Without previous knowledge of Apashe, reading over his long biography on Facebook may frighten you and give you nightmares for a few nights. Whether myth or not, the wording for the gore and fear involved is befitting for a film like Braveheart. And it's the perfect way to set the tone for his music. The producer/DJ is relentless in creating music that can turn a common villager into a bloodthirsty warrior. It's the kind of Electro Trap that will have your adrenaline pumping overtime with its eerie melodies and sobering basslines. So you can imagine the level of energy he brings to his live shows. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on to the epic sound of Apashe.

Born in Brussels as John De Buck, Apashe only moved to Montreal a few years ago to pursue studies in electroacoustics at Concordia University. While growing up in Brussels, he remembers playing the drums with his dad around the age of 9. His father encouraged his children to pick up music but once Apashe's sister installed Fruity Loops onto the family computer, Apashe went from drummer to producer. At 18, it became his main interest. After he moved to Montreal, he was hired by Sonart Productions at Apollo Studios as a sound designer. You may have heard his work in trailers for major video games like Assassin's Creed. All the while, he's been working on his music. This juggling of making his own music with his day job set the stage for a meeting with Kannibalen Records, which is where he calls home today.

When we asked about his decision to take time for a formal education in music, he replied with a double edged answer:

"I don’t think it’s that important, it’s more a personal thing. When you take classes you go deeper into everything and it’s often unnecessary for you. But I loved studying it mainly because I can’t get enough of it and I don’t get bored of it. I feel when you teach yourself music you go for what you like and sometimes you might miss some unknown path that [studying] can offer you. Education in music will make you discover stuff you don’t think of."

And even with his time spent at school, he still feels that he's barely scratched the surface of his potential: "On a scale of 0 to 10 I just realised after years of music that I didn’t even reach 1 yet." One thing is for sure, he's improved his production and live sets since his first show: "[It was] really awesome but when I look at it now it was probably terrible. A bit like sex I guess [laughs]." Now his live sets grant him the freedom for live mixing and improvising based on the crowd's reaction. Instead of the typical 2 CDJ setup, Apashe prefers having the stems of his songs loaded into Ableton with short loops so that he can perform more like a Jazz band leader instead of an orchestra conductor.

Apashe's ability to think outside of the box gave rise to his own brand of Dance music that combines elements of Trap, Dubstep, and even Classical music. His appreciation for composing and arranging music as opposed to mechanically throwing sounds through a generic formula is apparent in the slight variations contained in each song. Each of these variations adds to the overall cinematic experience. What else do you expect from a guy who listens to Mozart’s "Requiem" or Beethoven’s "7th Symphony" for about an hour in a hot bath to unwind? And while he's traveled the world to play stages in far away lands, he's stuck to his guns of keeping a fair balance of slappers and relaxing tones: "I believe it’s important to have a little something else in your music than just straight dancefloor elements." But there are moments when he questions his own creations. Then he remembers that companies like Adidas, Sony, and HBO have picked up his songs for placement and the confidence and excitement returns--the kind of confidence and excitement that gives him the idea to comfortably put out a song and video titled "No Twerk" in a hyper-twerk society.

"Well it was more like a joke first. Mainly we didn’t like the ratchetness of most twerk videos. But it’s not against twerk-it’s more the nasty side of it. If you twerk, do it properly! Russians are good for that!"

As Apashe continues to conquer new lands with his Orchestral Trap music, you could one day start recognizing his signature characteristic of making heavy, foreboding sounds into something darkly beautiful in blockbuster films. He's expressed interest in working with Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman and with his track record and dedication to his artistry, it's only a matter of time. Before he gets there, he's about to jump on tour next month with Antiserum and Mayhem. What's he looking forward to on tour? "Meeting new people, having fun, discover new music, make some, and enjoying life!" We're right there with you, Apashe.
Last Call

1. What is your favorite movie of all time?Not sure if I would go for a Terminator I or a Donnie Darko...

2. As a young DJ, who was the one DJ you looked up to?Noisia.

3. As a DJ, what's your biggest pet peeve?When I don’t have ear protection!

4. What is your current production set up at home?Mainly some controllers: Access Virus C, Korg Electribe, a Push, lamp mic, and some Neumann speakers.

5. What's your favorite record of all time?The Fat Of The Land by Prodigy

Keep up with Apashe on his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Bryan Hahn plays Risk now exclusively while Apashe is blasting through his headphones. He's on Twitter (@notupstate).