The Power of Three: An Interview With Ternion Sound About Their Debut Album And Life As A Trio

Over the past few years, Ternion Sound has become the face of American 140 and deep dubstep. The trio delivers fervent dancefloor energy, employing wicked breaks in addition to devastating basslines.

The group’s debut LP Digital Artifice, out now on VISION Recordings, is a sonic masterpiece, delving into a breadth of subgenres, including dubstep, drum and bass, downtempo, breaks, garage, and more.

The album displays incredible sonic cohesion from start to finish, showcasing the crisp and deliberate production that’s become a hallmark of the Ternion Sound identity. Samples flow from song to song, showing the group’s incredible intention in weaving this sonic tapestry together.

Listening to an album meant to be enjoyed from start to finish as a continuous mix is unbelievably refreshing. It’s no secret artists today are disincentivized to release long-form works, and even when they do, they can often feel like a large collection of singles rather than a cohesive body of work. Ternion Sound, like in every other facet, bucked that trend.

The album’s standout tracks include “Communion,” “Concrete Bench,” “xPrismatic,” “Portland,” “Guardian,” “Chatter Scatter,” and frankly, the entire LP. It’s truly a masterpiece.

The group tapped legendary artist safehaven for the album’s art, perfectly encapsulating the dark, techy atmosphere of the record. safehaven is most known for their Ghost Hardware project, whose merch has amassed a feverish following.

We sat down with Aric of Ternion Sound ahead of the album’s release to get a peek behind the curtain for an exclusive HIHF interview to learn more. Be sure to let us know what you think about the conversation and to post your favorite tracks from the album in the comments below!

HIHF: The Ternion Sound project so far has been known for hard-hitting dubstep and some iconic singles. What was the writing experience like writing the album compared to writing singles?

Aric: Our writing process has stayed pretty similar for our releases so far. As for the album, we wanted to really showcase the width of our writing styles. We’ve been saving “work in progress” tunes into an album folder for a couple years now and managed to pick out the best tracks that would feel dancefloor-friendly, while still able to be enjoyed at home in a listening setting.

HIHF: Why twenty-six songs? We’ve seen some lengthy records over the years, and yours is particularly impressive.

Aric: We wanted to create a fully mixed album that listeners could enjoy as one single experience from start to finish. So, it felt quite natural to include a lot of tracks. There were also a number of new tunes that were created right as we were trying to get the album finished, and we just had to include them on the release.

HIHF: Is there a different message you’re trying to convey to listeners with the album compared to your other releases?

Aric: I think this album is an expansion of our musical boundaries. It’s got a lot more variety than any of our other releases. There’s definitely a pressure to produce and play heavier music the more that our project grows, and this album feels like a rejection of that idea. It’s a chance for us to highlight the less popular styles that we very much enjoy. Digital Artifice isn’t really a concept album, however, it is certainly influenced by our feelings toward the state of the world today. Anything from Climate change to political unrest.

HIHF: What is the ideal way for fans to experience this record?

Aric: This album still packs plenty of bass, so I would suggest coming out to a live show to enjoy the music on a proper sound system. We’re currently on tour alongside our friend The Widdler! If you’re listening at home and have some time, check out the fully mixed version of the album. We tried our best to balance familiar bassline-focused tracks with more melodic emotional tunes.

HIHF: What are your biggest inspirations for the album?

Aric: We’ve always been heavily influenced by rave music genres since we started our project together. We also have a healthy techno scene in our hometown of Minneapolis that has impacted our sound quite a lot. For the album, we chose to include more emotional and melodic tracks, mainly to express how we felt about our surroundings over the past few years.

HIHF: As a trio, how has your internal division of labor contributed to your success? Can you tell us a little bit about what that looks like?

Aric: Breaking up our responsibilities within the group has helped us regulate our project in a lot of different ways. Jack and I handle the vast majority of touring and travel, while Andrew stays at home to allow for more production time and administrative tasks. Jack does a lot of sound design work, while I handle our radio show and gather new music from our peers and record labels. It’s important for us to maintain a balance of responsibilities so that we can move forward all together.

HIHF: Given the increasing commercialization of dance music, almost everything about Ternion Sound seems to buck the current trends. Why is this important to you guys?

Aric: All three of us are actively trying to change the bass music scene so that it’s more honest, safe, inclusive, and fair to everyone involved. We hope that our decisions and choices can help influence a better music community in the future.

HIHF: There has been increasing discourse about community in recent years, can you speak on why community is so important?

Aric: Our project could not exist without the support of the bass music scene. We always wanted to be educators as well as DJs and Producers, in the hopes of building a supportive community that could grow all together.

HIHF: What’s one thing you hope fans take away from listening to this album?

Aric: This album embodies our desire to stay true to what we love. It’s our biggest project yet, and we’re hoping that listeners can all find something to connect with.

HIHF: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, and best of luck on your tour with The Widdler!

You can catch Ternion Sound and The Widdler on the Found Spaces tour on these dates!

10/13: Karma, Washington, D.C.
10/20: Blackbox Theater, Charlotte, NC
10/21: The Chocolate Factory, Brooklyn, NY
10/27: Walter Studios, Phoenix, AZ
10/28: Tunnel Location, San Diego, CA
10/31: Emerson Hall, Nashville, TN
11/3: Elevation, Grand Rapids, MI
11/4: The Yards, Miami, FL
11/9: Shrine Social Club, Boise, ID
11/10: Kingdom, Austin, TX
11/16: The North Warehouse, Portland, OR
11/17: Pourhouse, Minneapolis, MN
11/18: Pourhouse, Minneapolis, MN

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