Unless you live under a rock, chances are you’ve heard Ray Volpe‘s infectious track, “Laserbeam,” at least once, and you should know his name is pronounced vol-PEE. His chart-topping hit has graced remixes and countless stages across the globe, channeling the classic banger essence of old dubstep in the most exhilarating way. Ray Volpe’s swift ascent to fame stands as proof of his unquestionable talent and dedication to the craft.
Moon Lvnding recently had the privilege of catching up with Volpe as he gears up for the 2023 fall festival season. For you Arizona locals, he will be hitting the Phoenix Raceway in just a few short weeks on September 3, 2023, for Excision’s Basstrack – so be sure to snag your tickets while you can! During our Q&A session, here’s what Volpe had to say:
MOON LVNDING: Could you tell us the standard stuff — your name, where you’re from, and how you settled on your artist name back in 2012?
RAY VOLPE: My name is my name! Well, Raymond, technically. I’m originally from Long Island, NY, but I grew up primarily outside Charlotte, North Carolina! I started making music in 2010, and two years in, I decided to go by my real name. I don’t really know why to be honest. It was just a sudden change that felt like the right thing to do.
MOON LVNDING: EDM names can be funny — sometimes, you can go a while without pronouncing someone’s name or project correctly. There was even chatter about your producer tag, Volpetron, being heard as several different things. What is your favorite instance of someone mispronouncing your name or producer tag?
RAY VOLPE: Oh, definitely “Lucky Charms.” I just don’t understand why it would be that. I get the occasional mix-up with “Volpe track” or something similar, but “Lucky Charms?!” Why?!
MOON LVNDING: You’ve been making music for quite a while, so let’s dig into that: Can you tell us about when you started? Do you play any instruments? What is your hardware/software setup like?
RAY VOLPE: I started in 7th grade! So sometime in late 2010. It was just me and my friend messing around with FL Studio after school. I don’t play any instruments, although when I was younger, I did play the clarinet briefly during 6th and 7th grade. I don’t recall much from that experience, and I didn’t retain any music theory either! My setup is pretty simple. I work off my MacBook Pro, and when needed, I use KRK Rokit 5 studio monitors. I am a firm believer in not needing anything super crazy to get some good results! As for software, I use Ableton Live and tons of different plugins like Serum, VPS Avenger, and more!
MOON LVNDING: Who or what initially inspired you to get into making music? What continues to inspire you now?
RAY VOLPE: Skrillex and Big Chocolate were massive inspirations for me in the beginning. I used to listen to the Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites EP on repeat all day alongside Big Chocolate’s 2011 Warped Tour Big Chocolate Sampler. Those were huge for me in the first year or so of my career. I loved that they made more than one genre, whether it was electro-house, dubstep, or drum and bass. Many established artists had their niches, but I always felt like I connected to multiple genres, so seeing them do that really motivated me. To this day, both artists continue to really inspire me. Today, I feel the same way about Space Laces. I also find inspiration from my friends and the underground up-and-comers in the scene. I love seeing what is fresh and figuring out how to incorporate those elements with other trends.
MOON LVNDING: Can you delve into your music influences and background and elaborate on how you developed your sound specifically?
RAY VOLPE: I love returning to my metalcore/pop punk/scene kid roots. I listened to a ton of bands growing up and still do to this day. Their arrangements, melodies, and ideas are always something I look at when working on music. My background is as emo as it gets. From My Chemical Romance to the “Count Your Blessings” era of Bring Me The Horizon. I love it all. As heavy as they get, many bands like that have these underlying tones of deep emotion and powerful melodies that really hit your heart. I want to create that same feeling. I try my best to bring emotional aspects to even my heaviest music unless, of course, the intention is to simply make a banger! I love combining elements from mainstream dance stuff too. I like to consider myself commercial dubstep or commercial bass music. It’s digestible for an outsider who may have never listened to dubstep and is friendly to many different audiences. I love pulling elements from people like Martin Garrix or Illenium and adding my own spin. I’ve always been making all genres, and I’ve been super grateful to have a fanbase that’s open to me being so diverse.
MOON LVNDING: When did you pick up DJing? So far, what has been your absolute favorite show to play?
RAY VOLPE: I started DJing in 2016! I got signed to my first agency and started getting booked, so I used my first sample pack earnings to grab a pair of CDJs and went to town practicing. It’s hard to pick a favorite to this day; I think EDC Las Vegas is up there as one of the best, as well as Lollapalooza in Chicago.
MOON LVNDING: What would you say if you could send just one short text to your 16-year-old self when you started?
RAY VOLPE: I’d probably say something like… Hey. Don’t give up. School isn’t going to work out. You’re going to get hurt, a lot. But music is going to keep you going. That will always be there for you. You will find a family in this. You will do things you’ve never thought were possible. I can’t wait for you to live through it.
MOON LVNDING: Your track, “Laserbeam,” has been out for over a year and catapulted your career to new, well-deserved heights. What is one unexpected thing that has happened to you from creating one of the most-played bangers in bass music?
RAY VOLPE: I’d say it was Chris Lake’s remix of “Laserbeam.” It was crazy to hear from him and his spin on the song. Seeing it branch so far into other genres is mindblowing.
MOON LVNDING: You recently went to Rampage Open Air in Europe and closed out the Storm stage; how did that entire experience feel for you?
RAY VOLPE: That was absolutely surreal. I actually didn’t know that I was closing for a bit. My team told me, but I had blown it off like it wasn’t real — a classic denial. When the set times dropped, it hit me. I was so shocked at how amazing it turned out. Rampage is a special crowd; it’s really one-of-a-kind. Being able to close that type of event — I can’t express how amazing the energy was. It felt like everyone came together for the same purpose, the love of the music and to rage!
MOON LVNDING: Since you’ve been to Europe a few times now for shows, do you have a favorite memory from touring there?
RAY VOLPE: I’d actually say the time off I spent in London. I got to see friends I had never met in real life before, which was really special. I had a super productive week working on music too. I hold that week very close to my heart.
MOON LVNDING: Is there anything on your music producer bucket list you are looking forward to conquering?
RAY VOLPE: I have two answers – one related to music and one to touring. Musically, I really want to work with Skrillex. I just want to have that full-circle moment. I hope that one day it can happen. Touring-wise, I really want to play Ultra Music Festival, the Worldwide stage specifically. That’s where I first set foot on a festival ground in the EDM. Getter brought me out on stage to play our collaboration. So, playing there would be a massive full-circle moment.
MOON LVNDING: Is there a message that you always try to communicate to your fans?
RAY VOLPE: That it’s possible to overcome failure. It’s possible to prove people wrong. It’s possible to come back if you feel like you’ve fallen. I like to push the message that anything is possible and you can do it; you must always push forward.
MOON LVNDING: At Moon Lvnding, we like to practice gratitude; what is something you are grateful for right now? It can be in your career or personal life, or both!
RAY VOLPE: I am extremely grateful for my team. There are a few of us, including my manager Pat, my girlfriend Jess (who contributes to the project in various capacities, including creativity, marketing, strategy, and more), my agent Peter, my business manager Alex, and my visual designer Andres. These guys are my family; without them, there is no Ray Volpe. They believe in me more than I do.
MOON LVNDING: Is there anything else you want to share before signing off?
RAY VOLPE: I’m extremely excited to continue on this new headline tour, VOLPETRON ASCENDS. It’s based on my new EP of the same name, which comes out on Monstercat at the end of August. It’s going to be so much fun!
