If you’re fan of dubstep, trap and other bass music variations then you would be acutely aware of Never Say Die label already. For those dipping their toes into the bass music waters for the first time, the Never Say Die label is currently one of the largest and most popular labels in the world for all things bass music-related. And they release bombs; atomic, nuclear-sized bombs which will destroy your speakers and trigger DEFCON 1 warnings.

Started in 2009 by SkiSM, it has gone on to introduce the bass world to some of the currents scene’s most popular acts: Zomboy, LAXX, Must Die!, Eptic and more. If any evidence was needed of their popularity then look no further than their ‘Best Label’ nomination and win at the 2014 Bass Music Awards which cemented their influence in a very crowded scene. On the eve of the debut Never Say Die Australian label tour with SkiSM, Must Die! and LAXX, we had a quick chat with one of the label’s most popular acts Lee Bates AKA Must Die! about metal, Japan, movies and more…

SR: Hi Lee, hope you’re well! So the upcoming Never Say Die Australian tour is VERY exciting. This isn’t your first time coming to Australia – any standout moments you can tell us about from your previous tours?

MD: I am very well, thank you! I’m really excited about the tour as well. This will be my second trip to Australia in a year, actually. I love it over there. I recall playing in a prison in Newcastle with my friend Apashe and eating meat pies in a jail cell. You know? Normal stuff.

SR: This is the first time the Never Say Die label will be touring Australia. Have you been involved with any other label tours like this? Which countries did you visit as part of those tours?

MD: This will indeed be the first Never Say Die branded tour we’ve done down under. We’ve been doing the seemingly never-ending NSD tours for about two years now, but only extensively in the USA and Canada so far.

SR: To date which country has been the most receptive to your sound? Any countries that surprised you in terms of their reaction?

MD: I think the most receptive country in terms of crowd size and reaction/pre-show buzz was easily Argentina (very recently, i might add.) I think Holland surprised me the most, as i didn’t think they’d really much care to hear my sound closing out a rock and techno festival. The crowd ended up being one of the largest and best to date.

SR: So you got your artist name from John Tucker Must Die! – you are a fan of cinema we assume? Has there ever been a movie/ movie character that has lead you to use it as inspiration for a song? Do you have a favorite movie quote?

MD: I am a movie guy, easily. The thing about John Tucker Must Die! is that I absolutely loathe it. I use a lot of science fiction and fantasy as groundwork for a lot of melodic motifs; especially in my older music. I rely more on television and video games for actual references. For instance, Neo Tokyo was a name lifted directly out of Akira while ‘Z’ with Eptic was from Star Fox 64. I believe I also named an older tune called ‘Hexadecimal’ (with Descender) after a villain in the 90’s animated show called ‘ReBoot.’ If I ever had to nail down one quote from a movie, I’d likely cite “You’re obviously not a golfer” from The Big Lebowski.

SR: In past interviews you have stated that you would like to collaborate with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Yasutaka Nakata and Perfume. Japan is awesome. Have you been there? What are your hot tips for any looking to travel to Japan?

MD: Yes, I would absolutely love to work with that crew! I have been to Japan! It’s a great place. If I had to give any advice based on my experiences, I’d tell everyone to throw away any sort of itinerary and really get lost in Shibuya and work your way out. There are hidden patches of green and quiet every few blocks, and the walk from Shibuya to Harajuku is beautiful early in the morning.

SR: You recently remixed the Flux Pavilion track ‘Emotional’, which features a very melancholic vocal, and turned it into a hairy monster with teeth. Do you like working with vocals? Any exciting and upcoming collaborations that you can tell us about?

MD: I truly love doing remixes of vocal songs. I like being able to assess a finished song and ask myself, “How can I turn this into a completely different aesthetic? How can I flip the atmosphere or totally re-score this song? I do have a few really cool collaborations in the works along with some new originals and remixes, but I’m just going to subtly hint that all involved are fantastic musicians and people.

SR: You use to play in metalcore and black metal bands. Do you still listen to those genres? Any recommendations in regards to current bands that you like?

MD: I listen to a bit still, yes. I have some friends who keep me updated every now and again. I’ve made friends with two bands I still love, Born of Osiris and Veil of Maya, and I really enjoy listening to them progress the sound flawlessly. (GO BUY SOUL SPHERE AND MATRIARCH.)

SR: Do you have a particular production where you can definitely hear the influence from your metal days? Have you ever tried to sample any recordings from your band days?

MD: I did a very old remix of Miskatonik by Carvar & Clock and it’s very metal influenced but if I’m being truly candid I’d have to explain that I don’t really like the fusion of metal and dance music very much. I like subtle blending, but outright mashing the two together is a big turn-off for me, taste-wise.

SR: And finally, anything in Australia that you are most excited about visiting/doing/seeing etc?

MD: I love Australia. I love the cities, the food, the landscape, and the animals. I’m most excited to relax, honestly. I know that seems boring but it’s been a hectic year and I’m really in need of some sunshine and good company.

Kicking off on the 11th of December, Must Die! will be touring Australia as part of the Never Say Die label tour alongside SKiSM and LAXX which will travel through Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Newcastle

Must Die Australian Tour Dates

Friday 11th December: Bad Apple, Adelaide
Saturday 12th December: The Greenwood Hotel, Sydney
Friday 18th December: Metro City, Perth
Saturday 19th December: Max Watt’s, Brisbane
Sunday 20th December: Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle