Words by Patrick Stavelely.

Meanjin/Brisbane-based electronic artist and producer Du0, is one of the hottest new prospects on the electronic music scene in Australia after releasing his debut EP, LIFT. The EP’s title is a prevalent theme throughout the release with Du0’s uplifting and melancholic sounds carrying the message that everything will be okay. Futuremag Music spoke to Du0 about this new EP and what it means to him to have finally released it.

FMM: Congrats on your debut EP! How much blood, sweat and tears went into making this and how’s it feel to get your work out and finished?!

Du0: Seriously I think If I told you the number of hours I spent on these tracks, you wouldn’t believe me! (laughs). I think Mou and I started Barely Breathing at least 12 months ago. It’s been through so many different versions, but I’m really happy with how all the tracks landed. I’m really proud and excited to let them go into the world.

FMM: As an electronic artist and producer, a lot can go into work like this. Can you talk me through the process of producing and releasing these songs. Is it mostly your own work or do you have some help when it comes to production?

Du0: The process usually starts quite simply with some chords and a vocal idea. Then, I produce it out with various elements. On the production side, it’s just me, but I have some go-to’s when it comes to different instruments and players I bring in. My man Andrew Scrivens plays the guitar all over the EP (and in my live show) and always kills it. I have Jim Alxndr playing sax on a couple of the tracks and Emily Coulston singing on three of the tracks. I love the combination of those three - magical!

FMM: How do you discover the right vocal that you want to go with for particular tracks?

Du0: It’s a bit of a mix on the EP. Come Home is where it all started, and this was where Emily and myself crossed paths at a writing camp, and Emily came up with the full vocal in a four-hour session. With Barely Breathing, Mou had the vocal written already and trusted me to bring it to life. The other two originals I wrote and knew the right vocalists who would nail it.

FMM: These tracks are very chill and have an ethereal quality to them. Is this the kind of sound or path you want your music to explore? Where’s the inspiration come from in terms of trying to find your ideal sound?

Du0: Yeah, definitely. I hoped to create a floating and almost uplifting sound across the EP, mixed in with a bit of darkness and melancholy at times in the lyrics. I tried to stick to some core instruments across all the tracks to make it feel cohesive – being piano, electric guitars, and sax, with hints of more electronica-style synths. The inspiration came from a bunch of experimentation in my previous releases, and it was my more chill tracks that resonated with people, and I wanted to commit to putting out a whole EP with this vibe.