Few labels carry the weight of expectation that Metalheadz does. For producers drawn to atmosphere, tension and detailed craftsmanship, a release on Goldie’s imprint remains a significant milestone. For Rift, the arrival of Morana represents both a personal achievement and a snapshot of a sound rooted in cinematic tension, careful arrangement and a fascination with mythology.

We've got to start with Metalheadz. Plenty of producers dream about releasing on the label. What did it mean to you personally when this EP came together?

Yeah, it was definitely huge for me when it finally came together. Metalheadz is a label that has been very important in shaping my own taste in music as well as fundamentally the whole genre, and they're even the reason I decided to begin making drum and bass in the first place. I remember seeing Goldie DJ for the first time, probably 10 years or so ago. I had been listening to DnB already for many years at this point, but this was really my first exposure to this older, more raw style of DnB, and I immediately connected with it. Pretty much on the spot, I decided to switch from producing future garage to DnB after that. That connection and excitement I first felt having heard this style of music has really stuck with me throughout the years and has continued to inspire me, and so to be able to work with Metalheadz on this release has been a very special experience for me.

The EP title, Morana, immediately creates a certain atmosphere before you've even pressed play. What drew you to that title, and how does it connect to the music on the record?

I'd always been interested in mythology, and I remember going down a bit of a rabbit hole a few years ago on Morana, who is an old Slavic goddess representing winter, death and rebirth. I think, particularly, the fact that she presents a transition from winter to spring, and between life and death, is connected to a feeling of change for me. It matched up with how the track Morana felt musically, with the first half being much darker before transitioning into a more uplifting form through the second drop. It also felt quite fitting for the release as a whole; it definitely felt like a transitional moment for me, a fresh start.

We're premiering Pandora later this month, which feels like one of the most cinematic tracks on the EP. Was there a particular image, story, or mood in your head while you were building that one?

Yeah, definitely, it was actually the Greek story of Pandora I had in mind (again, I was deep into a mythology rabbit-hole at the time). I wanted to capture Pandora's deep curiosity and wonder, and evolve the track from that point into something tenser and more driven as she decides to open it. It's always been a story I've been really interested in and found it to be a really good inspiration point for this track.

One thing that stands out across the EP is the sense of tension running through it. Even the quieter moments feel like they're leading somewhere. Was that a conscious thread you wanted to carry across the project?

That tension is certainly a core theme throughout the EP. I know that it is a style and tone I can craft fairly well, and I wanted there to be cohesion between the tracks, so I knew that at the heart of each track had to be this same feeling created, which sits in a strange grey-space between being quite dark and eerie, while also having an awe-inspiring or mysterious quality to it.

Metalheadz has always been associated with individuality rather than a specific formula. Did working towards a Headz release influence your approach at all, or did you simply follow your instincts and let the music find its home afterwards?

It was one of those things where the harder you try to do something, the harder it becomes to actually achieve it. Every time I would try to sit down and go 'ok today I'm making a track I think Metalheadz will like', I just wouldn't be happy with what I was coming out with. It felt forced and didn't come naturally in those moments. But when I allow myself to make music at my own pace and in my own time, I occasionally make tracks that I think would suit the label. So I just trusted myself to go through my normal process and make whatever style of music I felt like producing in that moment, and whenever a track did come around which I felt could suit Headz, I'd set it aside in a demo folder and just press on. It's part of why it took so long for this EP to come together: I was very deliberate about not rushing or putting pressure on myself to get it done, just allowing the tracks to come naturally in their own time.

Compared to where you were around Black and Gold, do you feel your sound has changed over the last year, or is it more a case of refining ideas that were already there?

I've always loved setting the tone and creating a particular mood with my music, and allowing that expression to progress and develop throughout the track - I think that is probably one of the most characteristic elements of my music. That is still definitely at the heart of what I'm making, although I've noticed that, around that musical core, the other details of the track (the style of the drums, the general pacing and development of the track) have begun to evolve more over the last few months. I've enjoyed using more broken, interesting drum patterns, and I always love making rolling, rhythmic music, but I feel like my attention is increasingly drawn to the cinematic aspects of the tracks, not just the energy anymore. This has helped to keep it interesting and stay inspired with the music.

You've spoken before about drawing inspiration from outside drum and bass. What music, films, books, games, or other influences have been feeding into your creativity recently?

It does seem that mythology is certainly in the mix at the moment, it's something I've always been really fascinated by since I was young, and recently I think I'm going through a cycle again where I'm very engaged and inspired by it again. There are a few movies as well that I've been enjoying again and have certainly drawn inspiration from, whether it is the story, the suspense they create, the soundtracks, or the settings. A few of those films would include Sunshine, Se7en, Interstellar and Shutter Island.

When you're building atmosphere in a track, what usually comes first: the technical sound design, the drums, or the emotional feeling you're trying to create?

I definitely feel that the emotional feeling should come first. It sets the tone and tells you where you are and what to expect right from the start. The sound design and drums should come in to complement that, adding detail to the picture you are painting and helping dictate the energy and journey through the feeling you've set up. This is definitely what I believe, but realistically, I almost never follow my own advice and usually start with the drums. I tend to find making drums comes more naturally to me, and I just enjoy the process a lot, so unless I'm strict with myself, I do find myself just working on drums all day. This EP is actually a good example of why I should start listening to my own advice more, as all four of these tracks I deliberately began with the atmospherics and melodies, and wouldn't let myself even think about the drums till that feeling was firmly in place.

What was the biggest challenge on the Morana EP? Was there a track that took significantly longer to click into place than the others?

The biggest challenge was definitely deciding that the EP was finished and that I had to stop procrastinating and send the demos off to Goldie. I think all the tracks were essentially finished for about 5 months before the demos were eventually sent over. I was determined to make the tracks as refined and polished as possible, particularly since it was the first time I'd be sending demos to Metalheadz and I wanted to make a good impression. For the individual tracks themselves, Pandora took by far the longest, although it was also the oldest track on the EP. I think I initially started that one back in late 2023 / early 2024. By the time I had Morana and Mercury together in 2025, I felt the production quality on Pandora wasn't up to the same level as the others, but I still loved the core idea and wanted to retain it, so I went back and completely redid all of the drumwork and got everything sounding much crisper. I'm definitely much happier with how it is sounding now in its final form, and I'm pleased that one didn't just get forgotten and left behind.

As listeners work their way through the EP, is there a particular track that you feel deserves a little extra attention, perhaps one that says something important about where you're heading as an artist?

I think Mercury captures, in the purest form, what I want to bring together in my music. It captures all the musicality and expression from the intro through the pads and vocals, and all the precision and weight in the drop that I love. I love adding lots of little details and variations to my tracks, and I think the drums and basses are very expressive and fluid. These are all aspects of music which I love hearing in other people's music and want to create within my own. I don't always manage to nail all of these elements in balance on all of my tunes, but I think Mercury is the best job I've done at creating a piece of music that captures everything I love.

Metalheadz has a unique history and identity within drum and bass. Looking back at the artists who've released on the label before you, are there any records or producers that have had a particularly strong influence on your own journey?

It will be hard to narrow down to just a few artists from Metalheadz who have helped shape my own journey in music. The first mention certainly has to be for Phil (Philth) though, as a musician he's been an influence on me for over a decade, and as a mentor I certainly would not have been able to get this EP to the level and quality I feel it is at, and wouldn't have even had the confidence to attempt to get it in front of Goldie. He's definitely helped me believe in my own music and given me the courage to make music that is truly my own, not just what I think other people want from me.

There are plenty of others on the label who have also had a big impact; the early stuff from Calyx and Commix is certainly up there, along with other artists like Grey Code, Gyrofield, Quartz, Mako, Paradox and NC-17, who have also put out plenty of great tracks.

Finally, we're always interested in what's next. Once Morana is out in the world, what should people be watching out for from Rift over the rest of 2026?

I've got a few other releases lined up for 2026 already which is exciting, it has also given me a bit of creative breathing room to try making some more creative and unusual stuff without the urgency of having to line up more releases immediately. I've definitely been exploring more interesting drumwork and rhythms recently, so I think there will be plenty more snares and chopped breaks, but everything will still be true to what I love capturing in my music: dark, tense atmospheres and weighty basslines.

For all the mythology, atmosphere and cinematic detail woven through Morana, one of the most revealing parts of the conversation is how long Rift was willing to sit with the music before letting it go. Now that the EP is finally out in the world, there's a sense that things are beginning to open up. With more releases already lined up and plenty of new ideas taking shape in the studio, Morana feels less like a finishing point and more like the start of a particularly exciting period for Rift.