Heard It Here First

Two of the hottest rising stars in the bass world are teaming up for an otherworldly EP. Josh Teed and ST4RFOX are two artists who seamlessly fuse infectious bass beats with their live instrumentation, violin and trumpet/sax respectively. Teed and FOX are both favorites of the DC-based The Gradient Perspective, which has been pushing underground culture across the country for years. On their Obsidian EP, they are coming out swinging.

The Obsidian EP, recorded in the bass capital of Denver, Colorado, includes two new organic and natural original collaborative tracks from the up-and-coming artists. The title track, “Obsidian,” carries a burly, neck-breaking beat with it, making it a surefire festival favorite.

Closing the EP out is Josh Teed and ST4RFOX’s creation “Nibiru.” Deep, distorted drops captain this ship, causing a bit of mental flourish with how hard those beats hit throughout. It gives a kind of low-end G Jones, EPROM, or SHADES feel, with its diabolical and maniacal yet still simple and hypnotizing soundscape, closing out with FOX’s iconic horns.

You can catch Josh Teed on select dates of CloZee‘s Microworlds tour as well as ST4RFOX supporting Pretty Lights on his highly anticipated comeback tour across the country.

We had the chance to speak with the two rising star powerhouses about their career so far and what fans can expect from them in the future. We hope you enjoy this exclusive HIHF interview below!

Josh Teed

HIHF: Tell us about your experience with the violin; what was your upbringing with it and how you first learned it?

Josh Teed: Growing up, my mom was a violin teacher, she introduced me to the music world. I started with classical music and bluegrass, then moved on to jazz and blues shortly after.

H: How excited are you about supporting CloZee on her upcoming Microworlds tour? What can fans expect from those sets?

J: I’m over the moon to join Chloé on the road this winter! She’s one of my all-time favorite artists, and a lot of my earlier work was inspired by her music. To be joining not only her, but also artists who I really appreciate, like Inzo, Daily Bread, Super Future, Chmura, and Daggz is an honor.  As far as my sets on the tour, It’s going to be a lot of original tunes, a good blend of older and newer, and plenty of unreleased stuff! I think I’ll be opening it up most nights so expect a lot of vibey stuff to start.

H: What challenges have you been facing as a producer in this quickly moving and ever-stressful electronic music industry?

J: Honestly I’ve been in a fairly comfortable place career-wise lately. One challenging thing is that a lot of the music I’ve been working on this year is really vibey in comparison to the heavier music I’ve put out prior, and I worry sometimes that it might not be as well received. But I just keep reminding myself that it’s important to put the music I’m making out there, whatever mood it encapsulates because everyone feels that range of emotions, and it’s important that the full spectrum is represented. My other big challenge is just finding ways to continue growing as an artist. When i started doing this 5 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined being in the position I’m in now, and as much as it’s fun to enjoy the moment, I also need to keep progressing!

H: What was the first show that really got you on the road to living out your dreams now as a touring recording artist?

J: It’s hard to really pin down one show in particular for me. In 2019 I put out my debut EP ‘Desert Bloom’ and I really wanted to get out and play music, so I spent months stringing together my first tour. It was a month straight living out of the car, driving around the country playing shows i barely (if at all) got paid for. It was a grind, but if I hadn’t put myself out there doing that, I wouldn’t have built any history in those markets, and been able to come back to them on future tours. So I guess I’d really say that the whole tour was the stepping stone into what I’m doing now.

H: Is there a particular festival or set in the past year that stands out as a huge step for your career or stands out as a huge moment?

J: Sonic Bloom this year felt like a really special one, so did Mission Ballroom. Just the crowd’s energy and the tangible love at both of those sets made them both performances that are going to stay in my head for a while now.

H: What artists have inspired the Josh Teed project over the years? Who are some dream collaborators for you?

J: Big inspirations over the years for me have been CloZee, Koan Sound, Of the Trees, Odesza, Ekali, and Flume. As far as dream collaborations go, making music with Flume, Apashe, or FKJ would be my two biggest bucket listers.

H: What do you want fans to know about your brand new EP with ST4RFOX? 

J: Our new EP Obsidian, is something we’ve been chipping away at for the better half of a year now. On my last album tour, Kevin came along as carried support for a lot of the shows, and we had lots of time to work on these tunes together. They came out on the heavier/weirder side for both of us and honestly doesn’t sound like much that either of us has released before.

H: What was working with ST4RFOX like, especially as two artists who incorporate live instruments into your sound/shows?

J: Kevin’s one of the most talented musicians that I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. I’ve learned a lot from not only working in the studio together but also just getting to see how he approaches his live sets. We both take fairly different approaches at our live performances, but a lot of the things he does inspire me to improve on mine. Being in the studio together is a blast because we both have a similar goal for incorporating melody and progression into our music.

H: What advice would you give aspiring producers who are just getting started?

J: To me, the number one thing is to always know your why. The reason I make music is for the happiness and solace that it brings me, and other people. Life’s hard, but music can make things easier for people, and that’s a powerful thing. No matter how discouraged I might get sometimes or how hard things are, I don’t lose sight of that. I suggest to all aspiring producers that you really think long and hard about why they want to go down this road because it’s not an easy one, and when things get hard, your why will always be what you can lean on to keep you moving forward.

ST4RFOX

HIHF: Who are your electronic inspirations?

ST4RFOX: Culprate, Russ Liquid, Pretty Lights, Tipper, kLL sMTH, Koan Sound, Vorso, Voljum

H: What about non-electronic artist inspirations?

S: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Dmitri Shostakovich, Berlin Philharmonic, John Williams, Hans Zimmer

H: Were you a fan of the Starfox videogame as a kid?

S: Absolutely loved the Starfox game, but the name originated from a friend choosing a spirit animal as my moniker. Everyone liked it so it stuck.

H: How did you connect with The Gradient Perspective? You’ve become a staple of their label.

S: Performing out in the Southern California desert on a stage that looks like a spaceship, Choppy Oppy the owner of TGP got to see me in action. Between that and us getting mistaken for each other quite a few times, the world brought us together and it’s been magic since.

H: What can you tell us about TGP (The Gradient Perspective) live band? How’s that been going?

S: TGP live band has been a really fun experience of taking all the talent in the TGP fam and putting them all together in one set. My favorite performance we’ve done yet was at Cervantes with 8 members in the group and a really diverse performance involving live drums, scratching, rapping, improvising, live guitar, sax, trumpet, violin, synths, singing, and Choppy Oppy at the DJ helm, conducting all of us. 

H: What do you want fans to know about this EP?

S: Touring the US with Josh Teed was a unforgettable experience and where I found a lifelong friend and creative who lives to be in the moment. Improvising on a live instrument, while DJing music you produce is rare skill set in our scene, full of risks and vulnerability. It’s been great to have a brother in this musical life that takes those same risks and this EP is our first creation together. We created something that I feel really showcases our sound design and writing chops while absolutely flexing the sound system. 

H: What about your project as a whole?

S: Pioneering my own genres of Neuro Jazz and Portal Hop, I feel like I can really channel all my inspirations while paving my own path. I’m incredibly thankful for all the opportunities and love people have been giving me along this path and hope my music can really mean a lot to people, helping them deal with the human condition as well as being able to let loose around those they love. 

H: What advice would you give producers who don’t know what to do with their music or how to reach an audience?

S: I would suggest diving deep into what inspires you the most from artists you look up to. Really study why and how they are doing it, and pick little pieces of that up to add to your sound. Then channel your life experiences into your creative works and the culmination of writing music that really means something to you, and honors your greatest teachers, will be endlessly rewarding.

Follow Josh Teed on Socials: Spotify | SoundCloud | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram

Follow ST4RFOX on Socials: Spotify | SoundCloud | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram

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