Interview: In Conversation with Jane Doe: Fortress, Rage and Emotional Power

Jane Doe’s Fortress EP is more than just a fierce debut for VTO Records. It is a layered, emotionally charged dive into resistance, vulnerability and the raw tension of neurofunk’s sonic battlefield. From the relentless energy of Stood Up to the playful power of POP, each track pulses with intent. We caught up with the South Australian producer to talk through her journey, the scene at home, and the balance between cinematic storytelling and dancefloor destruction.

Let’s start with the new EP. Fortress is a bold, cinematic body of work. When you were putting it together, what kind of atmosphere or world were you trying to create?

The goal for me was to follow up from Pieces within the emotional theme that was presented in that track and continue that journey within the same sphere.

It is a story of breaking, collapse, resistance, recalibration, rebuilding and then final release. This can be applied in a more human concept, not just in a science fiction theme.

Pieces was a track about being broken, and Stood Up was the transition into resistance, using pure rage as a driving force to recalibrate.

Then came All In. This track originally had vocals, however, we decided to scrap them as it didn’t quite fit, so in turn it became quite an ambiguous track, but it still retains its progression of emotion in its soundscapes, one of hope and bravery mixed with anxious trepidation in the process of rebuilding.

POP is just a bassy assault of pure fun and sass wrapped up in a blanket of oomph. It’s pure celebration, with a hint of cute aggressiveness.

There was a pointed attempt to convey some of that brutal female energy, yet retain that emotional vulnerability in this EP, and I hope that’s the atmosphere conveyed in my tracks.

There’s a strong sense of narrative running through this release, almost like it could be a soundtrack to a dystopian film. Was that deliberate? How important is storytelling in your production?

Not deliberate. This is just the natural direction of what I do normally and the way my tracks end up. 

I guess that’s kind of why the VTO boys have me on board, it's just how I roll.

Being neurofunk, sounds have freedom to be more high tech and that can naturally create a dystopian feel. In my opinion Neurofunk paves the way in sound design, therefore it's always going to have a futuristic feel.

Storytelling is typical in my productions. Generally, a lot of the tracks I write relate to myself or my life, that I can convey through vocals or creation of a mood via pads/synths, etc. It's challenging to do something that’s got its heart on its sleeve and canine teeth bared at the same time.

I love that music and art can have an original message and intent, but are totally open to interpretation by the individual.

It’s the coolest when the sound and message you want to convey resonate strongly with others.

Tracks like Stood Up and POP hit hard but remain incredibly precise. Can you take us inside the production on one of them and talk about the approach you took?

Stood Up was made with the intent to be aggressive. The roaring bass hits at the end of each 8-bar section correspond with the female vocal to push that angry femme vibe.

I used real vocals/chants/hums to create a more human atmosphere within the track to be more evocative.

The pace and velocity of the track in its entirety is purposefully relentless, and I tried very hard to create variations and tension whilst retaining that energy. 

Stood Up was a slow project to complete with many changes to the drums and arrangement. It originally was going to have a 4x4 second drop, but it really didn't need that with its already hectic vibe. 

How has your sound developed over the past year? Do you see this EP as a new direction or more of a continuation of where things were already heading?

It’s a continuation and natural evolution for sure. I grow with every new track, driven by the goal of creating quality neurofunk worth releasing, which in turn motivates me to learn even more.

Over the last year, I’ve been refining my production method by stripping back my normal approach and becoming more efficient. I've been utilising tried-and-true presets and racks in Ableton, implementing more technical elements, and improving my mixdowns in turn.

I've been working on some more techy DnB to develop myself as a more well-rounded producer. I would like to continue the tearout styling of what's already present in my tracks and develop it into something that the big neurofunk labels would take on. 

You’ve been helping shine a light on Australia’s drum and bass community. How has the local scene shaped your approach, and what does it mean to be part of that resurgence?

Representing the Neurofunk/heavy DnB flavour within the Australian scene is super important to me, and I push those who are like-minded to bring it and push it with me. 

On the surface, the local scene is a little more conservative in their DnB tastes, perhaps a little nostalgic due to the demographic, however, the great support I'm seeing for the DJs that aren't afraid to play new and heavy stuff within their sets tells me that this is changing. 

A couple of us here have a saying “They love neuro, they just don't know it”, e.g Andy C and A.M.C. are playing a huge amount of neuro in their sets, and Aussies are frothing to see them. Case in point. Don't be afraid to admit you're spicy!

Neurofunk is often described as cold and mechanical, but your music feels like it’s got real intent and character. How do you balance the technical side with emotional or thematic depth?

Thank you! It's naturally how I'm inclined to write music. I utilise plenty of atmospheric elements and vocals to create something a little more vibey. 

I think it can be a bit of an arms race of sound design with Neurofunk, and many strongly focus on that alone. Not necessarily a bad thing as it promotes sound evolution, but there's a certain loss of soul. Artists like me want to capture the best of both worlds in fresh new sounds, while not being afraid to integrate the ‘older’ sounds that we love, bringing the soul in.

VTO Records has always supported forward-thinking artists. What has your experience been like working with the team, and how did this EP come together with them?

Lee and Dan, who run VTO, have been excellent in supporting my growth, and both provided great guidance and constructive feedback on my tracks for this EP. They are incredibly professional and efficient. I don't tolerate sloppy operators, so these guys suit me to a tee.

I’m super happy to be an official artist with VTO and absolutely love their vision and aesthetic, and adore what my fellow VTO official artists, The Fi5th and Bad Ace, are doing too. 

What can we expect from you next? Are there any future releases, shows, or collaborations already in motion?

I have a collaborative liquid EP with fellow Adelaide artist DT3 coming out with the new Vibe City label this year, a liquid collaboration track with Dialective coming out on Dialect Audio, A collab EP on BrainRave and also a couple of tracks awaiting some bars from an MC.

I've got a techstep collaboration track with Victim DnB lined up for a cool label release, but I'm going to keep my lips sealed on that until fully confirmed.

For the remainder of this year, I'm just going to be plugging away at building some memorable neuro tracks and aiming to get on a couple of big neuro labels.   

With djing, I have been lucky enough to support some big names coming over to Adelaide and am hoping to get some festival spots over spring/summer in Australia, and fingers crossed someone books me overseas to play soon! 

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'm gonna play VAULT by Pendulum. It's my favourite track, and it's going to hype me up to make myself a raft to get the heck off that island because:

1. Sand actually kinda sucks.

2. Coconut milk has a laxative effect, and that won't be a fun time

3. I’m gonna miss eating McDonald's nuggets too much 

Big thanks to Jane for sharing her time, love of McNuggets, and thoughts with us! Fortress EP is out now on VTO Records. It is a bold release from a producer with a serious voice and a growing presence in the global neurofunk conversation.