MASTERIA is gracing Insomniac’s IN / ROTATION catalog with his first solo single, “New Sound,” featuring JC Stormz.
Taking up residence in the storied streets of Detroit must feel intimidating at times, considering how deep the roots of dance music run through the city’s legacy. The blossoming producer known as MASTERIA has been paying his dues in the hard knock scene that he calls home as he continues to prop himself up as a prominent purveyor of bass house. Within the last couple of years, he’s enjoyed his fair share of Insomniac Music Group appearances, all of which have seen him sharing the space with like-minded collaborators such as Jay Robinson, Cazztek, and fellow Detroit sensation Golf Clap. Now, he’s ready to break out into his own with his first solo outing on Insomniac’s house-centric label, IN / ROTATION.
His latest single, “New Sound,” is a stark reminder of why the booming artist found his way onto the map in the first place. He brings his signature dark and buoyant energy to the fold, working his way around a heavy-duty bassline that snarls with the menacing grit customarily constructed by the gatekeepers of the genre from across the pond. As such, MASTERIA commissions a bold-faced flow from British rapper JC Stormz, whose lyrical luster adds a level of swagger that can’t be emulated elsewhere. His bars hit with a collected confidence that fire off in short bursts, while MASTERIA peddles a boisterous rhythm that keeps the real ones top of mind.
“‘New Sound’ was such a fun track to make,” says MASTERIA. “It began with me building out that main bassline you hear, and then filling it in with as many cool and interesting sounds as I could find. Once the groove was in place, JC Stormz sent me the vocal and it just fit perfectly. The track practically finished itself from there, and we couldn’t be happier how it turned out.”
Back in 2019, MASTERIA first surfaced on the Insomniac radar with the rumbling and rubbery collab “Mystery Scene” alongside Golf Clap, which found its way onto the first installment of the ‘mau5trap x Insomniac Records’ compilation. He hopped back into the frame the following year with another album appearance on Volume 2, linking up with Jay Robinson on the squelchy cut “Pass That.” In between those two features, he came in strong on the third edition of IN / ROTATION’s ‘Rotate’ compilation with the package’s lead cut “My Mind,” fusing his low-end flavor with that of Cazztek. The rest of his unrelenting output has seen him burn through a healthy number of tastemaker labels from the likes of Confession, Terminal Underground, Musical Freedom, and more. With “New Sound,” MASTERIA finally gets a crack at showing Insomniac what he is capable of all on his own.
