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His label — DJ/producer Diplo’s Mad Decent imprint — is typically home to club-rocking DJs and dubstep whizzes like Rusko. But it has proven to be a safe space for Delrey, who admits that even though he’s a fan of his dance-friendly labelmates, they have much different touring regimens.
“Not being a DJ has its downsides,” Delrey says in the Wired video above about doing shows with his fellow Mad Decent players. “You got to bring equipment and whatnot with you and the rest of our crew has their backpack and they can go run off after the show.”
Still, Delrey, whose debut LP Everybody Wah came out last year on the heels of two 7-inch records he released in 2010, remains confident in his roots.
“Rock music will eventually defeat all DJs,” he says.
Oddly, his Beck-esque blend of low-fi guitar and pop melodies work well on Mad Decent, which is known for bringing in genre-bending acts like Bonde Do Role and South Rakkas Crew. Delrey, who’s from New Jersey by way of Memphis, says his unique sound comes from digesting as many genres of music as possible and seeing what comes out.
“I just listen to a lot of records and kind of let it gestate and make imprints in my brain,” Delrey says. “Then out pops these crazy songs that I don’t know where they came from. Other people can say what they are.”
Watch the video for more from Delrey on building muscles as a touring musician, his affection for “wobble bass” and opening up his mind.
