[INTERVIEW] Brondo Shares His Rise And Advice As A Producer + Discusses Latest Album, Concrete Jungle

When it comes to the realm of heavy bass music, Brondo has rapidly made a ferocious name for himself as "King of the Bass Jungle". With combination of genius production and on-stage energy that is unrivaled, Brondo's prevalence exploded in 2019. His debut show sold-out in Denver, Colorado, the capital for bass music and home to many other genres. Caricatured by a King Kong-inspired gorilla,  Brondo is on a rampage through the EDM scene breaking down the walls and boundaries of sonic bass.

After his first studio album, Bass Jungle, received an ecstatic reaction from Brondo's supporters, the iconic DJ has performed at the biggest stages that electronic music has to offer. Taking his talents from festival to festival, Brondo has delivered his bass-infused signature sound to Ubbi Dubbi, Lost Lands, Red Rocks, and more. Recently, Brondo dropped his second studio album titled, Concrete Jungle. This epic 12-track experience showcases Brondo's growth and versatility as an artist, while proving that he has zero plans to slow down his expansion across bass culture anytime soon.

Read iEDM's exclusive interview with Brondo below.

iEDM: Growing up in Denver, how did the city’s appreciation for EDM, specifically bass-heavy music, shape your identity as an artist?

Brondo: I was very fortunate to be able to see the growth of bass music here in Denver over the last 10 years. It has definitely helped define my sound through seeing artists who helped shape the industry into what it is today.

iEDM: What is the hardest challenge you have faced when first starting out as an artist?

Brondo: Finding your sound is the most challenging part when just starting out. It takes experimenting with styles and a lot of failed projects before you come across a sound that you like. I had to fail a ton before I found my sound, but the master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.

iEDM: Which artists inspired you the most throughout your childhood as well as helped to develop your signature sound and why?

Brondo: Unfortunately, many artists who inspired me to pursue music are no longer in the scene. Datsik brought this rough style of dubstep to Denver and that really resonated with me. Bassnectar took a hip hop element and combined it with dubstep and that was something I grew up with while being introduced to something new.  Now, I feel like I can take both styles and make them my own.

iEDM: Hailing from the same hometown, you and Decadon often collaborate and seem like great friends. How do you play to each other’s strengths when working on a project together and what is your favorite part about collaborating with him?

Brondo: I love Donnie. He is definitely my ride or die. I’ve never been a big fan of collaborating with other artists simply because our creative directions would clash too much. But with Decadon, our ideas flow perfectly in sync with each other. I’m stronger at writing down the drop most of the time and he is great with the basic elements like buildups and intros. We love bouncing ideas off each other and through the last couple of years we are building a very special body of work.

iEDM: Why did you change your persona as an artist from T.O.C. (Totally Outta Control) to Brondo? What is the story behind choosing the name Brondo?

Brondo: At the time, I created the name it was just my initials. I couldn’t really define what the brand of T.O.C. was, so I decided to create a new brand that meant more to me than just being totally outta control. I wanted to be a titan in the dubstep world. I wanted to be something that compares to the giants we see today. This led me to go with a character similar to King Kong, something that I relate to better. Finding the name for Brondo was as simple as watching Idiocracy, my favorite movie at the time.

iEDM: What similarities do you see between gorillas, your music, and your high-energy personality as an artist? What is your favorite thing about gorillas?

Brondo: I feel like my music sounds like a very large ape stomping through the ground. I myself find gorillas to be the best animal on the planet. They are strong, wise and closely connected creatures to us. They live in tight family groups just like me. Family is everything.

iEDM: Describe your pre-set and post-set rituals. How do you prepare for your live performance? 

Brondo: I take time to mentally prepare myself for my performance. After a nice meditation, I like to thank all of my loved ones who gave me the opportunity to play whatever event I’m at. After my set, I like to chill, smoke some weed, and listen to non-EDM music to mentally reset.

iEDM: What has been your favorite festival to perform at and why?

Brondo: I’d say either Lost Lands because that is my dream festival with dinosaurs and dubstep or Moonrise festival because I played two sets. One of my sets at Moonrise was a massive surprise B2B with my idols in front of 30,000 people. 

iEDM: What were your initial thoughts when selling out your debut performance in Denver back in 2019? What emotions did you feel when taking the stage?

Brondo: I was in disbelief, shock, and just grateful that my life led me to that moment. I still think about that show everyday. I didn’t think that something like that was ever possible but with the love and hype from my fans, friends, and family I was able to achieve one of my biggest dreams.

iEDM: When comparing each of your mixes in the Bass Jungle Trilogy, what mixing techniques or production skills do you value the most in these sets?

Brondo: Having the ability to continually keep people interested in a mix is something I take pride in. I love incorporating popular acapellas into my set. It brings together people who don’t normally listen to my music. Also, being able to switch between different bpms and genres is something I really enjoy doing.

iEDM: What is your favorite track on Concrete Jungle and why?

Brondo: I would personally say my favorite is “Letting Go”. That song was very important to me. I was going through a lot of heartbreak and being able to express myself melodically really helped me. It opened my mind up to making melodic dubstep and other genres to help express my emotions.

iEDM: What are the main differences or shifts in your style between your first album, Bass Jungle and Concrete Jungle?

Brondo: Concrete Jungle shows my versatility as an artist. I don’t want to be known for just one style of music. I can make house, drum n’ bass, glitch hop, and now even melodic.

iEDM: Your music videos for “Dick Twist” and “Push Somebody” are pure entertainment, comedy, and bass. What do you think is the highlight of each video and why?

Brondo: Both videos were completely improvised so every moment filming was exciting to capture. I loved dressing up as a substitute teacher in the music video for “Push Somebody”. In the video, “Dick Twist” we went to the Denver selfie museum and messed around with a bunch of fun props.

iEDM: What advice do you have for upcoming artists in terms of creating a unique and memorable identity that reflects your music?

Brondo: Take your time to really think about the kind of music you want to make, how you want it to sound, and how you want your music to look. Think about the things that you enjoy or give you purpose to create music. Sometimes they go hand-in-hand.

iEDM: What upcoming projects or performances can your fanbase, the “Bass Troop”, get excited about for the remainder of 2022?

Brondo: The Bass Troop can expect more new music coming this year. Hopefully, even a few live performances throughout the year!

Photos Courtesy of Brondo

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