RIOT CODE, the enigmatic double act hailing from the Emerald Isles, are back with a new brain melting compilation that focuses on breaks, bass and industrial beats. Following a mental few years of parties and music releases, the duo carry on their rise through the realms of jungle, techno and even some Memphis rap edits in the form of their new compilation - ‘Behind Closed Doors’.

Within the new project dropping on the 21st of December, we see; 6 tracks solely produced by them, 2 tracks remixed by them, and 10 of their tracks remixed by others within the Irish scene. The compilation feels like a love letter to friends within the industry, but also to the scene in Ireland, both North and South.

I thought it would be a good idea to get a last minute interview with the guys to get their views on ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and their current situation:

How was the lockdown for you guys?

RIOT CODE was initially a lockdown project going back to the very first lockdown the whole world experienced. We live in the north of Ireland currently and  we’re not in a ‘’lockdown’’ anymore. Although the south of Ireland has a ‘’circuit breaker’’ in place were indoor venues/clubs have had to close and restrictions placed on the hospitality industry - I mean, we’re how long into this and the UK & Irish Government are absolutely terrible in terms of reliable support and clear guidance for the industry - although we’ll all prevail and make it out the other side of this

It must be a bit mad getting all this support during a time where artists aren’t able to do as much live stuff as usual?

For us, it was a major project to keep our minds busy and from doing that it massively gave us a drive, which I suppose in a way really helped our mental health with somewhat of a structure and routine. We’re really glad we did start the project when we did. It's really taken us both aback with how much has happened over the last year and the opportunities that have come knocking on our door.

How long have you been producing music?

One of us has been producing for 12+ years, the other is just shy of 2 years.

Have you guys always worked together?

We’ve both worked at polar opposite ends of the ‘’events’’ field. One of us DJ’ed/produced & the other was a full time photographer/videographer for events/touring artists - we met via clubs/raves around 5/6 years ago. We’ve both always helped each other with work/projects and we always discussed doing music together but we both always had hectic schedules with our own commitments and work - that's where lockdown opened up an opportunity for us to put our project to the test.

What was the scene like in Ireland pre-covid?

Ireland North or South loves a rave, it’s always been the best for crowds. Everyone is just wild - although coming back and playing after the lockdowns you felt more of an appreciation for music, promoters & artists. We think overall it’s just made people more grateful for things that we maybe, at some point, took for granted.

Obviously the compilation has a lot of Irish artists on it, who should we be looking out for?

All of them! Each remix has its own style, character & charm - all the heads on this release for remixes are truly great Irish talent, we’ve some more Irish remixes of those tracks we’ll be releasing in the coming months from other Irish artists that had a lot of other commitments this side of the year - I think overall, we’ll maybe have 15+ Irish artist remixes in total by then of the ‘’behind closed doors’’ Compilation.

Did you guys get to play abroad before all the lockdowns happened?

The week leading up to the big announcement of the new variant was our most chaotic week in terms of bookings for this side of the year and early 2022, from Scotland, Multiple UK Cities & Some European capitals - everyone's super cautious at the moment given the current situation, but we’re sure we’ll be seeing some new cities and faces next year.

Any big gigs/releases planned for the future?

As of right now, we’ve got our Belfast debut on NYE in the North of Ireland as a headliner show for ourselves which is great! We’ve got a few great festivals we’re playing next summer but can’t announce anything yet! We have tonnes of new releases yet to come next year that we are very excited for and for everyone to finally hear what we’ve been working on the past year.

What’s your favourite tune on the compilation and why?

Twisted would have to be our favourite track on the compilation, but probably our favourite track overall with how intense it sounds but still sounds fun at the same time. Remix wise everyone did a great job and we love all the remixes that everyone put their own different spin on.

This project already has all the hallmarks of a memorable release. For example, a personal favourite is their high octane remix of the electronic legend Leon Vynehall’s track ‘Dumbo Techno’. The track has the perfect mix of crunching industrial drums and hypnotic vocals. Vocals which allow the track to pull in and out like the tide - a moment of quiet followed by the crashing of rides and distorted kickdrums. A raved-up peak time weapon.

When it comes to their own tracks on the project, it shifts through different genres and tones that have featured heavily throughout their music in the past, but with something added and a sense of scale that shows a definite progression in the music production realm. Not that it was never amazing, but it’s just on a different level now.

Although their identity may be unknown, their signature sound and unflinching proclivity to create heads down party bangers is unmistakable - a sign that these gents are here to stay.