{"id":1974969,"date":"2025-08-22T18:52:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T18:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1974969"},"modified":"2025-08-22T18:52:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T18:52:06","slug":"fixt-new-noise-toronto-is-broken-on-music-and-milestones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/fixt-new-noise-toronto-is-broken-on-music-and-milestones\/","title":{"rendered":"FiXT New Noise: Toronto Is Broken on Music and Milestones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"mvp-content-main\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"post-views-label\">Article Views:<\/span> <span class=\"post-views-count\">125<\/span>&#13;\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Known for his high-octane fusion of drum &amp; bass, rock, and cinematic intensity, <strong>Toronto Is Broken<\/strong> (aka <strong>Christian Hoffmann<\/strong>) has carved a name for himself in the electronic scene with his emotionally raw production and genre-blending remixes. From remixing legendary artists like <strong>Celldweller<\/strong>, running his own label <strong>YANA<\/strong>, to surviving near-mechanical disaster on tour (don\u2019t worry, the car made it\u2026 barely), Hoffmann has plenty of stories to share.<\/p>\n<p>For our latest <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fixtmusic.com\/newnoise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>FiXT New Noise<\/strong><\/a> feature, we sat down with him to talk about musical milestones, dream collaborations, and coolant leaks because being an artist isn\u2019t just about big beats, it\u2019s about making it home in one piece.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Toronto Is Broken, Sebotage &amp; REEBZ - SOMEWHEREIBELONG [Visualiser]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VTQrIGAGKR4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve just wrapped up a headline tour, congrats! What were some standout moments from being back on the road?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Toronto Is Broken:<\/strong> \u201cThanks! Yeah, this tour was a big moment for us because it was fully DIY. We organized everything ourselves with close promoter friends so we\u2019d have complete control over the events, and called in every favour I\u2019d built up over the past 15 years. It wasn\u2019t about making money; it was about finally bringing our live concept to life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve always had this vision of the three of us on stage, me DJing with the two vocalists, but doing more than just a typical DJ set. We structured it so some tracks played in full, with proper vocal performances, and everything was tightly rehearsed. It felt like a \u2018proof of concept,\u2019 especially since a lot of promoters don\u2019t quite get why they should book me plus two others\u2014it triples the cost with fees, travel, accommodation, etc.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I\u2019ve got mates in small bands who\u2019ve been grinding and touring on their own dime, even as newer acts. So I thought, why can\u2019t I? That\u2019s when I decided to just go for it, and it paid off. The reception was incredible. It reminded me that there are actual people on the other end of the music, not just numbers on a screen. Meeting them was surreal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also dropped our <strong>Linkin Park<\/strong> cover on the final tour date, which happened to be the London show and also my birthday. Having all of that line up felt really special. Playing so many shows back to back helped us refine the set, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne moment that really stuck with me was at that London show. The first act had just started, and I stepped outside for a smoke five minutes after the doors opened, expecting it to be quiet. But there was a queue down the street. I was like, \u2018Wait\u2026 what? This is actually happening?\u2019 It was wild.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_225560\" style=\"width: 2010px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-225560\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo courtesy of Toronto Is Broken<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Did the tour experience inspire any new material or directions?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefinitely. We learned a lot from the tour, especially about what <strong>Sebotage<\/strong> and <strong>REEBZ<\/strong> are capable of vocally, and how to write with that in mind. It made us more aware of how our songs will translate live, especially when we\u2019re all on stage together. Normally, I\u2019m just DJing, so it hasn\u2019t always mattered before, but this tour really shifted that perspective.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the next album, the follow-up to the self-titled one we released on FiXT, we\u2019re approaching it as a proper three-piece. Instead of it being Toronto Is Broken featuring REEBZ and\/or Sebotage, we want to write it as a full collaboration from the ground up, with all three of us on every track wherever possible. We\u2019re treating this as a proper group effort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>YANA is about to hit 100 catalogue releases, which is a huge milestone. What does <em>YANA100<\/em> mean to you personally and professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHitting 100 releases with YANA is a massive milestone. When I started the label, that\u2019s really when music became a viable career for me. It all started there, with the launch of YANA, then the <em><strong>Clare<\/strong><\/em> album, which we originally released on YANA before FiXT picked it up. That led to me signing with FiXT and fully embracing the metal and drum &amp; bass crossover sound, which has since become my signature.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019d stuck with traditional drum &amp; bass labels, I don\u2019t think that crossover style would\u2019ve ever developed. So the version of Toronto Is Broken people know today, and the success I\u2019ve had with it, wouldn\u2019t exist without YANA. It gave me creative freedom and opened the door to bigger opportunities, like being able to reduce my day job hours and focus more on music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo celebrate, we\u2019re putting together a <strong><em>YANA100<\/em><\/strong> compilation album, with a run of singles leading up to it. It\u2019s a proper celebration of everything the label has built so far. I think when I set up YANA was when music actually kind of became like a viable kind of career way of supporting myself from the birth of that label, because that started things and then from that, obviously, then I did the <em>Clare<\/em> album that we released on YANA to begin with, and then it got re-released on FiXT.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter FiXT signed me, and that kickstarted the whole metal and drum and bass crossover sound for me. It is now what my successes are and what I\u2019m known for. I feel like, because obviously, it\u2019s something quite different, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily fit inside just the world of drum and bass.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_223198\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-223198\" class=\"size-full wp-image-223198\" src=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix.jpg\" alt=\"CANTERVICE \u201cThe Masquerade\u201d (Zardonic &amp; Toronto Is Broken Remix) single artwork\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/zardonic__toronto_is_broken_-_the_masquerade_remix-80x80.jpg 80w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-223198\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CANTERVICE \u201cThe Masquerade\u201d (Zardonic &amp; Toronto Is Broken Remix) single artwork<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Can you tease what fans can expect from the <em>YANA100<\/em> album and its upcoming first single?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first single dropped on July 18th, it\u2019s a collaboration between <strong>MYKOOL<\/strong> and <strong>Lateral<\/strong> called \u2018<strong>Stay<\/strong>.\u2019 As soon as I heard it, I thought, \u2018This is the most YANA-sounding track we\u2019ve ever had.\u2019 Those two are core artists on the label, so it made perfect sense for their collaboration to kick things off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve followed that with a single from <strong>Skyfade<\/strong>, a newer addition to the roster. His track, \u2018<strong>Aries<\/strong>,\u2019 is out now and already making waves. There\u2019ll be more singles rolling out through August and September, leading up to the full <em>YANA100<\/em> album.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack when we hit 50 releases in 2022, we celebrated with a remix album. This time, I wanted to do something different, something that feels like a proper album experience. So <em>YANA100<\/em> will feature around 15 original tracks, each strong enough to stand as a single on its own. No filler, no fluff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of compilations just cram in 30 tracks for <strong>Beatport<\/strong> discounts, but I wanted this to feel cohesive, something you could burn to a CD, throw on in the car, and really enjoy as a full hour of music. It\u2019s a celebration of where we are now and where we\u2019re headed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>So what\u2019s been the most rewarding or surprising part of running your label?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think what stands out most is the people I\u2019ve had the chance to work with over the years, in all kinds of capacities. Watching their journeys, from their early days to where they are now, has been really rewarding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne person who comes to mind is <strong>Aktive<\/strong>. He\u2019s now consistently pulling in millions of streams and sits at around half a million monthly listeners. That all started with his breakout track \u2018<strong>Sunchaser<\/strong>,\u2019 which was one of YANA\u2019s very first releases. Seeing that growth firsthand has been a proud moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother is <strong>Lateral<\/strong>, he\u2019s now releasing on labels like <strong>Viper Recordings<\/strong>, which is huge. We\u2019ve worked closely over the years, and it\u2019s been great to see his progression and help build those industry connections along the way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve also done a few free live events in the past that were really successful, not just online numbers, but actual people turning up to support the music. That\u2019s the part that always hits differently, seeing real-life impact, not just digital stats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Toronto Is Broken\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/artist\/3DaX9l3f0lsiPjgyJ454wI?si=P1kKfRz2RiKdamP6Pm83iw&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did that Linkin Park cover of \u201cSomewhere I Belong\u201d come together? What drew you to the track?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I was just listening to \u2018<strong>Somewhere I Belong<\/strong>\u2019 one day and thought, \u2018This would actually work really well as a drum &amp; bass track.\u2019 I\u2019ve been a huge Linkin Park fan since I was a teenager; they\u2019ve always been one of my all-time favourite bands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat really inspired me to move forward with it was their (Linkin Park) comeback last year with a new vocalist. I actually think their latest album is one of their best. That dual vocal dynamic\u2014blending heavy and melodic elements\u2014mirrors what we\u2019re doing live, with REEBZ and Sebotage on stage together. \u2018Somewhere I Belong\u2019 is a perfect example of that structure: contrasting vocal styles sharing space, supporting each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCovers are pretty common in metal and rock, but you don\u2019t see them much in electronic music, at least not officially released ones. Originally, I thought we\u2019d just do a DnB bootleg and maybe put it on <strong>SoundCloud<\/strong>. But then I realized if we did a proper cover\u2014with the right licensing\u2014we could release it properly, and make it something more meaningful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted it to tie in with the tour, and it ended up being the perfect fit. Even from the first show, people were singing along, even though we were still playing a half-finished version. It just worked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most fun (and challenging) part was recreating the track from scratch. You can\u2019t use any original audio when licensing a cover, so I had to fully rebuild it, re-recording all the guitars, synths, drums, everything. Then I treated that as the base to remix from. REEBZ and Sebotage laid down their vocals to match the original energy, and it all came together pretty quickly. The song\u2019s already written, of course, but we still wanted to keep its original vibe and structure while putting our own spin on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have any cool stories behind the collabs from the past year you\u2019d like to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI recently did a remix for a UK band called <strong>Eville<\/strong> for their track \u2018<strong>Leech<\/strong>.\u2019 The original already had this drum and bass and nu metal vibe, which really suited my style, so when they hit me up for a remix, it felt like a natural fit. We ended up putting it out through my new label, DRIPFED, which made the whole thing even more exciting. That was a really fun collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time, we\u2019ve been slowly wrapping up REEBZ\u2019s album. We\u2019ve been working on it since I finished my last record, so around September 2023. There are just a couple of small bits left to finish. There\u2019s also a collaborative remix with <strong>Zardonic<\/strong>, which has just dropped on FiXT for CANTERVICE, our second collaboration together, after our track \u2018<strong>Neon Rain<\/strong>,\u2019 which featured on his last album.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOverall, it\u2019s been relatively quiet for me release-wise over the past year, but things are starting to pick up again. I\u2019ve begun working on my next album, and I\u2019m looking to explore a bunch of collaborations, not just with vocalists or bands, but also with producers who come from the metal and alternative world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a similar approach to what I did with <strong>George Lever<\/strong>, who produced for <strong>Sleep Token<\/strong> on my last album. I want to keep pushing that boundary, branching out, working with different people, and just building something that brings together a mix of creative minds where it makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Toronto Is Broken - Threads (feat. REEBZ)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xov0KWXmVPk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>Do you have a typical workflow on your projects, or does it change depending on what you\u2019re working on?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt really depends on what we\u2019re working on. With REEBZ\u2019s album, for example, she\u2019d come up to mine for the weekend and we\u2019d start with a blank project \u2014 nothing written yet. I\u2019d be jamming on guitar, messing around with riffs, and once something stuck, we\u2019d lay it down. Then we\u2019d build the track out from there, adding drums, layering sounds, all of that. REEBZ would be sitting next to me, making voice notes, scribbling down lyric ideas, and we\u2019d develop it together from there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes it\u2019s more remote. I might start something and send it over to <strong>Seb<\/strong> (<strong>Sebotage<\/strong>). There are actually a few unfinished collabs from my last album that we\u2019ve brought back for this one. We took the vocals, changed up the tempos or arrangements, and gave them a new context.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no set formula, but my favourite way to work is definitely when REEBZ and Seb are up for a weekend and we\u2019re just jamming in the studio. It\u2019s got that old-school band energy, like getting together in a garage and writing music as a group. It\u2019s funny because that\u2019s kind of the opposite of how a lot of metal or electronic music is made now. Usually, it\u2019s just one or two people behind a screen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always said this: I started making electronic music because I wanted to be in a band, but no one would be in a band with me. So I made music on my own, and now, I\u2019m making electronic music as a band. Full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>I mean, I guess since we keep bringing up REEBZ\u2019s upcoming album, what\u2019s your role in helping bring that to life?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was definitely a natural evolution. In a lot of ways, it feels like a continuation of how we worked together on my self-titled album. It\u2019s not like we sat down and said, \u2018Ok, my album\u2019s done, let\u2019s start yours now.\u2019 We did have that conversation about what her album might look like, but by that point, we already had a bunch of ideas floating around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven after I wrapped up my album, we just kept working. That collaborative energy never really stopped. We\u2019ve always got loads of projects on the go at different stages, so transitioning into writing her album just happened organically. It flowed from one into the other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCredit-wise, I\u2019m a producer, mixer, and co-writer on the whole album. And that\u2019s also where <strong>DRIPFED<\/strong> comes in. DRIPFED is essentially a sister label to my main label, YANA Music. After my self-titled album dropped and my contract with FiXT ended, we looked into getting a distribution deal so I could go back to being independent for a bit, like I was before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also wanted to self-distribute REEBZ\u2019s album so we could retain full control \u2014 all the rights, everything. That freedom to do things our own way was really important for this project.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_225558\" style=\"width: 1090px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-225558\" class=\"size-full wp-image-225558\" src=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt.jpg\" alt=\"Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo by Philippa Revitt\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_aka_christian_hoffman_by_philippa_revitt-144x180.jpg 144w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-225558\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo by Philippa Revitt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>How does DRIPFED Music fit into the YANA universe? Is it a side label, creative collective, something more?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter wrapping up my time with FiXT, I realized that the newer Toronto Is Broken material had started getting too heavy to really fit on YANA anymore, at least not consistently. There\u2019ll be tracks that will be released via YANA, but I\u2019ve had to be more selective about what actually suits the label.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething like a DRIPFED release wouldn\u2019t make sense on YANA, but tracks that lean more towards the club side, like \u2018<strong>Blood Rites<\/strong>,\u2019 still belong there. I\u2019m still writing that kind of stuff, so it\u2019s more about being intentional with where each track lives, rather than trying to force everything into one genre box. I didn\u2019t want to pigeonhole my music into just drum &amp; bass or just metal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstead, I\u2019ve been focusing on building a sort of self-contained musical sphere, our own little ecosystem that floats around doing its own thing. I\u2019ve talked to a few bands and solo artists about this, too, because I\u2019ve been getting more into production work for others. That opens up the possibility of using DRIPFED as a platform for those collaborations, maybe releasing a one-off single or EP here and there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, the two main projects on DRIPFED are REEBZ\u2019s album, which already has three singles out, with more planned through the rest of the year, and my next Toronto Is Broken album. We\u2019re aiming for REEBZ\u2019s full album to drop toward the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s definitely not going to be as busy release-wise as YANA. But because DRIPFED is more niche and experimental, it gives us the chance to really spend more time and attention on each release, something that\u2019s harder to do with the faster-paced schedule we keep on YANA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>So that kind of leads into the next question. What excites you most about the side projects and your team\u2019s growth?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, it\u2019s still in the early stages, just a handful of really rough, scratch demos at the moment. But I do have a plan for it. I already know the album title, and I\u2019ve got a rough sense of what it means conceptually and how the tracks will reflect that. I\u2019m thinking a lot about what I want to say with this record and the roles each track will play in delivering that message.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing I do know is that there needs to be more singing on this album than on the last one. I really want to lean into that more. I also want to channel all the influences that have been in my ears over the past year or so, kind of a melting pot of everything, including remixes and the heavier stuff I\u2019ve been listening to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor example, the <strong>Knocked Loose<\/strong> album last year was easily my album of the year. I\u2019ve also been into the new <strong>Turnstile<\/strong> record \u2014 it has that post-hardcore, punky energy that really hits. Both of those bands bring a raw, emotional intensity that I want to explore more in my own way.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Toronto Is Broken - Shower Prayer (feat. REEBZ) [Official Music Video]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y8K2HdLchEE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>Will YANA100 and your new material intersect in any way, thematically or sonically?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike I mentioned before, I\u2019m leaning a lot more into melody this time, bringing in more atmosphere, maybe even touching on some shoegaze elements. I\u2019ve noticed a lot of bands heading in that direction lately. <strong>Thornhill<\/strong>\u2019s latest album, for example, really nails that vibe. And of course, there\u2019s all the nu-metal stuff we\u2019ve been working on too, which is still a big influence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the goal is to evolve the really rough, aggressive, messy sound from the last album, take what I learned from that process and refine it. Writing REEBZ\u2019s album at the same time has also been refreshing. It\u2019s been great not having to think about DJs or dancefloor structure when writing songs. With drum &amp; bass, there\u2019s always this pressure to stick to a strict format so it works in a set.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut with metal, we\u2019ve had total freedom; we can write at whatever tempo we want, mess around with structure, and just let the song be what it wants to be. That\u2019s something we\u2019ve really embraced, and I want to bring that approach into this new album as well. We\u2019re still early in the process. There are just a couple of tracks left to finish for REEBZ\u2019s album, and then we\u2019ll be able to shift our full focus to this new record. That\u2019s the plan for the summer, really dig in and shape where it goes next.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you feel you\u2019ve evolved musically between your last full-length album and now? Certainly got heavier.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I still don\u2019t fully know yet; it\u2019s very much still evolving. There are definitely going to be moments that are just as heavy as before, but like I said earlier, I want to lean more into melody too. I\u2019m a sucker for a big chorus, and I think the last album maybe lacked a few of those in places.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this time, I\u2019m focusing more on the songwriting itself, not just building around drops or breakdowns, but actually experimenting with structure and seeing how different ideas work within the framework of drum &amp; bass and electronic music. It\u2019s about trying new things and seeing what sticks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m also really excited to explore a wider range of tempos. I\u2019ve always worked across different BPMs, but when you\u2019re combining metal elements with drum &amp; bass, you can only write so many grooves at 174 BPM before it starts feeling a bit limiting. Working on REEBZ\u2019s album and even the VA stuff really helped shift my mindset. It reminded me to just focus on the song until it feels right, regardless of genre rules.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo yeah, I\u2019ve got a rough idea in my head of how I want this album to sound, but anything can happen. Come back to me in 18 months when it\u2019s nearly done, I might actually have a proper answer by then.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_225561\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-225561\" class=\"size-full wp-image-225561\" src=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2.jpg\" alt=\"Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo courtesy of Toronto Is Broken\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken2-239x180.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-225561\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo courtesy of Toronto Is Broken<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Well, I will put you down for artist of the month in 18 months. You\u2019re on the record.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201c(laughs) Cool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Well, I know you\u2019ve done a lot of stuff with FiXT. Are you open to more cross-label collabs in the future, like what you\u2019ve been working on?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt really depends. First off, I need to actually like the song and feel like it could work in a drum &amp; bass context. I\u2019ve had people approach me with remix requests where I just couldn\u2019t see how the track would fit the drum &amp; bass formula or the vibe I\u2019m aiming for.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important that the remix fits with the direction I want to take my music. Luckily, working with FiXT meant we were pretty much on the same wavelength about that, so it wasn\u2019t an issue there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut yeah, ultimately it comes down to the right song and the right situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alright. What inspires you lately outside of music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve actually been super pumped about getting back into collecting and painting miniatures for tabletop games such as <em><strong>Warhammer<\/strong><\/em> again. I\u2019d taken a break from it for years! <strong>Chantal Holmes<\/strong> (FiXT Distribution Manager) and I used to geek out over it on <strong>Discord<\/strong> sometimes. I\u2019ve been into <em>Warhammer<\/em> since I was a teenager, but lately, I was only painting like five models a year, maybe spending just a single weekend on it, and then putting it down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut now, being in between albums and having a bit more free time, I\u2019m loving picking it back up. Plus, my girlfriend\u2019s really into it too, and she\u2019s insanely creative, so it\u2019s been awesome spending quality time together just painting and diving into our hobbies side by side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been painting so much I actually need to snap some photos and get them up on my hobby-focused <strong>Instagram<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I think having interests outside of music is so important. For most people, music starts as a fun hobby and then somehow turns into your career, which is incredible. But sometimes, when your passion becomes your job, it can get overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s been really refreshing to create just for fun, not constantly thinking about \u2018How do I pitch this on <strong>Spotify<\/strong>?\u2019 or \u2018Will this track perform?\u2019 It keeps the love for what I do alive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout my career, I\u2019ve definitely had my ups and downs with motivation and passion, like anyone, but having creative outlets like painting helps me keep that balance and stay excited.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_225562\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-225562\" class=\"size-full wp-image-225562\" src=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3.jpg\" alt=\"Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo courtesy of Toronto Is Broken\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/v13.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/toronto_is_broken_courtesy_toronto_is_broken3-144x180.jpg 144w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-225562\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffman), photo courtesy of Toronto Is Broken<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Well, how do you balance being a label owner and the artist in it? Does one side ever overshadow the other?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a juggling act! I do a lot of production for other people, too, not just with REEBZ, but I\u2019ve been working with some house producers and others on their projects. So managing time and not overworking myself is a big part of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo years ago, I actually had to take a break from my label to finish an album because I was losing the love for it. I was pushing releases every week or every other week, rushing them out, and it was just me handling everything, no team, no backup. When you\u2019re doing that nonstop, your quality and mental energy start to dip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFreelance work and label duties often overshadow Toronto Is Broken stuff, partly because that\u2019s what pays the bills. So it\u2019s about prioritizing, food first, right? And taking it step by step.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s tricky because Toronto Is Broken is really what people know me for. Through that, people discover YANA, DRIPFED and my other projects. So I try not to force anything, just let things happen naturally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are times when I\u2019ll spend a whole weekend in the zone, barely sleeping, up until 3 or 4 am, knocking out a couple of Toronto Is Broken tracks. But then I might not touch those projects again for weeks or even a month because I\u2019m busy with other things.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, it\u2019s about prioritizing and thinking about the return on investment, including time. Scheduling isn\u2019t just day-to-day stuff; it\u2019s about planning release windows, too. Like, \u2018Ok, we have a release here, then six weeks off because I know this part of the year will be quieter or busier.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I procrastinate a lot, so I\u2019m probably not the best example! But if I weren\u2019t such a procrastinator, that\u2019s exactly how I\u2019d handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ok, we\u2019ll slide into that next question then. What advice would you give to artists looking to stay independent while managing their own releases?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know it might sound obvious, but even independent artists usually have a team or a network of people supporting them. For me, having REEBZ and Seb has been huge, especially on tour, where Seb handled all the flyers, social media videos, and promo stuff while I focused on putting the set together. REEBZ was doing her thing, and I\u2019ve also got management and a booking agent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, the best advice I can give is: don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf someone says, \u2018We\u2019re fiercely independent and we\u2019re going to do absolutely everything ourselves,\u2019 that\u2019s cool, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. If you can afford to pay someone a bit to handle social media or other tasks, do it. Or you\u2019ll meet people along the way, build connections, and start creating a support network. Being independent doesn\u2019t mean doing it all solo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: FiXT: Altered (Replicants)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/3SYASOUyFc5rHqwv2Z5KMt?si=pQvbskUAThGJy9OpyszaAQ&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Favourite DAW plugin you can\u2019t live without\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of my go-to tools is <strong>Ableton<\/strong>\u2019s built-in Amp plugin. Even though it\u2019s designed as a guitar amp simulator, it sounds absolutely brutal on a lot of the bass sounds I make. Many of the distorted, gritty, and squeaky bass tones I\u2019m known for come from taking a pretty basic sound and running it through Ableton Amp.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s cool about it is how sensitive it is; even the tiniest tweaks or subtle changes in the signal chain before it hits the amp can totally transform the final sound. So I spend a lot of time experimenting with small adjustments, because they can have a huge impact on what comes out the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Last track you had on repeat?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I\u2019m more of an album listener than a single-track kind of guy. When a new album drops, I usually dive into the whole thing. For example, even though I thought the latest Sleep Token album was a bit \u2018meh,\u2019 I\u2019d give it like a five out of ten, it\u2019s still on my repeat playlist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat said, the title track, \u2018<strong>Even in Arcadia<\/strong>,\u2019 is absolutely amazing. I\u2019ve loved that one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we\u2019re talking just one song, I\u2019d say the new <strong>Bilmuri<\/strong> single, \u2018<strong>More Than Hate<\/strong>,\u2019 has been on heavy rotation. If you don\u2019t know Bilmuri, he\u2019s this crazy mix of country, western, and metalcore. His music is wicked, and I love how funny he is online, really tongue-in-cheek and immature humour, but then the lyrics hit you in the feels. Plus, his music videos are hilarious. I watch them and think, \u2018Man, I want to be American,\u2019 and then I remember what\u2019s actually going on there\u2026 maybe not!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dream artist you\u2019d want to remix you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOk. Let\u2019s have a think. I\u2019ve never really thought about who I would want to remix me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ok, who would you want to remix?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho would I want to remix?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Toronto Is Broken - Raw (feat. REEBZ &amp; Sebotage) [Official Music Video]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ndOotjaxNFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>Yeah, dream artist. That\u2019s someone you want to remix, unless you\u2019ve already hit them all.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve actually done <strong>Celldweller<\/strong> twice now, which has been incredible. But remixing artists on the scale of Sleep Token or <strong>Bring Me The Horizon<\/strong>? That would be next-level. Not only are they some of my all-time favourite bands, but because of their size and reach, they would be almost career-changing opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reminds me a lot of when I did a remix for <strong>Netsky<\/strong> years ago, just before I started diving into the crossover stuff with Clare. That remix really blew up and helped me grow my audience from under 20,000 monthly listeners to consistently 40 to 50,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo yeah, remixing bands like Sleep Token or BMTH wouldn\u2019t just be huge inspirations for my own music, but the sheer opportunity on paper would be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Alright, last question. Most chaotic moment from the tour that you can share.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m pretty sensible, I don\u2019t drink or anything wild, so nothing too chaotic happened. But we did almost get stranded in Swansea after the first show! The morning after, my girlfriend and I got in the car, and it flashed a warning: coolant level too low, please turn off the engine. We went to Halfords, that\u2019s like a UK car parts chain, and the guy took one look and said, \u2018Yep, you\u2019re not driving home.\u2019 I was like, \u2018What do you mean? We\u2019re like four and a half hours from home!\u2019 He said the engine would blow up if we tried.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTurns out there was a coolant leak, so we added some stuff to fix it temporarily and topped up the water. I had to stop every 30 minutes at service stations to check the coolant level, but luckily, the car held up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat could have been a major disaster and an expensive one at that! I did a lot of driving on the tour since I was solo for the most part. The shows weren\u2019t back-to-back either, usually a couple of weekends apart, so I\u2019d just make the drive up when I needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source v13.net \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; Article Views: 125&#13; Known for his high-octane fusion of drum &amp; bass, rock, and cinematic intensity, Toronto Is Broken (aka Christian Hoffmann) has carved a name for himself in the electronic scene with his emotionally raw production and genre-blending remixes. From remixing legendary artists like Celldweller, running his own label YANA, to surviving near-mechanical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1974970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1974969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FiXT-New-Noise-Toronto-Is-Broken-on-Music-and-Milestones.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1974969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1974969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1974969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1974969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}