With his ongoing mixtape series, producer, DJ, and global dance music icon ENiGMA Dubz is all about ‘#versatility’. The series, which began with the Beatport chart-topping #Heaters, is an outlet for the artist to express his remarkably varied tastes and interests. Ever a student of his craft, ENiGMA Dubz is the sort of creative who refuses to be boxed in by genre or style. His prolific and influential catalog spans punishing, sub-fuelled drops to cinematic electronic soundscapes, and on the second installment in his mixtape series, flexes from future garage and electronica, to trap and melodic breakbeat. Aptly titled #Vibes, the mixtape arrives on Dubz’s fast growing Morii Records imprint. We caught up with him ahead of its release to chat about creativity, inspirations, and what the future has in store for Morii.
Set the tone for us. Where would you say you’re at creatively?
Creatively I’m here, there and everywhere. #Vibes was the best way to follow up after Mixtape 1:#Heaters, as it allowed me to detach from the bass heavy bangers and refresh both mine and the listeners heads with the other sounds that mean a lot to me. Alongside that, I’m currently working on a new DnB track, alongside a heavyweight Dubstep collab EP, so I’m keeping myself on my toes as always and to be honest, it’s what stops me from hitting any writer’s blocks or lulls in creativity.
You’ve been on the rise over the past few years – as your career continues to grow, do you find that your inspirations and references evolve alongside this?
Absolutely, I’d say it’s a mixture of my early influences and also the new sounds and styles that I love around them. Music and bass music in particular has massively evolved over the last decade and I’m always keeping my ear to the ground and searching for where it’s heading. My own creativity also evolves due to my listening habits, life experiences and mood, too. I think it’s important to keep up with where music is heading, whilst also staying true to everything you enjoy and feel as an artist, so at the moment I feel like I’m in a great place with it all.
Your ongoing mixtape series seems to follow thematic cues. Could you tell us a bit about the latest edition, #Vibes, and what sort of moods and sounds are being explored here?
So with #Vibes it’s all about creating a mood, tracks which hit deep in the feels, whilst still doing the business in the club. Fans of my music will know that I love the more vibey sound of electronic/bass music, alongside the darker, harder and deeper sounds, so the second instalment of the mixtape series is here to bring those melodic, soulful and euphoric #vibes to the listeners. The previous mixtape #Heaters was on the other end of the spectrum where it was all about maximum impact for the crowd on a big system in the rave, pure bass energy and naughtiness.
The mixtape series is reflective of your dexterity as a producer. Though you explore many different styles and aesthetics, what would you say is the signature ENiGMA Dubz thing that ties them together?
I’d say an obsession with low frequencies and deep, resonating bass. It’s the reason I fell in love with sound system culture and music, so my passion for garage, trance and other styles of bass music then joined the low frequency focus and that’s the full ENiGMA Dubz experience. It’s both that, and a feeling of soulfulness or powerful mixed emotions. Music hits me on such a deep emotional level, I always try to hit those feelings when I create. If the listener then connects on the same level, there’s no better job.
Let’s get into your imprint – Morii Records. What led you to setting up your own label?
Ultimately it was something to allow me to carve my own path. I’ve never strayed away from making a variety of styles, something that at times can hinder opportunities with some labels which want an artist in a particular lane. So starting my own label, with my manager Tom, has given me the artistic freedom to go wherever I want. We make sure the music is still strong of course, but then we’re in the driving seat from the initial creativity, to the release plan, promo, everything that comes post production.
Could you tell us a bit about the culture of Morii? What are the values of the label, and what sort of artists do you keep an eye out for?
Ultimately we’re looking for music that’s both fresh and also true to the artist. Morii itself means ‘to capture a fleeting moment’ so that’s been the ethos from the start, way back when we started by releasing music from my other alias, Itona. We’re now at the stage where we’ve done the groundwork and starting to look at artists to bring onto the label for their own releases, something we’re absolutely hyped for. We’ve got a couple of artists we’re in talks with, so watch this space!
What does the rest of 2024 look like for you? Any upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?
2024 is already pretty stacked, I’ve got releases locked in up until November at the minute. One of which being a collaborative Dubstep EP with a sick US artist, Pushloop, which is launching alongside a US tour, so that’s going to be a big one. Other than that, all I’ll say is I’ve got music for the bass heads, music for the vibey heads and a load in between in the pipeline, so keep an eye out. Also, a massive thank you to everyone supporting and enjoying the #Vibes mixtape, it means a lot!
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