What a difference a year can make. In February, 2014, when Jared Poythress and Branden Ratcliff released “All I Really Need,” the breakthrough single by their duo, Vindata, the two were unknown producers, still working day jobs in offices.
With its soft vocals, downtempo beats, and casual weed references, “All I Really Need” quickly put Vindata on the map and caught the attention of Skrillex, who quickly invited the group to his Nest compound in Downtown LA and eventually brought them on tour last fall along with Tchami and GTA. Only after chilling with Sonny for a few months and actually touring with him did Poythress and Ratcliff leave their nine to fives.
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“I think we both realized it was time to move to the next phase after we came back from touring with Skrillex,” says Ratcliff. “That experience really opened our eyes, and it just didn’t seem natural to go back. Our minds were made after playing several nights in a row, having a few conversations with Tchami about what really matters in life, and witnessing first hand the dedication and work ethic needed to sustain at this level.”
The group’s new track, “Continuum” is featured on the new spring compilation from OWSLA, right after a remix of Jack Ü’s “Take Ü There.” In addition to including Vindata on tour and on his label compilations, Skrillex has become a role model of sorts to the duo.
“Anyone who personally knows Sonny is aware that he is definitely about perseverance and positivity,” Poythress says. “On the road, we noticed he barely sleeps. He’s a machine. Constantly creating and expressing himself. When things seem a little weird, he ends up squeezing some positivity out of any situation. He inspires everyone around him to go out and inspire others. His entire camp is the same way.”
In comparison to “All I Really Need,” “Continuum” is a kick jump forward. Its throwback sampling, robot-bright melodies, and strategic avoidance of deep bass make it a far cry from the driving throb many associate with OWSLA artists, not that Vindata is too concerned with fitting in.
“Ironically, we’ve chosen to define ourselves by ‘not defining’ ourselves,” Ratcliff explains. “It’s about being multidimensional for us. We have our background and influences, but we never wanted to be tied to one genre or subgenre.”
Early snippets of the group’s upcoming EP (expected this spring) indicate that they will continue to stay undefined with records that draw upon a range of sounds from new school R&B to lush late-00s electronica, woven together with a kick of wholly original production flare.
“I think the overall outlook has remained the same. The only thing different now is the rate at which we produce,” Ratcliff explains. “Our judgement has become more finely tuned.”
“This project has became the focal point of our lives,” says Poythress. “We dedicate almost all of our time to production and preparation for shows. We’ve been locked in the studio with vocalists for the last few months. It does feel refreshing knowing we’re at this stage in our career, and there’s nothing distracting us from concentrating purely on our music.”
What a difference a Skrillex tour can make.
Vindata is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter
Get the OWSLA Spring 2015 comp here.
Zel McCarthy is on Twitter.
