INFEKT Is Planting the Seeds of a “Trench” Revolution - One Vegetable at a Time
Germany’s trench pioneer turned bass disruptor breaks down his minimalist sound, vegan ethos, and global rise.
We caught up with LA-based innovator INFEKT, the German-born producer behind the raw, stripped-back “Trench” sound redefining underground bass.
With his Relic EP dropping May 23 on Deadbeats and major festival slots from EDC China to Vegas, INFEKT is pushing minimal dubstep to the global stage. Offstage, he’s mentoring the next wave of producers and using his now-iconic vegetable branding to promote veganism. INFEKT isn’t just evolving dubstep - he’s building a movement.
Your latest release “Relic” is both a nod to dubstep’s roots and a showcase of your evolving sound. What was your creative process behind this track, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
It's always been interesting to me how the tools and styles of the time back when Dubstep started shaped its sound. Part of my process was to deeply learn and understand synthesizers and effects that were commonly used back then—like Reason's Subtractor, or its Scream 4 distortion unit. I'd love for people to feel a sense of nostalgia for the sound if they were around back then, or a new-found appreciation for a sound from the past!
You’ve been credited with helping pioneer the “Trench” sound—a darker, more minimal offshoot of riddim. How would you describe the core elements of Trench, and how do you see it resonating with new audiences globally?
Trench is all about energy, atmosphere, and flows. Where heavier Dubstep is very maximalist in its nature, Trench is, as you said, more stripped-back, more minimal, and it just has a different groove that's feels more laid back! I think the easiest way to recognize it is based on feeling: If your body wants to headbang, it's heavy Dubstep. If you want to flail your arms around and nod your head, it's Trench!
You’ve branded recent content around vegetables, blending humor, veganism, and environmental consciousness with heavy basslines. How did this concept come together, and why was it important for you to tie personal values into your music brand?
I've always been very transparent about my personal interests, and one of them is being conscious about the food I eat. I think it's easy to feel like our choices don't make a difference in the world, but this is an area where we have a real chance to help the planet and the animals. And because I talk about my interests so much, people started connecting veggies with INFEKT, so it became a thing! Beyond the stage, you're committed to educating the next generation through your online course.
What’s one piece of advice you wish every new producer in the bass space understood early on?
It's so easy to forget to enjoy the process of making music. From the moment you render your first track and make a social media profile, you can start comparing yourself to other artists and feel like you're better or worse than them. So my advice is not to lose yourself in that game, and instead focus on your own growth as a producer. Get better at expressing what you want to express with it, no matter what others are doing or what the trends are.
You’ve just wrapped major performances at EDC China, Mexico, and Beyond Wonderland, with your debut at EDC Las Vegas on the horizon. How do your stripped-back yet powerful productions translate to these massive festival environments?
I think to understand our sound, you have to experience it in a live environment. It's all about feeling that energy together with other people. The fun, danceable, bouncy sound is quite literally infectious, and when you start moving your body together with the people around you - that's when you understand what it's all about. So getting to play it out at these massive festivals where this sound wasn't present at all before is a great honor, and it feels incredible to see more and more people getting into it!
