PREMIERE + Q&A: Perish Everlasting Volume 2 by They Will Perish

Author: Karsten Kohout

Music and community go hand-in-hand.

Although the past year has made isolation the norm, few musicians would jump at the idea of twelve straight months of solitude. Odd Future may have connected on MySpace, but very little of their creative work was done in a chatroom.

However, the usual formula for collaboration seems to hold no weight in the world of bass music.

Over the course of 2020 and early 2021, the scene saw the rise of new artists, sounds, and ideas in a volume never before witnessed (yes, including collaborative efforts). After all, the components of a dance track are bound to shift when Zumba classes are no longer a possibility.

Grainy, black and white photograph of a music festival — Photo courtesy of customerfaithful.com

Given this new creative freedom, some brought bass music back to a more colorful and melodic motif.

Others delved deeper into how abrasive the genre could become. One such group that took this path: They Will Perish with their new showcase Perish Everlasting Vol. 2

Image courtesy of Through the Duck Eyes

They Will Perish is an online, global collective that has embraced the accepted tear-out aesthetics while each adding their own flavor to the recipe.

Featuring artists such as Interval Audio-contributor DKKAY, up-coming act STVG, and Seattle’s very own MVKUTA, Perish Everlasting Vol. 2 is set to be one of the most unforgiving projects released this year and drops on April 25^th at 7 AM EST.

Online restriction is clearly not a hinderance for these producers.

https://linktr.ee/TheyWillPerish

Check out the promo video for the showcase below and keep reading for a short Q&A with the members.

Social links to all the artists can be found at the end of the Q&A.

PROMO VIDEO:

https://twitter.com/TheyWillPerish/status/1384537398244171776

[Visual Artist: Evil.fx]

QUESTIONS:

Karsten Kohout: What are the difficulties and strengths of exclusively working online to produce a substantial creative effort such as Perish Everlasting Vol. 2? If the showcase were to be redone from scratch, how would the entire production be done differently?

They Will Perish: As if it was of any surprise, getting 10 people to agree on basically anything is difficult. We have had to make numerous compromises and cut a lot of ideas from the final product of the compilation just to assure that each artists’ needs were met and to accommodate for any clashing releases or promo dates.

KK: Where does T.W.P. go next after Perish Everlasting Vol. 2?

TWP: The Perish Everlasting series represents the heavier and darker side of our music, which is obviously our main goal. However, we don’t want to be bound to constraints that prevent us from expanding our sound. We all have our roots in dubstep, but at the end of the day we are all musicians, so you can expect to see more of the same but also a little more of the new.

KK: What is T.W.P.’s role in the greater bass music scene?

TWP: The continuing goal of the project is to simply make music with friends, and I think we have a pretty good footing for people to see a group of friends do cool shit together at a larger scale.

KK: Is the label “tearout” as overused as “riddim” in 2021?

TWP: I personally don’t see an “overuse,” just a sudden rise in popularity to the genre, which in itself isn’t bad. Too much music is always better than not enough music!

KK: Was 2020’s lack of shows necessary for bass music to evolve, or would it have done so anyway?

TWP: I absolutely feel like the lack of shows has made people try harder and put more effort into their music. Honestly, I don’t think people need to make music for shows in the first place or that club/show music ever evolved the genre in the first place, but then again most people at shows seem to really f*** with the “headbang riddim s***” so I guess you could say shows had a large impact for dubstep and definitely caused the sound to change over the years.

KK: Why do collectives matter when there are more labels than ever to choose from?

TWP: Having a group of people like TWP that all share common goals and interests can be extremely empowering and can push your skill set in ways you could have never achieved alone. While labels are more or less a means of getting your music “out there,” a collective can serve as a great opportunity to work collaboratively and bounce ideas between peers and can assist in the music production process overall.

KK: When shows return, how does the gap between major festival lineups and new online talent get bridged? And why is it important that underground ideas are represented at live events?

TWP: The underground will always be king. Venues need to make it a priority to not only appeal to the larger names but also the up-and-coming ones that will soon become some of the best in the scene. Whilst the bass scene is still quite young, it has been around for enough time for people to start exploring new ideas and sounds. The underground is now starting to push these ideas and sounds into the forefront, which I think is perfect for a live setting.

KK: Who is the cloaked individual on the cover? Can I meet them?

TWP: Oh, that’s Richard, he likes to steal my tablecloth and hide in abandoned school classrooms. Weird bloke that one is.

KK: How does T.W.P. continue to differentiate itself in the larger bass music scene?

TWP: I think something that will play to our advantage is that we are all in the very early stages of our careers. We have so much to offer, and we are only just getting started. Over time we will develop our sound, our brand and ourselves. As our audience grows, so we will; both as artists and as people.

ARTIST LINKS:

THEY WILL PERISH:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/theywillperish
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twprsh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheyWillPerish

Dkkay:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/dkkaydubz
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dkkaydubz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dkkaydubz

STVG:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/stvgofficial
IG: https://www.instagram.com/stvguk_/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/STVG__

MVKUTA:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/mvkuta
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mvkuta/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MVKUTA

INAMOR:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/soundsofinamor
IG: https://www.instagram.com/soundsofinamor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/INAMORPROJECT

AEILAC:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/aeilac
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amemakesnoise

BEGACAT:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/begacat
IG: https://www.instagram.com/begacat/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/begacat_music

SHAPER:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/shaperdubs
IG: https://www.instagram.com/shaperdubs/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHAPERDUBZ

KRONOMIKAL:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/feastsofkronomikal
IG: https://www.instagram.com/kronomikal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kronomikall

PYROSITE:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/pyrosite
IG: https://www.instagram.com/pyrositemusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PYROSITEE

JESTER:
SC: https://soundcloud.com/jestertunes
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jester_tunes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jester_tunes