Undeniable: Drinkurwater on Originality, Growth, and Staying True

September 11, 2025

Written and Photographed Alex Dehlavi @red_bot_

Through his early journey from learning to love EDM while growing up in Germany to headlining major bass music stages across the U.S., Alex (K Fluman) has carved out a unique path in the electronic music world. With roots in hip hop and a passion for music, he’s become known for his energetic sets, authentic sound, and refusal to conform to industry expectations. In this interview, he shares insights into his creative evolution, the influence of different music scenes, and the importance of staying true to one’s artistic vision. As he prepares for new releases and an upcoming tour, here's a candid look into the mindset and experiences that continue to shape Drinkurwater’s journey.

You initially started in music as K Flum in hip-hop as a rapper. What was that breaking point that made you dive fully into bass music?

So I started rapping when I was about 14, producing all my own stuff and writing everything, and so I grew up in Europe. A lot of people probably don't know that. I grew up in Germany my whole life. So like, I've always been listening to hard style, trance, and techno, coming up when I was a kid. So dance music was always kinda like in the background.

And then, once I reached a certain level in hip hop, I realized that I had more fun producing bass music, and I enjoyed the EDM scene more than I was enjoying the hip hop scene. It just brought more joy to my life, but I also didn't completely give up. I just kinda pivoted a little bit. So I'll still throw some vocals here and there on my songs, but you know, maybe one day I'll revive the project, so we’ll see.

That's really cool. Yeah. I think that there always has to be an evolution at some point. You're gonna get bored if you keep yourself stationary.

100% man. Yeah.

There's also this positivity that kinda comes from the medium that isn't really there in hip hop.

It's not there. You can get away with saying and doing anything in hip hop, and you're not gonna get in trouble for it, it seems like. This is just more my type of scene 100%.

Was there a specific show or moment when you knew bass music was in the lane that you wanted to stay in?

Yeah. So I was brought to EDC 2016, EDC Vegas. I got brought up on stage on the Bass Pod as a special guest because I did a rap first on an EDM song with Say My Name. And he brought me up on the Bass Pod, and I looked out at the crowd while I was rapping. It was like, holy hell, like this would be sick to play one day.

And literally like five months ago, I closed out Bass Pod by myself. So it was like a big full circle moment for me. But it was that moment, 2016 at EDC Vegas. Yep. That was the moment.

Eight years in the making. Eight years. Took me eight years to get on that stage.

That’s so insane to come around full circle in that sense, just shows you that you have to just keep pushing no matter what.

If the only way it works is if you just don't stop doing it. This is how it works, man.

So born in Germany and then coming from Atlanta, scenes that are both heavy in bass. Do you feel just geographically now, you have that impact in your own production? Do you think about it consciously, or is this something that naturally forms in your sound?

Honestly, it wasn't anything I was applying. I just more so just always did my thing. And I kinda like I didn't more so conform to like how certain cities like different types of music. Atlanta was just always about that dubstep and that bass. So that's what I enjoy playing the most, and I just stuck with the blueprint, really.

And it just seems like everywhere has such a different and beautiful scene. So it's nice. It's nice to share with other places and stuff, too.

With that being said, I think that it's also really easy to put yourself in a corner, too. And what you’ve been doing with your own sound literally is in the opposite corner - finding your originality.

100%. You gotta be undeniable. Yeah. That's it. You gotta be undeniable.

Has your creative process changed as your audience has grown? Do you produce differently now that you know that a lot more people are going to be hearing your music?

So that does go into my brain. Sometimes I'm like, wow. There's more ears hearing my stuff than ever. And you know, sometimes I do take that into account, like when I'm making music, what does the crowd wanna hear? But I always gotta remember my number one rule, which is if I like it, that's all that matters.

So I don't make music for anybody but myself. I love to share it with people, but I won't conform and make it because I think that's what they wanna hear. I'm gonna do what I know how to do and what I was booked to do, basically.

You also set yourself up for not having those expectations, “I worked on something for so long, so it has to be so good” And then if maybe something doesn’t pop off and you're just like, man, that really sucked. When you just get to make your own stuff and just drop your own stuff, it feels so much more rewarding because it's not basing it on other people's needs.

Exactly. Yeah. And I just stopped letting overthinking hold me back, and yeah, just do you, you just gotta do you at the end of the day.

How's your experience been living in Phoenix and experiencing our local base scene, and now performing at major music festivals like Gold Rush also in Phoenix? And now your home.

It's been amazing, man. When I first moved here, I wasn't really touring full-time yet. So it was still a dream to play all the big AZ shows and stuff like the Raceway I did. I did Dark Star. I did here. Hopefully, we will do Sun-Bar someday.

But man, coming out here, there's just the energy here that's ridiculous, man. The kids out here love the music, and you can just tell it's, you know, it's all organic here.

I love it. I love the West Coast, they got it on lock, man. They got it on lock. I'm not saying anything bad about the East, but the energy here is palpable. You can feel that shit. So Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to AZ for that for sure.

Absolutely. Everyone, I mean, you just know people are just like legitimately here for the bass, that’s what they're here for. A lot of people chase tutorials and trends. How did you find your own sound without falling into that copy-paste production?

So I was also a student in tutorials and stuff like that, but then once I started buying lessons from like peers that I looked up to, I'll shout out Jiqui. Jiqui gave me a really like-minded, mind-altering lesson on production, and that really changed the way I produce. And a lot of Kompany’s stuff online, like Kompany's Patreon's insane and a lot of his tutorials and stuff, and his racks - it's impossible not to make music at this point. There's so many tools out there.

I would say YouTube tutorials are huge. Just put your own flavor on it. Know, don't be a copy-and-paste type of thing.

Is there a mistake that you see producers make nowadays?

I wouldn't say it was a mistake because I don't see anything that actually hinders people, but I think nowadays people try to impress producers more than the fans. And I was guilty of that for the longest time. I just always was like, woah, will Excision play this? Well, will so and so play this? Like, I need to make a heavy song for him.

But I would say don't ever do that. Just make music for you and for your fans because they're the ones who are paying to come see you, and those other DJs aren't paying your bills. You know what I'm saying? They're not helping out the cause.

Make music for the people that like you, you know? Because if you have a product, people want that product. That's what it is.

When you start your production for maybe a track or an EP. Is there a first sound that you might build a track around, or is it more like an idea?

So I always write drop first. I don't know why. That's just been my formula. I can base the whole vibe off the song to break down the intro. I can do all that so much easier when I have the energetic part of the song just knocked out.

I always start on the drop. Anytime. I don't remember the last time I didn't start with nott the drop. Yeah.

Do you have a method for when you start lining up your track sets so that you have a certain energy that you're trying to carry through a set?

I plan most of my sets, but for the most part, I freestyle because if I feel like the energy isn't where I want it to be, I've got cheat code songs that'll, like, bring it up. So sometimes I'll divert off my path, and I'll just freestyle. A lot of my best sets have been straight freestyle. So, like, I'm not saying that's the way to do it, but that's what works for me.

It definitely has its pros - you know, things go wrong sometimes, too, and being able to freestyle, and just have that cat in the bag.

It's always a backup plan. Yeah. Always. For sure. Always.

What’s the weirdest sound that you've ever turned into a song or entered into a beat? Or maybe a sample that you thought was kinda weird?

Yeah. There's my song Bendy Rhythm Straw. I found this sample online that sounded like a straw, like when you blow into it, it makes that weird clown noise. I found that sound online. It was like, holy shit this is perfect. I can make a song out of this. And then I just used that song and named the song Bendy Rhythm Straw, and it legit sounds like a straw. So that's probably the one where I did the most like sampling with a sample I found online.

When you’re producing, do you ever come to a point where you're scrapping things or how often do you scrap things?

I would say maybe an honest, like, 50% of the stuff I make, I'm like, this ain't it. But then, like, a good amount of those, you'll come back in a few months and turn it into a banger. So it's like, you just never know. It could be trash, and it could be treasure. Some of my favorite songs I made by accident, and some of them were projects that I, like, went back and found and finished.

You just never know. Yeah. When you open Ableton or whatever you use, you just don't know what's gonna happen ever. Ever.

I talked to Valentino Khan about Deep Down Low. He talked about how it was something created by messing around entirely. He was like, I'm just gonna throw some vocals on this. So he does the Deep Down Low. That's him. Simple. And it's huge. So it's really fun that you can, like, have those songs that you just, like, cut or throw away, and then they end up blowing up.

That's how it works. It's so backwards. It's weird. I don't understand it at all.

That being said, it's not always that easy - how do you fight creative blocks on your bad days?

Oh, man. I like distracting myself when I'm in a big block. I usually like to go outside, ride my bike, and get a change of scenery. Video games are a big one too. A little escape from, you know, using your brain.

Just have fun. Do whatever.

Are there any you’re playing right now?

Right now, I've been playing a lot of Rematch. I've been playing a lot of PUBG, Schedule one. That one's really fun. That's a fun game. Yeah.

Honestly, all the Discord homies, we kinda just hop from game to game. But mostly, it's shooters or sports games or yeah. Stuff like that.

That’s dope, for sure. Same here.

Is there anything that you wanna share with our audience and your audience about maybe an upcoming ID or EP or maybe even the new tour announcement?

Yeah. I'm working on so much new music. I have so much stacked up. I'm just kinda in the process of arranging which ones I want to be the EP.

So I'm working on EP right now, and then we're doing another tour early next year, all throughout the year. And then, you know, festivals here and there and stuff like that. But, yeah, lots of new music and lots of shows coming up. Really excited, man.

Any last words or something you want to chime in on?

Man, life is short. Chase your dreams. You're literally in control of everything. If you want something to be beautiful and amazing, you can make it that way.

That's it, man. Awesome. Perfect. Thank you so much.

Absolutely, Alex. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you. All day.

--

Talking with Drinkurwater made it clear that his drive comes from more than just bass drops — it’s about passion, persistence, and doing it on your own terms. As he looks ahead to new releases and a big year of shows, his message sticks: don’t overthink it, do what you love, and keep pushing - and of course, be Undeniable.

Thank you to Drinkurwater, management, and Relentless Beats for their time and for the amazing opportunity to collaborate.

Drinkurwater

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