UZ

UZ is a French producer and DJ, one of the people who built electronic trap rather than arrived after it. In early 2012, grounded by injury, he set a rule: one trap beat a day, no exceptions. Name hidden, files labeled in his own alphabet, posted as a number and two words: Trap Shit.

Twenty-five tracks landed as the sound was still forming, and helped give it a genre. No label, no face. The mask came later, by Slipknot designer Ralis Khan.

Red Bull commissioned Balltrap Muzic Vol.1. Trap Sh*t V13 hit #9 on Billboard Dance. Releases followed on Mad Decent, OWSLA, Mau5trap, Dim Mak. Three albums anchor it: Layers, The Rebirth, Trinity.

He's remixed Ice Cube, DJ Shadow, Zeds Dead; worked with T-Pain, Troyboi, Tropkillaz; played Coachella, Sonar, Ultra, EDC.

Behind UZ: DJ Troubl, world champion turntablist; Plezier, house alias; Rose Noir, jazz-funk beats. In 2016 he co-founded Quality Goods Records. 400+ releases, thirteen-plus years. It hasn't stopped.