HBT Chats With GARDiEN

You are the only Rapper/Future bass duo we know of, When was the moment you realized future bass works well together with hip hop?

Well, the fact that we began working together at all was fairly serendipitous in itself. We grew up just a few streets away from each other in a Chicago suburb called Northbrook, and, although we were friends as tikes, we veered off in our own directions for over a decade-ish. When we reconnected in Los Angeles, I (Jonas) was beginning to transfer some poems into songs, and John was graduating from the dope-ass Icon Collective music production school.  We instinctively saw a chance to combine our strengths and make some cool shit. It never really felt like we were pushing any boundaries, it just felt natural.  And in the time since we’ve created the GARDiEN project, there seems to have been an uprise in similar collaborations between rappers and some of our favorite future bass artists like Flume, Mura Masa, NGHTMRE, etc. So, obviously we didn’t invent the genre, but we intend to steer it toward a new familiarity within our vocal message and sound design.

Your latest track “The Heat” features a great production and some incredible rap vocals. This track is one of the best tracks we have heard this month and we wonder how it came together?

“The Heat” was actually a concept that was over a year in the making.  We first discovered the beat, and then chipped away at the lyrics while discovering the meaning of the song, simultaneously beginning new projects.  Once the song found legs, we enlisted the Chicago-based siren Caroline Lucius to record vocals for the chorus, and then everything came together swimmingly, backstroke even…

Care to share more about your creative processes?

Occasionally we provide each other with feedback regarding production notes or vocal delivery, but mostly we operate in a coordinated solace.  The beat creates a canvas to paint on, and the easel commonly addresses human values, personal inventory and modern commentary.  We craft lyrics and production that speak the story we’ve lived; we do us.

How did you come up with the name GARDiEN?

To us, the name GARDiEN reflects that music is the strongest guardian of our ability to express our own opinions of the truths and beauties in this world.  We have several more personal understandings of the name, but it’s open to interpretation.

How would you summarize 2017?

2017 was an important year of self discovery and an assurance that we’re doing something right.  It’s great to have singles recognized on Soundcloud, but it’s about time to make an unavoidable impact.

What are your goals for the new year? any projects we can get excited about?

We’re planning to release heaps of new GARDiEN music, play some shows, and positively infiltrate the minds of anyone who’s paying attention.

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