Estonian–Russian duo Double Medley have been steadily carving out their place in the drum and bass underground, with a sound rooted in techy precision, heavy atmospherics, and a fearless approach to structure. With past releases on Neuropunk, Paperfunk, and Cataclysm Recordings, they now step up to VTO Records for Propaganda / Osymetry, a two-track release that fuses eerie samples, crushing basslines, and industrial weight. We caught up with German Orlov and Nikita Davletov to talk about the ideas behind the release, their workflow as a duo, and where they’re heading next.

Propaganda is such a striking track, from the eerie 1960s-style broadcast to that crushing drop. What was the original spark for the idea, and how did you build it into what we hear now?

Usually, our process starts pretty simply. We sit down, play around with basslines, and once something clicks, we start building a drum part around it. That becomes the backbone of the track. When it comes to the intro and outro, we always try to tell a bit of a story. We like to add vocal samples, voices, something that makes the intro interesting and sets the mood. For this track, we actually found an old news recording from a radio station and used it, which gave the track this kind of vintage, nostalgic feel.

That switch into 4x4 mid-track caught a lot of people off guard. Was it always planned, or did it come together during the writing?

Honestly, I can’t really answer that one because I don’t remember exactly how we made that part. But I know for sure it was my partner Nikita who did it. He always comes up with these unusual transitions, and I guess that’s kind of our trademark.

Osymetry has a darker, rolling energy. How did you make sure it still connected with Propaganda as part of the same release?

When it comes to our releases and the way we approach them, we usually put together an EP. If we have tracks that feel like a pair we try to choose ones that really match each other in vibe. As for Osymmetry, I think the inspiration came from Phace, that kind of industrial track with those howling basses. And that’s exactly why these two tracks felt connected to us.

You’ve released on Neuropunk, Paperfunk, and Cataclysm Recordings before this. How has your sound evolved in the lead-up to joining the VTO Records roster?

To be honest, our style and our neuro sound have stayed the same, that's something we don’t want to lose. The vibe and the signature sound are important to us. But when it comes to sound production and design, with every new release there’s definitely progress. We keep learning new things, improving our mixing, and pushing the quality further each time.

As a duo, how do you usually split the process, from idea generation through to production and final touches?

Usually, Nikita is the driving force behind our progress, he's the idea generator. I pick out the concepts that I feel are really worth finishing and tell him, and then we either develop them together or he writes them out while I take care of corrections, mastering, and mixing. Right now we’re working remotely, but since we both use FL Studio, it’s super convenient we just send each other zip packs. We also use the same set of plugins, so there are no conflicts. Honestly, it makes the whole process a pleasure.

Your music has that mix of techy precision and heavy atmosphere. Who or what are the biggest influences shaping your sound right now?

I’d say the biggest influence is definitely our mood. Your inner state really shapes the kind of music you create. We don’t follow trends at all. Of course, we keep an eye on what’s popular, but in the end, we always do things our own way. I think the most important thing is to listen to yourself and make the music the way you truly like it.

VTO Records has been putting out some big releases lately. How did this connection come about, and what made it the right home for this EP?

I’ll be honest, it was the first time I’d ever come across someone like Lee. He just reached out, we talked, and we had an agreement. It all happened so quickly and easily that I was honestly surprised, in the best way. I wish more label owners worked like that, making decisions fast and keeping things moving.

The EP has already been smashing it in live sets. What’s it been like seeing and hearing those crowd reactions?

We shared these tracks with some of our friends and even played one of them at the Neuropunk festival. At one point I was actually worried that the track ‘Propaganda’ wouldn’t sound good on a big stage, because back then I didn’t really have experience mixing specifically for that kind of setting. But during the set I saw the crowd’s reaction especially to the part you asked about earlier. That transition hit really well, and the crowd responded so positively, with hands in the air. That was an amazing moment for me.

Outside the studio, what’s inspiring you at the moment, musically or otherwise, that might feed into your future work?

As I mentioned earlier, it’s really all about mood and that kind of fighting spirit. I already announced in the VTO Records podcast interview that we’re starting a new project, and I think moving toward something new is a big source of motivation. When you begin creating something fresh and it works out well, that energy pushes you even further. So I’d say it’s all about mindset and that mindset really depends on your inner state.

What can fans expect next from Double Medley after this release? Any collaborations, remixes, or live dates you can share yet?

We’re going through a transition right now. All I can really share is that we’re starting a new project. I can’t reveal what it will be or exactly how it’s going to look yet. Our last release, the ‘Double Medley’ one, might be the final one under this name or maybe we’ll have one more, I’m not entirely sure. Most likely there will be one more, and I can say for certain that it will be on Neurofunk Forge which literally means ‘anvil.’ That will actually be a collab with Subminderz. And also, we already have a new release planned on Dirtbox Recordings, though I’m not sure yet under which name it’s going to come out. That’s about all I can say for now.

And finally… if you could take just one drum and bass track, by any artist from any era, to a desert island, what would it be and why?

I think a lot of people know this track. For me, it’s kind of an epochal one of the very first drum & bass tracks I ever heard that had such interesting neuro basses. I’d probably take our own remaster of it, the one we made just for ourselves. No one will ever hear it, since it’s only for personal use, but that’s the version I’d take with me.

Kemal & Rob Data - Star Trails (Double Medley Remaster)

Thanks to German and Nikita for sharing their story. Propaganda / Osymetry dropped 29 August 2025 on VTO Records, don’t miss it.