Perhaps what makes heavy bass music so successful is its ability to move people at their core, literally; deep bass frequencies vibrate organs and bones, creating minor molecular rearrangements to yield a visceral reaction. To put it plainly, it’s such a good vibration. Amplifying the sensations of bass music, the dynamic DJ duo known as Arius, deliver a heavy artillery of adrenaline-triggering beats to produce a powerful sound. Combining the talents of Tessa Lizz, known for her finger drumming skills, with her partner Matt “Dumbo” Nguyen mixing on the decks, the two are teaming up to showcase their skills at Big Dub 2016.
The pair headlined at Badass’s annual Valentine’s bash “Get Laid” this past February. While the two displayed an amazing artistic chemistry on stage, what many might not realize is that the two are in fact married; “Being partners in life and business is amazing.”, stated the pair in an interview, “…We have an extremely strong bond because we share the same passion and what’s even better is that we get to live both of our dreams together!”
Truly living out their dreams, the two didn’t always see their music careers on the horizon. The pair met in 2010 at EDC but wouldn’t cross paths again until nearly two years later. Prior to forming in Arius, Dumbo devoted himself to working as a professional dancer, most notably as the founder of the season five winning team of America’s Best Dance Crew, known as Poreotics; “When Poreotics first blew up we were known as those Asian dudes with shades that dance to Dubstep and bad ass music. I guess that’s a start, I’ve always been motivated to be different and original.”, says Dumbo. Nguyen began his career as a DJ in 2013 and urged Tessa, whom at the time was working as a model, to come on board two years later.
The pair admitted that soon after starting out they grew bored of playing commercialized EDM; “I got tired of playing music that was on the radio and the same damn song everybody wants to hear”, says Dumbo. “…[We] felt having two people behind the decks was so unnecessary.”, adds Tessa, “Then we came up with the idea of me finger drumming.” Despite having no formal training or background in music, Tessa has emerged as a prominent and talented finger-drummer, giving Arius a unique personalized touch. “Our goal as a pair from day one has been originality. We want to be different. Anyone can download a hot festival playlist to DJ but not anybody can go on stage and bring what we bring as Arius.”
Since rebranding themselves as bass specialists and incorporating percussion, Arius have been unstoppable. Likewise, they have grown a stronger connection to their growing fan base; “We love bass music because not everyone understands it; bass music listeners are very special to us,” they say, “We feel happy and excited to be in a room full of people that loves bass music. It’s like being in a room with a bunch of robots f*cking really loud and it’s so sick to the ears you know? What’s even more amazing is that you probably leave a bass event and go home with so many songs in your head that you don’t even know what the hell it was but it was amazing when you heard it. For us I think that is why we love it, we go on an adventure and when it’s over, you just know those were the moments that you will never experience again.”
Photo Credit: Bassface Media