Emerging from late-night wanderings and a shared instinct for experimentation, Default User is less a traditional collaboration than an evolving dialogue between two like-minded sonic explorers. Formed by Aria and 5thPlanet after a chance encounter with a half-broken piano, the project grew organically, rooted in field recordings, improvisation, and a mutual disregard for rigid genre boundaries.
Their debut EP Rotation Demon drifts between techno, ambient, noise, and trance, balancing raw industrial textures with expansive, almost cinematic atmospheres. Shaped over several years and influenced as much by New York’s underground scene as by their own technical backgrounds, the record feels intuitive rather than calculated, more discovered than designed.
We spoke to Default User about creative chemistry, urban inspiration, and why their process is guided less by intention and more by curiosity.
Default User began as a collaboration between Aria and 5thPlanet. What was the moment you realised this project had real creative chemistry?
We stumbled upon this half-broken piano one night when we were out for drinks. We decided to come back with a sampler, and the project grew organically from there.
You both met in Brooklyn in 2018. How did New York’s underground music scene shape the early direction of Default User?
We were both going to a lot of local shows (including each other’s). We enjoyed the variety of techno, gabber, and noise, which seemed to be ubiquitous in our neighbourhood at the time.
Rotation Demon blends techno, trance, ambient, and noise. Was the genre fluidity intentional from the start, or did it develop naturally during the writing process?
It developed naturally, as we’ve both dabbled in many different styles over the years. We thought we were making a noisy ambient record at first, but it evolved into more of a dance record as we went along.
The story of discovering the abandoned piano is fascinating. How did those recordings influence the overall sound of the EP?
While the piano only makes one appearance on Rotation Demon, each song incorporates field recordings and playful experimentation into its fabric.
Many of the tracks feel almost cinematic, like chapters in a sci-fi narrative. Did you approach the EP with a storyline in mind?
No, but we both enjoy classic concept albums like Animals by Pink Floyd and Another Green World by Brian Eno.
“Rubber Moses” references Robert Moses and urban development in New York. What inspired you to explore that theme musically?
We both spend a lot of time walking around the city, and we find an odd comfort in its chaotic urban planning.
The EP moves between gritty industrial textures and cosmic soundscapes. How do you balance those two worlds in your production?
We honestly don’t think too much about what world we’re in. We usually just have fun recording sounds and experimenting with them as we go. Eventually, we seem to reach a consensus on what feels right.
Were there particular artists or records that inspired the sonic palette of Rotation Demon?
There were several! Around the time we started working on Rotation Demon, we were listening to a lot of Frankie Bones, Cosmithex, exael, Tetsu Inoue, Throbbing Gristle and Lou Reed.
What did you learn about each other creatively during the three years it took to shape this project?
We find it easy to work together, because we’re able to bounce ideas off one another very seamlessly. We’re both sound engineers and we had already been friends for a while when we started making Rotation Demon.
Now that the debut project is out, where do you see Default User heading next?
Rotation Demon: Legacy Update is in pre-development.
Connect with default user: Instagram, BandCamp, YouTube, Spotify
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