The bass music scene stretches for miles jam packed with a diverse array of sub-genres and even more amazing talents. We have compiled a list of 10 bass acts that you need to know about. These artists deserve much of the limelight and that’s why we have created this list for your convenience. Maybe you have missed out on some these artists. In no particular order, here are your 10 bass acts that you NEED to know about!
English producer Fixate first the scene in 2015 and has since been on an exciting run after his first EP “Throwback Therapy” which was released under Drum and Bass legend Dbridge’s imprint, Exit Records. The attention Fixate has received has been massive and safe to say, it is well deserved. Dbridge regards him as one of the most interesting producers in the scene. The elegance and rhythm to his productions sets him apart as one of the acts to look for in the future. 2016 was another massive year for Fixate, the biggest testament to Fixate’s work was being part of the “Richie Brains” collective alongside Alix Perez, Fracture, Sam Binga, Stray, Om Unit and Chimpo who caused a massive stir with the” Who Is Richie Brains” album and campaign recently. Fixate released “March On” his second EP after signing to Exit Records. The EP has done some serious rounds and has received support from some of the top artists in the scene. The EP pays homage to the early 90s rave/hardcore sound brought bang up to date. For those who like to listen to something whacky, Fixate is the man for you. Keep an eye.
Felipe Wrechiski otherwise known as Urbandawn is one of the finest additions to the Hospital Records roster. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Urbandawn has decdicated over fourteen years to his music career. Originally training in classical and Brazilian popular music playing guitar, bass and basic drums as well as graduating in Audio Engineering and emerging as one of the most respected artists in South America, Felipe has come a long way. Urbandawn’s not only draws inspiration from his Brazilian roots but also the more niche rock, metal and folk bands of the Swedish mid 90’s scene. It’s his distinctive spin on drum & bass that’s grown support from the scene’s heavyweights over the last two years. Urbandawn released his debut album ‘Gothenburg Cluster’ on Hospital Records. The diversity and finesse in his productions is stupefying. The album is an example of unite punching drum beats, funk ridden riffs and huge cinematic explorations. Urbandawn’s thrilling new take on drum & bass cannot go unnoticed as he keeps exploring new styles and branches in the genre.
Ever since he rocketed into the spotlight with his Soundboy EP, Matt Harris (aka Hyroglifics) has continued to move from strength to strength with his unique, genre-bending take on the 170 BPM drum & bass sound. Collaborating with bass-killers like Sam Binga & Redders and Halogenix, Hyroglifics has elevated from “one to watch” status into the elite upper echelons of the bass music scene. Matt dropped a real soundsystem stomper called ‘All Talk’ EP this year, the EP is a mix half-time and hip-hop with the Foreign Beggars through to musically rich, engaging jungle and drum & bass. The EP expresses his knack for junglist flavours and silky drum ‘n’ bass. He’s played at some of the best festivals in the world which includes a b2b with Ivy Lab at Croatia’s highly respected festival, Outlook. As he cements his name as one of the most outstanding artists in the scene, we recommend you to buckle yourself and watch out for Hyroglifics who is sure deliver in the future.
17-year-old Jonathan Kievit, aka Signal has been the highlight of the bass music scene in 2016. Your music has to be extremely magnificent for Noisia to come calling only a year after you’ve started making drum & bass. That’s exactly what has happened with Signal who has been churning out some serious stompers making producers twice his age scratch their heads. With releases already on the likes of Critical, Renegade Hardware and Noisia’s Invisible Recordings, the Dutch prodigy is fast becoming an established name thanks to impeccable production capabilities – and the boy is only just getting started. An outing on Critical Music’s Binary series marked his initiation into the ever-impressive crew that label boss Kasra has pulled together. Signal dropped his debut EP ‘Parallax’ . The EP has dished out a mix some bone crushing drum & bass and proper techy sounds he is developing a knack for, justifying Critical music’s penchant for dance floor based sounds. Signal is surely the one for the future and we can’t wait to see what he is in for.
Whilst following the scene outside, we generally tend to sleep on the artists budding in our own country. Ketan Bahirat, aka Oceantied, has had a massive year which we believe cannot be matched by an Indian artist anytime soon. From being the Indian representative at the Red Bull Music Academy Class of 2016 to playing at some of the best festivals in the world like Dimensions and Outlook festival, Oceantied has gone on to rack up a huge name for him in a very short period of time. Having been two years in the making, Oceantied released a diverse genre-hopping ‘Tribes’ EP, which was made with recordings on Indian streets and samples from field recordings. Drawing inspiration from Tycho and DJ Rashad, his music explores two main sides of the spectrum with downtempo tracks, alongside fast-paced footwork & jungle music. A heavy arsenal for the future, Oceantied is set to take Indian bass music scene to another level..
Hailing from Berlin, Tim Eliot has been paving his way through the underground drum & bass music scene spanning 2 decades and with 10 albums to his name. For these reasons you need to know about Current Value. He is a veteran in the industry, beginning his music journey in 1992 whilst gaining inspiration from techno. Later on he became a resident dj on Kiss FM, mesmerising listeners with the freshest music from his own catalogue. This year has been an incredible one for Current Value, he has been dishing out some massive tracks, pushing the boundaries with his unique, hard-hitting, techy Drum & Bass style, even releasing a new album titled “Biocellulose”.
What started off as a side project between like-minded friends creating music that appealed to them personally, turned out to be the freshest, ground-breaking (in my opinion of course) music pieces ever heard. Halogenix, Sabre and Stray teamed up in 2012, releasing “Oblique” which awakened the bass music world to this fusion of music talent, mixing together elements of d&b, hip hop beats, trap and anything that sounds interesting really. Rapidly things have moved on from there, amounting to Ivy Lab as a brand and music artist group. Releasing their debut album entitled “20/20” last year followed by a sequel to the LP – “20/20 Vol 2” this year, as well as launching their very own record label imprint “20/20 LDN”. Loads more to come from these guys and that’s why you need to know who Ivy Lab are.
Ebenhaezer Smal is someone you really do need to know about. All the way from South Africa, he has made his name loud and clear in the world of dance music. Showcasing a mix of aggressive electro, bass and glitch elements, basically called “Trash Electro”. Coining his elder brother as his biggest influence influence, as he introduced him to artists such as Beck and Violent Femmes. He also was earlier influenced by punk music due to its strong messages. Later on Haezer delved into electronic music through his high school years, listening to mainly drum & bass. Tons of epic releases for Haezer this year, keeping in trend but not shying away from his distinct sound, there are loads more to come. Keep a look out for this one.
Fresh name in the bass music scene is Daan van Dugteren better known as Apex Rise. He is a dj, producer and rapper, a talent taking the trap scene by storm. You need to know about this artist all the way from Amsterdam. His beats are sharp and snappy, working you into a bass-filled vibe. Mainly influenced by hip hop, crunk and dirty south elements, still keeping in with the trends of electro, dubstep and drum & bass elements to deliver innovative trapstyle to please the bass fanatics hearts. I’ll let the music speak for this one.
American DJ/Producer, Sander Dennis makes some of the heaviest, aggressive, brain melting tracks I’ve ever heard! This is why you need to know about Eprom. If you’re a fan of bass music and haven’t checked him, do yourselves a favour and get on it. His music is deeply rooted in hip hop influences, but uses the raw grit of brostep, electro and techno elements, to name a few. Point is you can’t fit his music in a box which is why its so good for your ears. Something out of the ordinary, skillfully composed together to create monstrous symphonies. As a young boy, Sander used to slow down and speed up his Sesame Street toy turntable just to hear the high pitched rings. All to recreate the manipulated vocals he had heard on Art of Noise albums. Some of the first music he made was amalgamating techno and hip hop, drawing inspiration from The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, The Hackers soundtrack etc. Over the years, Sander crafted his distinct style, playing around with different genres, finally arriving to the Eprom sounds we hear today. Check him out.
These are but a few artists who have been making waves in the bass music scene. All in all, every one of them needs more support, so give the music a listen and spread the message. Let us know if there are any other bass music artists that we should know about too. :)
