A Look at DMVU’s Unstoppable Growth Since ‘Bloccd’

It feels as if the story of Denver-based producer, DMVU, starts with “Bloccd”—the hit that came out on Truth’s Deep, Dark, and Dangerous label in late 2016 and then never really went away. In reality, Matthew Philpott-Jones (DMVU’s given name) has been producing since 2009, working to achieve his irresistible bass lines. But when “Bloccd” popped up everywhere in 2017, it was a game changer. Relentless called it “one of the hottest of the year.” It was remixed by more DJs and spun at more festivals than anyone can count. “Bloccd” introduced the hoards to the magic of DMVU’s hand. With that subterranean drop and its steady eighth note rhythm, he found something everyone wanted to hear. Since then, DMVU’s sound hasn’t left our ears.

While DMVU has been highly active in the past two years, he has only performed in Phoenix once before. So Relentless Beats is proud to host DMVU this November on Dirt Monkey’s Rise of the Octopeel Tour. In honor of this must-see performance, here’s a look at what DMVU has been up to recently—and why it proves he represents the best of the Southwest.

DMVU moves so fast with his work that if you blink, you might miss a new track or a tour announcement. This year, he reunited with Circus Records—the alpha dog of dubstep labels who recognized DMVU’s talents and signed him early in his career. The label released DMVU’s 2018 Moon Man EP, which is a gleaming illustration of his mastery of high-intensity, low-end dubstep.

DMVU also appeared all over the bass scene outside of his solo work. Truly, collaborations galore. Most recently, he was featured on sfam’s The Fam Bam and Toadface’s Bugs for Breakfast. Plus, he was enlisted for a remix of Zeds Dead’s “Kill Em” (and boy, does it deliver).

In terms of live appearances, it holds true that artists are hungry to team up with DMVU. He joined Yheti for the Far From The Tree Tour, supported Herobust on the WTF Tour, and departed on a headlining tour alongside Of The Trees. When you factor in his many festival appearances (515 Alive, High Caliber, Infrasound and more), it raises the questions of if he even sleeps.

While it’s one thing to list DMVU’s achievements in the past year, the truth of his artistry lies in his music. One thing is apparent when examining DMVU’s trajectory: he is immensely versatile and much more than a bass-in-your-face producer. His side project, Ghost Creek, is a surprising downtempo pop group with vocalist, Nate Stephens. Yet even some work under the DMVU alias speaks to his non-committal attitude toward genre, like the beautiful spring release, “I Drowned In You.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpM7ScOnzX9/

At this point in his career, DMVU clearly has his bearings as an artist with a dedicated following. He is constantly interacting with his fan group, teasing tons of enticing IDs all over Instagram (like the one above), and he just dropped fresh DMVU merch. After the massive success of “Bloccd,” DMVU still stands proudly in the underground, alongside his coterie of producers invested in deep, wobbly dubstep that exists just left of center.

Next up in DMVU’s ferocious career path is the Rise of the Octopeel Tour, alongside Dirt Monkey and SubDocta. You can catch him at AURA Nightclub on November 24^th. Tickets here.

Connect with DMVU: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud