When you think of the sounds of Melbourne, you might associate the Australian city with Timmy Trumpet’s bouncy-era “Freaks” or Will Sparks’ “Ah Yeah.” While Melbourne Bounce itself never reached global status the same way Dirty Dutch has, its elements – particularly the big horns, less brassy and more – emerge, albeit reworked, in Torren Foot’s “More Life.”
Born and raised in Melbourne, he’s been touring the world regularly ever since “More Life” topped the Beatport chart and received endorsements from Adam Beyer, Claptone, Anna Lunoe, Mat. Joe, Wax Motif & Destructo, and Diplo. P
roving he’s got more than one track to his name, Torren scored an ARIA nomination with 2017 Dom Dolla collaboration “Be Randy” and saw “Hot Sauce” soar to the top of the ARIA club charts.
Along with his own works, Torren Foot has turned into a sought-after remixer. He made an impression with his interpretation of Tiga’s “Bugati,” which has received over half a million streams thus far and, in May 2020 alone, has had versions of Yung Bae’s “Bad Boy” and Lastling’s “Take My Hand” queued up. He also released a remix of “Care A Little Less” by The Aston Shuffle earlier in 2020.
A regular at Australian festivals, including Falls Festival, Beyond The Valley, Splendor In The Grass, and Sets On The Beach, Torren Foot recently participated in Untitled’s Virtual Day Party livestream. Hot off his latest remixes, we had the opportunity to speak with him about his career thus far:
How did you start producing?
A friend of mine, who was producing Dubstep on Reason, would have me over and let me sit in on sessions. I had never seen anyone make music before, and seeing him create beats from scratch opened my eyes to the process.
After that, I bought a copy of Ableton, watched a million hours of youtube tutorials, and taught myself how to produce.
How would you describe your sound?
I would probably describe it as Hip House. At its core, it’s house or tech house music, but with elements of Hip Hop, Rap & RnB thrown in.
What is your approach for putting together a track?
I like to start with a sample, or a hook, then build the rest of the record around that. The idea has to be good, that’s the most important thing.
Then I’ll add drums, and a bassline and get a feel for how it will be delivered on a dancefloor, then fill in the rest with additional musical elements, structure, FX and the all important 1%ers!
In the studio, what equipment do you prefer to use?
My studio is mostly in the box, so I’m able to write and produce when I’m on the road. I have a SUB37 and a MicroKorg that I use, but for the most part, it’s Ableton and soft synths on my laptop.
In May, you released remixes of Yung Bae’s ‘Bad Boy’ and Lastling’s ’Take My Hand’. How do you select which tracks to remix?
There definitely has to be feeling when you first hear the original record, and you need to have a vision of where you want to take it. I get presented with a lot of records to remix, but these two jumped out at me.
The fun, infectious vibe of ‘Bad Boy’, and the stunning vocal of ‘Take My Hand’ were originally what I was drawn to, but I knew straight away where I want to take each of them.
In reworking the original, how do you balance the artist’s vision with your own creative take?
I guess it’s my interpretation of what the artist created. Regardless of their vision, once you release a piece of music, it doesn’t really belong to you anymore. People are going to interpret, and consume it however they like, which is part of what I love about music.
When I’m reworking something, I take the elements which I’m drawn to, and create my own interpretation. Something that will work in my sets, and that my fans can connect with.
Who else would you like to remix?
Someone like Kid Cudi would be amazing. I remember first hearing the original of ‘Day N Night’ like 10 years ago in a club, and the room just exploded. In the middle of a house set, the DJ dropped the original Day N Night, it was such a moment. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to get Cudi on a house record.
What was your vision for your own track “More Life”?
With ‘More Life’, I set out to make a club weapon. I wanted something I could play peak time, and blow the roof off. Even though it’s been getting a lot fo radio play, I still see it as a club weapon, and I love playing it at the shows!
What plans do you have for a follow-up for “More Life”?
Thanks to the free time afforded to me in Isolation, I’ve got a stack of records to follow up, but that’s all I’ll say for now.
You’re frequently touring on the road. Whether it’s a club or a festival, what has been your favorite place to perform thus far?
I think Beyond the Valley is my favourite event to play, or anything the Untitled guys do really. Incredible production and great crowds. What more could you ask for?
Ivan Yaskey is a Philly-born EDM and synthpop enthusiast and interviewer who recently relocated to beautiful Boston, MA.