The young California DJ and producer Olswel is part of a generation of artists raised on the headbanging, teeth-gnashing sounds of 2010s EDM and dubstep. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call him a child of Skrillex. His music delivers those kinds of thrills, which are actually just the timeless thrills of hardcore dance music as manifested in the age of social media and streaming entertainment. It’s music for gaming but also for raving; as I learned in my interview with the artist, the two are not mutually exclusive. Give it a read, and listen to his banging track, “This Is Olswel,” below.
You sample a sort of notorious deadmau5 quote on “MURDER (Nuanced).” I think a good way to start this interview is to ask you what your relationship with 2010s EDM music and culture is, and how it has changed over the years.
Olswel: Ever since my cousin first showed me Skrillex while driving me home from Best Buy (we got an Xbox 360) in probably 2011, I have been in love with electronic music. Dubstep was really all I listened to for most of my young life once I had access to the internet and it will always have the most real estate in my brain and my heart (as far as music goes).
Is the title “This is Olswel” instructive to the listener? Do you think the track is emblematic of your style as a producer?
Yes, I think it represents me and my style of music very well, but it is also just like, "Hey, this is Olswel! That's my name and this is a song I made!"
Can you remember the first electronic music song that made a major impression on you?
“First of the Year (Equinox).” It actually scared me crudless and I had to know more. This doesn't sound ANYTHING like Fleetwood Mac!
Can you remember the first track you ever made? What did it sound like?
I cannot remember the first, but it was definitely on an FL Studio 11 Demo. But I would bet it sounded really bad.
How has your style evolved over the years?
It went from my big room house dubstep EDM trap phase when I first started, slowly to a more Mr. Carmack/Sam G style, then to a more experimental hip hop trap thing, and now back to the roots with the dubstep trap stuff. But the one thing I feel is always consistent is my melodies and my wanting to make good songs that I can be proud of.
Would you rather have someone game to your music or rave to your music? Or are the two not mutually exclusive?
Definitely not mutually exclusive, both are very important to me. I enjoy my time at home in front of my computer and would almost always choose that over going to a rave, but if I'm performing in your area I think everyone should get off their gamer chair and come ROCK OUT!
Can you talk a bit about the Try Hard project?
Try Hard is exactly what I think electronic music needs right now. An EDM BOYBAND with my talented music friends making music we think rocks! When we play live it is just So Much Fun and I highly recommend that if you want a good time you should book us … also DREI HERZEN out rn.
What makes you excited about music in 2026? Any artists you want to shout out?
Shoutout Savant. Shoutout all my amazing friends, you know who you are. Shoutout Lauren my lovely girlfriend too. I am very excited about releasing more music and just proving to people that I have been putting in the work and I deserve to be a little more hype, nothing crazy tho but we'll see what happens. And I hope the White House explodes.
