way better at sample manipulation than pure synthesis and so all the tweaks I was making to sounds were a lot more noticeable and jarring. Around 2019 I got deeper into synthesis and as I’ve focused more on creating chaos and randomness with my custom synth patches, the end result has been a more nuanced and cohesive sound. I think it’s pretty natural for an artist to start way more “off the wall” and as they mature get tighter and more polished. I remember many years ago Machinedrum telling me my music reminded him of his earlier music in the early 2000s, and much later it clicked what he meant by that.
TSS: DJing or production – which came first?
I remember walking out of Circuit City in 2005 with a copy of Magix Music Maker 10 Deluxe. I only made terrible house and techno music on it but I was hooked on producing. I didn’t start DJing until college in 2012 and immediately knew I wanted to play out my own music. DJing is fun but production has always been my first love.
TSS: For anyone who may not be familiar with Noer the Boy, how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
That’s a hard question because my sound has evolved and shifted so much over the years. The best answer I can give is an outsider approach to any genre, with an emphasis on distortion and finding new “wrong” ways to get interesting results.
TSS: What gear and programs are you using these days when it comes to production?
I produce almost exclusively in Ableton Live 12 with VSTs. Kilohearts Phase Plant is my current main weapon. I still use a lot of Trash 2 as long as it keeps running on my computer. I’m a big fan of the Max4live devices by Dillon Baston and Suzuki Kentaro.? As far as hardware, I honestly don’t use much but when I do it’s fun to run sounds through my Bastl Thyme and small modular rack with a Casper Bastl Dark Matter and Schlappi Engineering 100 Grit.
TSS: When you have a rough week or hit a wall creatively, how do you get yourself back on track?
Watching a film or consuming some art in a different medium can get the creative juices going again. I’m obsessed with bowling and will sometimes go a couple times a day, especially if the music isn’t clicking. At the end of the day though, writer’s block is simply a part of the process so you really have no choice but to embrace it.? The inspiration will come back!
TSS: What was the inspiration behind your recent Mr. Gibbons EP?
The title track came together on an airplane while traveling with my partner to visit my family for Christmas in 2022. We took way too many edibles for the flights and could not stop saying the name “Mr. Gibbons” over and over again in the most British of accents. I proceeded to make nearly the whole track on the plane and then recorded my partner in my childhood bedroom saying “Mr. Gibbons” a few times. After that I sat on the track for a while and sent it along with several others to HypnoVizion and they chose the three that made the EP.
The character you see on the cover and in promo clips was inspired by a video of Yheti dancing to the song on a stack of speakers while Ternion Sound were playing it during a B2B. Months later I hit up my friend Chris Peterson who created the Mr. Gibbons Character and then sent it to the Towr Media team who took it from there and fully animated it for the release. The cute little powerful yet oblivious character fully encaptures the vibe I was going for on this EP.
TSS: How does it feel to have this release on Rezz’s bass powerhouse imprint, HypnoVizion?
I couldn’t be more thankful to HypnoVizion for giving this EP a home. I’ve had quite a few music friends release on this label so it made a ton of sense to join.
TSS: What does Noer the Boy have in store for the remainder of 2024 and beyond?
I’m excited to be opening for Rezz at the Brooklyn Mirage July 6th in NYC. So hyped! In September I’m leading a sound design workshop at Applecross Festival here on the West Coast. This year I’m looking to expand on the educational sound design videos I release on Patreon and create more short form education videos. And I’m really looking forward to releasing more music this year. Stay tuned!
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