'1:35am' Q&A w/ Into Ash!

Dropping on the 19th of July, is '1:35am' by Into Ash; a 4-track EP, packed full of different styles and soundscapes to match, bringing more and more to the release as it goes on. Oscar (Into Ash) has taken some time out of his day to answer 7 questions about his forthcoming EP, what to expect from the final product on '1:35am', production tips on display and more!

Q1. Welcome back to Full Flex Audio, Into Ash! Are you looking forward to the release of your EP, ‘1:35am’?

"I am more than thrilled for this collection of songs to be revealed to the world. I see this release as a milestone in defining my sound and being able to inspire others towards a new territory in melodic dubstep."

Q2. What is the meaning behind ‘1:35am’?

"All of these tracks were written in the early hours of the morning and throughout many late nights. To me, the feelings I have during these times are solemn, sombre, and almost peaceful to a point. The mood influenced the ideas of these tracks and I conveyed my emotions throughout them to reflect my view. As for the specific time, all songs are at 135bpm so I found it very fitting to use."

Q3. Which track from the EP took the longest/was the hardest to make?

"Most definitely Solace. I didn’t find myself emotionally attached to it and struggled to convey feelings into it. There is also the technicality of the synths and structure which played a part, but in the end there was a fight to make the track worthy of playing a part in the journey of 1:35am."

Q4. Which track resonates most with you from 1:35am?

"I find that Solemn Sunday gets me the most. The melody carrying over into the drop as a background element, as well as the snare not being present in the first half of the second drop, weirdly gives me so many feelings I can't convey."

Q5. What are the key influences/artists/styles for you that help to build this EP release?

"The entire catalogue of Halcyon has been a vast source of influence for my recent work. The exploration into unheard sounds and the transfer of melodic aspects being worked into existing genres has amazed me and brought attention to ideas I never would have thought of. As for individual artists, Leotrix, Oolacile, Automhate and last but not least Yukata Yamada for his work in the OST for the TV series “Alice In Borderland''."

Q6. If you had to pick a favourite from this EP release, which track would it be and why?

"Want you back would take the lead in this. It's a Motif track, the prominent melody is something I'll never forget and the key change switch up in the second drop after an 8 bar fake out is just… something I won't ever get tired of! It’s drilled into my brain since the song was only created in one night, not after days or weeks, and I think that contributes to me understanding what I was able to achieve in a song , much like the others, in a short time span."

Q7. From this EP release, what are your most used plugins or methods of practice that you put into your work?

"I’ve said it before and I'll say it again, Melda AutoPitch. It’s primary use is as a vocal tuner and formant shifter but I use it to obliterate transients and give a nice slide into my sounds. I have an in-depth explanation in my Elsewhere track breakdown over on Full Flex Audio’s YouTube. Besides that, I love to use a subtle amount of saturation/distortion on most elements, sometimes it can bring out a nice tail or frequencies that weren’t previously pronounced."