Contributor
The world’s largest and most influential drum & bass and dubstep party is back bigger and better than ever in 2018. The 16th edition of the explosive Rampage once again takes place at Antwerp’s giant Sportpaleis dome, and for the first time ever is an action-packed two-day affair running on March 2nd and 3rd 2018.
Ed Rush and Audio present Killbox on the Friday at Rampage - the merging of two intimidating heavyweights. Prepare for a union like no other. With Ram Records acting as their platform for debuting new music, this will be a defining moment not just for its audience, but for the genre’s fabric. We caught up with the legendary duo to talk about their new project and how it's been going so far.
MoS: How did Killbox come about? What decided you both to join forces together under a new alias?
Killbox (Ed Rush & Audio): We played a b2b set at Fabric for the Bad Company reunion party and enjoyed it so much, the response was overwhelming so we knew we had to do it again. It only made sense to get in the studio together as we share a very similar taste in music and other aspects of life.
How did the name 'Killbox' come about?
We had a few names written down for a while that we liked but Killbox just jumped out at us. It suits the sound we make and the way we DJ together. If you look up the definition of a killbox it reads "a Kill Box is a three-dimensional target area, defined to facilitate the integration of coordinated joint weapons fire" which is very appropriate to our sound and style. All guns blazing!
Have either of you played at Rampage in Antwerp before? The venue looks absolutely insane! What can the crowd expect from your set on Friday?
We have never played at Rampage before as Killbox. Gareth played there in 2015 as Audio. The fans can expect a full-on set of bangers, some brand new tracks and maybe a couple of classics thrown in there for good measure!
When you both mix together as Killbox who goes in the hardest?
When we DJ together as Killbox we never rehearse or plan our sets so every time it's 100% organic. Just like that night at Fabric in London, it's always friendly competition that drives us during our sets. One of us will pull out a mix that inspires the other to go at it and visa versa so each and every set is different.
What was your highlight performance of 2017?
We had a great summer last year over the festival period and played some amazing club nights too. ‘Let it Roll’ is always an incredible event to be a part of and is one that definitely stands out as well as the Ram party at Printworks in London.
What's your process for producing together? Do you sit down in the same studio or do you each work on separate bits individually?
When we make music we usually start ideas in our separate studios and then meet once a week for a studio session together where we put our ideas into a collaborative project. We have both been producing for many years so are both quite rounded in our own rights but if we had to generalise Gareth (Audio) is great at drums and workflow and Ben (Ed Rush) is great at sound design!
How do you each balance your solo output with time spent on Killbox?
Since we started Killbox we have been concentrating mainly on the project and haven’t had loads of time for other ventures. Having said that Audio has had a release on Blackout recently and as we come to the end of making the first Killbox album there will be more time for other projects.
You mentioned a Killbox album! Will that be ready for this year?
2018 will see the release of the first album on Ram as well as various remixes in the pipeline. We have actually been asked to remix the Rampage Anthem 2018 by Doctrine and Murdock which I’m sure you will hear soon.
What artists are you keeping a close eye on? Any newcomers to the scene that we should know about?
We are both really liking Signal’s work recently. For such a young guy he has an amazing sound so we are keeping our eyes on him fo sho’!
What tunes are getting the biggest reaction at the moment?
"Bass Symptom" by Mr Frenkie on Blackout has been killing it and one of our own, forthcoming on the album, called "Troll Eater" has been destroying.
Thanks guys!
Catch Killbox at Rampage 2018 for an action-packed two-day affair running on March 2nd and 3rd 2018. Tickets available here
Rampage Lineup Announcement
The world’s largest and most influential drum & bass and dubstep party is back bigger and better than ever in 2018.
dBridge In-Depth
We caught up with the Exit Records boss ahead of his Sunday takeover at Boomtown Fair 2017
Goldie And Skepta come together for track 'Upstart'
The vinyl-only EP is due out next month on Metalheadz