We were lucky enough to sit down with heavy-hitter, Dimitris “D-jahsta” Maragkoz, getting some insight into his style and past, along with his recent release with Megalodon, “Demon” on Never Say Die Records’ inaugural Black Label EP.
JNTM: What is your musical background/ When did you start producing?
D-jahsta: Since I was young, I’ve been attracted by Hip-Hop culture, especially RZA’s beats. I tried to produce my first Hip-Hop beats for many local rappers back in 2004. Then I started experimenting with various bpm and genres, some of them Drum ‘n’ Bass, Jungle kai Breakcore. In 2008 I listened to dubstep for the very first time. Without a second thought, I knew it. It was what I wanted to do from now on.
JNTM: How did you come up with your name?
D-jahsta:I used to save my first beats in a folder that I named “Disaster”, and it was full of untitled tracks. I don’t exactly remember where my alias came from. But, the sure thing is that D-Jahsta comes from Disaster.
JNTM: Who have some of your influences been?
D-jahsta:I really have a lot and several genres. I think my main influence on the songs I’ve made these latest years were Venetian snares, RZA, Datsik and Vaggelis.
JNTM: You’ve toured all over Europe and the US. What are some of the sickest places or shows that you’ve played?
D-jahsta: I really enjoyed many of my shows. Some of them are 50hz (Amsterdam), NextLevel (LA), Sub.Mission (Denver), JD4D (Perth) Splash Dubstep (Paris) JingleTheBass (STL) these are the first ones that come to mind.
JNTM: Where are you currently located, and how conducive has it been to your music production and progression?
D-jahsta: Presently, I am in Athens, Greece where my family lives, the studio that I make music and a very big group of people that support me and my music. I’ve got to mention that in the beginning, it was really hard to show and fit this kind of music out there. In other words 4 years ago my music career was limited in Greece.
These last years, eventually, EDM is now known to Athens too. A large group of fans, artists & event promoters of this music suddenly popped up, giving us a music experience, not far from what we see in the rest of Europe. My country supports me in a mentionable way, and that means a lot to me.
JNTM: You’ve released on Chronos Records, Firepower Records and have done a few mixes for Never Say Die Records, but this is your first release for NSD on the Black Label Volume 1 EP. How stoked are you on that?
D-jahsta: I’ve always been fan of NSD and Skism. Funny part back in 2010 when I first met Skism at an event, I kept asking him so many questions, like where can I senddemos and what does it take to make a release on Never Say Die, and he gave me an e-mail. I had no history or releases and I was afraid of just sending it, haha! Eventually, it happened and I am grateful that I have the possibility and the privilege of course to work for such an important label at this moment.
JNTM: How did you get hooked up with NSD records to begin with?
D-jahsta: Cory and I always wanted to jump on a track together but unfortunately this chance was never given. During my last US tour we eventually chilled together somewhere at Saint Louis where we made our beat “Demon”. We were both very excited about the result. Cory already had some releases there and he had a good connection with all of the NSD team so he sent the song. Things just started to roll!
JNTM: How did you like working with Megalodon, and do you guys have a previous relationship, or did NSD pair you two up specifically for the Black Label EP?
D-jahsta: Our sounds fit very well together, our ideas fit perfectly! As a conclusion, we work fast and with perfect flow. Besides, the key element of collaboration is the communication. We are used to that, constantly playing gigs all over the world, so we were in touch online. So, as I said we always wanted to jump on a track together but, unfortunately this chance was never given.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/139997580″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
JNTM: What’s next for the Black Label series?
D-jahsta: Vol. 2 soon featuring similar vibes, can’t reveal the artists yet though!
JNTM: What’s coming up with you in regard to production and shows?
D-Jahsta: I’m spending many hours every day working on sound design techniques trying to reach the ROBOSTEP sound that I work on. There is already work like my track with Rekoil, ‘The Devil’ that’s about to be released soon, unexpected colabs, a whole new D-Jahsta LP, shows in Europe and Australia and also a big tour in America around the end of the year.
Drawing from influences like Datsik and other bass heads, D-jahsta packs power in every drop as is heard in his gnarly track “Demon” while bringing his own eerie style to the table.
Truly pushing the envelope of what is heavy with his ROBOSTEP sound, D-Jahsta’s rise shows that passion, hard work and surrounding yourself with the right type of people goes a long way. We’re stoked to see where he lands in his US tour, so be on the lookout for some bass crushing power whipping through your town, and stay up on all of his new releases!
Hannah Vandeventer
Brooke Smith