Son of Son has carved a distinctive path in melodic techno, weaving in influences that range from jazz and classical to punk and industrial. His approach to music is deeply personal, shaped by a broad spectrum of inspirations and a need to explore different creative outlets.
2024 has been a standout year, with tracks like Faust on Afterlife gaining traction and a much-anticipated collaboration with Anyma and Argy on the horizon. Beyond music, his ventures into fashion, photography, and other art forms reflect a multifaceted artist whose work spans more than the dancefloor.
To close out the year, Son of Son shares his thoughts on merging diverse influences, balancing his creative outlets, and how he approaches his craft. He also reflects on the state of electronic music and what he hopes to see in the year ahead and drops an exclusive mix for us!
Listen to the mix here and check the interview below:
Your music seems to transcend melodic techno’s usual boundaries, incorporating opera and obscure vocals. Can you tell us more about the process behind merging these diverse influences into your tracks?
All my influences come from other genres. I’m honestly not very inspired by other DJs. I grew up listening to jazz, classical music, psychedelic rock, folk rock, punk, post punk, metal, industrial stuff, different types of electronic music… All of those inspirational components have been within me for a long time and when I make music I pour myself into my songwriting, where all these old influences flow through me organically. My main sources of influence are not from music though. I always incorporate a sense of raw attitude in everything I do that I’ve gotten from people like Alexander McQueen, Roger Ballen, freeskiers and mountain bikers, the Gallagher brothers, Francis Bacon, and David Lynch for example.
Faust on Afterlife has been one of your standout records this year, and it’s clearly resonated with audiences worldwide. What was the inspiration behind Faust, and how did it feel to see it become such a sought-after ID?
It was inspired by Faust, a 1926 silent film. That track was sort of a product of its time – I had just got in touch with Argy and we started working a bit together, I made the track with him in mind to turn it into a collab which we had talked about, and then after some discussion we put it at the top of his album tracklist. At that point I had worked with music for 13 years, making zero money and getting zero recognition, and all of a sudden Argy picked me up and gave me the chance of a lifetime in less than 6 months basically. It was like “Damn, I’m finally able to show my mom that all of our hard times and hard work has paid off”. Makes me emotional to think about.
We’re looking forward to your upcoming collaboration with Anyma and Argy. How did this partnership come about, and what can we expect from the track? Were there any memorable moments during its creation?
I sent the first version of ‘Voices’ to Argy and he didn’t even reply haha. Three days later he played it for 40.000 people at Afterlife in Paris. A friend was there and sent me a video of Argy playing the track, and asked me if I knew what the track ID was. Of course he didn’t know it was my track at the time. As soon as Anyma heard the track he wanted to do something with it and the three of us started working on it together. After 100 different versions we finally got the finished product.
With releases on iconic labels like Afterlife and Siamese, and collaborations with fashion brands, your presence in the creative world is expanding rapidly. How do these different avenues of art and culture influence each other in your work?
Son of Son is an artist first and foremost, not a DJ. I need different creative outlets all the time to keep my creative needs in check. I write, I photograph, I paint, I do fashion, I do film, I do my skiing and biking, and of course I do all the music stuff. One can not exist without the other in my life. How I dress has a huge impact on how people perceive my character on Instagram, how they perceive my music in their headphones, and my stage presence during my live sets. And vice versa – my music affects how people view my style too. It’s all part of the package, you know? I spend insane amounts of time planning outfits, finding new brands, writing captions, creating content, planning my merch items etc… every waking hour.
Tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us… any tracks you’d like to highlight?
This is 30 minutes of pure Son of Son style. They’re all highlights. Most of the tracks are either my originals, upcoming collabs, remixes, or edits. These 30 minutes are for the fans – my big extended family. They give me more than I can ever express and I always want to do what I can to return the favor.
Your approach to music often involves listening to your ‘inner voices’ urging you to ‘do something different.’ How do you nurture and trust that creative instinct, especially when stepping into uncharted territory within melodic techno?
I let my creativity grow organically and come with time. I don’t stress about it. Sometimes I go 2-3 months without making a new track. I don’t even try to make new music unless I’ve gathered new inspiration. Whenever I’m ready to create something new I can feel it inside and I know it will be good. It’s a special feeling. And my hit ratio is very high – almost every track I make gets released and/or played by the biggest DJs. Doesn’t matter if it’s melodic techno or any other genre.
As 2024 comes to a close, how do you feel the electronic music scene has evolved this year? Are there any trends, movements, or shifts you’ve noticed within melodic techno or the wider electronic community? What do you anticipate or hope to see in 2025?
I don’t think it has evolved enough. It’s been standing still for too long, and that’s the industry’s fault. The fans are ready for new exciting things, but they are not given what they want. I feel like a whole lot of people in the industry are out of touch. They don’t understand what the fans want and they don’t understand what’s hot and what’s not. I don’t know if they are afraid of change or if it’s just an industry wide Dunning-Kruger effect mixed with bad judgement… So what I want to see in 2025 is a complete overhaul of the entire scene and hopefully some of the slow gatekeepers will either disappear or wake up and try to stay current.
Follow Son Of Son on Instagram
Mix tracklist:
- Son of Son – ID
- Live K – You Can Dance Now w/ A$AP Ferg – Shabba (Son of Son Edit)
- Son of Son & Synthetix – ID
- Blawan – Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage (Skrillex Bootleg)
- Son of Son – Exist ID
- Son of Son – Paltino
- The Chemical Brothers – Do It Again (Son of Son Edit)
- Adriatique & Son of Son – Style & Fashion
- The Blaze – Territory (Son of Son Remix)
- Swedish House Mafia – Miami 2 Ibiza ft. Tinie Tempah
- Ten Walls – Walking With Elephants w/ KH – Only Human (Son of Son Edit)
- Kúra – Gogo (Lulu Rouge Remix / Son of Son Edit)
- Michael Jackson – Liberian Girl (Son of Son Remix)
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