Towards the Blue Light: The World of TURQUOISEDEATH

From breakbeats to dreamy guitars, and often a complex mix of both, there’s always going to be something unique playing when you turn on a TURQUOISEDEATH track. The young producer from London has been turning heads for a couple of years now and has steadily furthered and honed his craft. On his latest album Guardian, which was released just last week, that evolution feels more focused than ever. Kade sat down to speak to the young maestro about online music culture, future goals, and the beauty in symbolism.

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Kade: First off: Who is TURQUOISEDEATH? Introduce yourself for us.

TURQUOISEDEATH: TURQUOISEDEATH is my first musical project. I make electronic music, with way too much delay and reverb. It’s pretty fast most of the time. As Kaizo Slumber once said, “170 beats per minute and above is the future of music.”

Kade: Your music blends so many different genres, jungle, breakbeats, ambient, even shoegaze. With such a blend, can you walk me through how the formation of a track begins? Is there typically a specific idea or sound you start with?

TURQUOISEDEATH: It’s changed over the years. At the beginning I would sit down with a keyboard in front of me and attempt to write a song. That’s where a lot of the more ambitious tracks such as “Guessabelle” from Se Bueno came from. 

Because of some dynamic changes and also moving places and having to sell the equipment I used to use, I started all over again in early 2023 with just a laptop. Because of that I have been exploring the depths of possibility in electronic production, in place of practicing conventional songwriting (until I get new equipment), and that has led me to utilise sampling a lot more. When I make a song, I like to build off of a base, a texture or hook I like and can instantly see possibilities upon hearing. You can see these types of samples in songs like “Moss Green,” “You Are the Reason” and “Subterrane.” With my next record I am trying to combine both of the workflows I used on Se Bueno and Kaleidoscope!

Kade: You mentioned that moving and having to sell equipment caused your creative process to shift. Now that you're aiming to blend the workflows of Se Bueno and Kaleidoscope, how do you think that will affect how you structure your music? For example, are you starting with melodies again, or still building around samples and textures first?

TURQUOISEDEATH: It varies across the record. Some tracks I started with a melodic idea, in fact most tracks, but some are formed with samples as their base. The difference in this album is the two methods are interweaved, something I should have started doing years ago LOL. This has also somehow led me to take on longer and more ambitious compositions. I just kind of get swept away with the act of creating a track and realize, “oh, this is 9 minutes long.”

It’s been some of the most fun I’ve experienced in my time as a producer.

Kade: You referenced Kaizo Slumber’s quote about “170 BPM and above being the future of music.” What personally draws you to faster tempos, and what inspired you to blend genres like shoegaze and ambient into that high-energy space?

TURQUOISEDEATH: What Kaizo said stuck with me because our consumption of media, words, overall information is so rapid now that faster music only makes sense. It reflects the time we are in. In this sense I’m talking more about Kaizo’s music than mine, as I do like to dip down in tempo simply because I’m not as good a producer as someone like him. He creates incredible amounts of energy in his tracks.

For me, my mind has always moved pretty quickly from one thing to another. I think I’m naturally drawn to high tempos just because I’m hella ADHD lol. The gazey sound of Se Bueno was just me filtering all the sounds and inspirations I loved at the time through my style of producing. I’m always doing that. With Kaleidoscope, I was influenced by IDM and progressive house, and with my next record I’m pulling from jungle and trance, alongside a myriad of other sounds.

Kade: You mentioned getting swept up in the process and ending up with 9-minute tracks. How do you know when a song is finished? Do you ever feel like you're wrestling with a track to end it, or does it just click into place?

TURQUOISEDEATH: I approach the creation of a song with the idea of it being full circle and complete from the get-go. So every decision I make, the recall of a melody, repetition, texture changes, are all self-contained within the song, which makes it easier to “finish.” In the case of this album though, it is hard to know when these songs are finished, they could all be 20 minutes long and I would still want to add more. 

Kade: And talking about that myriad of other sounds, tell me a little bit about 18 DAYS. What is that project and what does it mean to you?

TURQUOISEDEATH: 18 DAYS started out as an experiment with ambient music. I was particularly infatuated with drones at the time. Over the years it has become a bank of ideas that just stray from the main music I want to put out into the world. However, recently I’ve been focusing on 18 DAYS harder as I set out to complete a double trilogy of albums through the colors blue and green. Making these projects changed the way I view making music. It taught me new methods, textures, and in particular styles, through copious amounts of sample surfing (which basically means listening to different music for hours and hours). 18 DAYS as a project has now concluded, but I hope it is one of many more projects to come that deviate from my main styles. I want to explore and learn as much as possible with the time I have.

Kade: Speaking of sample surfing, who are some artists or albums you've found that were key in shaping your sound with 18 DAYS?

TURQUOISEDEATH: I’ve discovered styles and eras I hadn’t really looked into before through the process. For example, I’ve found many heartachingly beautiful melodies in mandopop and cantopop. The sound selection from producers like Owen Kwang is just next level. I’ve also found a lot more dub techno records. So much beautiful, colorful music.

Kade: It sounds like 18 DAYS gave you room to step outside your main style and experiment. How do you decide what belongs under TURQUOISEDEATH versus something more side-project or anonymous?

TURQUOISEDEATH: 18 DAYS started as a side project where I would just experiment, but I would say since September of 2024, it has become a whole new part of making music for me. Exploring longer compositions, drone, repetition, and just learning how to create hypnotic atmospheres at a much slower tempo has not only shown me things to incorporate into the TURQUOISEDEATH music, but also has just become the type of music I love to produce. Ambient music is a therapeutic and surreal process!

Kade: You're a frequent collaborator with vmrrobotic, could you tell me a little about your work together and your relationship?

TURQUOISEDEATH: vmrrobotic is a musical peer and also a great friend of mine! We have been collaborating since 2022, just a bit before Breakers Gang was formed. We have both evolved over the years and influenced/been influenced by each other. He’s one of the best producers currently working in electronic music and his next album, which he has been putting his whole being into for over a year, is going to show everyone that he is a genius! We are working on the final entry in the “Fools” album trilogy.

Kade: While we’re on the topic of Breakers Gang, could you tell me a little about the group and how you all met?

TURQUOISEDEATH: We mainly just met through online forums, or discovering each other's music on Bandcamp and SoundCloud and stuff like that. The collective naturally formed around the usage of breakbeats, and since then we’ve strayed off into different musical directions, but that origin keeps the group somewhat tied together. I just like to think of BG as a group of friends with similar musical ideas.

Kade: You mentioned connecting with people like vmrrobotic and the rest of Breakers Gang through forums and platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud. How has being part of that internet-based scene shaped the way you make music, or the kind of music you gravitate toward?

TURQUOISEDEATH: It’s given me a larger appreciation of rave music in general, which is where I pull a lot of my sounds from.

When I was getting into making electronic music in 2021 at 13–14, my main exposure to this kind of music was Jon Hopkins and LTJ Bukem. At the time, my favorite kind of music was really peaceful and slow and boring, so at first I didn’t understand rave music that well. I liked some contemporary stuff because of its pretty pads and textures, but I didn’t really know anything about soundsystem culture, apart from having grown up listening to grime (I love a good wub bass).

Meeting these people online and hearing the music they loved, coming to a better understanding of why these specific sounds have such a long history and evoke so much energy on a dancefloor has impacted not just my music but my life in so many ways. You can hear in my earlier works I was trying to implement acid and hardstyle and it’s SO bad. Hell, I probably still suck. My music’s still too overcomplicated for a rave LOL.

Kade: You’ve already built such a unique catalogue between your musical projects. Do you think there’s a track or moment that really feels like a turning point for you as an artist?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Yeah, that was early on with “Guessabelle.” Before then I was taking music kind of seriously but it wasn’t like a big deal for me. But it was one night when I sat in the dark and went blank for a few hours. I feel like most musical artists can relate to the feeling of the music completely taking over you.

I came out with “Guessabelle” as a song, the original 9-minute version, and that was kind of the moment I realized I wanted to make music seriously. There is no drug that can replicate the feeling of making a song that matches or even exceeds your standards… and so “Guessabelle” was a turning point because it’s the entire reason I committed to this project. I could also say “Dive,” as that’s the song that really changed a lot for me, but I’ll stick with “Guessabelle.”

Kade: You mentioned rave music before, do you ever think you’ll one day play “Guessabelle” at a rave?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Absolutely. That song is begging to be played last in a set!

Kade: What do you think about playing live sets or raves down the line?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Yes, definitely. I’ve been invited to do loads actually. The only thing stopping me is my mixing skills, which I’ve been working on recently.

I also had the idea of creating an album exclusively to be played live and never released. Either way, it could be something I do next year if I feel confident enough.

Kade: How do you think the process and execution would differ if you created an exclusively live album? Would there be certain sounds or styles you’d be more willing to experiment with?

TURQUOISEDEATH: I would lose about half of the atmosphere and put more energy and focus into the rhythm.

In a live setting it doesn’t matter how good the pad sounds or if the effect is panning around your head; the groove needs to be infectious and SOLID. That’s something my released music lacks a bit because I like my atmospheres to float over the percussion rather than be intertwined, that way it feels more alive. Whereas when you're playing a set, if the groove is good enough, you can keep it going for 8 minutes, bring in a ride cymbal on the offbeat and people will come up to you after a show like “dude. You are literally the greatest to ever do it” LMAO. So yeah, I would be focusing solely on the danceable aspects of the genres I work with, something genuinely engineered with a dance floor in mind.

Also in terms of genres I would be trying out, gabber, hardgroove, maybe some Ophidian-style darkcore, also some freeform and hard trance stuff (Purity Filter inspo) All that being said, I would still spin some of my released tracks!!

Kade: Are there any artists you could point to that epitomise controlling the dancefloor?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Maybe like Jeff Mills, Frankie Knuckles, Regis, definitely Daft Punk, and maybe some Habibi Funk DJs. Also, I’ve never watched a solo set of his but based on releases like ISS010 I’d say Skee Mask. There are probably a lot more that I’m missing but that’s what I’ve been feeling recently.

Kade: Just the other day your album Guardian released, which was a beautiful project. It concluded with the monumental “Close Your Eyes,” which clocked in at 30 entire minutes. Did you always set out for the track to reach that length, or did it just keep growing?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Thank you! I had in mind that I wanted to have a singular song making up the second side of the record. “Close Your Eyes” started off as a downtempo/neo-psych idea but as I kept working, I found more and more potential in the core loop I used and ended up with the whole song.

Kade: As has been the case with your previous releases and now Guardian, visuals and imagery are a core part of your work. Do you have any examples of symbolism you'd like to highlight for Guardian?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Yes actually! I feel like the imagery and what it represents is pretty obvious. Guardian is the end of a trilogy, and also the culmination of all my work up until now. The cover shows Alice (the character on all my covers) reaching the end of a cave, and then past that is a blue light. 

This represents a variety of things to me. First of all, releasing this record feels like the end of a chapter in my life, making a certain kind of music, and the end of my school days. It also represents a new beginning, something brighter, albeit abstract ATM. Just a bright blue light. That’s how I feel about my future LOL. Also for musical symbolism, this is me reaching the end of the road for this musical “formula” I’ve got, which is really just me operating on instincts alone, whether it be melody, sound selection or mixing (which leads to repetitive and boring results). Releasing this album means I need (and want) to try something completely new and different for me next, which I’m really looking forward to and already have lots of ideas for.

Kade: At this moment, are there any ideas you plan on expanding upon that you’d like to share?

TURQUOISEDEATH: I’d like to include Latin and African percussion and grooves into some of my tracks. I’d also like to attempt completely different structuring styles I’m not used to at all, for example, something in the style of The Field or Inquietus’ latest project All of You Belonging. I’m usually anxious around repetition because I’m never that confident in my music, but I think creating a loop you would want repeating for 5 minutes is an achievement and a half. I’m also interested in working with vocalists at some point.

Kade: Do any vocalists stand out as dream collaborators?

TURQUOISEDEATH: For contemporary artists I think Damian Anton-Ojeda. I love the way their voice soars so triumphantly, they have one of the greatest voices I’ve ever heard. Also Meaningful Stone, Oklou and George Clanton. For artists I dream of working with but am a bit too late, I would say Mark Hollis, Paul Buchanan, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Tracey Thorne, and Gustavo Cerati. And Elizabeth Fraser. I could go on for days about this lol.

In terms of artists I could actually work with, definitely iANO, who is a friend and also one of my favorite musical artists, with a beautiful voice! (Check out his latest album, it’s a masterpiece!)

Kade: Do you think you’d ever approach the mic yourself?

TURQUOISEDEATH: Nah, my aspiration in the long run is to be a producer for other people. I want to facilitate other artists and create for them. My only good feature creatively is I have a relatively good ear for what sounds nice, so I plan to try and take advantage of that as much as possible and work with others. But I'm not really interested in revealing my voice or myself in general since I enjoy the lack of stress when staying anonymous. Could change in the future, since I do find myself wanting to compose like, progressive rock shit sometimes… but me having a shit singing voice is probably a sign from god that I should NOT do that lmao.

Kade: One thing I’m sure a lot of people wonder about is the origin of your name. Was it self-created, a reference, or something else entirely?

TURQUOISEDEATH: I just made it up in a math class with my friend when we were trying to come up with names for a jungle project. I used to feel embarrassed of it because I thought it was lame and edgy, but now I think it’s quite cool hehe.

Kade: And a final question I like to ask, if you could accomplish any three things over the next year, what would you like them to be?

TURQUOISEDEATH: That’s a good question! I guess I would like to in some way record a song using real instruments. I’ve been practicing drums for 8 years but have no outlet for it (apart from “So Far Away”) so I would love to do that at some point.

Non-music related, but I want to finally do this idea for a comic I’ve had for a while. It’s a bit Tamara Drewe-esque (the graphic novel, not the film) so I need to get out my dip pens and watercolors (or Copics, I’m not decided yet) again, but it should be fun. I also need to finish The Sopranos. I was watching it on my DVD player because I bought the box set and I have no clue what episode I’m on, so that will be the most challenging one of the three.

Kade: I think that'll probably do it, thank you so much for your responses!

Listen to ‘Guardian’ below.