Mindslash and Shadowmaw Push Deeper Into the Darkness on “What We Say.” The techno pair deliver a harder-hitting, emotionally charged weapon for the dancefloor.
“What We Say” marks the return of Mindslash and Shadowmaw as they join forces once again for a relentless new collaboration aimed squarely at the peak hours of the dancefloor. Building on the momentum of their breakout track “Mechanical Duality,” the pair dive deeper into darker, more explosive psy-techno influences, refining the powerful sonic identity they continue to shape together.
Over the years, Mindslash has emerged as one of the standout names in peak-time techno, earning a place among the Top 50 best-selling artists in the genre. His catalogue spans respected labels such as Set About, Invicta, Animarum, Crypt Music, and Technography, with multiple releases climbing the charts and receiving support from artists including Armin Van Buuren, Nicole Moudaber, and Danny Avila. His sound has also resonated on some of electronic music’s biggest stages, from Tomorrowland to Coachella.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
1. After the success of *“Mechanical Duality,”* did you feel pressure to make the follow-up even bigger with *“What We Say”?
Mindslash: Honestly, more excitement than pressure. These days it’s incredibly difficult to break through, even if the music is good, especially when you don’t have big teams or massive promotion behind you. In many ways, the success of “Mechanical Duality” felt surreal to us. But every time we collaborate, there’s a special energy from the start. I usually don’t collaborate very often, but with Shadowmaw it always feels natural and inspiring. We entered this project with a very hyped mindset and from the first moments we knew the track had something powerful inside it.
Shadowmaw: On the contrary. I felt motivated and even more confident in our sound and ideas, especially after seeing it played at Coachella by Armin Van Buuren and Adam Beyer. That kind of support gave me reassurance that we were moving in the right direction creatively and encouraged us to push our vision even further with this release.
2. *“What We Say”* has a very intense, peak-time energy. What was the main vision behind the track when you first started working on it?
Mindslash: The beautiful thing about techno is that everyone experiences it differently, but what connects people on the dancefloor is the feeling of freedom. That was the core spirit behind “What We Say.”
From the beginning, the vision was to create something intense, hypnotic and emotionally charged at the same time – a track that completely takes over the energy of the room during peak-time moments. We spent a lot of time shaping the atmosphere, tension and movement of the track so it wouldn’t just hit hard, but also create a strong emotional impact on the crowd.
Shadowmaw: In the beginning, I had the main theme and a few complementary sounds, but I wasn’t exactly sure what direction to take the project. That’s when I decided to share it with Mindslash, who loved the theme and introduced the vocals and several key elements; from there, we built upon it together. Once we found the right balance between atmosphere, tension, and impact, the whole concept started to come together naturally.
3. Your sounds complement each other naturally. How do your individual styles merge when collaborating in the studio?
Mindslash: I think the process is very mutual. As someone who spends most of his life in the studio, I often take the lead technically, but the real magic comes from how different our styles are.
Shadowmaw comes from a more minimal and darker side of techno, bringing this mysterious and hypnotic energy, while I naturally bring a more modern, emotional and high-energy approach. When those two worlds collide, the result becomes something neither of us would create alone.
I think that chemistry is exactly what made our first collaboration “Mechanical Duality” so successful and helped it reach places we never expected, including support from artists like Armin Van Buuren and Adam Beyer.
Shadowmaw: By far the easiest way for me to work is to collaborate with Mindslash. We’ve always shared a similar taste in what works and what doesn’t, so everything comes naturally to us. When we work together, we often share different perspectives, and I’m honestly surprised by how much he influences me in the best way possible. That creative exchange allows us to constantly refine ideas and bring out the strongest elements in each track.
4. The track blends hypnotic psy-techno elements with heavy-impact drops. How did you approach balancing groove and aggression in the production?
Mindslash: For me, the biggest mistake in techno is overdoing things and losing the vision of the track. We always try to balance energy with space and atmosphere. A powerful drop doesn’t only come from making everything loud or aggressive – sometimes the quiet moments before the impact are what make the drop truly hit. Groove and aggression are equally important because one controls the body while the other controls the emotion.
Shadowmaw: For me, it’s always important to balance tension and release; that is the main focus. However, the groove is, to an extent, my specialty, since I love playing with call-and-response elements as well as percussion. We each focused on our respective strengths, and when it came together, it sounded like a natural fit. The goal was to make the track feel energetic and powerful without losing its hypnotic flow on the dancefloor.
5. Both of you have received support from major artists and festivals worldwide. How important has that recognition been in shaping your confidence as producers?
Mindslash: It definitely gave us confidence that we’re moving in the right direction. Seeing artists like Armin Van Buuren and Adam Beyer support our music felt surreal and incredibly motivating.
More than anything, it reminded us why we started making music in the first place. Knowing that music created from genuine emotion and passion can reach such massive stages gave us a lot of motivation to keep pushing forward creatively.
Shadowmaw: Very important. Seeing something you made after many sleepless nights being played by industry giants on the biggest stages is the recognition that drives any producer forward. It not only validates the hard work behind the scenes, but also motivates us to keep evolving and experimenting with our sound.
6. You mentioned this release marks the beginning of a more personal era, especially with showing your faces on the artwork for the first time. Why was now the right moment to make that shift?
Mindslash: Personal confidence. Over time, I became much more comfortable with my music, my ideas and my abilities as an artist. This release feels like a mental elevation for both of us. We’ve grown creatively, technically and personally, and now it feels like the right moment to fully stand behind the vision and identity we’re building.
Shadowmaw: To be honest, we should have done that earlier, but it’s better late than never. That being said, now is a great moment since we have had several releases and many shows together; people are starting to recognize us more and more. It felt like the right time to connect our identity more directly with the music and present ourselves in a more authentic and personal way.
7. Shadowmaw, as the founder of Crypt Music, and Mindslash, as a consistently charting artist, how do your different experiences influence your creative decisions together?
Mindslash: Shadowmaw brings a lot of experience from the label side of the industry. As a label owner and someone who has spent many years in the scene, he understands release strategies and the business side much deeper.
I spend most of my time in the studio, so I naturally focus more on sound design, production details and musical structure. Of course we disagree creatively sometimes, but that’s actually what makes the collaboration work – two different visions pushing each other into unexpected territory.
Shadowmaw: As a label owner, I find it very important to work with young talent because it opens doors and elevates the final product. Additionally, over the years, I’ve learned how to refine and structure tracks so that they hit every mark: they’re easy to listen to, have a clean mix/master, and are DJ-friendly. Combining that experience with Mindslash’s consistency and understanding of the current scene creates a very balanced and effective workflow between us.
8. What do you think defines a truly effective peak-time techno track in today’s scene?
Mindslash: The most important thing is honesty and identity. A lot of producers today focus too much on trends and forget that music is supposed to express something real.
What’s missing in modern techno sometimes is soul and creativity. For me personally, I’m not chasing trends or formulas when producing – I’m chasing a feeling I want people to experience.
Shadowmaw: Dynamics, a clean mix and master, a driving bassline, subtle percussion, and catchy vocals. Beyond that, I think a great peak-time track also needs strong tension, memorable moments, and enough personality to stand out while still working effectively on large festival systems.
9. When creating music designed for huge dancefloors, do you picture specific moments or crowds while producing?
Mindslash: Not necessarily specific crowds or venues, but I definitely think about the reaction and emotional energy the music can create.
One of the most exciting parts of production is imagining that moment when the tension builds and suddenly the entire room connects to the same feeling at once.
Shadowmaw: I usually picture myself playing the track in front of a big crowd. If, in my imagination, the track works and represents my message as an artist, I know I am in the right direction. My intuition has never let me down. I also try to imagine the emotional reaction and energy exchange between the crowd and the DJ during key moments of the track.
10. With “What We Say” introducing a new chapter for both of you, what can listeners expect next from this collaboration?
Mindslash: Definitely more original music and more collaborations in the future. But beyond individual releases, we’re both focused on building a much bigger artistic vision around the sound and identity we want to create.
A lot of exciting things are already in development, but we prefer to let the music speak first and reveal things at the right time.
Shadowmaw: I think it’s one of our best works so far. Listeners will definitely hear a more cohesive and expressive version of our sound. We’ve carefully crafted the track to be versatile – you can play it at a festival or listen to it during a workout. We are showcasing exactly what our combined forces can produce. Moving forward, people can expect even more refined productions, stronger concepts, and a deeper exploration of our shared musical identity.
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