Fast-rising musician and producer Canabliss catapulted into the world of bass music over the past couple of years with her signature sound. Her newfound success drew the eye of WAKAAN and its management team, Optimystic Group, who went on to sign Canabliss in 2020. Despite COVID interfering with her 2020 touring plans, the young artist spent her time working on her creativity and lining up several releases. Marking her SSKWAN debut and first single of 2021, Canabliss reveals a bass-heavy tune, ‘Freak It,’ out now.
You just made your SSKWAN debut with your latest single ‘Freak It’. What’s the story behind working with SSKWAN?
Yes!! I’m incredibly stoked about the release! During the lockdowns, the team reached out to me and we really connected. I think they really believe in my vision and project, which makes it all the more motivating to be working with them. I feel super blessed to have had the opportunity to release Freak It on SSKWAN, and connecting with the team has been a great honour!
We’re loving your latest single, ‘Freak It’ – was there any specific inspiration behind the track?
I wrote “Freak It” right after meeting my boyfriend. I wanted to capture the feelings one experiences when they first meet someone super special to them, all the excitement, euphoria and attraction you get when connecting with someone on a much deeper level. I think “Freak It” gives off very euphoric, sexy, and vibey energy which is exactly what I was trying to achieve with the track. I also really wanted to write a more airy, summery type song while maintaining the bass influence.
Can you tell us a little about how you first got involved in producing bass music?
I always knew I wanted to produce, but hearing certain bass music is what really inspired me to get started! I was so fascinated the first time I ever heard halftime-bass, so when I started learning production it was a huge goal of mine to figure out how to create those noises myself, and that’s how my love for sound design came to be. Sound design is my favourite part of producing, I find it super enjoyable to create all the wubs and wobbles. I also really love the feeling of the vibrations from bass, so I really like to interpret a lot of it into my music.
As you became involved in the bass scene, you began to find support through show bookings next to bigger names like TroyBoi, Peekaboo, and Tripzy Leary. What are some experiences from that time that have really stayed with you?
One of my favourite shows I have played was the Peekaboo show, the energy was super wild and the crowd made me feel very comfortable like I was a part of the whole experience, rather than just a performer. I thought that energy was super cool and hope to experience a lot more of that in the future!
Who are your biggest musical inspirations when creating your own songs?
One of my biggest inspirations is Ivy Lab. I saw them live for the first time 5 years ago at Outlook Festival in Croatia, and was blown away by their performance and music! I think that set, and the festival is what really blossomed my love for bass music and I’ll forever be thankful for that experience. I never really heard that style of music where I’m from in Ontario, Canada so I was inspired to learn how to produce it and bring more of it over here.
If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would it be?
Following up with the last question, I’d absolutely love to collaborate with Ivy lab of course. To branch out a little, I’ve also always been super inspired by artists like Odesza and Flume and think it would be insane to see their creative processes. I love their unique styles and more organic sounds. I aim to interpret more of that style into my music in the future, while still retaining the bass vibe!
How did COVID interfering with your 2020 plans impact your creative process while everything was on hold? Did you acquire any new skills?
The most difficult part for me was being stuck in the house for so long. I found it super hard to find inspiration because of being in such a constant routine. Getting out of the house helps me refresh my brain and gather new perspectives that benefit me creatively, and 2020 was lacking that. On a positive note, I spent a lot of that time watching tutorials and focusing more on the technical aspects for producing when I was finding it harder to be creative, and that’s been extremely beneficial!
What else do you have in store for the rest of 2021?
I’m currently working on my first EP that should be out sometime later this year. It’s some of my favourite work to date so I’m super stoked about it and can’t wait to share!
As the live music industry continues to kick back up, what are you most excited about? Do you have any events or venues you are looking forward to playing at?
I’m super excited for Lost Lands, I’ve never got to attend it yet, so it will be my first time experiencing it all, as well as playing it!
What are your top 3 tracks of summer?
Super hard for me to choose I have so many! These are the first I can think of:
Lowcation – Divide
Ivy Lab – Everythingmustchange EP
Tsimba – I turn into a telescope
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Canabliss: Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Soundcloud
