Distinct Motive Stops By To Chat About His Busy 2023, The Upcoming Subtronics Tour & Much More (HIHF Interview)

Three words have been on every dubstep fan’s mind these last few months: Book Distinct Motive. What started out as a simple callout to promoters has blossomed into a powerful movement that has given the Canadian dubstep artist a ton of momentum heading into 2024.

2023 took Distinct Motive to new heights. Last June, he released the Snakes EP on Boogie T’s Drama Club Records label, igniting a rise to stardom. These tracks have been played in countless sets across the country and continue to hold spots on Beatport’s Top 100 chart for 140 nearly seven months after their release date. In fact, the title track “Snakes” was named the Best Track of 2023 in DUPLOC’s annual Dubstep Awards. Distinct Motive followed this up with his stellar, four-track Niagara EP on Deep Dark & Dangerous later in the Summer.

With each release and live performance, Distinct Motive pays homage to the early aesthetic of dubstep with his own unique sound and flavors. He has steadily created a level of hype and excitement for the original, dub-influenced side of the genre that has many fans and enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

His approachable, yet effective combination of stimulating basses, hard-hitting drum patterns and an expert-level utilization of samples has crowds in a frenzy. Regardless of whether he is DJing or not, fans absolutely erupt when a Distinct Motive track is dropped. If you need further proof, go check out some of the video highlights from his sets at Infrasound Equinox or The Black Box show in Denver. Simply put, this man is bringing the fun back to dubstep.

Distinct Motive has wasted no time in the early stages of 2024. He’s already dropped one of the most highly-anticipated tracks in “Mellow Man” on Deadbeats as well as a new remix for LSDREAM, all while continuing to announce incredible bookings for shows and festivals across the country.

Ahead of what is sure to be another very stacked year, we had the opportunity to chat with Distinct Motive about his monumental year of growth in 2023, his upcoming tour with Subtronics, the best sound systems he’s ever played on, and more! Check out the full interview below and let us know if you plan on catching a Distinct Motive set in 2024!

HIHF: I want to start by reflecting on the incredible year of growth you just experienced—when you look back, what were some of your favorite moments from such a stacked year in 2023? Was there a particular moment where it really hit you that things were trending in a very positive direction?

DM: 2023 was insane! I never thought my music project would take me to so many different places. Here’s a list of my top highlights in no particular order:

Getting to play Mission Ballroom in Denver with my buddy Pushloop – that venue is nuts!

Playing Infrasound Equinox Festival – the crowd was so energetic and responsive, I had never experienced such a vibe like that. This is the moment I knew things had changed. People knew the music and were chanting it. It was such an incredible experience.

Playing Wakaan Music Festival at 4:00AM – Massive HSD [Hennessey] Sound, Real Dubstep Hours, what more could you ask for?

The Black Box Denver show – you simply had to be there. INSANE! Denver, I love you so much.

Playing at Tacoma Dome with Subtronics – I played to such a massive crowd, it’s still so insane to think about. After I played that set, I had to take a moment to myself and had a happy cry :*).

HIHF: To kick off 2024, you had one of the most highly-anticipated IDs released on Deadbeats. What are the emotions like for you on release day when a track like “Mellow Man” finally sees the light of day, especially given how popular it was when it was unreleased?

DM: I’m seriously blown away. Some of the reactions I got from playing it at shows will be with me for life. I love hearing the fans absolutely lose it when I tease the intro in a mix, it’s so insane to me. I’m so happy to see it out to fans now!

HIHF: Looking ahead to this year, you have already announced several exciting shows, such as Red Rocks with Boogie T, a stacked Hampton Coliseum show with Zeds Dead, as well as Dancefestopia. What are you most looking forward to in this new year that you’re able to share?

DM: I’m looking forward to playing as many shows as I can this year – #bookdistinctmotive is the movement! It’s pretty hard to pick just one thing as of right now. Like, I’m playing Red Rocks! What the hell is going on?! I’m playing on a bill with Skream and Rusko?! Seriously, what the f***! I’m going on a tour bus with Subtronics?! This doesn’t feel real to me. It still hasn’t really sunk in, to be honest. I’m extremely thankful to be in the position I’m in.

HIHF: The Subtronics tour looks like it’s about to be insane! Tell us a little bit about the upcoming tour and where you will be playing.

DM: The Subtronics tour starts later this month. I’m actually going to be playing the first four dates. I’ll be playing two nights at The Armory in Minneapolis, one night in Madison, WI, and one night in Independence, MO. I get to go on a tour bus for the first time, which is super exciting.

Jesse [Subtronics] has been super supportive of my music and I really appreciate him showing love and shouting me out. It’s an awesome opportunity to get my music and name in front of a much wider audience. That’s one of the big reasons why I’m so excited for the tour. I’ve been playing to a lot of the same type of crowds for the last 10 years, so with these bookings now starting to take off, it’s a great opportunity to educate a new audience on some of these deeper sounds in dubstep.

HIHF: I think that’s super important to continue educating this new wave and letting people know there is more out there that you should go check out. I love that message. I feel like throughout 2023, there was a lot of chatter online about the importance of protecting dubstep and sound system culture. As someone who has spent years educating the masses on old-school flavors, how do you view the current landscape of dubstep in North America as a touring artist?

DM: I think dubstep is thriving in North America. I think there’s been a large shift in the tastes of dubstep over the last few years, especially. The heavier and more aggressive sounds may not be the go-to for a lot of dubstep listeners anymore. The “vibe” is such an important aspect in dubstep – the room, the people, the sound – I believe people are looking for a different experience now.

HIHF: Speaking of sound systems, you’ve had the privilege of playing on some insane rigs over the years. In your opinion, what are the Top 5 sound systems that you have played on?

DM: My Top 5 is the following:

40hz Soundsystem (Toronto’s finest) – I mean, I named a tune after this sound. It’s truly incredible.
Sinai Soundsystem (UK). Out to Huw!
The Hennessey (HSD) system at Wakaan Festival this past year was insane. Such a huge setup and I got to play at 4:00 AM. Real dubstep hours. Out to Ronin!
Liquid Dancehall Soundsystem (Detroit) – Elliot is a good friend and has done an amazing job building this rig. It’s tuned to perfection.
Intent Audio at Submersion Festival. I had a blast playing that b2b with my good friend, Khiva.

HIHF: I definitely need to experience some of these in person! Looking at your career, you have spent the last decade building something super special while staying true to your sound—what does the next phase of Distinct Motive look like? What are some of your long-term goals for the project?

DM: The next phase of Distinct Motive is to just go with the flow. I make music that I like and if people dig it, SWEET. Distinct Motive isn’t a calculated project with targets and trends. It is dubstep music for the dancefloor, it’s a party! Let’s have some fun, right?

As far as a long-term goal for Distinct Motive, I just want to continue to play shows, write music I love and make memories for as long as I can. If I get to do some cool s*** because of that, GREAT! No expectations, I’m just enjoying the opportunities I’m given.

HIHF: Absolutely! Do what you love and love what you do. That’s a great way to look at it. Switching gears a bit, who are some up-and-coming artists that our readers should know more about in 2024? Who has been inspiring you as of late?

DM: Here are some names in no particular order that you all should check out!

Die By The Sword – This is the dude! He tore it up at the Black Box show I mentioned earlier. You’ve got to give him a follow!
IDHS – He’s a fellow Canadian producer who’s smashing it.
Combine – I’ve been battering this guy’s music at every show. Kursa actually got me onto his music. Not much on his SoundCloud, but I can assure you he’s got some sick music coming.
Umbra – A fresh producer to me. He’s from Cardiff and has some amazing stripped back beats.
Takjacob – This dude has got it down. He just did a remix of my tune “BOLD” [from the Niagara EP] and it’s really good! Better than my original to be honest. Check his stuff out!
Lavier – a producer with many styles, don’t sleep on him!

HIHF: Awesome, I definitely need to check out some of these names! When you aren’t in the studio making new beats, what are some of your other hobbies that keep you busy?

DM: Going for hikes, riding the bike, and spending time with Jen (my lovely lady). Can’t forget about drinking some cold ones at my local watering hole, Bugsy’s.

HIHF: Fantastic! To wrap things up, is there anything else that our readers should know about you that we haven’t touched on already?

DM: https://soundcloud.com/distinctmotive. Gotta throw the link out there. That’s the joke, right?

If you guys want to book me or see me at your show, no matter how big or small, please reach out to my agent, Lauren: lauren.banks@sub.mission.com. I’m genuinely up for any opportunity, just send an offer and let’s see what we can do! Besides that, there’s a lot of music to come. The best way to stay in contact with me is @distinctmotive on Instagram. That’s the platform I use the most.

HIHF: Great stuff! Well, again, we can’t thank you enough for taking some time to speak with us! We’re looking forward to following your continued success this year and beyond!