Shredding the Infinite With Duffrey Behind the Wheel
Within the American bass scene, Duffrey has proven himself in the studio and on the stage with a revolving door of tracks and projects. With the returning tide of drum and bass to the forefront of young palettes across the country, he’s been a keen player in pushing that resurgence, mingling his own time-tested production toolkit with a significant tempo ramp, and the release of his Shred the Infinite EP leaves nothing on the cutting room floor.
Within the American bass scene, Duffrey has proven himself in the studio and on the stage with a revolving door of tracks and projects; his solo work has had its own prolific impact on the developing sound of his contemporaries, and he simultaneously brings innovative collaborations and raucous dance floor rollers as ⅓ of the producer supergroup, Ultrasloth. With the returning tide of drum and bass to the forefront of young palettes across the country, he’s been a keen player in pushing that resurgence, mingling his own time-tested production toolkit with a significant tempo ramp, and the release of his Shred the Infinite EP leaves nothing on the cutting room floor.
The EP is driven by a masterful control of low end, with potent synthesis ranging from subtle and rounded to brackish and full-throated. Throughout the release, his keen ability to build a carefully concocted symphony of delightful chaos is on full display, with four tracks that will afford listeners the experience of world class production with a particular focus on all things frenetic. “Shred the Infinite”, “Yesterday Tomorrow”, and “Bring ‘Em In” each push a varied take on high-powered, full-time rhythms, cutting between brooding and manic at a dizzying pace. After three full servings of pedal-to-the-metal impact, “Feel You” rounds out the release with a more liquid approach that forgoes the heavy infusion of grizzled bass design, and instead features ethereal synth tones and keys churning together for an emotive ending to a journey through infinity. It’s a choice formula for injecting a new bevy of choice tracks into an already thoroughly polished catalog, and signals a significant page turn for the overall sound of Duffrey.
It’s never a dull moment with Duffrey’s compositions coming through the speakers; his discography has grown to cast a wide net across numerous genres and disciplines, all the while finding clever and nuanced ways to further showcase his specific blend of sonic ingredients. With a smattering of appearances on the horizon, it’s a surefire chance we’ll hear this material in its proper format, but until then, Shred the Infinite is available across all major outlets and streaming services for your discerning enjoyment.
FOLLOW Duffrey: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Official
Riffing on Influences, Songwriting, and Fresh Duff with Duffrey
Duffrey has become an unassailable pole-bearer for North America’s grassroots electronic music movement. At home, it feels like he’s in every state, every weekend, and for those of us fortunate enough to live in and around Denver, he always seems to be right around the corner. In celebration of our unveiling of his Return to Source EP, The Rust was given the opportunity to poke around his skull and clear the some of the fog around his passions, his creative process, the background history of the Duffrey project, and some of the lore to the infamous UltaSloth producer trio.
Woody Klann, better known by his moniker Duffrey, has become an unassailable pole-bearer for North America’s grassroots electronic music movement. At home, it feels like he’s in every state, every weekend. In recent years, he’s become a known entity across international festivals and massives. For those of us fortunate enough to live in and around Denver, he always seems to be right around the corner.
With a continent-spanning interest in his music undergoing a meteoric rise seemingly overnight, he’s answered in kind by beating feet across the US touring circuit, splaying out a catalog full of novel, whimsical blends that avoids taking itself too seriously. That’s part and parcel of Duffrey’s appeal; his presentation is devoid of frills and oversaturated narratives, and instead relies on true groove theory and a friendly dash of musical sarcasm to power his discography.
In celebration of our unveiling of his Return to Source EP, The Rust was given the opportunity to poke around Woody’s skull and clear the some of the fog around his passions, his creative process, the background history of the Duffrey project, and some of the lore to the infamous UltaSloth producer trio.
Alyssa Barnhill: Where do you come from?
Woody Klann: I was born in Long Beach, CA. When I was about 3 months old I moved to Fairfield, CT and lived there till I was about 14. Went to high school in Olympia, WA, and then moved to the [San Francisco] Bay for a sound-arts college called Ex’pression. It's in Emeryville, in between Berkeley and Oakland. A bunch of [contemporary artists] went there, people like Wolfgang Gartner and a ton of others.
Alyssa: Did you go to Ex’pression right out of high school?
Woody: Right out of high school, yeah. I graduated when I was 20, and then I lived in the Bay from then until 2017. I moved to Oakland after college and did a lot of shit with the Wormhole crew. Then I moved to Australia for a year.
Alyssa: How old were you when you did that?
Woody: 2017, it's 2021 soooo 25?”
Alyssa: Do you mind if I ask you how old you are now?
Woody: 29, I just turned 29.
Alyssa: Did you play music as a kid?
Woody: Yeah, I started playing drums when I was 9. Then I was in like all the bands through high school. Jazz band, concert band, marching band, and pit orchestra.
Alyssa: All on drums?
Woody: All playing the drums. Then I was the drum section leader, and lead drummer for like that whole time. I was the drum section leader for marching band for the last two years of high school. Wrote all the cadences.
Alyssa: Did your school compete?
Woody: We had one of the better bands in the state of Washington in terms of our school band. We did competitions for Jazz bands but we didn't do any for marching band stuff. It was a pretty low-key kind of thing. My school was a football school and we didn't have any budget for band really. It was all going to football.
Alyssa: Did you enjoy the experience?
Woody: Oh yeah! There were days I would do like 4-5 hours of music a day. Wake up and practice, go to jazz band, then go to band. Go to pit orchestra after school and go to marching band after that. Like five hours of drums a day.
Alyssa: So music all day? Did that experience influence the kind of music you like to make now?
Woody: Oh Fuck yeah. Oh fuck yeah, bud.
Alyssa: Is Expression the only musical schooling you have?
Woody: Um, it wasn't really a music school per-say. It was a digital arts college and it was more technical stuff so it was things like recording, post production, some sound classes. There was a music production class but it … actually Vinja was one of my professors, for like a couple labs. Other than that it wasn’t a music school. I did music the whole time I was there and I started Dj-ing and producing while I was there.
Alyssa: How long were you there?
Woody: It was an accelerated program so we essentially didn't have any breaks. So I got a bachelor's degree in two and a half years. Basically you just don't have summer breaks. The winter breaks are like a week and you just continuously go to 8 week courses. I essentially did four years of school in two and a half.
Alyssa: That's a pretty heavy commitment.
Woody: Yeah it was tight. It was actually much better than doing normal school because you don't forget anything.
Alyssa: So what's the story behind the name?
Woody: It’s from a ski-snowboard collab video by Simon Chamberlain and Tanner Hall, and they have this special feature on it where they are outside Mt. Hood and they come down to the bottom. They meet this dude in the parking lot. He’s in his RV and like almost senile.
Duffrey performing at the Swamp Sessions concert series in New Orleans, courtesy of Synchronasty and Cosmic Synergy.
He goes, “ I'm the Duff pirate, I don’t need that fresh fluffy duff, that’s for the youngsters. The only thing I do with the fresh fluffy duff is I skuff it up on the youngsters hoods. I don’t even buy a lift ticket, I just hike up the other side and scrape down the crud. I'm just shoveling that fresh fluffy duff.”
The fresh fluffy duff is fresh, nice powder. My buddy Jeff showed me the video and I was like. “Man I got to go by the Duff Pirate.”
He said, “You can't just steal this guy's name.”
He said either Duffrey or Duffrent. And I thought Duffrent was kinda tacky but let's go with Duffrey. That was when I was like 16.”
Alyssa: So, do you ski? Snowboard?
Woody: I snowboard, I skate a little bit still, not so much anymore. Because I'm afraid of hurting myself. I'm not as limber. Get heavier, you fall harder, it hurts more.
Alyssa: Does having a history with extreme sports equate to the way you approach music?
Woody: I would say so yeah. Take CharlestheFirst for instance. He was a professional skier before he made beats. I have always been attracted to solo sports, fringe sports like skateboarding or snowboarding or bowling. Stuff where you are kind of competing against yourself, developing a style over time. So yeah, those sports heavily influenced my aptitude for music because when you’re trying to master a trick, you have to do the same thing fucking over and over again. It hurts and it sucks, then eventually you do it. then you eventually make it stylish. So like listening to the same shitty tune over and over again and knowing that it sucks, but not knowing how to make it better. It's about pushing through and eventually developing your own style based on your mistakes. Which is just like skating or snowboarding, definitely a pretty big crossover.
Alyssa: What else do you do outside of music?
Woody: I bowl a lot, rock climb a lot with Bogtrotter, disc golf. I like to hang out with my friends. I have got some really good friends. Snowboarding, skateboarding, but bowling and disc golf for sure. Top of the list.
Alyssa: Did you see a lot of music growing up? Was it something you knew you wanted from an early age?
Woody: Oh yeah! There is actually a home video of me when I was like 9 years old. My parents asked me, “What are you going to do when you grow up?”
I was like “I want to be on stage, I want to be famous.” So I always kind of knew, but my dad took me to my first show. It was Derek Trucks Band, when I was 11. He would take me to all sorts of shows. He took me to Linkin Park and Snoop Dogg. All types of shit. My dad is such a badass.
Alyssa: Was he a source of inspiration for you?
Woody: Oh yeah. My whole family is super musical. My mom is a singer, all my sisters play piano. One of my sisters plays the double bass. One of my sisters plays the guitar and fiddle. They are all really good singers. My dad is actually the only one who doesn’t play instruments..
Alyssa: But he likes it?
Woody: He loves it, yeah. He took me to see all the music but there was always music around. LIke always. No matter what. Every second of every day.
Alyssa: Does your family, minus your dad, make music professionally?
Woody: No, just me. My grandfather was a really sick jazz musician too. He didn't do it professionally. He was a superior court justice.
Alyssa: What have you been listening to lately?
Woody: I have been listening to very little bass music, especially over the pandemic. It just kind of felt like it was putting salt in the wound. I also feel like a lot of stuff is getting so overly produced, heavy, and dark. Like RAAAWAA technical sounds.
So I have been listening to things like Mariah Carey, Moonchild, a lot of R&B stuff like that. I have been finding a bunch of old Brazilian jazz like Stan Getz. Also been listening to a lot of Halogenix. I really like drum and bass. I don't really listen to bass music. Listening to some Kyle Watson, Dirty Bird stuff. If I'm trying to party I listen to drum and bass or house. If I'm at home, I listen to old funk records.”
Alyssa: What is your process when creating?
Woody: So, having really strong roots in drums…. I would say most people start with the drums, so they have something other than a metronome to keep them going. I pretty much never do that. I'll either start by just doing sound design, making bass patches, LFO’s, something that changes the cadence. Sometimes a rhythm pops out of a bass patch at you. If I start with drums I end up with some fully produced drum pattern, write something over it, and then I have to go back and change the drums a lot. Sometimes I just end up backing myself into a corner. Now I have drums but nothing else.
I'll either start with chords or chord progressions. I do that a lot. I'll just sit down and flip the switch in my studio, everything comes on. And my synthesizer, the Dave Smith one, flashes on. It's a poly-analog one so you can play chords on it right away. I usually keep it on a preset that sounds pleasant. Sometimes I'll just start playing the piano, a chord progression will pop out at me. After that it's all sizzle and sparkle.
Alyssa: We are all curious about UltraSloth. How did that project come about?
Duffrey and bioLuMigen performing under their UltraSloth moniker.
Woody: Chris [bioLuMigen] and I met, I think in 2015, maybe 2014, I can’t remember, on the way to Stilldream fest. My friend Hannah said to me “I have a friend that needs a ride, if you're going.” I was like yeah sure. Within 15 minutes of meeting him we were talking about how nothing is divine but everything is divine. I was like, “Man, I like this guy”. He ended up crashing on my couch for like months at a time. Not like months at a time but for like a month at a time, like a lot of times in a row. We would just sit around and write tunes. All the time. They didn't sound anything like they sound now. Dubbed out. Real slow, like 100 BPM, glitchy-funky kinda tracks.
We were at this festival called Springfair, in Washington. We were doing this like weird word association. This was a point in my life where I was saying, “Oh that's my new side project” to pretty much anything that was funny. I think he was the one who said “UltraSloth”
I was like, “That’s our new side project.” We both locked eyes and said, “THAT’S our new side project.” we just cheesed out on that for a long time.
Alyssa: So would you say 2015 was the beginning?
Woody: Yeah, yeah. We played some UltraSloth shows for the New Year season in New Zealand. The first show we played was in New Zealand. The second show we played was in Australia.”
Alyssa: Because you were living there?
Woody: No, just our first tour. We had friends that trusted us for some reason. When we came back, Kris [kLL sMTH] sat in with us for a couple shows. Scratching with us. We were at his house, some after party. I was like, “Kris, is this a real thing? Are you fully committed? Are you full sloth?”
He was like, “Fuck yeah dude.” So essentially, I caught him and convinced him to join the band. It's ancient history from there.
Alyssa: I know you have a sloth tattoo.
Woody: I do have an UltraSloth tattoo. They didn’t fucking get it. They were supposed to but they both bailed on the appointment.
Alyssa: What's your favorite part about that project?
Woody: Well, we create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. None of us alone could make UltraSloth. We all have the technical prowess, we all have the ability. No one is better than anyone else between the three of us. We are better at different shit but those tunes have a certain quality that no one could achieve by themselves.
Alyssa: You like to play unique shows at unique venues. Is that something fans can look forward to?
Woody: We have got some sick shit coming for you. If all goes well, we’ll be testing it out at a festival that I won't mention yet, this summer. But next summer get ready for some fun shit.
Alyssa: Unique?
Woody: Yeah, nobody has done this before.
Alyssa: Fun Fact for the fans.
Woody: All three of my legal names have to do with trees. You don't get to know them. Hear that, Of the Trees? I am of the trees.
With his upcoming appearances through Bass Invasion’s takeover at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and The Rust x Aspire Higher’s Submersion event set to drive crowds into a nostalgic and frenetic dancefloor frenzy, and with the NYC Sub.Mission show with kLL sMTH this next weekend, it certainly feels like the action is resurging at a rapid pace. Regardless of where and when you catch him next, there’s zero doubt about Duffrey’s inclination to deliver on his name-brand sultry sets, and every indication he’s prepped with enough fresh, fluffy duff to coat the remainder of this year’s appearances.
FOLLOW Duffrey: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Webpage / Facebook
FOLLOW UltraSloth: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook
Staff Picks - 2017
Our collective has an insatiable appetite for new music. We compulsively sift through the depths of the web for tunes we can share with each other and ultimately with you. The sheer volume of music released on a daily basis can be overwhelming. So for a moment we are looking back on 2017 to remind ourselves and our readers of the best drops that went unmentioned in our publication.
Our collective has an insatiable appetite for new music. We compulsively sift through the depths of the web for tunes we can share with each other and ultimately with you. The sheer volume of music released on a daily basis can be overwhelming. We wouldn’t have it any other way, but after all is said and done there's so much music we never have an opportunity to spotlight. So for a moment we are looking back on 2017 to remind ourselves and our readers of the best drops that went unmentioned in our publication. Each staff member has chosen to share one album, EP, or compilation. Maybe you'll discover something new, or end up reflecting on a favorite of your own from 2017.
Thanks for staying chooned with us.
YISHAI | DUFFREY - THE WORLD THAT YOU KNOW (3/1)
Woody Klann’s mindbending adventure through irrepressible dub and stretching tempos was a huge career move for the Bay Area artist. Rarely does a psychedelic LP get dropped on the electronic dance scene, with so many gems that have been playing out for years. Duffrey struggled searching for a label to release his material to a wider audience. To see him release on Shanti Planti is a joy I experienced as fan and friend. Finally, the artist I love was exposed to the world; go check him out!
FOLLOW Duffrey: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
MALAKAI | LUSINE - SENSORIMOTOR (3/3)
Lusine has been a longtime favorite of mine since discovering the Ghostly Internationalrecord label a number of years ago. His music really satisfies something that I don’t find in many other places. It has a sort of elegance, simplicity and spaciousness to it while still maintaining a strong, driving energy that is no small feat of balance. Sensorimotor is a masterfully crafted sonic journey that walks that line flawlessly, taking you from the dance floor into the clouds and back again. Composition aside, the sound design and production on Sensorimotor is some of the more evocative, articulate and engaging work I have heard in a long time. It truly lives up to its title, offering a fully immersive sensory and motor experience through sound.
FOLLOW Lusine: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
PASQUALE | ALFA MIST - ANTIPHON (3/3)
My foray into the world of jazz music is a long-standing passion and musical influence that I've chased after for about four or five years now. Sometimes, in the course of listening through countless LPs, EPs, and singles, you stumble across that one particular record that forces you to take a step back, re-engage, and find yourself completely immersed in an aural headspace. Antiphon by Alfa Mist is one such record, and really solidified my current approach to and appreciation for avant-garde directions in jazz and other instrumental music. It is a conscientious mosaic of tonal relationships and organic rhythms. Each track on the album takes on a unique and effervescent form, and feels like the culmination of decades of jazz theory and stylistic development; it is distinctly jazz in the 21st century.
FOLLOW Alfa Mist: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
KATIN | THE BUG VS. EARTH - CONCRETE DESERT (3/24)
I am a huge fan of droned out guitar riffs and dubstep. That’s why I thought the collaboration between Earth and The Bug was too good to be true. Instead, Concrete Desert makes a statement, and the two styles coalesce to form more than the sum of their parts. Dark and heavy bass music is lifted up with melodic ambience and distorted guitars. The music has a theme that could place you on the American frontier, or appear as the soundtrack to an eerie thriller movie. It is the duo’s debut LP, and follows the Boa/Cold EP that put these two on the map, excellent in its own right.
Two icons, both Earth (Dylan Carlson) and The Bug have each pursued their sounds for more than twenty years. It is to our luck that they saw the potential of forming this collaborative project. It's not for the faint of heart, but certainly is for those keen on the organic meeting the technological in music.
FOLLOW Earth: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
FOLLOW The Bug: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
WYLER | ISZLAI - ROTUNDA (5/27)
Little can be found about Jozsef Iszlai, aside from his Romanian origin and hometown of Csikszereda. He currently resides in Cluj Napoca, the de facto capitol of Romania’s Transylvania region. I managed to gather that he plays guitar left-handed, and has since his mother brought one home when Jozsef was nine. One thing that really stood out is that he produces music for television and film, and is even currently scoring for theater.
“Rotunda” was released in May of 2017, and is Iszlai’s first full-length release. The album fuses elements of trip-hop, idm, ambient music and deep house whilst also weaving in gorgeously succinct stringwork and organic percussion. A minor eastern influence is also present throughout the release, with interplay between Iszlai’s guitar and alluring asian string melodies. In the past, Iszlai has used foley sound from the city of Cluj Napoca in his music. I’m not sure if that method was integrated into the creation of “Rotunda,” but the slight industrial influence and texturing leads me to believe it was. “Round-up,” my favorite tune from the release, includes what sounds like a Subway car careening along it’s track - an instantly captivating element for a New York City native. The careful rocking of the train is almost soothing in it’s off-kilter cadence and seamless incorporation.
Each track is narrative-based, with a melodious dialogue between elements that tells a tale of mystery and paradox. Ultimately, “Rotunda” is an impressive first release from a young, dextrous artist with a massive range and a penchant for creating emotionally charged music. I eagerly await a future release.
FOLLOW Iszlai: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
FRANCESCO | FOUR TET - NEW ENERGY (9/29)
Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet recently released his ninth studio album, New Energy. New Energy explores a rich combination of acoustic melodies blended with tranquil yet forward moving beats. I instantly fell in love with this album's ability to simultaneously soothe and stimulate the mind. When listening, I find myself in deep contemplation, but with a sense of acceptance.
FOLLOW Four Tet: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
MAX | KURSA - YOU CAN EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT FOR BREAKFAST PT. 3 (THE FINAL COURSE) (12/5)
You Can Eat Whatever You Want For Breakfast Part 3 (Final Course) is the final album from Kursa’s recent breakfast-themed trilogy. As one of the pioneers of Neurohop, the Bristol bass legend has gained significant attention in the USA with launch of label SLUGWIFE along with his collaborative project K.L.O. Y.C.E.W.Y.W.F.B. PT. 3 starts off spoon feeding the listener a dose of distortion, glazed with metallic foley sounds, and organized around an assortment of heavily swung '90s boom-bap drum patterns, halftime, and traditional drum and bass breaks.
With a seven-minute “Introduction”, Kursa brings us into a dissonant abyss of thick, watery textures and glistening high ends. Heard in songs “Flabby Fries”, “CANYATHO” and “Green Steal Spork” he uses chopped, distorted, and interwoven bass sounds to carry the melodies of his tracks, turning off-kilter glitch noises into harmonic trip-hop collages. The album tansitions into a sixth track “Wifey” which uses sonic elements similar to “Introduction” to create a cohesive intermission from the hardcore elements of the album. As the record progresses, Kursa's drum and bass roots seamlessly emerge from songs “Dustika” “Coldest Blue” and “Itago” while he continues to interweave the spicy neuro elements that define his style. Although Kursa's breakfast regimine remains highly classified, it is safe to assume that like this record, it is extra chunky, nutrient rich, and uninhibited by societal norms.
FOLLOW Kursa: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
MARK | MICKMAN - MENDING THE RIVEN (12/6)
Mending the Riven is the third LP overall, and the second of 2017, from the elusive Illinois-based glitch wizard Cameron Ingraham aka Mickman. This release, Mickman’s longest to date, delves deep into downtempo and traverses time signatures with abandon on songs like “The Human” and “Entelechy” (this unfamiliar word means “the realization of potential”). Mickman’s straightforward and intelligent psychedelia is given fresh room to breathe on “Mending the Riven” with relaxed, low-bpm atmospheres. The record escalates in intensity, however, as it rolls along, with Mickman opening the filters and finally letting one rip on the last song, “Contact”. This progression, the thematic song titles, and a consistency of sound design make “Mending the Riven” extraordinarily cohesive. Despite words appearing in just one track, “Now Exist”, a story undergirds the album. These twelve tracks are an effort to sew together the riven, meaning “that which has been split or torn violently”. But what, exactly, is it that’s been split apart as to need mending? That is for the listener to interpret.
FOLLOW Mickman: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
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