11 Electronic Music Producers, 11 Rappers - Are You Ready For The 11:11 Invasion?

EMA Is On A Roll

​July has been an extraordinary month for releases on the Electronic Alliance Records label with the Future Sounds Anthology Vol. 3, the superb "File Not Found." EP from E1GHTH PLACE, a zombie apocalypse adventure with Skyline Tigers' "Devolution Denial" EP and now  our biggest global collaboration yet with the "11:11 Invasion" Compilation!

As you might have guessed from the title of the post, this colossal project involved the cross-pollination of two musical styles with electronic music and rap. The vision of Trip Jacker happened earlier in the Earth year of 2020 and the co-ordination of getting everyone together for the release on 11th July was facilitated by great examples of teamwork and EMAliens stepping up to the mark.

We teleported our resident blogger Nicky Havey around the Mothership to garner more information about this epic compilation from some of those involved - here's what he found out!

Trip Jacker

SZZZZZzoooom... Ooo hey, that was a cool experience, not been in the EMA Mothership teleporter for a while! Oh wow look it's Mr Jacker! Congratulations on this EMAzing release and huge undertaking to bring 11 EMAliens and rappers together for the 11:11 Invasion! Can you tell us all how it all came about and what was the inspiration behind the whole project? 

Hey Nicky! ​This project was a vision of mine as I grew up listening to many styles of music, including a lot of hip hop.

Years ago, there was a movie called Judgement Night. The soundtrack teamed up hard rock artists with rappers. It's a great album, btw. I wanted to make an electronic music version of the Judgement Night soundtrack, teaming our amazing EMA producers with indie rappers. I also wanted to push the artists outside our comfort zones. Most of us in EMA hadn't worked with rappers. Most of the rappers hadn't worked with electronic music. This was an epic experiment.

I know Deto 22 in the real world, and I mentioned the idea to him. Deto is a very talented hip hop producer and he's been in the scene for years. He immediately wanted in and he brought his good friend Sketch tha Cataclysm into the project. I leveraged that to get Cee Reed into the project, as he knows Sketch and Deto.

From there, I brought the idea to EMA. We got the producers on board and worked to bring other talented rappers into the project, including our very own Bonnie Legion, Karnevor and Ethanol Addiktz. Bufinjer did a tremendous amount of work to keep things on track. It was challenging as we have had multiple lineup changes and were interrupted by COVID. Some of the rappers couldn't get into the studio to record their vocals.

Special thanks go out to Stick Up Boys, Fat Pockets, Lunatic Fluid and Donte Pringle as they all stepped in for artists that left the project. Donte deserves extra credit as he agreed to come on board at the last minute. There was a lot of pressure on him to deliver in a very short amount of time. The long, bumpy road was well worth it as the album is stellar.

Everyone pulled together and we have created a gem. We need get the word out because this is a unique project. There's nothing like it out there. 20 artists from the indie electronic and indie hip hop scene worked together to make something extraordinary!

Also, EMA's Chaos Studios deserves recognition for the graphic design work he did.

Wow! I'm beaming from ear to ear reading that back and feeling the positive vibes that brought to everyone! Really sounds like you encountered every challenge possible with Coronavirus thrown in to the mix as well - you should all be very proud of yourselves!

​So how about your collaboration, "Trying to Find The Words" with Sketch tha Cataclysm? Tell us a bit more about that one!

I was excited and also nervous to work with Sketch. I've been a fan of his work for years, and now I was collaborating with him. I started listening to his music on the great Indie Feed Hip Hop podcast hosted by the legendary Dirt E Dutch. The beat I made increases in intensity as it goes along. I asked Sketch if he could do the same with the lyrics. He did exactly that, and his second and third verses are just incredible. Special shout out goes to Deto 22 for the cameo and for his guidance on mixing hip hop vocals.

Yeah! Let's hit that play button! Time for me to visit our next EMAlien! Tssschhhmmmm....

​Bufinjer

MMMhshchhhh... Alrighty! Let's catch up with fellow EMA Co-Founder Mr Bu! What's up Bufinjer! Superb work on the organisation here with Mr Jacker - tell us how you found the whole experience and about your big hitting "Out the Asylum" collab with Lunatic Fluid!

Hey Nicky! It all started as an idea by Trip Jacker, it seemed like a cool idea that was doable, lets do a collab compilation with electronic music and rappers. Well it started off simple...

​For me, this project started as I always do, sit down and put together a track, see where it goes. Well I did that, and after the track was done, the feedback was that it wasn't the "right" track for the project, so back to the drawing board. I then decided to really put more effort into a layout design that would fit vocals easily (well in my head at least LOL)! 

So I came up with the track that ended up being used. I had Ethanol ADDiKtz give the track a listen for feedback, and he said yea I could rap to this, BUT he wasn't the rapper I was eventually paired up with. Then the Coronavirus pandemic hit. The rapper I was paired up with had to be dropped due to lack of contact, whether due to the pandemic, or something else.

So I had to scramble to get someone else to step in, and funny thing was Ethanol ADDiKtz said he would team up with Helstrip and do lyrics under their Lunatic Fluid name. The virus made things difficult as it was hard for people to get around to be able to do lyrics, and this was the case for Helstrip, as they get together at Ethanol ADDiKtz's place to do them. Then to make matters worse, Helstrip injures his leg!

​But through all the challenges, they got together, and delivered an amazing performance on the lyrics. There wasn't much I had to do to get the final master done, adding a little metal reverb, and a cool phantom reverb to the chorus. The final result is an amazing and catchy track that will be sure to make you move, and want to listen to over and over.

Wow, with all those challenges you overcame, it still sounds huge! And I agree with you saying it makes you move! I've already played it a few times and will make nice backing music as I teleport over to the next EMAlien zzzzzzooaaaammmmm...

Cylotron 

Sshhhummm... Phew, that teleporter is getting used well today! Alright, Mr Cylotron, you're up next on our grand tour around the 11:11 Invasion - got any words for your "Oldsckool S.A.N." track with Donte Pringle? 

​Hey Nicky! This is a flashback track inspired by early hip hop mixed with electronic elements. It also features aggressive rap vocals by the talented Donte Pringle

Quality sounds in this one guys! Sure those old school sounds will help power this teleporter to get me to the next EMAlien blip blop beepidy...

​DZM

Blippedy beep... Ahhhh, I appear to be in the Netherlands, ooh look, it's Bee Z... I mean DZM! Hey man! Awesome to hear you are on the comp too! What's the story with your "Better Place" collaboration with Helstrip?

Yo Nicky! I actually made the first version of the track in the airplane. I was browsing through some samples and found the guitar sample you hear at the start of the track. Those growling MiniMoog chords followed almost automatically as well as the strings, right before a stewardess forced me to close my laptop. Obviously a lot of work was done subsequently, including reworking the beat days before the deadine. Oh yeah and I had one hell of a hangover... Have to be careful drinking w Poles!

Haha, I've learned not to compete with Poles in the drinking department the hard way too! Hopefully this teleporter isn't feeling too hungover yet with all these trips, let me plot co-ordinates to the final EMAlien here lalalalalaalala....

​Skyline Tigers

lalalallllll... Ohh, that's what the lala noises were from the teleporter! I thought it was playing up but no, it's put me in front of the Llama Lady - Skyline Tigers! What's happening Llama Lady - looks like you're my final visit for this grand trip around the 11:11 Invasion Compilation - have you got any insights in to how your 3-way collab with DaveyHub and Fat Pockets came about?!

Hey hey Nicky! It was sooo great to get involved with this track, Davey is a fantastic producer and Fat Pockets is just incredible at his craft. I’ve always wanted to be on a rap track and now I want to do another one!

Haha yeah! Awesome tune here and hope we hear more rapping from you too! Of course, the Drum & Bass element got me going in the second half and hopefully with that increased energy, the teleporter can get me safely back on board the Mothership! llamallamallama...

11:11 Invasion - Are You Ready?

Now that was quite a journey and great to get a glimpse behind the scenes of our biggest compilation yet!  11:11 Invasion compilation is now available on our Electronic Alliance Records label - released on 11th July 2020. Be sure to check the rest of the compilation out from the Spotify playlist below

We hope you enjoy this massive release and so that just leaves one question - are you ready for the invasion yet? 

Bufinjer, DaveyHub, Nicky Havey

EMA Founders