The brainchild of Melbourne producer Dan Ash, the multi-genre 'Ashd Out' EP is borne of trials, tribulations, and triumphs over adversity.
With six tracks spanning hip hop, trip-hop, funk and soul, Dashd unites flavours from diverse inspirations into his unmistakable sound.After reinvesting in his passion for music production during the early part of COVID lockdowns, Dan quickly found his rhythm with a spare room turned into a home studio and all 'social time' dedicated to making beats.
As a beatmaker, Dashd is noticeably influenced by the likes of The Alchemist, Kenny Beats, MF DOOM, Beak>, and J Dilla. He was soon spending many hours learning from Kenny Beats' Twitch channel. This led Dan to the Musician Staffing Alliance Discord group, through which he was introduced to future collaborators by Indiana-based producer Pr3lud3.
After releasing a number of singles the last six months, Dashd added the 'Ashd Out' EP to DSPs last week.
'Feel You There': Stark, real-world sounds matched to a beat that's ethereally dark, an industrial soundscape looms with a foreboding feeling of anxiety lurking at the edges. The staunch vocals add a sonic armour that'll leave the listener flexing internally.
'Playin With': A trip-hop, trap vibe permeates the track, a murky, gloomy mood fostering all the feels of romantic heartache balanced by proud lyrics detailing the real loss is harboured by the person doing the breaking up.
'Not Watching The Dragon': A dark, meaning electronic beat washes over the angelic vocals creating an introspective electro-pop ballad... think a washed-out, meandering version of The Presets or Rufus du Sol.
'Ground Control': Late '90s, early '00s instrumental trip-hop with a dazzling (self-made) drum-pad sample that brightens the mood alongside oriental inflections and a noodling electric guitar from Gloom that's lit, the beat is seemingly crafted from 'The Matrix' 'verse.
'Waiting For Sunshine': Smooth, exotic, warped beats cascade in layers, pooling in a soul, gospel, trip-hop, contemporary R&B melting pot (reminiscent of The Alchemist, J Dilla), a soundscape that resonates with a vintage coat yet remains intrinsically modern sounding.
'Keep Movin': Exotic yet dank hip hop that swirls with a lushness that lingers across the senes like a well-worn jacket, the vocals injecting a hint of intimidation that's lathered in unbridled hope.
Here, Dashd shares some insights and stories behind each song that feature on 'Ashd Out'.
Feel You There (feat. Klasy)
I started my return to producing beats by restudying components of production at Berklee Music and this was one of the first beats I wrote in almost ten years. I felt something special with this and put it aside for almost three years.My original thought on the beat was an old French movie, where the scene is of a person walking beside the water at night feeling someone is following them but can't see anyone.
I became friends with Klasy, showed him the beat and he wrote the hook in 20 minutes and then wrote his lyrics from the aspect of the internal voices that you feel and know something is wrong but can't quite place it. The haunting/ abstract feeling at the start of the song was a good way to start the story of the EP.
Playin With (feat. Klasy)
The idea for this came to me from hearing the break-up voicemail sample at the start of the song, while I was digging for samples online. This sample made me wonder what the person who got the break-up voicemail felt.Klasy and I decided to write this song with the understanding that break-ups happen, all involved get hurt and you respect what they have decided but want them to know they lost something special when ending things.
The reworking of an angelic choir vocal I wrote for this track was both challenging and one of my favourite parts of the creation process.
Not Watching The Dragon (feat. Orry Maine)
This was the song myself and Orry Maine started our musical relationship with. I wrote the beat and my first attempt at writing strings while 'Pete's Dragon' was on the TV, hence the title but it also had a deeper meaning of not focusing on the new challenge presented and the pain it causes.Orry Maine believes it's one of their strongest works lyrically. After struggling to find a personal angle for inspiration, they instead dove into writing a story that wasn't about them, but about characters they had made up.
A cautionary tale of coming to grips with how one's own envy and greed can leave even the most beautiful romance in ruin. It was different, and honestly a breath of fresh air.
Ground Control (feat. Gloom)
This was my venture into the late '90s trip-hop style that influenced me and my love for electronica. It was a depiction of the internal anarchy that you experience when you feel it's all gone to pieces and there is nothing left.I wrote the drums and synths, and soon met Gloom who heard the beat and was showcasing his skills on the guitar to me online. This led to a Melbourne x Toronto collaboration, which we recorded live: myself on the drum pads and Gloom jamming on the guitar to find his pocket. Within a few takes, we had all the guitars done and dusted.
Waitin For the Sunshine (feat. Orry Maine)
This was my 'clearing of the fog' and 'finding the inner hope' moment within this concept EP. Orry was working on 'Dragon' when I asked if they could listen to a track I wanted on the EP.They immediately fell in love with the sound and groove I had crafted. I asked if they wanted to be on it, and suddenly they had written the entire hook within the following few days. For fun, they recorded a couple ideas for a rap to be on it, and that's when they realised that's exactly what it needed.
I think one of my favourite things about this track is the references to multiple zombie media in a song about looking forward to a brighter morning on the horizon.
Keep Movin (feat. Soundw4v3)
I woke up really early one Sunday morning and had an idea of an 'outdoor hiking hip hop beat' which took me straight in the studio, even before coffee. Within a couple hours I had the drums and fx layers done.Soundw4v3 was listening to the idea and said it reminded him of the group EARTHGANG. This was exactly where I was going and knew this would be a good partnership.
This song really lived up to the name, as it seemed cursed with lots of stalls and potentially it would never get completed, even with the final mix and master. Fortunately thanks to some engineering wizardry by RubenR and Dan Walker, we got past the hurdles and kept moving.
A limited run of 150 vinyl pressings of 'Ashd Out' will be available from mid-May. The release is accompanied by self-designed merch, including custom skate decks available via Dashd's Bandcamp page.
