How borne Became a Beacon of Musical Authenticity In the Age of "Dopamine Hit Content"

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How can today’s generation of electronic music producers stay authentic in a highly saturated market? In the age of social media, when viral content strategies and hollow traffic-drivers often take precedence, borne urges artists to remember the importance of the music itself.

“I notice that people crank out a few songs and then immediately go to the marketing or pushing it on on TikTok,” borne tells EDM.com. “I think people forget that the most important part is the music and creating a story.”

The 22-year-old breakout’s hot take on music production? Today’s artists need to “let the music speak for itself.”

“There’s a lot of ‘dopamine hit’ content, which gets people interested for a certain amount of time, but then they lose the engagement,” he explains. “Trying to create a story and focus on the production itself is the most important part.”

With so much content constantly bidding for attention in an endless stream of ads and memes, today’s listeners struggle to focus for more than a few seconds. So he felt it was paramount to call his music pseudonym something classic and timeless, ultimately turning to his own last name to derive his pseudonym.

“I was trying to find something that I wouldn’t regret in five years,” he says with a laugh.

He felt a humbling, full-circle moment wash over him in May, when he was featured in a mix by the deeply influential UKF brand. As a teen, UKF’s releases framed his approach to electronic music through the lens of timeless tunes from dubstep luminaries like Zeds Dead. Being featured in a mix alongside the iconic duo made it even more meaningful, he said.

He then dropped his thumping, 140 BPM dubstep heater “Control” via UKF in September.

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The artist’s exposure to electronic music in his early teens “turned on the curiosity factor,” inspiring him to play with Virtual DJ and ultimately buy his first controller. From there, he started experimenting with music production around age 14.

A Montréal native, borne attended the city’s beloved ÎleSoniq Music Festival but had never went to any other major fests until Shambhala last summer. That event also happened to be where he played his debut DJ set.

He says he was initially drawn to rave culture because it sets the stage for a full spectrum of unlimited self-expression and creativity. He also felt inspired by the level of teamwork involved in taking the overall vision of an event from an idea to reality. In order to produce a successful event, an array of factors have to meet at a creative collision point, including visual art, sound and stage production. That process intrigued him.

When analyzing festival culture and the overall spirit of dance music, borne said he’s enthralled by the “family tree” of influences that stem from industry pioneers who paved the way for EDM and its subgenres, creating a textured web of innovation and interconnectedness.

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Those layers of innovation and inspiration ultimately led him to heavily experiment with his style and sound in the past eight years.

“When I first started, I used to just stack stuff and have a bunch of layers because it made it feel bigger and louder. Over time, I learned that less is more,” he explains, laughing about the “chaotic” start to his discography.

“I experimented with everything, and I think that’s important for every producer to do,” he adds. “Dip your toes into everything and then see what you really enjoy doing.”

Now, borne describes his signature sound as “minimal” and “bass-oriented.” His goal is to infuse every arrangement with a heavy dose of intention, from the bass to the percussion and everything in between.

The producer’s work is paying dividends. His style has led him to major performances, like an upcoming headline set for Atlanta’s DEF collective, and collaborations with some of bass music’s biggest names. Of all his recent collabs, he says his unreleased track with PEEKABOO, one of EDM.com‘s best music producers of 2023, means the most.

“I’ve been getting more into 140, deep dubstep style, which is one of [PEEKABOO’s] specialties. It’s always nice working with like-minded producers,” he said about producing the hotly anticipated ID. “It was like, let’s just make whatever and make it natural. I was also really grateful he brought me to be a part of the Denver show at Mission Ballroom. For him to bring me out for that and share love and support, I was so appreciative.”

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When peering into his metaphorical crystal ball, borne embraces change for the music industry, like the influx of AI. He said he can imagine certain AI applications benefitting young, aspiring music producers.

“It would be cool to use AI for project breakdowns, like showing how a song was made or how the individual sounds were made. If tech like that was a tool when I was younger and trying to learn, it would have been extremely beneficial because you’d learn faster, as opposed to just figuring out yourself.”

He’s aware, however, of the nefarious aspects of generative AI in the music production world.

“The whole point of music is the humanized effect,” he explains. “You see how many different options and sounds there are, because it’s through our ears and it’s very personalized. If someone goes about making music through AI, it’s going to be algorithmic and you can see exactly what’s going to happen. The possibilities aren’t as endless in that sense. I do feel like people will recognize the humanized songs, but we’ll see.”

Leaving aspiring producers with one last piece of advice, borne says it’s crucial to “take lessons out of failed attempts.”

“I’m a firm believer that the music speaks for itself,” he says. “Remember, even if it sounds bad, the whole process you went through to make that song has probably taught you a lot. Try to find small wins. It doesn’t always have to be about like the end result. Try to create a story for people to follow alongside the music.”