Launch Into Notaker’s Mau5trap Debut EP ‘EREBUS I’ [Interview]

Earlier this month, St. Louis based electronic producer Notaker officially released his highly-anticipated mau5trap debut EP, ‘EREBUS I’. The five-track EP features some pretty electrifying tracks, with collaborations alongside Eminence and fellow mau5trap signee BlackGummy. ‘EREBUS I’ delivers a wide array of eclectic sounds that will take listeners on a musical journey through space with Notaker’s bass-enhanced galactic sounds.

‘EREBUS I’ is Notaker’s latest grand project since his Monstercat ‘Genesis’ EP back in late 2017, and features Notaker’s progressive transcend into delivering more euphoric, deep, and hypnotic sounds. Although ‘Genesis’ generated over one and a half million streams across all digital streaming platforms since its release, we predict that ‘EREBUS I’ and its intergalactic dark facade will surely rise Notaker’s success tremendously. With support from some of the most prestigious names in the electronic world such as Seven Lions, Above & Beyond, and deadmau5 himself, Notaker is on the road to become an essential persona within the electronic music industry.

With Notaker’s out-of-this-world signature sound, ‘EREBUS I’ is sure to launch listeners into a full multi sensory overload like never before. The EP initiates with ‘Fatal System Error’, easing listeners in with its glittery synths and glitch-infused breaks. ‘Corrupted’, the first track to be released before the EP’s official debut, features BlackGummy’s progressive trance influence and blends effortlessly with Notaker’s synth-infused tones. ‘Hypersleep’ does it’s name justice, as it incorporates an ambient vibe mixed with pulsating beats and brings ‘EREBUS I’ back to home base before taking off again into ‘Machina’, easily the most abrasive track on the record. Last but not least comes ‘Believe’, consisting of blissful synths that curate the perfect finale to this intergalactic musical adventure.

The entirety of ‘EREBUS I’ harmonizes effectively through Notaker’s genius assortment of mystic, dark undertones that build into knife-cut, hard electro drops. Diving deep into other worlds and launching into undiscovered realms, Notaker demonstrates a side of him we’ve never seen before through his striking work on ‘EREBUS I’. To delve in even deeper, we had the privilege to discuss the vision behind it all with Notaker himself in our official Nocturnal Times Q&A below.

The Nocturnal Times: How did you first get into electronic music? What inspired you?
Notaker: I began by attending my first rave in St. Louis. A few locals were headlining, such as Mimosa and the main act, Eddie Halliwell. It was extraordinary to experience the culture and music all at once, it really left a big impact on me. Shortly after, a friend of mine – who I met at the show – encouraged me to download Logic Pro and try production. What inspired me in the beginning was 2000’s era trance music, that’s what I think I could attribute my electronic music roots to.

The Nocturnal Times: When did you decide that you aspired to become an electronic music artist? What steps did you take to be where you are at now?
Notaker: After producing for some time, my music started getting played by bigger DJs and that’s when I decided to start taking it a bit more seriously. To get where I am now, I just kept writing music and trying to improve on my style and sound until it was impeccable. I don’t think I planned to be where I currently am. It just kind of happened this way.

The Nocturnal Times: You have an extremely unique signature sound, if you could describe your sound in just one word what would it be?
Notaker: Electronic. It’s a pretty broad description but I honestly couldn’t describe it any other way with it being inaccurate.

The Nocturnal Times: Since your last debut EP ‘Genesis’ on Monstercat, you’ve released a few other singles with them as well as with Armada Music and mau5trap. How does it feel to have a strong presence on some of the most significant electronic record labels?
Notaker: It’s pretty awesome. I’ve been a long-time fan of some of these labels so it’s both a privilege and an honor to get to share music through them.

The Nocturnal Times: Your newest EP ‘EREBUS I’ was just released on mau5trap. How did this collaboration with the record label come about?
Notaker: Pretty simply, I put all of the music together, told mau5trap my ideas on what I wanted to do with The Vessel and the new dark chapter I planned on introducing and they said they loved this new concept.

The Nocturnal Times: The tracks featured on ‘EREBUS I’ contain some grittier sounds than your past projects. What inspired you to experiment with different tones and styles for this EP?
Notaker: I really wanted to challenge myself and create something that was different from what I normally make. It’s fun to try out new things – doing the same sound over and over gets boring, not only for me but for the listeners as well!

The Nocturnal Times: How would you describe your relationship with the mau5trap team, particulartly deadmau5 himself?
Notaker: The mau5trap guys are cool. I’ve gotten to meet a few of them while I was down in Miami this year and they’re really nice people. As for Joel, I’ve never gotten the chance to meet or speak with him before.

The Nocturnal Times: Are we to see an ‘EREBUS II’ to be released sometime in the near future? Tell us about your upcoming projects now that ‘EREBUS I’ has been released.
Notaker: There could be an EREBUS II some day, nothing in the works for it right but you never know what the future holds. As for my future projects, I have more music in the works, another EP, a remix or so, and a couple of singles. That’s all I’ll really divulge right now. I like keeping things on the low so I can surprise people when the time comes.

The Nocturnal Times: Do you have any advice, tips, etc. to give to anyone hoping to evolve into this industry as successfully as you have?
Notaker: I’d say have fun doing whatever it is you’re doing. I wrote music because I had fun doing it and I somehow got other people interested by chance. If it wasn’t fun and didn’t make me feel good I probably wouldn’t have done it and wouldn’t be where I am today. So simply, just enjoy yourself.