
SST of The Chosen on beginning his solo career with an album called Stepping Through Shadows on Ohm Resistance...
Please introduce yourself...
I'm Darren aka SST aka Stereo Stormtrooper. I've been making music most of life and got into making DnB back in 2000. Shortly after I teamed up with long time partner Glitch to form Apparatus. We had a few releases under that name before teaming up with Genr8 to form The Chosen.
As The Chosen we went on to have releases on label such as Silver's Nemesis, Habit, Ohm Resistance and Cymbalism to name a few. We also have future releases coming out on Gein's label Bad Chemistry. In 2007 I moved from Orlando, FL to Brooklyn, NY with Glitch.
In 2009 I went solo for the first time in many years and started working on the album for Ohm Resistance. That brings us to the current day.
Tell us more about the album...
I knew going into this album that I wanted to do something that wasn't just a collection of dance floor tracks put together. I wanted to combine different styles and influences as well. At the time I started working on it I was really getting into dubstep but wanted to do more of an industrial / rock kind of vibe. I think it's an album you can listen to from start to finish without it getting monotonous.
What's the thought process behind the title?
Before this I had been working with production partners and crews for many years and felt like I was really known as a solo artist. So I wanted to step through the shadows of the past and emerge with my own sound and style.
How does working on albums compare with of singles?
With singles it seems like you're always trying to do something that is going to get the dance floor going and have a big drop. I felt like I was catering to what DJs want to play and maybe losing some creativity in the process. Working on this album was great because I basically stopped listening to dance music for seven months and just did what came out. It was very liberating.
Who have you collaborated with on it?
I worked with some excellent artists on this album. Messinian laid down vocals for the opening track called Mind of God. He was such a pro to work with and nailed the vibe I was going for. I sent him a very rough version of the track and he sent back all the vocals a few hours later.
I also teamed up with a New York based rock band called The Project Pale for the track You Stop When. It's a dubstep tempo and beat but with a rock arrangement and vocals.
I had Collaborator from Florida in the studio for the vocals to Advantage. Another dubstep tune with a rock vibe to it. And last but not least I reunited with long time production partner and friend Glitch for the neuro DnB track Point of View. If you're into Kemal or Konflict then this is definitely a tune to check out.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I'm doing tracks for my label Apparatus Recordings as well as some new dubstep for the Seattle based Onset records. I'm also currently wrapping up a remix for DJ Empress's band Empower. It's another dubstep / industrial rock style tune. Look out for it on her label.
Anything else you want to tell us about?
I would just like to say thanks to everyone that has continued to support me for all these years. Also thanks to Kurt (aka Submerged) and Ohm Resistance for making this album possible. Also be on the lookout for new music on Apparatus Recordings including DnB from Genr8 and dubstep from some of the most up-and-coming artists in the scene.
CD Tracklisting
SST- Mind of God feat. Messinian vip by SST

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