We Spoke With Leotrix About His New Coki & Flowdan Collab EP "DIY,” What's To Come, And Tons More [HIHF Interview]

Leotrix is a name all dubstep fans should know by now. Over his career, he’s had some of the most iconic tracks in the festival world under his belt, getting played out by DJs of every genre. With tracks like “Emoboy303 (SIDE),” “Hive Bounce,” and its viral Tokyo Drift-infused counterpart “Tokyo Bounce” reaching masses around the world, Leotrix has had more and more opportunities to perform at top-tier festivals and releases through the hottest labels in the dubstep world, including Never Say Die, Cyclops Recordings, Disciple, and Monstercat. We had the opportunity to speak with Leotrix about his newest work in this HIHF interview.

Following up his massively successful Found Spaces tour, which he embarked on this past Summer alongside names like Hydraulix, Moovy, and more, Leotrix is back in action with a brand new banger and it features two of the GOATs gracing the scene right now. “DIY” is alongside dubstep legend Coki and the breakout sensation MC Flowdan.

Coki recently embarked on his From Begining To End tour alongside A Hundred Drums. He also opened for G Jones at Red Rocks, as a part of the Digital Mistikz (DMZ) reunion with his old friend and fellow genre figurehead Mala.

You’ll recognize Flowdan’s brooding vocals from massive EDM collaborations like “Rumble” with Skrillex and Fred Again.. or “Gassed Up” with Subtronics and Zeds Dead. Today, the three artists are linking up for a spanker of a tune, “DIY,” or “Do It Yourself.” The track features two versions, a modern dubstep version and an old-school dub edit. The third track on their EP is a vocal-less track from just Coki and Leotrix, titled “Last Nite.”

On “DIY,” Leotrix and Coki are bringing out all the stops for a brutal soundscape to showcase both their production prowess and Flowdan’s always-impressive vocal performance.

“Last Nite” features the stylings of both Coki’s brutal OG dubstep sounds and Leotrix’s melodic future riddim tendencies. Here’s what Leotrix had to say about how he connected with Coki for the new project:

“A couple of years back, I sent some tunes to Coki, probably via email. Got a reply, and he asked if I wanted to team up for a fresh collab, with Flowdan spitting bars. Fast forward to now, and ‘DIY’ with Coki & Flowdan is finally dropping, thanks to UKF” – Leotrix

We had the chance to speak with Leotrix about this huge new collab EP, his recent tour, and tons more in this exclusive HIHF interview. Learn what’s next for this shining star dubstep phenom down below and be sure to check out the new EP!

HIHF: Big ups to Leotrix for taking the time out of his busy schedule and chatting with us here at HIHF. Hey there Ethan, our first question for you is when did music first enter your life?

Leotrix: When I was about seven years old, that was when I think music entered my life. Apparently one of the first things I figured out how to do as a baby was rip CDs. I had my Mum’s CDs which was lots of Wild FM & Ministry of Sound and then my Dad’s CDs were like Rage Against The Machine, Black Sabbath, Alien Ant Farm etc.

HIHF: How was the Leotrix project and nomenclature born?

Leotrix: I was thirteen years old and at the time I was super into astrology so I named myself after my star sign because I’m a Leo.

HIHF: You’ve come such a long way. That being said, tell us about your recent Retro Grade tour.

Leotrix: Yeah, it was crazy! Shoutouts to Hydraulix, Moovy, Vanfleet & Vulllgur! They all played incredible sets and brought the vibes up. I got to play in some cities I hadn’t been to yet which was cool. Lots of fun just flying around the States, cooking up tunes before shows. I spent most of my time on this tour preparing for the shows and writing new music for this new album I’m working on.

HIHF: How did you go about picking the support? We had a blast during Moovy’s opening set and even recruited her for a HIHF guest mix!

Leotrix: I picked the support based on their music and their sounds. They all have their own sounds and it was super cool to watch them play at my shows. Moovy killed it on this tour!

HIHF: Any standout venues that were your favorites across the US while on tour?

Leotrix: One venue that caught me by surprise was Sunbar in Arizona. The show I played there with Vulllgur was so awesome. TK Lounge in Tampa was sick, that was my first time playing there, big riddim vibes. DNA Lounge in San Fran was super dope, really enjoyed playing there. We All Scream in Vegas was really cool, played inside an ice cream truck thing. 45 East in Portland was great, that was my first time in Portland ever and I had so much fun. Shoutouts to The Church Nightclub and the Denver Riddim dubstep scene for real that was the best time ever.

HIHF: What are some dream venues or festivals you’d like to play?

Leotrix: I’d love to play EDC one year, a set at the bass pod would be cool. I wanna play Mission Ballroom in Denver. And I’d love to play Melkweg in Amsterdam one day.

HIHF: What was it like working with one of the godfathers of dubstep, Coki, on this EP?

Leotrix: Yeah it was crazy! I didn’t expect it at all. It all started after I sent him dubs in March 2021. Since then we talked about making some records. We started a melodic dubstep tune which is called Last Nite and then the other one we’ve collaborated on which is now also a Flowdan collab it’s called DIY and we both purposely wanted to make that a much more aggressive tune. Or “aggy” tune as Coki put it hahahaha.

HIHF: What about Flowdan, who’s working with all the biggest names in dance music?

Leotrix: Flowdan is such a legend. Hearing him MC live and on the record, it’s the same energy. DIY wouldn’t be the tune it is without his vocals on it. I just still can’t believe I got to work with him, honestly.

HIHF: Some fans think more artists should have MCs not only on their track but at their shows too. What do you think about that?

Leotrix: Absolutely. It’s something that’s almost a rite of passage in the Drum & Bass world so I hope Dubstep gets a bit more of that too.

HIHF: What advice could you give bedroom producers, across the world, on ‘making it’ in the dubstep world?

Leotrix: Just keep making music and putting it out there. Always share with your friends and people you connect with. Don’t feel like anything isn’t worth sharing musically because it most definitely is. More unique, crazy, weird, and wonderful sounds are welcome. Whatever that could be.

HIHF: Who are some rising star artists you think more fans should know about? Or artists whose tunes you find yourself playing in every set?

Leotrix: Knoir, Beastboi, Chee, LANKI

HIHF: What do you want fans to know about the future of the Leotrix project?

Leotrix: New album is in the works so stay tuned!

HIHF: Huge shoutout to Leotrix for taking the time to speak with us about his new collaborative EP with Coki! Be sure to keep a look out for his upcoming album and we hope you enjoyed this interview as much as we did! Check out Leotrix and Coki’s Pop Up performance too and be sure to show Leotrix some love on socials as well!

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