Dead Weight is the deathstep project of Chicago based Jackson Iturbide that stands for aggressive catharsis and against self-harm and harming others. With beats and 808s in the vein of Skrillex and Maurauda, energy inspired by Slipknot, and vocals inspired by Napalm Death, Dead Weight fuses the styles of dubstep and death metal to unleash an ominous aggression that bids you to let your emotions run wild and realize how alive you really are. Rather than harm yourself or others, Ollie (as he goes by when the makeup goes on) invites fans to let their rage out to Dead Weight, reminding them that there is no rainbow without the rain.
He recently released a blistering new single titled “Convulsing” that is unbelievably electrifying. He fuses together spine chilling vocals with thunderous bass and heavily distorted guitars in a wondrous way, solidifying it as a true head banging anthem.
We had a chance to ask Dead Weight a few questions about his project and this single. Enjoy and listen to “Convulsing” below!
“When no one is there for you, music is there for you, and I’m there for you.” Where did this message come from and what does it mean to you?
It means that you’re never alone if you have music. If you have family, relationship, mental health or personal issues you can seek refuge in music, and especially in Dead Weight, because the music flows from the struggles of life and fights back against them, and Olli–the character/role I take with the corpse paint and as I perform, is non-binary, and meant to be relatable to anyone. Olli is more of a role than an identity, anyone can be Olli or be Olli for someone else. Olli will always be there for you with open arms.
As for where it came from–I actually said it in natural conversation trying to explain the project to someone and didn’t realize it at the time. My manager (Thomas Bridges) overheard it and thought it nailed the meaning of the project so he wrote it down. We have decided to put it on a hooded sweatshirt that we will be releasing soon, with the protocol of giving all of the profits to a charity (we haven’t decided yet but are in conversation with a few non-profit organizations, but we are open to collaboration with anyone if the fit is right).
When did you get into electronic music? When did you realize you wanted to fuse hard rock and dubstep together?
I got into electronic music around the age of 14-15. Just like many others it was Skrillex and Kill The Noise that kick started me into this EDM world. From hearing the pure authenticity of Skrillex’s music and the full throttled sound design from Kill The Noise I was hooked on the whole scene like it was crack.
I never had this crazy epiphany about fusing the two genres together. I guess it started way back when I was getting into heavy music. I loved the rush and the relief I got during and after a heavy song. Not singling it down to heavy metal either, just heavy music in general, music that makes you want to burn the world while it’s hitting your eardrums. From that it had an unconscious influence on my writing style. So, you could say I unintentionally fused these two genres together just purely because I’d try to write what I wanted to hear. Trying to be honest with my production and my authentic self.
Who are a few artists you look up to right now both as artists and also at spreading positive messages like yours?
A couple artists that are grabbing my attention right now are King Yosef and Nanoo. King Yosef is this “industrial sounding” Hip-Hop Artist (I put quotations there because I’m not really sure How to describe his music). Nanoo is this forward thinking producer that ranges from Heavy Dubstep, Experimental Bass and House. He’s so diverse and makes me strive to be a better producer.
As for artist/brands I look up to for spreading positivity in the scene would have to be OWSLA. Even though they are still on their painfully long hiatus, OWSLA does something unique and different that unifies all these different sounds with the same energy. They just keep it fresh, keeping real, and keeping it true. That’s what OWSLA does.
What’s in store for the rest of the year/next year for you?
For the rest of the year I have a lot of music releases: singles, collabs and maybe even a full length EP if everyone is up for it. Lots of shows planned for the rest of the year and starting 2023.
Just know that you may not know who/what Dead Weight is currently, and that’s okay, But for these upcoming years you won’t be able to get rid of me. I’m in this for life.