Hekler is taking fans into the ‘Abyss’ with his hard-hitting album on Bassrush Records.
The 10-track effort is a blistering ride through dubstep and bass with mean-mug-inducing hip-hop flourishes.
Welcoming listeners into the unknown is “Act I,” a short, dark, and distorted prelude that sets the sonic tone for what’s ahead. The title track begins to reveal the project’s true nature with ominous keys, screamy vocals, crisp drums, and raucous drops.
Metallic and industrial elements run rampant amongst the carefully controlled chaos. The energy carries forth in “Blacked Out,” a ruthless dubstep slapper that’s assured to decimate festival crowds. Pitched-down vocals and glitchy grooves are layered with a sci-fi undertone. The pulsing drops are nothing short of brutal, delivering massive waves of pure filth.
Mixing bass and rap come “Till I Die” with Glenwood! and KANIN, and “Bank” with Sam King. KANIN floats over the former with a braggadocious swagger. Warbling basslines and thick kicks punctuate his sky-high aspirations until his shameless self-boasting becomes magnified by the throbbing bottom-end and a wealth of womps that effectively puts the money where its mouth is. Fellow Vegas native Sam King provides an opposing presence that comes out swinging and aggressive. Hekler matches his energy on “Bank” with off-kilter and menacing production.
“Act II” acts as a brief palette cleanser, splitting the project into two parts. Connecting with rapper Frankie Sinn, the two showcase their chemistry on “In My Bag.” Frankie Sinn’s in-your-face energy is expanded by the laser-inspired, breakneck drops. Otherworldly vocal bends and chops round out this monster banger. “Dumb!” goes as hard as the name may suggest. Crunchy bass, brain-bending sound design, and cartoony samples come together for a thunderous thrashing.
The project’s final collaboration sees Hekler uniting with Dnd Roxy for the aptly titled “Whiplash.” Dnd’s vocals possess a melodic rap vibe that contrast against the abrasive and skull-splitting drops. Guttural, gritty, and riddled with ruthless wubs, this is the headbanger’s anthem for 2023. Offering a chance to return to reality comes the closing “Epilogue.” The futuristic score provides a melodic finale that evolves and intensifies, ending with a haunting clash that frees listeners from the ‘Abyss’… until they hit replay.
Hekler gives fans a deeper look into the ‘Abyss’ saying: “A couple years ago, I was supposed to put out an album that fell through and never really saw the light of day. I had spent countless hours going back to the basics and sort of re-teaching myself everything I knew but in a totally different way. A couple weeks go by, and I decide to start a new record that represents a new ‘creative journey.’ I had no prior planning or ideas, so I kind of just dived in head first. Hence the title ‘Abyss’: Jumping into the unknown. Each song on this project has a different, and somewhat raw, feel to each of them. I wanted to capture the essence of how it felt in the room while I was first starting these songs. I really wanted my first big project to show me as an artist in all ways, so I ended up taking on the design and art portion into my own hands, as well.
The features on this project are some of my favorites that I’ve had the pleasure of working on. One of the first singles on the record is “TILL I DIE” with Glenwood! and KANIN; such an insane tune. Then, we’ve got “Bank” with my fellow Vegas native, Sam King. On “In My Bag” with Frankie Sinn, we met during a tour stop in Atlanta and just automatically vibed. And finally, my boy Dnd Roxy, we go back a bit and have tons of songs together that you all will hear soon. But we wanted to add a crazy abrasive tune to our folder, so we started “Whiplash.”
All in all, ‘Abyss’ is the project where I tried a new technical approach to what I do. This is the first batch of music where I really went back to my roots of heavier music but took a fresher approach.”
Headstrong and always going hard in the paint, Hekler has been running with the Bassrush crew for more than four years. He originally sprouted up on the label back in 2018, linking up with the mighty MARAUDA on their creepy, crawling collab aptly titled “Buggas.”
Two years later, the low-end instigator came back to stir the pot with two follow-up releases, which dropped a little more than one month apart, unloading his behemoth singles “Juggernaut” and the ethereal, boundary-pushing cut “Levitate,” respectively.
‘Abyss’ showcases Hekler’s technical talents and unbridled creativity. Delivering a multitude of devastating bangers and epic interludes for a rugged ride.
Hekler’s new album ‘Abyss’ is available on all platforms via Bassrush Records.
