We Caught Up With Canabliss At Sound Haven To Chat Creative Process, Influences, And Artistic Evolution

Canabliss took over the Planetary stage at Sound Haven this year, reminding us how effortlessly she can weave multiple genres into one cohesive set. Known for her bass-driven production and versatile approach to mixing, she ignited an insane level of energy in the festival’s crowd, which set the tone for an unforgettable weekend.

Sam Infusini, also known as Canabliss, is a shining bright rising star in electronic music production and has been thriving in the EDM scene since she taught herself how to produce in 2018. From studying photography in college to becoming an expert at producing low-end bass music, the Canadian visionary has always trusted her creative instincts.

Her rise in the scene has landed her performances at major festivals such as Shambhala, Hulaween, Elements, and numerous iconic venues across North America. It’s no surprise that Canabliss is a part of the stacked lineup for Seven Stars, A.K.A. GRiZ‘s comeback festival! She just had her biggest headlining show yet, when she threw a pajama party at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver to celebrate her birthday, along with unique pop-up events.

Canabliss has made waves with her diverse taste in music, allowing her creativity to flourish. She has no limits when it comes to embracing what she’s passionate about and has gained massive respect and support from her quickly growing fanbase.

This was her first year at Sound Haven, and she took the crowd on a sonic ride that had everyone moving and grooving on the dance floor. We had the opportunity to catch up with Canabliss at the festival for an exclusive HIHF interview, where we dove into her artistic background, influences, creative process, and what to expect from her project moving forward. Check it out below!

HIHF: This is Eliza with Heard It Here First, and today we are interviewing Sam Infusini, also known as Canabliss! How are you doing tonight, Sam?

Canabliss: I’m doing great! I got here a few hours ago and just had to check out Caspa. The sound here is so good! I see why they call it Sound Haven.

HIHF: I know, right? This festival’s sound is excellent! So, how did you begin your musical journey, and what led you into producing electronic music?

Canabliss: My entire life, I have always been creative to my core. I actually went to college for photography. But right before I went to college, I started going to festivals, and I just fell in love with it all. When I graduated, I realized I didn’t want to pursue photography, and instead I wanted to make music. There is nothing else that makes me feel the way music does. I scraped photography, and I taught myself Ableton. That was in 2018.

HIHF: So you took your creative energy from photography and channeled it into making music. How awesome!

Canabliss: Exactly. I’ve always been good with technology, and I’m known as a gamer.

HIHF: What kind of video games do you play?

Canabliss: Well, I haven’t been playing as much lately, but I’ve always played a lot my entire life. A lot of Call of Duty and The Legend of Zelda. I actually have a Zelda Triforce tattoo. Also, Nintendo and Mario Kart, of course.

HIHF: We love it! Who are some of your favorite producers that have inspired you and your music?

Canabliss: When I started producing, I was very inspired by Ivy Lab. I was also greatly inspired by Flume, but his sound is so intricate, and I had no idea even how to attempt to sound like that. So, it was hard for me to go in that direction. But right now, I’m very inspired by Sammy Virji and Taiki Nulight. I just saw a Sammy Virji show in Toronto, and it was literally one of my favorite sets I’ve seen in a long time; the energy he curated in the crowd was astronomical. No one was even facing the stage. Everyone was just having fun together to the music, and I thought that was so special. It inspired me because I always make a point to have my sets be very fun for the crowd, and I put a lot of emphasis on keeping the energy flowing throughout my shows.

HIHF: Are there any artists outside of the electronic genre you are inspired by?

Canabliss: Absolutely! I listen to pretty much everything, except for country, which might sound cliche. I really love indie and psychedelic rock. I’ve been listening to a lot of lo-fi tracks too. Also, lately I’ve been absolutely obsessed with house music. When I started getting into the music scene, I was obsessed with deep house, which transferred over to dubstep. I’ve also always loved drum and bass, as well as UKG. My music taste can go in waves, which is why I’m back to loving house music again. The old dubstep I used to listen to is starting to sound fresh again. It goes in cycles, and that’s why I never want to be put in a specific box of genres.

HIHF: For sure, it’s always great to try new styles of music and not feel confined to one genre. Do you ever hit creative blocks? If so, how do you navigate getting back into your flow?

Canabliss: Absolutely. I really struggled with that during my first few years. It was very intense for me, especially when touring, because I was not used to traveling so much. I didn’t have much energy. But recently, I’ve realized that I’m the type of person who has to have everything balanced in order for me to be creative. It took a long time for me to figure that out. Many artists seem like all they do all day long is just music. I always felt like that’s what I should be doing. But it felt impossible to me, so now I’ve been focusing a lot on my mental and physical health. I feel like I’m finally in such a good place with both. Now, I’m suddenly so creative. It’s made an insane difference in my productivity.

HIHF: That’s great that you can look inwards and realize that. It definitely all correlates.

Canabliss: Yeah, especially considering being in such a fast-paced industry. Everyone’s different, and I want to emphasize that to any artist who is learning. Don’t get too caught up in the pressure of constantly working on music.

HIHF: For our next question, I want to start by saying we are still obsessed with your Doja Cat flip of “Go Off.” What goes into choosing which songs to remix?

Canabliss: Well, first, I have to like the song, of course. I’ve always loved Doja Cat. When listening to it, I realized those vocals sounded really good. I loved the energy of it. My music needs to feel empowering, especially for the girlies! That track is definitely one for the girls, and I love embodying that empowerment in my songs.

HIHF: Do you have any exciting upcoming releases or collabs you can tell us about?

Canabliss: I don’t have any collabs coming up, but I definitely want to start doing more of that. As I said earlier, it took me a while to figure out my creative process, but I have been making a lot of UKG and drum and bass, so you can expect some releases of both. Hopefully, later this year and early next year, one hundred percent.

HIHF: We are so excited! You mentioned you caught Caspa’s set at Sound Haven so far. Are there any other shows you had the chance to see tonight and loved?

Canabliss: I only got the chance to catch Caspa, but I think that’s all I needed to see because I just love Caspa. His music is really what got me into producing dubstep and what inspired me in the beginning. It will always have a special place in my heart. The sound here is so good, so his show tonight sounded particularly amazing.

HIHF: What do you want your fans to know about the Canabliss project moving forward?

Canabliss: This is an excellent question because I have so many plans right now. I’m going to be experimenting in many genres, but I will always still make some wonky music here and there. That’s always been my goal, and I feel like I found a niche with my sets, which is mixing various genres. I am really enjoying the versatile route, and that’s what I’m going to continue on. I feel more inspired than ever, and I love dipping my toes into different genres and trying new things. My sets are always going to be bass-driven and fun. It’s always going to be Canabliss! Everything I do has to come from my heart, or else I just can’t make music.

HIHF: Well, everyone, you heard it here first! Thank you so much, Canabliss. We are looking forward to seeing what comes next for your project. Enjoy Sound Haven!