[Exclusive Interview] BUNDARR Talks Upcoming Releases & More!

Did you know that every person you come across in life serves a purpose? When we first met BUNDARR, we instantly recognized that he was placed in our lives as a form of motivation. He acted as a gently reminder that if you follow your passions, it will lead you towards some truly amazing opportunities...

We felt it was our duty to share this unexpected awakening as this up-and-coming producer is the embodiment of this message. We aspire that this contagious encouragement can be passed along to our Flag fam. Also, we all have special gifts to offer this world; always look for inspiration around you.

Recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the Canadian talent for an exclusive interview. We wanted to dive deeper into his effortless insight and the exhilarating world of BUNDARR. We discussed everything from his musical upbringing, various roles in the music industry, upcoming releases, and more!

We want to thank this skilled artist for being an open book. We truly can't wait to see what the future holds for his promising craft. To find out why we believe BUNDARR is one of the hidden gems in our local dance music scene, check out what he shared with us below...

Thanks for meeting with The Flag Gang! Although you are mainly known as a DJ/producer, you also wear many other noteworthy hats such as the artists and repertoire at PMP Records and work with our friends at UNDERCOVER.

1. Firstly, how did you became involved with so many different undertakings, and why do you feel it's important to lend a helping hand in these various roles?

It all started with PMP Records. A friend of mine released on [the imprint] and it got my wheels turning. At the time, I had only released on one label, and I wanted to see if it was possible for me to release on PMP. So, I sent them over a few songs - they ended up loving them! After that, the team offered me long-term deal. From there, I wanted to jump right in ~ basically, get involved with anything that I possibly could. 

At that point, [the label head] COLLINS and I started discussing some of the skills I could offer. I've always enjoyed listening to music and dissecting it. I would call myself a critic. That's when we came to the mutual decision that I should take on the role as A&R at PMP. During this time, UNDERCOVER was about to host an event. That's when I started to get involved with them. We all became close [because of our common interests].

[To put you into perspective,] this was all happening during the pandemic. I was working on [various projects] with a bunch of different people. Someone I spent a lot of time with was Marshall [Mcmahon] (A/V technician). In time, it lead me to working with Audioform. I had a good foundation because of my schooling and prior interests. Like I did with PMP, I offered to help with whatever I could. I ended up learning a lot! Nowadays, I help out where I am needed.

From a production standpoint, I started when I was about 16 years old, but I dedicated myself to it when I was 19-21; that's when I really [began] to believe that I could do it! I work full-time in the government, but my mind is always on music. I am constantly making as many songs as possible - some good, some bad. [That said,] sometimes I feel like I've made a "polished turd", haha! I always do my best to make sure the productions I release are up to my standards.

[Why is it important for me to assist? Well,] it helps our community, especially when you have a lot of dedicated people involved! This was [apparent] to me when I started helping Audioform's team. The things the company does are really impressive. It's also at the top of my list to be able to focus solely on producing and events in the future - as my main career, I mean.

Your passion for music and supporting others is evident and has clearly resulted in well-deserved triumphs.

2. What have been some of your proudest moments in your musical journey thus far? 

As of right now, my proudest moment is my upcoming release on CruCast! [TFG: more on this below.] It was validating to know that I am doing something right, especially in the UK baseline world. Now, I feel like I can't go back because I was able to land such a big [imprint]. I also felt this way when Dr. Fresch played my music in front of a huge crowd... Before this happened, I put my track on his Discord; it was so cool to see it blow up like it did! I wasn't expecting it - it's lead to some big exposure and opportunities.

On the topic of success, congratulations are in order! You recently revealed you'll be releasing a brand-new single on the acclaimed CruCast Record Label!

3. Can you share some of the related details with us as well as your creative process both on this upcoming single and generally when you're in the studio?

Thank you! I'm so excited about it. It will be releasing on July 29th [TFG: this Friday]; it's called 'Crave.' Fun fact: it doesn't have anything to do with the song, I just thought it sounded cool, haha! As for the creative process, I started making the track like I usually do: building the drop and then going from there. This time, I started to make the drop, but I couldn't figure out what to do with the main melody. That's when I got my roommate [COLLINS] to listen to it and see what he could do to [improve it]…

When he was messing around with the drop, I ended up hearing this one [particular] note! I immediately knew what to do with it from there. I took over, stripped everything, but I kept that one note. As I was building around it, I loved the UK baseline feel of it - gritty and aggressive. It was one of those moments where you just know it was about to turn into something special... I had a feeling it would be a quick song to finish from there on because I was so inspired by that one note. [And that's exactly what happened.]

If I were to describe my sound, I would need to start from the beginning. About 4 months ago, I would have explained it to be very underground/house kind of vibes. I wouldn't say it was very "busy", it was more a minimal sound with a groovy base and hard-hitting drums.

Now, I am actually switching over my branding because I've been getting a lot more excited over more aggressive and heavy-hitting house tracks - UK baseline falls into that, in my opinion. The songs I've been making lately have fit the re-branding and are being made because I've gained more skill to actually produce this style of music now.

Speaking of music, a little birdie told us that you have some other massive projects underway, including a fresh EP and an influx of performances.

4. What can your fans expect in terms of the upcoming EP and performances, and why do you feel it will best represent you at this point in your career?

This will be my first-ever EP! I've always loved Latin house; [in fact,] it was what first influenced my tech-house productions [in the early stages of my career]. It wasn't until my girlfriend went to Mexico that I really felt the need to create something with this Latin feel. I was hard jealous when she went on her trip because I also wanted to be in the on the beach/soaking in the sun. While she was there, I ended up making three songs in one day! The last song [on my EP] was made a few days after that.

[I must admit,] it may not be the "craziest" thing ever... [However,] I really enjoy the Latin sounds. I am excited for everyone to hear it, and maybe you'll start to enjoy it too (if you don't already). Some of the songs are more party vibes, while the others are more chill. The EP is called Quiero Bailar, which means: "I want to dance" in Spanish. Another fun fact is that I don't speak Spanish. I just wanted the EP to stick to that Latin feel... It will also be out on July 29th!

I also wanted to say that there are couple of collabs on my EP. One of them is with my other roommate, DELVOIE. We sampled 'Feel Good Inc.' by Gorillaz. The vocal sample just seemed to fit the groovy melody that we were already producing for my EP. So, we ended up grabbing the vocal, chopped it up a bit, and started to fill the gaps. The other [collaboration] is with another skilled local and friend called exst.

TFG EXCLUSIVE - Official Tracklist Below:

Pre-Save BUNDARR's Quiero Bailar EP here.

[Performances wise,] I will be closing for No Thanks at KULTURE on July 29th (big day for me)/performing alongside the entire PMP crew and other incredible artists. This show is really special for me because I will not only be performing, but I have also been involved with the event's organization from start to finish. Although I can't give away the location, I do want to say that it's a really cool venue! I think it's going to be really promising.

Also, on August 12th, I will be headlining RITUAL with DELVOIE at The 27 Club. After that, I will perform at two other shows that are still unannounced... What I can say is that the second show is probably the biggest one of my career; it will be held in Ottawa. It's going to be absolutely insane! I'm super excited for that.

5. Is there anything else that you'd like to share with TFG?

Yes! Don't sleep on BUNDARR, haha! I also want to give a big shout out to everyone who's working hard in our scene. I think that everyone in Canada should have their eyes on Audioform, FMG, UNDERCOVER, PMP, and so many other events companies.

At first, I felt that everyone doubted us; but, now, look who's laughing! I would say these companies are throwing the biggest shows in the area, likely in the two nearest provinces as well! I feel so blessed to be part of it all...

Photos courtesy of Antony Doniewski and Brandon Hebert.