Mirror Maze Stops By To Talk About New Reflect EP, His Beginnings, Collaborations And More [HIHF Interview]

Last month, Mirror Maze brought us a gorgeous tune titled “Piece of Mind“, featuring stunning vocals from Sarah Woolley. The tune flows with a beautiful blend of R&B and bass elements for listeners to channel their emotions straight into. “Piece of Mind” showcases what Mirror Maze is capable of, and proves he’ll be a force to be reckoned with moving forward. Today, Mirror Maze drops his highly-anticipated EP, Reflect.

Reflect features four tracks that stay true to what Mirror Maze offers within his work; gritty baselines, steady percussion, and overall jaw-dropping sound design keep you on your toes. Mirror Maze explores multiple ranges of bass on this project, most notably halftime and drum ‘n bass. He is able to fuse multiple elements in the craftiest way, perfectly encapsulating what makes him special as an artist to his listeners. The EP also features his highly anticipated collaboration with VCTRE and sumthin sumthin, an immensely dark trip into the night skies that is certain to leave you gasping for air. All in all, the collection of tunes here had my jaw dropped, and it impressed me in every aspect.

Out now on Intrinzic Records, Reflect capitalizes on the opportunity to shine once more. You can tell he’s on the verge of blowing up VERY soon. He already has plenty of shows and festivals lined up for 2022, including supporting slots on VCTRE and sumthin sumthin’s nationwide tour, as well as a coveted b2b spot with NIK P on The Untz‘s jam-packed bass lineup. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for this talented up-and-coming producer!

We had the chance to sit down with Mirror Maze to discuss his introductions into music, the new EP, and much more. Check out our exclusive conversation below and big-ups to Mirror Maze and his team for the opportunity!

HIHF INTERVIEW

You currently reside in Los Angeles, the hub for music and entertainment. Do you draw any motivation to produce just from living there?

Not necessarily, living near some of my best friends that I write music with provides motivation. I feel like lately I’ve been really drawn to the electronic scene in UK & Europe!!! A lot of my favorite music comes from across the pond.

Was there a particular moment in your life when you realized you wanted to start producing bass music?

Before I started producing, I found loads of music like stuff from Reso, Broken Note, XXYYXX, Clams Casino, etc. through the “editing” scene on Youtube. A bunch of people on the internet, including myself, would make “fragmovies” or “montages” with Call of Duty or Counter-Strike clips. The scene was really cool, and there were tons of little niche styles and genres of music editors would use that got us collectively into digging on SoundCloud. It ended up making me want to produce my own tunes!! (Have been at it for around six years now).

That’s an awesome start to your career. Nowadays, how would you describe your music style currently?

The style of music I write is a mixture of all of my inspirations and music I grew up listening to. The one thing I’m really fascinated about with music is rhythm, and I like to try to focus on that when making stuff. I also really love the concept of dance/dance music, the stuff that gets you moving when you listen to it. With music, I aim to write stuff with a cool contrast of light and dark. Basslines with mean attitude, and lush synths/melodies. Usually whatever fits the mood I’m in at the moment is fun to make.

What do you want fans to know about your new Reflect EP off Intrinzic Records?

Nothing other than this body of work is a showcase of what’s to come!! I’m really excited to continue releasing music, as well as writing and improving.

Are there any sub-genres of bass that you’re looking to experiment with more?

I don’t really know proper terms for sub-genres sometimes – but I would like to make some more two-step/garage-sounding things, I’ve been listening to a ton of Synkro, Yoofee, Sorrow, and Bop. I also really enjoy the bounciness of 140 BPM and how it does live, I definitely want to make some more tunes in that range for fun!

Was it to collaborate with fellow rising star bass artists like sumthin sumthin, FLY, and VCTRE? What were those processes like?

VCTRE was one of the first few friends I made online in the scene via Soundcloud (along with Saka who I lived with for a few years)!! We collaborated for the first time years ago when I was under a different alias (XAV). Over the beginning of COVID, during quarantine, I became really close with sumthin sumthin, who Saka and I were living with at the time. FLY and Saka have been friends for ages so I ended up becoming closer with everyone as a whole. We all hang out since we live relatively close and make beats whenever we are, so the process is always fun. We constantly bounce ideas off each other and inspire one another, find new music that we get stoked on together etc.

What has been the highlight of your young career so far?

Just being able to make friends through the internet and discover all this really dope music. There are so many producers in the electronic scene who have such a deep passion as well knowledge for music and sound, and I love being a part of the journey to see how far music can be pushed in the electronic realm (I definitely still feel like a noob though). The highlight for me would be simply being able to make some of my closest friends to this day because of music. I have so much fun nerding out with my homies that I make beats with.

Are there any shows, interactions, or opportunities that made you realize you belong in the scene? Because you definitely do, and like those other artists, you have a huge career ahead of you!

The friendships I have made through music make me feel like I belong. The friends I have made are ones I cherish and will hold close for a lifetime. Also playing 1720 alongside VCTRE & EPROM recently was amazing. That was probably the best hour of my life so far, playing that set and seeing people jam out to stuff I made, along with music I like and my friends music.

What’s next for the Mirror Maze project? What are your goals for this coming new year?

I have a ton of tunes I’m currently sitting on and have been planning to release over the new year. I also have a side project I am working on with one of my best friends which will be more focused around vocal work, and we are really excited to start unveiling that at some point!!

Well, big thank you for chatting with us. Be sure to check out his EP with Intrinzic Records below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on our socials!

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