CODE Zomboy, “Here To Stay': Exclusive Song Premiere

Never Say Die launches new imprint with a dancehall-inspired cut from the polished U.K. producer.

Stay in school, kids. While all electronic music success stories don’t necessarily teach that lesson (plenty of today’s stars have no formal training), Zomboy is a model student.

“My background in engineering really did help when it came to producing dance music,” says the 23-year-old U.K.-based DJ/producer born Joshua Mellody. “Having the knowledge and ability to process audio and mix and master on my own really helped set me and my sound apart.”

The polish of a proper sonic education is apparent on “The Dead Symphonic,” Zomboy’s debut EP for Never Say Die. Released in September 2012, it spent over two months in the Top 5 of the Beatport dubstep chart, powered by the reggae-bass-slam of tracks like “Nuclear,” and wailing guitar-step of “Vancouver Beatdown.”

He’s following it up with “Here To Stay,” a glossy new single out March 4 on NSD’s new imprint No Tomorrow, meant to expand the label’s focus from its dubstep specialty. Check out an exclusive stream below:

“The big difference between the two labels will be purely musical,” says Zomboy. “Never Say Die has built an incredible reputation around the world of dubstep, and is often seen to be at the forefront of the genre. No Tomorrow, however, will be a new platform for artists wanting to reach out to other genres like electro, trap and much more.”

Despite his undead moniker and hollow-eyed cartoon likeness, Zomboy’s sound has never contained the apocalyptic doom of his darker dubstep compadres, like Excision and Messinian. Perhaps his zombie is more like the one in teenage rom-com “Warm Bodies”: a lover, not an eater. “Here To Stay” follows in that vein. It’s prime Miami Music Week fare, featuring vocals by U.K. dancehall star Lady Chann against a bouncy synth-chant that recalls the lighter moments of one of Zomboy’s admitted influences, Skrillex.

“The vocal track was originally recorded for ‘Nuclear,’ but due to some complications it wasn’t used on the final piece. I had this amazing a capella sitting there doing nothing,” he says. “So on the way back from a show, I began to rework it into another original, and I ended up turning it over in one day.”

Zomboy’s back in the States in March for dates with Flux Pavilion, Skism and Pretty Lights.