In terms of this series interviewing artists who’ve features on VISION’s widly popular The Resonance series post-Nosia disbanding, one might think it’s getting more difficult to find people who haven’t already done this six question gauntlet. One would be wrong. With The Resonance VIII, the Noisia boys have broght a fresh new crop of artists and even fresher remixes, which means Kmag had its pick of stellar talent once again.
This is likely a top three lineup since the series begun (‘Six for the Remix Chapers One through Six were on Bassrush, which is now offline), and one that features a lot of artists many may not have expected to do this format. The reclusive Spor, Emperor, Zombie Cats, new bloods Silcrow and Vici and Thys, one of the tech triumverate themselves. Not only did these guys and many others make for a wild remix album and a wilder group interview, but the diversity contained in The Resonance VIII shows that even as they go on their separate adventures, VISION and Noisia still have their fingers on the pulse of the newest sounds. This is a long one, so time to end this intro and enjoy the read.
How did you and the Noisia guys decide on the track you chose for your remix?
Emperor: Thinking back to when I first started producing D&B, there were a handful of key tracks that pulled me in like nothing else. ‘Cannonball’ was one of those tracks where initially I didn’t feel like I could do it justice, so it took a while before I really settled on an idea that I liked. Some obvious elements are the vocal sample, or the awesome pallet of sounds to choose from, but my favourite part was always the switch up halfway through. I tried to pay homage to that in the second drop where things get a bit lairy! 
Thys: It started in… South Korea! I played a Thys show in Seoul in January, a place that Noisia had never visited before. I knew I had to play some Noisia there, whereas usually I had been trying to keep the distinction between Noisia and Thys more clear. So I played my set, including some Noisia tunes, and the crowd reception was so positive, so appreciative. It was amazing. A few weeks later in March, I had an India tour, playing another three cities Noisia had never been to before (Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Goa: Noisia had only played in Bangalore, around 2012 or so). I knew I would want to play some Noisia tunes again, but by then I’d realised for occasions like these, I wanted my own updated versions. So the ‘Tentacles’ remix really only started as an edit, for my own sets. I made an edit of ‘Supersonic’ too, for the same reason. But the Tentacles edit came out so well, and the reactions were so good, that I told VISION that I think they should put it out, and they agreed!
Zombie Cats: ‘Thursday’ is a special track in our eyes. So far, only Black Sun Empire made a remix back in 2012, and we felt that this track still had so much more to tell. That techno-infused vibe between hope and tension is fascinating, and it’s something we can truly connect with. Alongside the dark neuro sound, our influences have always included dreamy melodies, which we’ve been weaving into our tracks since almost 20 years ago, back when we were still releasing under a different name. Our remix was meant to capture that dreamy vibe we love, paired with the techno-driven sound of the original.
Vici: Well, first I tried another track but it really didn’t work in the end, so they gave me the opportunity to choose another one. ‘Running Blind’ was the best option for me because I knew it was gonna be a lot of fun to switch it into my style, and for me it’s on my top three favourite Noisia tracks. It’s such an honor they let me remix it!
Spor: Noisia offered the whole back catalogue to me for consideration. I picked ‘Exodus’ as it had some nostalgic quality for me: the KRS-One part was recorded at my friend’s place in Atlanta and I had just started touring internationally at that time. I always found the original to be more of a jazz freeform flex of ability than a streamlined dance track, so I felt there was scope to give it my own spin.
Silcrow: The remix of ‘Voodoo’ started as a bootleg back in August last year, around the time I was starting to play some of my first shows. It’s always been one of my favorite bass tracks, so it was the only one on my mind that would work . On a whim, I got in touch with VISION and sent over the bootleg, they said it would be a good fit for The Resonance VIII, and now here we are!
What did you find to be the biggest challenge in remixing the track? Any snags with the stems?
Thys: I didn’t use stems. I used things that were just there in the track. However, what I did use was some very old versions of the track, before it was even called ‘Tentacles’, and when it had completely different bass sounds. It was called ‘Vleesfluit’ back then, which translates to ‘Meatwhistle’. Ha! The bass sound in that was meaty but had a very high whistle-like overtone.
Vici: My biggest challenge was to be sure to pay tribute to the original. The Reese on ‘Running Blind’ is so iconic, and on my 15 first versions the Reese section wasn’t here, only the stabs. I had a clear idea of where I wanted to go, but after few bits of feedback, I decided to bring back the Reese section to keep the original vibe and then I was able to make a big, stabby switch!
Silcrow: My biggest challenge was trying to shape the original song toward my sound without feeling like I’m infringing on the core idea. ‘Voodoo’ was already spot-on structurally, so I wanted to dig into some of the background elements and rhythms, and then bring those forward. In this case, their technical production gave me an opportunity to show off some of the hidden details of their work.
Spor: These are some chaotic questions, my friend. Yes, I knew coming into it I wanted to give it a more rock/metal/punk feel; I am often imagining that sort of energy when remixing. The stems themselves weren’t hugely useful; there’s some signature moments and effects that really provide the bulk of the character, and I just worked on preserving those.
Zombie Cats: We’ve never had as much fun working on a remix as we did with this one. Everything just came together naturally. In our minds, the remix was already written before we even started. We think the guys from Noisia picked up on that after hearing the first version, because their feedback was fantastic. Apart from suggesting we add a shaker to the drop, there was no other feedback, and that left us positively speechless. We’re very happy with the whole process. It doesn’t happen often with our own tracks, but with this remix, it truly feels like a story being told.
Emperor: The original stems were quite dense, so there was a lot to choose from. The hardest part was deciding which avenue to go down as there were so many possibilities. One ‘problem’ is that tracks from around 2008 have a particular timbre that is hard to replicate if you are using modern day techniques. Those tracks were really a sum of their parts, production decisions and techniques that resulted in a distinct sound; trying to update the sonics to stand up against the mixes of today was a challenge as I was trying to gel a raw, almost organic sound with a modern cleanliness. It’s a tough line to walk, as often I find a mix which is arguably ‘better’ sonically often has less of whatever it is that connects us to the music in the first place.
Zombie Cats, some fans might be surprised to know this is your first remix on Vision, as your style goes quite well with the label. How did you find the A&R process working with the guys? Did they have ideas they wanted in the track or did they just give you carte blanche?
It was just like the creation of the remix itself: the communication was great, and we were free to choose which track we wanted to remix. There were no specific directions or ideas: they simply told us to do what we felt. That trust really encouraged us to infuse our dreamy D&B-tech vibe into the remix, as it’s the sound that feels most timeless and natural to us. For that reason, we’ll be focusing more on this style in the future, as it gives us a sense of complete artistic freedom. However, this particular style will not be released under Zombie Cats but under the alias Tech Dreams. That said, it made perfect sense for this remix to come out as Zombie Cats, since Noisia have always influenced us from our earliest days in D&B right up to today.
Speaking more about your melodic vibes, whilst you’ve always been on the prettier side of neuro, if seems there’s been a palpable shift in all your releases lately to more melodic stuff. What brought that pivot about in your sound? Was it a conscious decision or did it sort of evolve naturally?
You said it. At our core, there are really two hearts beating: the dark neuro sound and the dreamy liquid sound. Under Zombie Cats, we’ll focus more on the darker side, with cinematic influences but always aiming for something that works on the dancefloor. We like to call it ‘neurobounce’. Our love for melodies will continue to grow through Tech Dreams. We’ve already finished a full album and are now figuring out how to move forward. There’s no shortage of ideas.
Spor, this is your first track on Vision in quite a long time. How was the A&R process with the guys now versus back then? Was it different doing a remix versus an original track?
I think the last one was a collab which we did mostly in Ultrecht at their old studios. Prior to that, they signed the first ever release of my alternate project to Division, so it’s been sparse. There was no real process or difference, they asked and I said yes.
Speaking of working with Vision, it’s interesting you haven’t worked with them more in the last decade or so, though some would say your styles and development have run parallel. Is there a mutual respect there and do you compare notes often? Would you like to work with the guys more in the future in their new project forms (Ring Noord, Sleepnet, et al.)?
Is it? Noisia are obviously a cornerstone of the harder drum and bass and perhaps wider electronic scene, I have always enjoyed catching up with them and hearing what they’re up to. People often seem pre-disposed to wanting anyone adjacent to collaborate, and I have to say I make music primarily for myself, I enjoy collaborating at times but it’s almost always been an organic or accidental process. It’s good to be open-minded, but that’s about it.
Emperor, this is your first track on Vision in quite a long time, and the last one was also a remix. How was the A&R process as you worked on the track with them? Was it different remixing one of their tracks and working with them directly versus remixing the Upbeats track? Did they give you carte blanche and trust your process generally?
I think this time the process was a little less back-and-forth as it has been in previous releases. I remember my Sunder EP had a huge dialog, constantly sharing and updating the music before we were all happy with it. Sometimes a release needs a lot of revision before it’s right, but sometimes you get lucky and make something half decent without it needing too many changes! This remix LP in particular is super strong and has my favourite VISION remixes to date, so I’m very happy I got this one on there in the end! 
You’re one of those artists who seem to always be changing it up and evolving, but at the same time you have a style almost anyone who knows D&B can recognise. How do you walk that line of both developing your sound and keeping it distinctive? How is this reflecting in your other upcoming projects
Thank you for the kind words. Really it’s just a way of staving off the boredom and trying not to rehash old ground. I struggle a lot with wanting to do something different every time, because often once you’re known for something people would rather you just make that particular thing, and that can be fine for a while but creatively it’s a little one dimensional for me. I mean there’s nothing wrong with it but purposefully trying out things you’re unsure will work can lead you to some cool places! Funnily enough speaking of rehashing old ground, my next project is a mini-album completely inspired by techy drum and bass of the 2008 era; trying not to fall into modern cliches and bring things back to what I loved originally in this wicked genre of music.
Silcrow, this is your first track on Vision, though you’ve already worked with a number of respected labels like Sable Valley. How was the A&R process with the label? Was there a lot of input on your remix or did they just let you cook? How was it compared to some of the other labels you’ve worked with?
I hold VISION in such high regard, not only because it’s headed by the Noisia guys but also because of the team’s trust in the artists on their roster. There was zero feedback, which I took as a really good sign, and that really solidified my already-positive assumptions about them. They just want artists to do their thing, and you can hear it in every release they put out.
Speaking of this being your first track on Vision, it’s also likely the first exposure to your sound for many Vision fans/the wider D&B world. What do you think people should know about your style going in? What are some tracks you’d direct people to after hearing your ‘Voodoo’ remix?
The only thing I can really say about my music is that it’s not rooted in any specific genre or influence. I focus on exploring the boundaries of my taste and technical ability, so what I make changes often. The most VISION-friendly track I have out is probably ‘pitchblakk (everything in color)’, but if you like the ‘Voodoo’ remix, check ‘TAKE ME DOWN’ for more of that sort of thing.
Vici, this was your first track on Vision, but you’ve worked with a load of heavy hitter labels in the past. How was the A&R process working with the guys? How did it compare with working with some other labels? Did you feel a lot of pressure to get it right?
The process was so smooth and easy! There is a wonderful team working on this label, passionate people, and that’s the feeling I always have when I’m working with big labels to be honest. And no pressure at all; big up to Jaap for everything he is doing for us!
You’re really on a roll lately with releases, and you’ve already had another remix on Forbidden Society’s remix album and a collab track with Zombie Cats out since The Resonance VIII. Is this momentum going to be continuing?
Actually, I always try to stay one year ahead with my releases to make sure I keep a good momentum throughout the year. Sometimes, new projects come up along the way with short deadlines, so being ahead allows me to jump on them right away without affecting the rest of my planned releases! And yeah, 2025 is not over, i have a remix for Burr Oak coming, also a double single. And yeah, I definitely want to explore more things, I’m also working a lot on my more ‘musical’ side, and I’m excited to show this
Thys, these questions seem quite funny because this is where the A&R process gets looked at, but in your case it was likely slim to nil. Maybe a good supplement for you would be asking how it was to come back and work on a Noisia remix after venturing out and doing loads of different projects?
Thys: After our last shows, I had a three year break from D&B, from 172 BPM and from Noisia, and I really needed that space to take my solo project very seriously; to put all my heart and soul into it and to feel like that was the only thing that really mattered. It feels good to be back at 172 bpm though.
We even did a little Noisia 10-minute reunion at Lowlands Festival, on exactly the same stage where we played our last show in August of 2022! And yeah, there was no A&R; I did three versions myself, with v2 and v3 just getting some progressive mix tweaks and slight detail additions. V3 was the first version I showed to the others, and that was also the final.
Speaking of the loads of different projects around your current career, You’ve surely seen the memes to the tune of ‘Noisia: breaks up, Thys: immediately releases something wild’. Fans seemed to know this trajectory was coming. How has all this genre-hopping, or becoming ‘genre-fluid’ (to quote Billain), felt over the last few years?
Damn I could talk for hours about all of the questions in this one question!
Taking my solo project seriously and feeling complete freedom to move from sound to sound was something I really needed. In 2025 I released an album with VIER, a six track French/disco/filter with house EP at very high BMP, I played 6 concert on church organ with viola and cello, I wrote the music for an Italian movie. I need to do lots of different things to feel like I’m expressing everything I have to say, and honoring everything that moves me. I love D&B, I will never lose my love for it; it’s the music that completely shaped my late teens and twenties. But I have so much more, and with Noisia it was always a conflict between my quickly changing obsessions and those of the other two, and the audience expectations became another complication despite all our efforts to always stay genre-fluid as Noisia too. Listen to our five albums (our three Noisia albums, the DMC soundtrack and the I Am Legion album). Most of what’s on our albums isn’t D&B!
What did each of you want to do to your respective remixes to make them your own? These are all quite recognisable tunes, so what parts did you want to play with in the stems to make something new?
Vici: Well, at the beginning it was difficult to keep the original vibe by adding my style on it. It’s why at the end, after some feedback, I decided to make an A/B section. The A section is pure Noisia style with the reece section, and the B section, it’s where I give 100% of myself with the stabs!
Silcrow: When I first started working on it, my only thought was ‘how do I do what they did, but my way?’ Making it more of a hyped-up homage was the goal, and when you compare the remix to the original back-to-back, they’re really not so different. If it ain’t broke…
Spor: There are a couple of obvious moments, both in sound design and the vocal that provide strong idents to me, I worked to keep these apparent, and also tried to pay some homage by extending the choir chords at the end. If my outcome is ‘a straight up and down D&B roller’ though, then how would you define the Break remix?
Thys: I knew exactly what I wanted to do: use the vocal as a loop on the drop instead of only before the drop, and also make the drop more jukey/footworky, in general a bit more agile and light-footed and less heavy and jump-up-y.
Emperor: You can find out exactly how on my Patreon!
Just kidding, but it was a struggle to marry those old school sounds with a modern approach! I ended up using a lot of it as layers and midranges pushed to the background to create different textures, whilst trying to maintain a semblance of the original. One of the things that made a big difference was dropping the key down, so it hits harder on a system. Generally those older tracks have a ton more energy due to the key. Something as simple as pitching it down gives the track a completely different vibe, and systems now have no problem handling a track in D or even lower.
Zombie Cats: The tension and hope of the original were something we wanted to capture, but our remix leans toward a more positive ending to the story. In our interpretation, the original depicts a person in a difficult situation, caught between hope and doubt. The remix resolves that story by giving it a positive outcome; not in a euphoric, ‘happy’ tone, but more as a reflective look back with joy, at how things worked out. The situation has eased, a chapter has closed, and there’s a sense of confidence looking toward the future. The sounds Noisia provided gave us the perfect foundation for that vision. In our eyes, the peak of the original comes at 2:15 minutes. We reinterpreted that tension and presented it in a different light, placing it at around the 1:00-minute mark in our remix. That approach can be heard throughout, and those listening closely will notice it in several places in the track.
From your past and current experiences working with Noisia, what’s one thing you think fans should know about them?
Vici: I don’t know if they’re gonna be surprised, but what I can say, it’s everyone is still passionate with these projects, the team are so nice with the artists, they are happy when you propose things like social media content, et cetera. Was a wonderful experience!
Spor: You don’t really work ‘with’ an artist on a remix – I agreed, I got the stems, and then from that point it was me in my studio enjoying myself. That to me was the reward, it can be a bit disheartening committing a remix into a giant compendium release where the material gets kind of swamped and lost around a lot of similar sounds, especially when it comes to light that another artist has picked the same track, but in this case the nostalgia and the enjoyment I got from the process made the whole thing worthwhile.
Zombie Cats: Especially in the past, we tended to stay away from the internet and were more like quiet observers. Noisia and I (Rouven) actually started chatting almost 20 years ago, maybe even longer. Back then, it was still the forum days on DSCI4 and AOL Instant Messenger. I remember sending Thijs my ideas, and he sent me back a fitting kick drum. He was right: my kick back then wasn’t great! Thijs was also the person I reached out to again after 20 years to ask about doing this remix, with nothing more than a simple message. Thijs was super laid-back and made all the necessary connections happen. Thank you, Thijs, also for that kick drum you sent me back around 2004.
Emperor: Probably how open they are to weird ideas, concepts, and thoughtful music. Also that Nik Noisia/Sleepnet is absolutely insane at Unreal Tournament.
Thys: I think most people focus on our sound design when they think of what set us apart from the rest of D&B. While I don’t disagree that sound design was very important, I think there are two things that were more important to make us unique: we are all three very rhythmical composers; we have an ear for groove. None of our tunes have basic rhythms: there’s always something groovy that catches the ear, and therefore the body. And, we always made fun of ourselves in interviews. We are goofballs when you give us a microphone, but in our music, we’re very serious. This contradiction was an important part of setting us apart from most of our peers, I think. Without being too conscious of it ourselves, I think this was like our basic identity idea: be goofy in interviews and serious in music.
Silcrow: We already know their music is incredibly technical and impressive, but everyone should recognize what an anchor Noisia has been for pushing the creativity and ability of every producer in this space. Their work shows you that there’s levels to this. Even if you decide not to go down a more technical path with your art, the ripple effect of their influence and legacy is everywhere.
The Resonance VIII is out now and can be streamed or purchased on multiple platforms here.