A CHAT W/ THORNZ

A CHAT W/ Thornz: Breaking The Mould

South-West selector George Thorne – better known as Thornz – is a name currently carving its way into the "artist to watch" list. After making his mark on the TRN imprint with the heavyweight "All Krew" (featured on the notorious WIRED Vol. 2), he quickly became synonymous with the dark and spooky side of garage. 👻

But to say you’ve got him figured out from that alone, you'd be wrong.

With his latest project, the 21-year-old producer is staging a sonic breakout. Refusing to be boxed into the murky corners of dark 2-step, Thornz has delivered an EP that functions as a manifesto of versatility. By pairing his signature shadows with a B-side fuelled by a burning passion for chunky 4x4 UKG, he pays homage to the influential Silva Bumpa while carving out a lane that is entirely his own.

To get to know more about this emerging artist, we fired some questions over:

Q – How long have you been involved in music for & how long have you been producing UKG?

 

A – I’ve been glued to music since I could reach a piano at 5. Been making UKG for about three years now.

 

 

Q – What is your fascination with UKG & why?

 

A – I love how UKG draws influence from lots of other genres. It pulls from jungle, house, dub — you name it — and still keeps that signature swing and weighty low-end. It just hits differently.

 

GET THIS EP FOR FREE USING CODE: ILOVETRN26 [VERY LIMITED ⏰]

 

Q – Can you describe your sound in 1 sentence?

 

A – Minimal, dark, club-built bass music that threads UKG, breaks and 140 together.

 

 

Q – What inspired you to make this project & why?

 

A – After the bootlegs popped off on SoundCloud, I wanted to prove I wasn’t just leaning on iconic vocals to make tunes land. After dropping my favourite release ALL KREW with Transistor, it was obvious they were the right home for my first EP.

 

 

Q – What is your favourite part of the project & why?

 

A – Everyone’s gonna gravitate to Lockoff, but Rush (Come In) is the one for me. It was the final tune I made for the EP and the hardest to nail, but the payoff was worth it. It’s got this introspective, shadowy feel that cuts against the rest of the project in a proper satisfying way.

 

 

Q – What 2 artists could relate to this project the most & why?

 

A – Bakey has to be first. He was one of the earliest darker, more stripped-back UKG producers I got into, and both his old bits and his new album Tribute definitely shaped this project. Then there’s Main Phase — clean, sharp, instantly recognisable. His bass design and FX work were big influences on how I crafted this EP.

 

 

Q – What can someone expect to hear from you in the future?

 

A – More originals, more dancefloor energy, plus a few cheeky edits because I can’t help myself. I’m widening the palette too — really into that new minimal deep tech sound exploding right now, and the speed garage/house crossover you’re hearing from Riordan and Silva Bumpa. And… there might be some new label talk brewing.

 

If you've learned a little more about this sound-defining EP, go and give it a listen on your preferred platform