We sat down with the ever energetic Dirty Audio following his debut Lollapalooza set on Perry's. He filled us in on what it's like to tour in other countries, how "Gettin' That" literally blew up over night, and how he gets that "extra 10% of sauce".
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Morgan: Alright, I am here with Dirty Audio.
Dirty Audio: What's good?
M: This is your first Lolla, you just got done playing, how was that?
DA: Amazing. Probably one of my favorite festivals. Insane. I wasn't expecting that. I was really nervous at first because it was earlier in the day, but so many people showed up. Humbling.
M: Yeah, we went over there and endured the dirt pit as well.
DA: That's what's up. That's what I like to hear.
M: So you have some pretty cool graphics that go along with your set, and that's important with a stage like that with all the screens. How do you get the ideas for those?
DA: When I'm making the music I like to tie everything together into one big thing. I'm really creative, I used to draw, so I always have the vision somehow. It just comes to me, it's weird. When I make the music I always have the visual idea that goes along with it. A lot of my songs are weed references, like weed strain titles, and I put Zig Zags on my visuals with my face on it.
M: I saw something with fire or something coming out of your mouth.
DA: Yeah yeah! Me and the team come up with cool, funny ideas that look badass and give a really good visual experience.
M: That's awesome. While we're still on the topics of festivals and crowds, I saw that you toured in Asia and Australia.
DA: Yeah, that was tight.
M: How are the crowds there compared to the crowds here? EDM is a very eccentric crowd, so how is it over in other places?
DA: It's insane because all of these countries are so different, but once you're playing these shows, festivals, clubs, or whatever you feel like you're at home. It doesn't feel like you're in a different country. The music just ties everyone together. I forget where I am when I'm on stage, because I feel like I'm at home and the music is bringing everyone together. The vibe is always amazing in any country because the people who come out to my shows come for bass music. It's really dope to see fans of bass music, and even Dirty Audio, on other sides of the world where I thought my music would never reach because of the internet. It's amazing.
M: While we're still on festivals, have you seen anybody, or are you planning on seeing anybody, today at Lolla?
DA: Fuck yeah! I want to see Lil Yachty and 6LACK (six-lack) or 6LACK (slack). I don't know if I said that right.
M: It's actually 6LACK (black).
DA: 6LACK (black)? Thank you, I've been trying to figure that out for the longest time.
M: Yeah, they put up posters everywhere that said "6LACK is pronounced black".
DA: Okay, so I want to see 6LACK.
M: That's the only reason I knew how to pronounce it!
DA: Thank you! I've been saying it for so long the wrong way.
M: Oh no, same. Up until this weekend I was like "It's 6LACK (six-lack)", right?
DA: On the record we have it. Now I know.
M: Well, you're wearing Yeezys and I read that you're inspiration, or you learn a lot of lessons from hip hop artists, so who are some of your favorite hip hop artists and what life lessons do you learn from them?
DA: When I say life lessons, I mean that when I feel down or like a pussy or anything... well not like a pussy, but just some sad shit, I put on rap music and it thugs me out. If I ever feel soft, I'll just listen to 21 Savage and I'll feel like a G again. I listen to Biggie, Tupac, Eminem, and I used to listen to a lot of G Unit, which is tight because I just made a song with Young Buck from G Unit that's coming out later this year. All I really listen to is hip hop. Playing these festivals is awesome because I get to go check out rappers afterwards.
M: There's a lot of good hip hop. Joey Bada$$ is playing today too, right after Lil Yachty so you should check that out.
DA: Oh really? Dope. Lit.
M: Your song "Gettin' That", big song. has been played by Jack U and The Chainsmokers. How's that for you?
DA: That's awesome. It's so insane because I look up to those guys and the fact that they support so heavily and have shown so much love is so humbling. It was really surreal: I woke up one morning and Jack U posted a video of "Gettin' That", Skrillex posted it on his Instagram and Twitter, and Diplo did and it was on Snapchat, and I'm like "holy shit!". They're real tastemakers, so immediately after everyone was asking for that song. Everyone thought it was one of theirs because they literally started playing it the day after we finished it. It was just so quick. We finished that song in two days and it all happened that week: everyone started playing it, it was finished. It was dope.
M: How did you get into making music in the first place?
DA: Life just brought me here. Everything fell in to place to bring me here. I've always loved music. I've always played instruments. Life just took me in this path, I didn't plan it, it just happened. It's passion.
M: Why EDM?
DA: That was my favorite genre when I learned what producing is. I started going to festivals and raves at that time. The whole world took me by surprise, I was in love with it.
M: What's your favorite festival that you've been to?
DA: Here or Electric Forrest. It's a super dope festival in the forrest, literally.
M: I've heard about your sock game.
DA: Oh what it do! I'm rocking blue socks right now. You know how we do it.
M: What's up with the sock thing?
DA: Why not? It's lit! Why not have extra sauce? I feel like most people don't think about that extra sauce, so you've got to put that extra 10% of sauce.
M: You're not wrong. I'm out here rolling around no socks.
DA: That's your game. You just took it to a whole new level. You're like "Fuck, socks. I don't need socks."
M: Yeah, my feet are already too lit. One last question, who are you currently listening too? What can you put us on to?
DA: I listen to a lot of 21 Savage, Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, Future.. That's what I'm listening to right now. And some old school shit, I always fuck with old school shit like G-Unit, anything Scott Storch produced, Dr. Dre shit, that era of music is really dope.
