The Australian producer SUS1ER’s tranced-out new project will have you reaching for the lasers. Rage Configuration is a collection of tracks that connect many eras of trance to the rap music that often samples and finds inspiration from the genre. One standout is “Stress Exercise,” a banging joyride filled with big sawtooth synths, dewy piano leads, and drums that will pummel your brain. We sent some questions over to the SUS1ER; check out the interview and listen to Rage Configuration below.

Tell us about this new release. 

SUS1ER: I made Rage Configuration over 2024 and 2025. I was listening to a lot of Evian Christ’s BBC Essentials mix which really made me go through and listen to more trance and see how it has progressed over the years. I’ve always loved hardstyle as well so I thought I’d try weaving some trancey hardstyle stuff through a bunch of different genres. I wanted it to be defined by the massive saw leads and arpeggiators that tie it all together. I like to think of it as the soundtrack to cheating in a multiplayer game. 

  

Who is your production GOAT? Who really made you want to get into this shit for real? 

I’d have to say Gud. His early stuff like the Beautiful, Wonderful EP and a few of the singles he dropped around that time really piqued my interest when I was younger, and to see the progression from those tracks and his production for Yung Lean and then to producing tapes like Foreign Exchange was super cool. The balance between doing solo things and producing out-of-the-box rap music is something I'd like to try to replicate in my own work.

  

How does living in Australia inform the music you make? Do you have any favorite Australian artists? 

Australia is very isolated and far behind in terms of music trends, especially in rap and electronic music. It often seems like Australia gets its trends by boat. The majority of Australians aren’t exactly into the culture of finding new music if it is not presented to them by listening to the radio. I grew up in a small town in regional Western Australia and wasn’t really interested in playing sports, surfing or whatever, so I spent a lot of time online playing computer games and reading online forums, and I guess listening to and searching for music on SoundCloud came with that. 

Through being on the internet so much, I’ve become surrounded by like minded people who also have a similar passion for music to me (shout out to the third EASTERN BLOC member, John Chu). There are countless incredibly talented underground artists in Australia who I'm sure meticulously look for music like I do. Some of my favourite artists would be the homies Fatshaudi, AlexanderHenry, Tetohundred, Effective Power, Lovefear, Scan, Laces, and Kenta204, just to name a few. I also listen to a lot of the bands like Low Life, Oily Boys, and Total Control.

You’ve made tracks in a variety of genres. What’s the most fun? What’s the most challenging? Is there a style you’ve never done but want to? 

For me, the most fun music to make is grime. At its essence it is such a lawless DIY genre, which means there are not a whole lot of limitations. I think that as long as it’s around 140 BPM with some crazy drums and some square waves it can be considered grime. 

I’ve always struggled with making 4/4 genres hence why I guess I wanted to experiment with making more traditional trance on this project. I don’t know what it is that I find so difficult about it, but it’s been a fun learning curve. I’ve always wanted to experiment with darkwave/coldwave kinda stuff which I will probably lock into at some point this year as it’s a genre I listen to a lot more than the music I’m currently producing.

  

What’s a thing you like to do to start a song? 

I haven’t really noticed anything in particular that I do to start a project, I just listen to music and it inspires me to try to make something. I feel like my creative process is non-existent and it just falls into place over time. Sometimes I go weeks-months without making any music, then I'll just lock in and make a song every day for a month. 

You've done a fair amount of collaborating. Any favorite collab tracks that you've worked on? 

Any time I work with Scan we always make some fire (in my opinion at least), so I’d say almost every track I’ve made with him has to be up there. Also my track “4AM” with Bayang and Dog99, and “Sometimes I Forget” with Fatshaudi. I think what makes these tracks my favorite is that they all just start as us sharing ideas and fucking around until something cool happens.

Could you talk a bit about your approach to sampling and sound design? 

I sample a lot in my music and it usually comes from what I’m currently listening to. I never really actively seek samples, I know a lot of people will make a YouTube playlist or something and compile samples in there to use. I usually just hear a song and if it sounds sampleable I'll give it a go. 

As far as sound design goes, I usually keep the synths themselves fairly basic, with a lot of effects that give them intricacy. I’ve really been enjoying stacking strings and keys in an attempt to make really euphoric outros and breakdowns. Shout out to ReFX Nexus.

  

What goes on your dream DJ mix? Where does it get played? 

If we’re talking like a stupid lit DJ set, a few tracks would have to be: Paul Elstak “Angels Deserve To Die,” Esdee Kid, Rico Ace & Fakemink “LV Sandals,” araabMUZIK “Underground Stream,” and Felix Lee & Oxhy “Perfume,” just to name a few. I think the best sets span multiple genres and don’t really make any sense, so I'd probably throw some Max B or something in there too. This mix would get broadcast worldwide like some Spongebob movie Chum Bucket type shit where everyone gets mind-controlled and forced to listen to it.

  

Any music that has been making you feel good lately?

 

It’s summer here and it’s fucking hot but regardless there’s been a lot of good music that has come out this season. AlexanderHenry Our Same Room and Feng What The Feng are my favourite albums so far in 2025. Fatshaudi’s remix of “Kokiri” by Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor is an insane track. I’ve also been revisiting old BONES tapes like Skinny and PaidProgramming. 

Every time I go for a long drive I usually listen to SlimeGetEm until music that isn’t as ignorant as this new type of DMV rap doesn’t make sense anymore. I keep coming back to Dyltwosix’s whole discography. The production and his cadence go so perfectly together and there is such variety with every track.