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Sonic Rebel is a one-woman, percussion-driven project that is ready to make waves. Tammy Hurt is no stranger to the music world and with Sonic Rebel, she brings in influences ranging from house to hip-hop, modern pop with electro-soul, progressive rock to ’80s video game music. “This Vibe” comes from the debut release We Made This With Our Hands, and the track has been remixed by pioneer Tyler Stone.
VENTS recently interviewed Sonic Rebel, which can be read below.
How did your previous experiences as an acclaimed live drummer and performer guide you to the art of music production? How does your knowledge as an instrumentalist shape your musical creations?
I was so fortunate, from my first record deal when I was 20 years old, to work with stellar musicians, producers, and engineers. Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine) produced my first demos and TJ Elias, who studied under Nick DiDia, engineered my last project. Three-time GRAMMY Award winner Michael Romanowski mastered and Atmos mixed the project and the latest remix. Sonic integrity and high fidelity have always been paramount. For me, playing live is just an extension of making a great record.
In what ways did the pandemic affect your beginnings crafting in the EDM genre?
Quarantine forced us all to look at the world differently. The pandemic allowed me the space to envision something new – and to stretch out creatively. I went into a drum and bass rabbit hole and reconnected with those early Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk records I was obsessed with years ago. And I gave myself permission to connect with my true, real passion and that is being behind a drum kit, in the studio and on stage. The proof of concept was the EP release show – and the 200 people in the room completely digging what we had created from scratch. That validation was exactly what I needed to keep going.
Which artists inspire your productions in this area the most? What makes your style similar and different from theirs?
I love what Girl Talk is doing. I love what DJ Nice is doing. Travis Barker was the first person I saw to do a DJ / drummer project back when he and DJ AM did “Fix Your Face”, 10 years ago. The way I think Sonic Rebel differs from other artists is that I released We Made This With Our Hands as a standalone project and built the live sets around the original tracks. I create original music first and then put together the mashups based on the vibe and BPM, rather than the other way around.
What led you to making the “This Vibe (Tyler Stone Extended Remix)”? What was it like doing this collaboration with Tyler Stone?
From the inception of this project, I was intentional about blurring genres. From the day I first listened to her remixes, I wanted to work with Tyler (Stone). She is an accomplished remixer in the electronic world and has a style all her own. So as soon as we mastered the project, I sent her the EP and asked her if any of the tracks resonated with her. Fortunately for me, she chose “This Vibe” – which I was absolutely thrilled about! She nailed the mix, but we went back and forth a couple of times, on drum sounds of course. Her final mix morphed the track into its own standalone indie dance track, which I absolutely love and am super proud of.
What significance do the effects and animations in the video hold for the “This Vibe (Tyler Stone Extended Remix)”?
I envisioned a video which was responsive to the music, and never repeated – that you could get completely lost in visually as well as sonically. I had seen Greg (Ellis’ aka Lazershark’s) killer lighting design work with Pretty Light’s and Steve Aoki and I knew I had to work with him. Thankfully for me, he agreed to share is wicked talent and go on this journey with me.
What does the future hold for Sonic Rebel? Are there any projects in progress that fans can be on the lookout for?
I am super excited about the upcoming live shows this Fall with DJ ROS. We have two new singles we are working on in the pipeline I can’t wait to share – and there will ALWAYS be more recording sessions, further experimentation and more music coming your way!!
Follow Sonic Rebel:
http://sonicrebelmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/sonicrebelmusic/
https://twitter.com/SonicRebelMusic
https://www.instagram.com/sonicrebelmusic/
