Deadcrow

Revered for his cutting-edge approach to wave music and experimentation across bass music, Deadcrow represents what it means to be a true influencer within dance music. Drawing upon his upbringing in the Netherlands, Deadcrow’s signature sound not only pulls from a variety of styles across the genre spectrum, but also from his father, notable jazz musician John Ruocco. At just three years old, Felix Ruocco learned to play the drums which sparked his career to come. At 12, Deadcrow already became well-versed in genres such as hardstyle, drum and bass, and dubstep, leading him to learn his way around FruityLoops — now FL Studio — on his dad’s laptop and teach himself how to produce electronic music.

Browsing YouTube and becoming an expert crate digger, Deadcrow’s fascination with grime and trap music laid the groundwork for his current status in the wave community. Inspired by artists such as UZ and RL Grime, his early years of music production included several witch house projects, including Salem and CVL† SH‡†, and led to him attending the Utrecht production school Herman Brood Academie, where he graduated in 2016. To kick off the Deadcrow alias, Felix unleashed his first releases on Dutch labels Antilounge and FilosofischeStilte’s BLCK Records, later releasing on Saturate! Records as he explored bass music to new heights. In 2016, Deadcrow stumbled upon a new sound known as wave, and he felt inspired by producers like Yung Gud, Mssingno, Kareful, and brothel. To introduce himself to the scene, Deadcrow released his Night Wonder EP on Plastician’s Terrorhythm Recordings and his collaboration with Kareful, “Night Skies,” two releases that solidified his influencer status in the wave community.

As one of the scene’s renowned figures, Deadcrow is known for his nostalgic, JDM and cyberpunk aesthetic through both his sound and branding. Heavily influenced by video games like Need for Speed Underground 2 and Tokyo Xtreme Racer along with the Blade Runner film franchise, Deadcrow brings forth a sound that’s both futuristic and heavy yet emotionally-driven. Deadcrow’s one-of-a-kind touch has brought him around the world on tour, including his first run of shows in the United States in 2018, where he was the first wave artist to perform across the country. Recent years have seen Deadcrow catch the attention of high-profile artists in the bass community, including RL Grime, Zeds Dead, Whipped Cream, Krewella, Peekaboo, and many more who have supported his original music.

As a staple on wave labels Liquid Ritual, vibe.digital, and wavemob, Deadcrow has helped spur a movement in dance music which has led him to expand his release catalogue to some of electronic music’s most notable labels, including Sable Valley, Deadbeats, Night Mode, Quality Goods Records, and more. Known for his experimental sound and tastefully unpredictable DJ sets, Deadcrow has influenced the next generation of bass music through his matchless signature touch and his steady push toward the future.