Thrillhouse’s “Space Disco” music video spins a story of Lovecraftian lore

As a musician and creator who continues to hone their craft with intention, the muti-talented Thrillhouse’s days revolve around strumming guitar strings and immersing themselves in music production. His aesthetic blends captivating sounds with a visually immersive experience. His repertoire is flexible and nimble, ranging from high-energy DJ sets to live instruments underscored by warm electronic beats.

In 2022/23, a grant from Amplify BC’s Music Video program at Creative BC enabled Thrillhouse to further expand this repertoire by supporting the production of his “Space Disco” single into an immersive and memorable music video. Influenced by a potent and instantly-recognizable alchemy of 90s retrofuturism, pulp sci-fi, and Lovecraftian and gothic horror elements, the video told the story of a literal ‘Thrillhouse’ – both a strange creature, and an unlikely anti-hero called to defend a dystopian Earth from attack by a Cthulhu-inspired giant monster from outer space. The video uniquely utilized these narrative devices to reflect on the many competing elements of humanity that can exist within each person, and make up the whole of their personality. The video was filmed at the historic Beaumont Studios, in Vancouver, and saw release in the summer of 2023.

The Thrillhouse music video release poster.

As Thrillhouse explains, “The financial boost from this grant has genuinely opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. It’s something I’ve only ever dreamed of – being able to create a music video for my music. Something I used to watch on iconic platforms like Much Music and MTV as a kid! The enormity of what we’ve accomplished is still sinking in, especially when you consider the unexpected hurdles we faced, like a power outage during a critical shoot. This funding has transformed my ambitions into tangible realities.”

The success of “Space Disco”, as a music video, builds on existing momentum for Thrillhouse. This momentum can be quantified both in terms of their musical output to date, and – in doing so – his continued efforts to ensure that these efforts create positive, memorable experiences for listeners from all walks of life.

As Thrillhouse clarifies, “Writing music takes up a good chunk of my daily routine. My music caters to a diverse crowd – those who share my love for science fiction, fantasy, comic books, movies, and video games. It also connects to ravers who crave bass-heavy music. My shows represent spaces where everyone can be themselves. The driving force behind everything I create is a firm no bad vibes, no negativity policy.”

When asked to reflect on the successes to date that have underpinned the success of “Space Disco”, he reflects, and offers, “Looking back, I’m very proud of the songs I released last year. They all charted in the Beatport Top 100 charts. And, four out of five tracks landed in the Top 10 of the bass house charts.”

Casting his eye even further to the past, Thrillhouse continues, “Back in 2019, opening the mainstage at Motion Notion was a surreal experience. Even though there was still an enormous lineup of cars waiting to get in, being on a stage that big was something I’ve never experienced before.”

A still from the Thrillhouse music video shoot.

“Also, my EP – “It Came From Planet Funk”. The EP that features “Space Disco”! I was so pleased that, in the end, it landed me in the #2 in the Bass House charts and #5 in the Overall Top 100 releases.”

Looking ahead to future goals, Thrillhouse articulates that his ambition knows few limits.

“In the near future, there’s a load of exciting collaborations lined up. But what really gives me a proud grin is the music video that Creative BC supported last year. It’s like a summary of my artistic journey so far. It blends sounds and visuals in a way that truly represents everything I have been building up to this point!”

When asked to reflect on the artistic inspirations that have informed and inspired his creativity, Thrillhouse considers, and offers, “When I think about who has inspired my career, there are quite a few artists. The Bloody Beetroots, Daft Punk, Justice, The Prodigy, Taiki Nulight, Prince, Rob Zombie, and The Misfits. Each of them has been a crucial inspiration to creating the project that Creative BC supported, as well as my work on a whole. Each of them has influenced me at different points in my life.”

A Thrillhouse music video production still.

In this vein, Thrillhouse continues, “Also, throughout my journey I have had four incredible mentors. Before I dove headfirst into the music scene, Jorel Minuk – or, PRZM – introduced me to the world of DJing when we were in our early twenties. Then, I took the leap to go to Nimbus School of Recording & Media in Vancouver in 2015.”  Thrillhouse continues, “Having spent 8 years in kitchens prior, and having no knowledge of audio or music production aside from DJing, Jeff Hilman, Sorena Khanlou, and Travis Murray began to mentor me. They taught me from the ground up, and continue to teach me most of what I know about music production. All of them are incredibly talented at what they do. Watching these guys own and hone their craft pushes me to keep pushing to be the best I can be at mine.”

Rounding out these personal reflections, Thrillhouse concludes, “Last but not least is Cosmic Academy. Justin Cohen and Zack Edward taught me both the business and production side of the music industry. When I joined, back in 2021, I was stuck in my career and wondering what I was doing wrong. Zack showed me what was wrong with my mixes, and Justin showed me the importance of my brand, marketing and using social media – which I barely used before. That was a crucial step for me to start building a fanbase.”

In this same spirit of instructive gratitude, Thrillhouse’s words for those considering applying to Creative BC in support of their own projects are both helpful and direct.

The eponymous Thrillhouse prepares to confront an otherworldly evil.

“Speaking from my own experience, don’t try to do the grant application process by yourself. Get a skilled producer and production manager on board, like I did. It made all the difference. They gave me ideas and angles that I wouldn’t have even thought of. The outcome was better than I could have hoped for.”

You can watch “Space Disco”, and learn more about Thrillhouse and his music, here.

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Photos and artwork courtesy of Thrillhouse.