Outsource: Blueprint For The Future

[written by Brian Grimmett]

Sci-fi. Cyberpunk. The Future…. These elements are an indelible part of the make-up of drum and bass. As a genre wholly devoted to cutting edge production techniques as well as pushing those boundaries to the limit, there is never a shortage of something new on the horizon. Bringing us the next step in an entirely new direction is Jeff Outsource Fletcher and his new VR game, Distortion.

His discovery of drum and bass, and subsequent introduction into music production, occurred in rapid succession. “I got into it around 1998, with my very first introduction to the music being through Photek and playing video games” explains Fletcher. “I met some friends and they were into DJing, and somebody gave me a bootleg copy of Acid Pro. I started making beats on my own and also got into DJing myself since I had friends who had some turntables.”

“As to my name Outsource…it comes from how much I get influenced by non-DnB sources, especially from video games, books, and film. I might see a documentary or hear a phrase, and I’ll go with things that create the sound from the theme of whatever I was consuming. So, a lot of my themes and inspiration comes from outer influences.”

Once he started making music, he hasn’t stopped since and has crafted his own signature sound. “I’m mainly focused on cinematic and atmospheric drum and bass,” says Fletcher. “My style particularly is a combination of ambient atmospheric pads with a hard-edged beat. I don’t take the beat lightly - I go hard with the beat and the drums. But at the same time, there always has to be a musical element. I’m always thinking of film…. like what would be appropriate if I was working on a movie.”

“And that was always my goal,” he adds. “I specifically moved out here to Los Angeles from the East coast back in 2004 for that reason. Photek was out here, and he was doing movies and stuff like that; that was a big inspiration for me to follow in those footsteps. So, I came out here and began pitching my music to different production companies, that was my hustle. I was real confident in drum and bass, even though it wasn’t really the mainstream thing, but felt it worked with the right programming. From there, my music was in extreme sports DVDs, documentaries, and more. There is a lot of opportunity for dnb outside of dnb.”

His goal of making music for film and games led him to getting involved in creating games himself. “It came about from some frustrations…. I’ve been doing music licensing since 2007 and its always the same method; submit music to a company and hope they like it,” relates Fletcher. “The final straw was there was a game I was pitching my music to, and they really liked it. But when I checked in at one point, my contact had left the company and so I had to resubmit my music to the company. And I kept getting the run around and just thought why do I put myself through this process.”

“So, I started with unity, with my first game being a mobile racing game. I was really trying to find a new way to promote music. Especially since there is a negative narrative about how people don’t really pay for streaming and everything. At the same time, you have to do it different than how people did it in the past. People are buying games and apps; so why not make music an innate part of it, something to attach it with. Instead of relying on downloads of a new single, let’s be the ones to make the game and the music soundtrack. The music has more of a purpose at that point and gives us a product that does sell. The money is made from the music and the game, so that’s my whole goal there.”

All of this leads us into his current project, Distortion.

“It’s a combination of a lot of different things going on right now,” details Fletcher,” and I converted it all into a sci-fi story; the basis of which came from conversations I was having with my brother about privacy issues, social media, and how we are behaving different in modern society. I created the story loosely based around current events, and the style came from being a fan of films like Bladerunner, The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, and that whole Cyberpunk sort of thing. I always imagined creating a classic first-person shooter but in a Cyberpunk environment.”

The official summary of the game showcases his understanding of that genre and how he synthesized it with his original concept:

The world of Distortion exists in a Cyberpunk mega city in the near future. It is a world where technology is being abused and the citizens are being controlled by thought from birth.

What's real is uncertain. The population's perception of reality is being controlled unknowingly by FA Corporation. Rumor has been said this is being done using a form of artificial neural implants initiated at birth. The implants are controlled by FA Corp's main data servers to control the significant actions taken by individuals. "Free will" and "liberty" have been engineered and distributed at scale to the masses. These actions effect everything from political, career and financial decisions throughout the implant sector of society.

Uncover the secrets of FA Corporation's "Thought Program" and destroy their central data network located in the highly secured corporate headquarters. Because of the various distortions, putting the pieces back together will not be easy on this journey but perhaps awakening a few key people could set the course for a new stage of freedom.

Coming from a music background, it is one of the most important features for Outsource. He has pulled no punches either, getting the legendary beat smith Leon Switch to make the music for the game. “I already knew I wanted a dark Leon Switch kind of sound,” he illustrates. “And I had sample packs from him and was going to use his sound as a core inspiration. But then I had the idea that everyone is reachable now; so, I introduced myself, told him how I was a huge fan of his work, and sent him some video clips of the game. Right away, he said let’s do it.”

“We have been on the same page creatively as well, where he will send me a clip and I know exactly where it should go,” states Fletcher. “At first, he was holding back a bit because he didn’t know where I was coming from. Then I told him I come from a drum and bass background and that I wanted him to do his thing and the goal was to take it to the mainstream. That’s what my company is going be about: I want it to be like a record label, but a video game company. It hasn’t been before and the only reason drum and bass isn’t out there more is because there is a lack of exposure of it.”

Armed with a killer idea, a cutting-edge game, and a true drum and bass soundtrack, Distortion is set to be a wavemaker of a game. Visit his kickstarter and get involved in helping this game reach its potential. Stay locked on Drumslinga's Videos Page for a replay of the special set by the man himself, Outsource LIVE from the Dropsquad Launch Party August 15th!! (link to Audio/Video mix coming soon right here!)