Datsik (musician)
Encyclopedia
Datsik is the alias of Troy Beetles, a Dubstep
DJ and music producer
from British Columbia
, Canada
. He frequently works with fellow Canadian Dubstep producers Excision and Downlink. His first release was in the spring of 2009.
, British Columbia, Canada. He began producing dubstep music after hearing Excision (Jeff Abel) perform at Shambhala
electronic
music festival
in 2008. Soon afterward the two began collaborating together and had several releases in 2009 and 2010. He performs internationally and continues to produce music in Canada.
In 2009 Datsik had several number one releases on Beatport
. He has remixed and collaborated with artists such as The Crystal Method
, Noisia
, Wu-Tang Clan
, and Diplo, and has performed with Rusko
, Bassnectar
, Skream
, DJ Craze
and Nero, among others.
Beetles cites a wide range of musical inspirations, including Wu-Tang Clan
members RZA
and Method Man
. He has described his sound as "dark and robotic," while trying to remain "funky and gangster" and "dirty." Beetles' artist name "Datsik" was inspired from his former Xbox Live
gamertag, which was itself inspired by the Russian MMA fighter Viacheslav Datsik
.
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
DJ and music producer
Hip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He frequently works with fellow Canadian Dubstep producers Excision and Downlink. His first release was in the spring of 2009.
Biography
Beetles was born in 1988 in KelownaKelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, British Columbia, Canada. He began producing dubstep music after hearing Excision (Jeff Abel) perform at Shambhala
Shambhala (music festival)
Shambhala is an annual electronic music festival held during the first week of August at the Salmo River Ranch in the West Kootenay mountains of British Columbia...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in 2008. Soon afterward the two began collaborating together and had several releases in 2009 and 2010. He performs internationally and continues to produce music in Canada.
In 2009 Datsik had several number one releases on Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
. He has remixed and collaborated with artists such as The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
, Noisia
Noisia
Noisia, stylized as NOISIΛ , is a Dutch Electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, The Netherlands. They now produce a wide variety of music including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and house music...
, Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, and Diplo, and has performed with Rusko
Rusko (musician)
Christopher Mercer, more commonly known as Rusko, is an English dubstep record producer and DJ who was born on 26 January 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Rusko graduated from Leeds College of Music with a degree in Music Performance...
, Bassnectar
Bassnectar
Bassnectar is a freeform electronic music and dubstep artist, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is known for his live performances and light shows, and actively supports the non-profit group Conscious Alliance....
, Skream
Skream
Skream is a dubstep producer based in Croydon. One of dubstep's first and most prominent producers, he has played an important role in the genre's development. His debut album Skream! was released in 2006, and was followed up by Outside the Box in 2010...
, DJ Craze
DJ Craze
DJ Craze , born Aristh Delgado, is a Nicaraguan American DJ who plays hip hop, Miami bass, breaks, Dubstep, drum n bass, and practices turntablism. He is the only solo DJ in history to claim the DMC World DJ Championships trophy three times consecutively .-Biography:DJ Craze was born in Managua,...
and Nero, among others.
Beetles cites a wide range of musical inspirations, including Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
members RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
and Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
. He has described his sound as "dark and robotic," while trying to remain "funky and gangster" and "dirty." Beetles' artist name "Datsik" was inspired from his former Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
gamertag, which was itself inspired by the Russian MMA fighter Viacheslav Datsik
Viacheslav Datsik
Viacheslav Valerievich Datsik is a Russian former kickboxer and mixed martial artist.-Martial arts career:Datsik attained some degree of fame in the mixed martial arts community, due mostly to his dramatic knock-out of future Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at...
.
Singles and EPs
- Excision & Datsik / Swagga/Invaders / EX7 / 2009
- Datsik & 12th Planet / Texx Mars EP / Smog Records / 2009
- Excision, Datsik & Flux PavilionFlux PavilionJoshua Steele, known professionally as Flux Pavilion, is an English dubstep producer and DJ. He is the co-founder of Circus Records, along with Doctor P and DJ Swan-E. He is best known for his 2011 single "Bass Cannon", which peaked at number 56 on the UK Singles Chart, and was placed on the Radio...
/ Boom EP / Rottun Recordigs / 2009 - Datsik vs. Downlink / Against the Machines EP / Substruk / 2
- Datsik & Funtcase / Mechano/Brock Out / EX7 / 2010
- Various EP / Rottun Recordings / 2010
- Datsik & Bare / King Kong / Subhuman / 2011
- Datsik / Firepower EP / Rottun Recordings / 2011
Remixes
- Wu-Tang ClanWu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
/ Biochemical Equation (Datsik & Excision Remix) / iHipHop / 2009 - Ctrl Z vs. FreestylersFreestylersThe Freestylers are a British electronic music group, generally fitting into the breakbeat genre. Recently their style has incorporated more of a drumstep sound, more in line with The Prodigy and other such artists.-Career:...
/ Ruffneck '09 (Excision & Datsik Remix) / Never Say Die / 2009 - Ivory / Hand Grenade (Excision & Datsik Dubstep Remix) / Rat Records / 2009
- Spor vs. ApexApex (producer)William Stanberry, better known as Apex is an American record producer and DJ. He is the founder of the label Apex Productionz. He is best known for producing 50 Cent's hit "I Get Money".-Early life:...
/ (Nowhere to Run (Datsik & Excision Remix) / Lifted Music / 2010 - The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
ft. LMFAOLMFAO (group)LMFAO is an American electro pop duo consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu . The group formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Redfoo is SkyBlu's uncle. Redfoo is also the son of music mogul Berry Gordy, SkyBlu a grandson...
/ Sine Language (Datsik Remix) / Black Hole Recordings / 2010 - Don DiabloDon DiabloDon Diablo is a Dutch record producer, songwriter, artist, DJ. His parents named him after Don van Vliet .-Biography:...
ft. DragonetteDragonetteDragonette is a Canadian electropop group active since 2005. Dragonette consists of singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer....
/ Animale (Datsik Remix) / Ego Music / 2010 - Various - Blow Your Head: Diplo Presents Dubstep / U Don't Like Me (Datsik Remix) / Mad Decent / 2010
- NoisiaNoisiaNoisia, stylized as NOISIΛ , is a Dutch Electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, The Netherlands. They now produce a wide variety of music including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and house music...
/ Alpha Centauri (Excision & Datsik Remix) / Division Recordings / 2010 - MGMTMGMTMGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
/ Kids (Datsik Remix)2010
Appears on
- An-ten-nae Presents Acid Crunk Vol. 2 / Muti Music / 2009
- Revamped / U&A Recordings / 2010
- "The Path of TotalityThe Path of TotalityThe album has received acclaim, both with critics and fans. Swedish heavy rock magazine Close-Up Magazine gave the album an 8/10 rating, citing "[the band] has created an album with content just as dramatic and atmospheric as the title"...
" 2011