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For Itro, moving into Drum & Bass never felt like a calculated reinvention. The Amsterdam-based producer had already built a sizeable following through melodic House and Future Bass releases, but over time his listening habits naturally started shifting towards heavier tempos and more dancefloor-focused sounds.
“That basically happened because all my friends started listening to DnB at the time, so I naturally stepped into it,” he explains. “I tend to make the kind of music that I listen to.”
Even as his productions have become more aggressive and club-driven, the emotional core of his music has remained intact. Melody still sits at the centre of everything he does, whether that arrives through euphoric synth work, cinematic atmosphere or vocal-led songwriting.
“It’s what I vibe with,” he says. “It’s also what I’m good at. And I simply love it when music makes you smile, cry or gives you goosebumps.”
That balance between emotion and impact sits right at the centre of ‘Backfire’, his new collaboration with Elvii arriving via Make Your Era. The single combines huge rolling Drum & Bass foundations with melodic tension and vocal-driven storytelling, landing somewhere between festival anthem and introspective late-night release.
For Itro, the feeling that the track could become something special arrived almost instantly.
“I very quickly had the idea for the melody of the vocal in combination with the frog bass,” he says. “But when Elvii sent me the vocal with her lyrics, I knew it was gonna be sick.”
The collaboration itself happened organically after Elvii reached out directly through Instagram shortly after the instrumental demo existed.
“She DM’d me just the week after I made the first draft,” he explains. “I sent her a crappy version of me singing the melody that was in my head, but she definitely nailed it because it turned out exactly how I imagined it.”
That human connection gives the record much of its character. While ‘Backfire’ hits hard sonically, the emotional tension inside the vocal gives the track a more reflective layer underneath the surface.
As Itro admits, writing from a more personal place has become increasingly unavoidable over time.
“I like writing lyrics more myself now,” he says. “When you do that, it’s inevitable you’ll drag your own stories and emotions into it.”
Instrumentally though, the process remains instinctive.
“I mostly just write whatever is in my head.”
Looking back, there were already signs years ago that his music was beginning to connect on a much larger scale. Releases like ‘Cloud 9’ and ‘Sunburst’ became major streaming successes and helped introduce his sound to a huge online audience.
“After the response to ‘Cloud 9’ and ‘Sunburst’, I knew this could be serious,” he says. “My socials blew up at that time and Spotify really went off.”
That momentum allowed him to fully commit to music long term.
“It allowed me to continue what I’m doing and I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
Despite evolving stylistically, there remains a recognisable thread running through everything Itro releases. Even when experimenting across genres, his productions still carry the same emotional lift and melodic instinct.
Interestingly, he does not consciously try to preserve that identity.
“I don’t intentionally try to keep that Itro feeling,” he says. “I think it just happens.”
That natural consistency comes from taste more than strategy.
“I can produce a variety of genres, but I always go into a certain direction that I like and it starts becoming my own.”
Within modern Drum & Bass specifically, Itro sees himself sitting somewhere between melodic songwriting and the heavier dancefloor direction currently dominating clubs.
“It’s obviously very dancefloory at the moment with those typical jump up sounds mixed in there,” he says. “I’m somewhere in between. I love that sound but I try to keep it fresh and give it my own touch.”
Outside the studio, live performance remains an equally important part of the project. Events like Liquicity Festival have become particularly meaningful for him because of the atmosphere surrounding them.
“Shoutout to Liquicity,” he says. “I never miss one.”
What stands out most is the sense of shared connection around the music itself.
“It’s great when people come up to you mid-set and tell you they’re having a good time. Apparently there’s people in that room that love all the music I love too. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
Looking ahead, Itro hints that the next chapter could become his busiest yet.
“I really wanna play more shows,” he says. “I have insane stuff coming up that I can’t talk about yet, but it’s gonna be very special.”
“And it’s gonna go insane on the dancefloor I reckon.”
Itro
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