Exclusive Video Premiere of Great Dane’s “Fairhaven”
The location an artist chooses for an interview usually reveals something about their character. A densely populated coffee shop might betray vanity or a genuine interest in people, an upscale restaurant the size of an artist’s wallet or a measure of their professionalism. Dane Morris, who produces/DJs under the name Great Dane, doesn’t want anyone to make that kind of connection today.
“I’ve never been to this place,” the blond, fair-skinned 25-year-old says. He’s visiting Los Angeles from Orange County, and a friend suggested the posh West Hollywood café (and wine bar) where we meet. Polite and unassuming, his demeanor sits in stark contrast to the more demanding and boisterous midday clientele.
Ironically, Morris’ third album, Great Dane, is preoccupied with location. Some track names directly reveal where a beat was conceived (“Flight to Cali”), while others offer hints (“Feelin Good on a Wednesday”). “They all have little stories that I know, but hopefully [each] beat is its own thing,” he says.
Released in March via L.A.-based indie label Alpha Pup, Great Dane is Morris’ longest and most diverse work yet. It might also be his best. Like his previous records (Alpha Dog, Beta Cat), the album remains indebted to the punishingly percussive, hip-hop-inflected sound born out of L.A.’s perennially fecund beat scene. Still, while there’s enough bass to test the strength of your tympanic membrane, much of the low-end is tempered by a beautiful layering of softer sounds (e.g., guitar, synth).
“Fairhaven” represents perhaps the best synergy of both Morris’ aural progression and the connections he draws between place and narrative. Inspired by the deaths of three young girls killed in a hit-and-run on the corner of his street, the song captures the melancholy of the tragedy and serves as poignant valediction. “It was really impactful, for obvious reasons,” Morris explains. “As a musician, all I can really offer is a song; so I called it that.”
The eldest of four children, Morris was raised in Fullerton, CA. He began singing as a result of his father’s work in musical theater and eventually landed singing roles in commercials for companies like Chevy and Little Debbie. With the money from those jobs, Morris purchased a PC, hopped on the internet, and became enamored with rappers like Lil Wayne. “It was not even a question [of whether or not I liked rap]. It was just good.”
Morris’ affinity for electronic music took hold during his time at Chapman University, where he double-majored in vocal performance and musical education. After friends Preston James (Virtual Boy, Penthouse Penthouse) and Henry Allen (King Henry) invited him to weekly beat scene Valhalla Low End Theory, he became a devout attendee. “I didn’t really like techno or house music. When I went to Low End Theory, I saw this whole other world.”
However, Morris didn’t begin producing until after college. His training came from occasional tutorials from likeminded friends in Team Supreme, the still-prominent beat collective he cofounded in 2012. Though he’s learned a lot since then, he’s never viewed tenuous technical knowledge as an artistic hindrance. “There are plenty of people who know 20 times more than I do about that stuff. That doesn’t mean they’re going to make good music.”
As Team Supreme continued to grow via its notorious weekly (now monthly) beat cyphers, Morris sent his suites to Low End Theory resident DJ Nobody, who played them each Wednesday night. After a meeting with Alpha Pup owner (and LET cofounder) Daddy Kev, the two began planning Dane’s first album, 2013’s Alpha Dog.
While Kev was involved with Morris’ previous album, his work on Great Dane was essential. After Morris spent a year producing the record on his computer, Kev mixed and mastered the album entirely on analog equipment. “You can hear it. It’s crispy,” Morris says of Kev’s sonic touch. “I’m just going to sound like an idiot trying to describe it, but it really does make a difference.”
Looking ahead, Morris plans to release Great Dane on vinyl and will open for Gramatik on the West Coast dates of his spring tour. No matter the venue, Morris is content with what this album says about him. “I could die today, and I would have this record. It kind of represents me.”
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