Exclusive: Ravenscoon Unveils the Journey Behind New EP ‘BODY,’ Upcoming Album ‘PERIPHERY,’ and First Headlining Tour

In electronic music, one name has been making waves and shaking sound systems to their core – that name is Ravenscoon. We had the privilege of delving into the mind behind his groundbreaking concept album PERIPHERY, and its first tantalizing chapter, BODY, which dropped this past week.

Ravenscoon, known to his global fanbase as Paul Conversano, has masterfully combined influences from death metal, hip-hop, and punk rock with experimental bass music to craft a fresh and nostalgically familiar sound. BODY is not just music; it is an experience that makes your entire physical being want to move and dance.

But this compilation is just the beginning of an ambitious journey. Ravenscoon is here to take us on a sonic adventure, and his doing it through his upcoming tour, aptly named “The Periphery Tour.” With each new EP release throughout the fall, fans will taste what this visionary has in store.

Sitting down with Ravenscoon, we dove deep into the inspiration and exploration behind BODY, the forthcoming album PERIPHERY, and what we can expect from along tour. Get ready to feel the pulsations in your chest, vibrations in your eyeballs, and your face melting – because Ravenscoon is about to redefine your musical boundaries.

Check out Magnetic Mag’s exclusive interview with Ravenscoon below.

Growing up in Atlanta, what were your earliest musical influences and how does it apply to your involvement in bass music?

I have been a fan of Atlanta-styled rap music for a long time. Growing up here, we used to listen to Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, and Waka Flocka Flam through high school. I also started listening to electronic music really early, specifically trance and happy hardcore. By age 15, I was going to Pretty Lights shows in 2009, along with artists like Rusko. It was a mishmash of things that has evolved into what I draw on today in my music.

Your EP BODY marks the first installment of your concept album PERIPHERY. Can you share what inspired the concept behind PERIPHERY and how BODY fits into the larger narrative?

PERIPHERY is my exploration of what it means to be alive, a journey from the very beginning of your perception of reality to where you are now. From the edges and the periphery of existence and back again. BODY is the big statement piece of the album, filled with songs designed to melt your face and make you want to “MOVE” and dance. I approached the album like I do my live sets – with massive energy at the beginning before I wind you down a psychedelic tunnel.

The track “BOUNDARY” serves as the introduction to BODY. Could you tell us about the creative process behind this opening track and its role in setting the tone for the EP?

I wrote another song called “MASSIVE” that didn’t end up making the cut of the album and “BOUNDARY”’s main arpeggio was the outro of that song. It features a synth that I use in other tracks on the album, a signature sound of mine, that I repurposed into the intro of the album. It serves as a breath of fresh air before you embark upon your journey – teasing sounds you will hear in future songs. I really love how it sets the tone for the entire BODY of work.

“BREATHE” is a captivating track on BODY that draws listeners in with whispered vocals and shelling basslines. What emotions or experiences were you hoping to convey through this piece? What personal memories come to mind when listening to it?

I wrote “BREATHE” with my friend Seeka, who has been sending me his WIPs for years now. This is actually his first or second ever official release. When he sent me the initial idea I just loved the ominous intro and heavy bass patch. After a bunch of back & forth and many sessions we created the final product – the vocals in “BREATHE” let you know to take a deep breath before one of the heaviest and most unrelenting drops I have ever created. I knew it had to be the first track on the album outside of the Intro, as it sets a massive tone that BODY and PERIPHERY are here – it assails your senses and leaves you breathless all the way until you exhale at the end of the track.

The EP includes collaborations with Seeka, Killa P, Al Kapone, Sully, and AshEL Seasunz. How do these collaborations contribute to the overall sonic landscape of BODY? What were some of the highlights of working with this diverse range of artists?

Collaboration is very important to me, I think some of my best work comes when I work with others. You typically see tons of people come together to create an album in pop music – Beyoncé will have 15 people write and produce her album. You do not always see that in EDM where people expect the artist to do everything – I personally LOVE having different minds and points of view, and different vocalists offer their skills to help me achieve my vision.

Sully is one of the best producers in bass music in my opinion, and he is a labelmate. I have long wanted to work with him, and our song came out super quick. He’s easy to work with and knew exactly what we wanted from our song. An absolute dancefloor killer.

I wrote the instrumental to GO! With vocalists in mind, that was a challenge in itself. I have written songs with vocals before but normally I don’t write them empty, so learning where pauses and moments of silence belonged to fit vocals was a fun challenge.

I was very happy when Killa P said he was down to do the track, and his hook absolutely blew me away. I felt like a southern flair was missing though, so I tapped Memphis Legend Al Kapone who took the song to the next level with his infectious energy. They both provided me several vocal options to work with, which I then cut up and completely chopped and rearranged.

Lastly, I wrote “MELT” for vocals and knew I wanted to feature Ashel – I’ve been a huge fan of his work since 2009. He is a genius wordsmith and super accustomed to electronic collaboration. Working with him and the rest of these artists not only took these tracks to the next level but taught me a lot as a producer.

Which track on the EP pushed you the most out of your comfort zone as a producer? Which challenges did you face when creating it and how did you overcome them?

“BREATHE” and “WILD” were made pretty easily. When you work on your own original tracks, there is definitely a lot more nitpicking that goes on. That is how I was with both “GO!” and “MELT”. I also did not have any vocals when I started writing them; I wrote them to fit vocals so had to insert pauses and empty space where they could fit in. It was difficult to feel out where vocals would go without them being there.

“MELT” is an interesting blend of old school dubstep and trap. It almost feels like a genreless song. Seth Drake, who was working on the track with me, and I had to figure out how to bridge the two drops between each other. We designed this sub that had the movement going. Having someone that can give you advice like Seth, my fiancé, my friend Kenny, and other trusted people always helps. I am lucky enough to have people that give me actionable feedback that I openly listen to.

“GO!” featuring Killa P and Al Kapone is a standout track on BODY. What sparked the concept for this anthem?

I am a big fan of the 2010-2012 drumstep sound. Excision and Terravita used to make this type of music. It was really popular when I first becameold enough to go to shows. Drumstep is at the pace of 174 which is similar to drum & bass, but the drums are half-time. Yet, it is still so energetic because of the tempo. I have written a couple tracks in that for like “Never Heard Of Ya” with Smoakland.

All of these are super big and super high energy. These tracks are great for starting a set off. When you listen to “GO!”, there is constant energy the whole time. I want to continue writing songs like these. As I mentioned, this was written strictly as an instrumental. It challenged me to do an intro, then have a beat section where the vocals came in, then doing a build while leaving empty parts for vocals to fit in. I tried to make each section have a different sonic element happening so the track doesn’t lose its energy throughout.

Your description of BODY mentions creating music that makes the physical being want to move and dance. How do you approach crafting tracks that achieve this visceral response?

There are a couple of tricks I have up my sleeve when it comes to high energy. A lot of those are centered around the drums and the use of the low ends. Also, I use ton of the effects. Many of my tracks, especially the ones in BODY, have up to 30 different effects. Risers, downlifters, crowd noise… all sorts of things you might not hear if you are casually listening. But if you close your eyes and listen, a ton of movement is happening.

Additionally, if the drums and the sub are really smacking and grooving, and you want to dance to it before there are any effects, vocals, or bass, you are right on the cusp of a solid track. Another component to note is that there are ups and downs. The drops will hit harder when you get the chance to catch your breath.

How did you weave BODY into your set at Deep Tropics? What were the best moments from your set and experience there?

I am friends with Bill, aka Laser Monkey, who was doing the laser production on the bass stage. I had an idea of what my set was going to be so I recorded me playing it live and sent him the file. That way he could plan the lasers to it. Regarding weaving BODY into the set, I was not able to get to every track. I was gatekeeping “GO!” because I wanted to keep it a surprise. “MELT” would be in there but I switched it out and decided to do something else.

I kept “WILD” with Sully for the end of my set. Normally that one goes in the first half so I can keep the energy up. However, after a really nice melodic section, I cranked up the energy using that song. The upcoming album is nice to have under my belt because there is something for every occassion. There is 18 tracks so if there is a moment when the crowd wants to go crazy I have anthems from BODY or other parts of PERIPHERY that I can use.

As a producer, you explore both energetic dance-floor bangers and melodic bass. How do you strike a balance between these different styles while maintaining a cohesive narrative in PERIPHERY?

It is hard and one of the things that I sturuggled with while making the album. How do you write 18 songs that are all different but also feel like they came from the same place? On top of the tricks I mentioned earlier, I have saved certain synthesizers and patches that I will use in different tracks. Sometimes I will use the same drum samples, such as kicks and snares. Weaving these in subtly is a solid way to leave your fingerprints across all the tracks on an album.

It also comes down to truly understanding the album’s overall energy and telling a narrative. You can utilize both of these to explain the project to the listener and create teaser trailer videos that go with each section to give your audience images so they can better relate to it. I released this first track that has mountains and volcanoes to give a sense of wonder but also lets people know that the EP [BODY] might be explosive or might be gritty.

Whereas the next part of the album is centered around the heart. The teaser trailer for that is flowers, waterfalls, grass, fields, and nightskys, better depicting the sonic vibe of that EP.

The Periphery Tour is set to accompany the release of new pieces of the sonic journey. Can you give us a glimpse into what fans can expect from the upcoming releases throughout the fall?

The tour is wrapped in with the album. This way I support the album on the tour and vice-versa; yin and yang. Throughout the entire tour, the album is released in a waterfall format. Part one, BODY, is out now of course. Part two, HEART, is dropping in late September. Part three, MIND, is in mid-November. SOUL arrives in the beginning of December, just as the tour is wrapping up.

I will be playing all the parts of ther album throughout the tour, even if you see a week from now when it kicks off. Everyone must get the same opportunity to hear the whole thing. However, different parts of the album will be sprinkled into different spots. I picked support that will feel different for the various spots.

I have so many sets prepared, consisting of A, B, C, D, E, and F. Set A, B, and C are the same set but rearranged differently. D, E, and F are the same set but rearranged in three different ways as well. I can merge parts of all of these sets for endless combinations. For example, a crowd might get half of set A and half of set F. I will keep it fresh while making sure that audiences will get to experience PERIPHERY.

Looking beyond BODY, what are your long-term goals and aspirations for THE PERIPHERY as a concept album, and what impact do you hope it has on your audience and the music industry? How do you plan on achieving these objectives?

Writing a cohesive concept album that goes beyond records is very important. This is what it was like when I first started getting into music; everything was packaged into albums and made for a more immersive listening experience. That art has been lost a bit since then. You wouldn’t always love every song, but over time you would develop a relationship with all of them.

I want to continue this in electronic music. There are other artists that are doing this but I think it is crucial to contribute to this cause. Not everything has to be a single or EP. You can take a risk; you can write an album. There will always be an audience for that. I hope this album reaches many people who have never heard of me before or never given me a chance because ther is something for everyone in it.

Goal-wise, I would love to level up after this tour, so I hope it is a success. Next time around I would love to get a bus to travel with my production team and sound rig. I am bringing in sound to a couple of these stops but traveling with an 18-wheeler boastina big sound rig is a major step up.

I want to headline Mission Ballroom in Denver and Red Rocks in the next two years. This is a pretty lofty goal yet a huge dream, and I don’t think it is unachievable if everything goes well.

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