One of our favorite artists (and Misfit Media alumni) DMVU is back with new music and new skills, showcased on his latest release Paper Dolls via the all:Lo collective. A few weeks ago, he played with Yheti in Pensacola, and was kind enough to sit down with us after his set to talk about what he’s been focused on lately, from upcoming releases to his adventures in digital design.
The Interview
Last time you were in Pensacola was for Rolling By The Bay in 2024. Did you approach your set at Vinyl Music Hall differently, and now that you’ve visited the Gulf Coast multiple times, how would you describe the scene here?
Rolling by the Bay was a little bit more hype of a set. That was such a crazy lineup; I felt like I had to keep up with the big dogs, Mr. Carmack and Rusko.
The scene is healthy, young, and really excited. People stay out late. In Denver, people can be kind of headass because everyone is so dank and knowledgeable, but here in Pensacola, people appreciate shit more. (That humidity is disgusting, though!)
Your productions are considered forward thinking by many. What ways do you like to defy expectations in your DJ sets?
I usually start at a lower BPM and work my way up. For the longest time, up until this year, I was starting at 110 and working my way up to 170 BPM, but I’ve been really confining myself to 140 and working my way up from there. But, I don’t really plan my sets, I have 8-9 songs that I definitely want to play, and between that is, “let’s see how the crowd reacts to certain things”. If The DJ’s job is to bring the vibe, so if the vibe is wrong, you’re behind the wheel, and you’ve gotta correct. You wouldn’t follow a GPS into a lake!
I’ve been doing this thing where I try to stretch the 140 BPM, like, how many things can I get out of 140? You say “140” and people think dubstep, but it can be a thousand different things.
Were you a DJ or a producer first? How do you decide what to play in sets?
I got my start as a producer. I didn’t even want to DJ at first, and then I started getting bookings for shows and I was like, “Can I bring my desktop and open Fruity Loops?”
Dillard is actually the one who taught me how to DJ, and this was back in the CD days. I learned how to DJ on CDJ-200’s in a basement. I didn’t love it at first, but after playing some original sets and getting a name that way, I was like “Oh, I can play anything I want! DJing is sick!”
Who do you look up to in the scene? What artists or sounds currently inspire you?
I have people I really idolize, as far as artists go. EPROM, and not just in music, he is a shining example of staying true to yourself and just making good music and not following any trends. He stays in his lane, but his lane is genre-bending, pushing the envelope. That’s the blueprint in my opinion – if all DJs were more like EPROM, we’d have a healthier dance space. Shout out the G.O.A.T.
Musically, I’ve been really into Sully (UK). Very inspired by username, who’s a footwork artist, so sick! Insane, futuristic, crazy footwork. I love rap, I love dance music, and what is a better blend than footwork? I had a few username tracks on my flash drive, and it was too forward-thinking to drop tonight, it would’ve scared the kids. Kenny Siegal is my favorite hip hop producer right now.
I’ve been falling back in love with drums again. I feel like, for a while, I wasn’t living up to the standard I should’ve kept for drum production. I’ve gotten back into the habit of making the most clanky, un-quantized, crooked, stinky drums I can. A lot of deep dubstep, without subs, is just drums. If you can make a drum loop sound good, you can make any genre of music.
You played a lot of older tracks in this set tonight, a lot of UK dubstep specifically. What’s your relationship to that era of music?
I’ve been doing this thing where I replay songs I took out of my sets 10-12 years ago, it’s finally been long enough that people don’t know what they are. It’s fresh to them, but to me it’s rinsed.
Modern UK dubstep is having a moment, and I want people to know how that started. To know where you’re going, you gotta know where you’ve been’ type shit. I feel like it’s my responsibility to educate people on the dance floor.
You’ve had a busy release schedule lately. Tell us a little more about each of them.
For Blizzard of Eden, I wrote that and the folder was titled: “Who has the balls to release this EP?” That was maybe 7 years ago and I just sat on it. It was originally going to be a Memory Palace release, but they had to go with something less freaky because the label was very new.
I also just did an EP on Philos Records, all hip-hop beats, that I’m really proud of as well. That was a nice transition into the most recent EP with all:Lo collective, leaning more towards the “chill” side of my music. Paper Dolls is the first release with my original artwork and there’s different artwork for the single and the EP that I’m really proud of.
Let’s talk about that a little more, can you tell us more about your creative process and your approach to graphic design?
Graphic design is like writing music with your eyes. Adding effects to different layers in Photoshop is like adding reverb or distortion in music. Once you get a taste for one art form, you realize it’s all the same, you just have to learn the medium. Food, music, art, graphics, movie, anything.
Speaking of food… If your music was a pastry, what would it be?
A Danish bearclaw: flaky, fluffy, buttery, with marzipan, almonds crusted on the side and sesame seeds. Lots of complex elements to it, a lot working in conjunction to make this secret new flavor. I live next to this Danish bakery that goes crazy hard. Shoutout Taste of Denmark in Lakewood, Colorado, everyone needs to go. They’ve got incredible dinner rolls, too and a sourdough made with sake starter.
What’s next for the DMVU project?
I’ve got a lot of releases coming this year, but nothing is on a solid timeline because I’m clogged up with releases at the moment. I’ve got 3 dubstep EPs, I’ve got a full album that I split into three 4-track EPs. I keep writing music and I’m trying to hit the brakes on it. I always like sitting on lots of music, but I’ve got to get more of it out. I’ve also got a handful of dates around the country with some good friends, including Emancipator and Josh Teed. Lots coming this year!
Any final shoutouts?
Shoutout Lucy my cat, and Phil Matthews, my dawg.
Stream “Paper Dolls”
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