ARMNHMR

First forming a kinship through a love of local raves, Joseph Chung and Joseph Abella's fusion of dubstep, trance and techno has found favour with millions of listeners globally. This year the pair, in their guise as ARMNHMR, released their debut album. We sat down for a natter with Abella to find out more...

Firstly, how did ARMNHMR first get off the ground – how did you guys first meet?

“To put it simply, partying. We began as concert goers. We both met through mutual groups of friends in the SoCal raving scene. We spent many years going to festivals together that we eventually thought it would be a great idea to start something of our own. I started learning first and the rest is history.”

Can you talk us through your (coined term) ‘Hammer’ sound – what are the hallmarks of it and why did you call it that?

“The ‘Hammer’ sound is something of an emotional rollercoaster. We want our music to take you on a journey. By the end of the song we want you to be left feeling pensive and in awe. Hopeful or at the very least a sense of closure.”

Let’s talk about Together as One, which is out now via Monstercat. It’s a really fantastic listen. How long has this album been in development and what tracks are your personal faves?

“The album has been in development for the past couple of years. On and off we’ve been working on each of the tracks since the COVID pandemic. It’s hard to pinpoint a favourite track, because each one shared a special moment during the time we wrote it.”

There are some incredible textures on the album, and some rock-solid hooks. Do you have a tried-and-tested production process, or does your arrangement/mixing approach vary track to track?

“Each track naturally takes a life of its own. We don’t have a plan of attack for most of our music. Some tracks came together quicker than others, but overall it just took time and patience.”