There are those producers that simply make music just to follow the hot trends and then there are those who push the limit of what it means to be a Producer. Our recent find IanPlug is one the latter and is ready to raise hell with songs filled with chaos, raver anthems and epic rock ballads. The Rising Electronic music producer sat down with us to discuss his next project, his influences and why overseas fans can’t get enough of his music.
First off, tell us about the name IanPlug?
Honestly, when I first started making beats during the COVID era, I didn’t have a name; I was just Ian. Over time, as I slowly developed my sound, most people told me that my beats sound psychedelic and atmospheric, kind of like a drug-induced trance. Since then, my name has been locked in, as it reflects both my sound and my musical influences.
How would you describe your sound?
Picture the purest form of euphoria & trance like melodies with driving ear piercing drums it feels like an eternal rave deep in the underworld. I feel like illusions is the best track to really get a look into my sound that beat contains my Rave , Drum N Bass & EDM Sound perfectly
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you?
Daft Punk is easily my biggest influence. You can hear it the most in a track like “Miami Vices” , “Round The Whole World” and an unreleased song I have called “Don’t Wanna Party”. I grew up on the albums Discovery and Homework, and they heavily influenced my work in this era. Lil Uzi Vert is one of the main reasons I even got FL Studio in the first place when I learnt how a majority of his producers use the program. The song 1600 specifically is what really interested me in producing. Skrillex was also a massive influence growing up. “Rock n’ Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)” was one of my childhood favorites growing up. Deadmau5, I used to bump 4×4=12 all the time back in middle school on my iPod. Black Sabbath & Led Zeppelin are some of my favorite childhood bands. I had friends in middle school who were heavy into rock music, and I have plenty of rock-like anthems on Hardwired. Playboi Carti is one of my biggest influences performance-wise, knowing how to drop at the right time and how to guide his fanbase.
As an electronic music producer you always need to be evolving. Tell us about the IanPlug evolution as an artist through the years.
I started with trap beats influenced by the sounds of artists like Playboi Carti & Lil Uzi Vert. They were good beats, sure, but nothing really helped me stand out. In early 2022, I started experimenting with synthwave for the first time, which led to two of my biggest songs currently on Spotify: “Control U & Amazing” featuring vocals from my homie, Lance AKA Duffy. In 2024, I released my first studio album, “Dark Moon,” which really showcased and perfected my old space sound. After that, I wanted to try something I’ve never done before.
As time progressed, I kept growing, evolving, and shifting, but around early 2025, I really started unlocking my true potential. I had dived into multiple genres. Tracks such as “Alive” and “Revive” fall into the drum n bass category. Tracks like “Canta Mas Fuertes,” which my friend Saladin and I made together in a Miami Airbnb, and “Sequencia,” diving into more Latin Pop. And more traditional electronic songs such as “Feeling So High,” “So Free,” & “Closing Nights”. Even in my next project, I will have more genres that people aren’t ready for. As I evolved and changed my sound, I noticed how much international support I have been receiving. I even charted on the Latin Pop charts on iTunes and reached Number 4 on Reggae with my 2024 song featuring my friend Purppsosa.
Hear ‘Illusions’ by IanPlug
Your new single “Illusions” is a great example of this development. Can you share your songwriting/producing process? How did this song come together?
Illusions is the sound that can only be curated when I live in Detroit. Something about this city just brings a new texture to my beats. I started illusions early September. The first draft was only a minute long with a barebones melody with my friend and collaborator of the track Pierce Prada. Over the coming weeks I started adding more drums and switch ups and melodies to make it really addictive until I got the final vocals that came on at around the middle of September with her screaming “Burn my throat and erase my heart”. Around this time I finished polishing and mixing and mastering before I used to just produce songs in one take and never revision them even leaving some at a short length but this era I really wanna push my limits and sound I wont release the song until it is completely finished.
We hear a new IanPlug album Hardwired is coming soon. What can you tell us about it?
This album is special to me. It really feels like the first time I am truly creating something from start to finish that will have a significant impact. My homie GTZ, aka Xavier, is helping me curate the sounds of this project, so far we’ve got a good percentage of a rough tracklist done. He will send me little ideas or visions to help me push my sounds to the next level. Some of my favorite tracks include Ride or Die, an explosive intro track. I made a demo of this song in my South Beach Miami Hotel room before my flight back to Detroit. The track features lush synths, heavenly vocals, and a bone-chilling saxophone outro to top it all. Red Light is a crazy, hellish rock ballad that clocks in at over 5 minutes. This song is me at my best, and I play it almost daily. Hellraiser is probably one of my intense and bone-chilling songs to date. “I play with my life, baby, I don’t give a F***” is one of the most impactful lines from the song’s vocalist. Love Spells is also a fantastic song that will be the lead single off the album, dropping around Halloween. “You got a hold on me, you got a control on me” is so addictive. It’s a dancehall love song with an infectious synth outro that just sounds heavenly.
What do you hope listeners will take away from your music?
I want my listeners and even other producers or artists to see that you can create music without having to follow the generic pathway of making music that others will like. There’s another path: truly enjoying what you’re making while not letting others dictate your worth. Just don’t overthink; try new things and be open-minded. My father always told me that getting outside your comfort zone and bubble is the key to success.
Give us a look at the future for IanPlug.
I recently just ordered a Pioneer DJ Set as I have my first opening show in Florida around January. Next summer, I am also planning to travel to Switzerland to stay with my auntie. Most of my fans are overseas, and I would like to see and interact with them in person. Japan is definitely in the works, too. I have a lot of traction and supporters out there. I want to get more into films & advertisements for my songs. I recently got one of my 2024 beats to be used for a Jagermeister Japan video ad, which brought much exposure. Hardwired will also be released by next year. It will feature my first-ever music video for the track Red Light. I really want this project to shine. I am going to keep evolving my craft to deliver something off the wall. Most of the singles released during this era period will not be on the album, just little appetizers for the evolution. Electronic music labels are already in talks with me, so this is only the start.
