Ankou - Artificial Intelligence

Art: ALTITXDE.

Across six data-rich drum and bass tracks on Artificial Intelligence, the Polish producer Ankou fleshes out a story of sentience searching for a body. Epic, theatrical chord progressions and pounding percussion are balanced by an omnipresent layer of glitch so detailed and dynamic. It’s as if once Ankou created this thick layer of processed sound, he became incapable of controlling it. It trickles and crashes into every orifice and open space, like data soup moving swiftly and not gently through a birth canal.

Each song blends seamlessly into the next. This creates deep interludes of rest that allow the listener to catch their breath. Ankou takes a loose approach to layering across Artificial Intelligence. His bit-crushed synthesis fans out into differing frequencies that still come back to smoothly congeal with one another. The result is a lush soundscape that’s unmistakably digital yet seemingly alive. This breathing digital synthesis is the definitive mark of Artificial Intelligence, and it is maintained across the EP, including its two halftime tracks.

Whether releasing with Vale, Renraku, or on a compilation from The Rust Music, Ankou’s style has always been dark and dystopian. With this release, however, he creates a cohesive, thought-provoking narrative that guides the listener through that darkness. The debate over whether artificial intelligence is malevolent or benign will find no resolution here, but it will find a soundtrack.

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Tygris - Fabric

Art: Only Motif

The Fabric EP finds Northeastern glitch hop head Tygris leading a tour through dark urban nights filled with rumbling bass and distorted voices that echo down hidden sonic passageways. All four songs flow deliberately into the next, with careful motifs connecting the entire project. It kicks off with classic rap vocal samples, ends with dirty, dense verses from the quick-witted Rasp 5, and is punctuated by a collaboration with Wax Future. 

Consistent hip-hop rhythms serve as a familiar jumping off point that listeners can lean into. This sets the stage for an interplay of experimental sound design and aggressively manipulated vocal samples. Voices are stretched and peeled apart as Tygris plies them both for their unique sonic properties and their ability to express thoughts. Precise calculations create just the right pitch and veneer on a series of bass synthesizers. Then the entire weight of the sound is tumbled to and fro, tossed, turned and mashed down like a piece of play-doh. With the vocals tumbling along in tandem, Fabric becomes a maelstrom of head-bopping psychedelic bass that’s impossible to ignore.

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goldwire - Shadow People

Art: Only Motif

The rising Texas-based producer goldwire envelopes listeners in darkness with “Shadow People”. Synthesis like radioactive liquid seeps around the edges of sharp mechanical noise, with irresistible subsurface bass pulsating beneath it all. Whereas system music is often sonically sparse, goldwire fills up the stereo spread on this single, leaving no room for escape and bathing the listener in a deep sea of frequency. Dial in your subwoofer properly for this one. And if you don’t own a sub, well, “Shadow People” may just make you reconsider that decision.

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swesdo - Gallium

Art: swesdo

Breaking sonic tropes and bending frequencies with a dynamic flexibility, swesdo continues to define his hi-fi palette with the release of “Gallium”. Based out of the Chicago suburbs, swesdo maintains a lush, vibrant blend of emotional motifs and attitudes throughout his released catalog, and the addition of “Gallium” adds yet another dimension to his discography: pure butter. Spreading from funk to chunk, this record is slam-packed with percussive grooves and bombastic textures, all wrapped up a zero-point precision mixdown. Directly appealing to fans of meticulous audio design and programming, there's no good excuse to miss out on the audio 
treasures permeating the innards of “Gallium”.

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Gaddy - Foodtruck Fugitive

Art: Only Motif

The Houston-born beats archivist Gaddy returns to The Rust Music with another sidewalk-stomping project, the five-track Foodtruck Fugitive. Approaching electronic music via the back-door of hip-hop, Gaddy possesses one of the most refreshing sounds in alternative electronic music, a beautiful blend of urban Americana and semi-psychedelic bass that sounds both rough and refined on this release.

With Foodtruck Fugitive Gaddy builds out his beats into fully-fledged compositions that have smooth edges, dark corners, and wide horizons. One minute you’re cooling and rocking a sensual head-nod with some lurky sampled strings. The next minute your mind is gyrating hither and thither, tumbling inside a crashing wave of cerebral bass. After honing in on the essence of his groove, Gaddy takes risks and has fun with it. This calculated yet care-free approach creates music with wide appeal, perfect for pounding the pavement or for spacing out.

Here is something new for hip-hop heads, and something fresh for electronic fans. And if you listen close enough, you can almost hear the sense of humor of the foodtruck fugitive himself, slinging jokes, tacos, and fat bass beats from behind the fryers.

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VCTRE - Animagus

Art: FFINN

VCTRE sets a high bar amongst the incoming generation of producers with his latest release, “Animagus”. A fast-rising star in the world of underground music, his production prowess and musical output display a forward-thinking attitude in pushing the boundaries of contemporary music, with this EP being his brightest work yet.

Featuring guttural bass lines and a vivacious swagger, VCTRE hones in on the textures and boisterous musical attitude that has brought him a growing acclaim across the realm of low-end music. From tonal fidelity to compositional risks, he manages to cover all bases to ensure a positively glitched-out headspace, and does it with more than a subtle rhythmic jaunt. If left-field breaks and emulsified synthesis is your bag, then “Animagus” is poised to deliver.

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Face Plant - Spectral Drift

Art: Surreal Art Visions

Following the aggressive dancefloor EP Boom Slang from earlier this year, Face Plant the mad chemist returns with the more psychologically complex and cinematic Spectral Drift. This release manages to fit what feels like dozens of deep and sophisticated musical ideas into just three tracks, all while packing a frightening sonic punch.

Face Plant carefully orchestrates communicative melodies across the release which balance well with intense sound design. So while synthesizers split the speaker cones, highly cultivated note relationships and tonal movements create an engaging narrative for the listener to follow. Two talented instrumentalists are featured on Spectral Drift. Violinist Jon Hao (Bunk Buddha) lays down a lead full of folkloric flair upon which Face Plant spills a barrel radioactive glitches. Later, McWavy comes correct with a bellowing saxophone solo which is processed then positioned perfectly by Face Plant.

The producer prides himself on transcending the typical trappings of bass music to offer a thought provoking mental journey on top of a slamming dancefloor experience. He dials in that signature Face Plant dynamic just right on Spectral Drift.

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AMAWALK - Solar

Art: Buffalo Jay

AMAWALK offers a peaceful and enchanting listening experience on this three-track EP, Solar, balancing careful electronic movements atop a textured instrumental palette. This represents the first label release from the New York City-based producer, whose music is wise beyond its years.

Across Solar, AMAWALK leverages the organic sound of strings, woodwinds, and a buffet of percussion. He leans on the natural resonance of these sounds to establish wide, earthen atmospheres. Layered sine waves, ample sub movement, and a garnish of glitch; these electronic elements descend into his compositions and lea to a quickening. Pieces begin to interlock, forming full-bodied, enlivened compositions that gently grab hold of the listener without overpowering them. With great continuity from song to song, Solar becomes its own novel journey, reaching an emotional and harmonic climax before fading into silence.

The Rust Music - Auburn Etch [VA]

The Rust Music is honored to present our third compilation, Auburn Etch. Departing from the variable genres of our previous Oxidized compilations, this collection of music is a full service package of brolic and boisterous bass music. We’re tapping into the global reservoir of talent for this release, presenting producers from the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Poland, and Australia.

Featuring high-octane rhythms, visceral sound design, brutish breakdowns, and break-neck musical phrasing, each track on this compilation represents a one-inch-punch of high fidelity audio production. Danny Grooves, Rumpistol, and Easyjack have lent their production wizardry and impeccable rhythm to the compilation, anchoring a release that showcases the unhindered skillsets of 5AM, Maxfield, Wessanders, and a host of other young-blooded producers with a tenable ferocity for meticulously processed synthesis.

Auburn Etch is a necessity in the catalog of any discerning audiophile. It’s full of those sonic sensations that are fondly familiar, and those that are new and boundary breaking.

Art: Max Burstein

Zonra - Formed

Art: Hexeosis

Take a pure and undiluted dive into sonic psychedelia with Formed, a five-track EP from Zonra, a veteran of experimental bass music. Although abstract electronica has always been a calling card for Jackson Hale (Zonra), he continues to test the limits of his creative faculties, and Formed is the splendid result.

Formed is detail-oriented electronic music. Crisp programmed percussion pairs well with resonant hand drum samples. Provocative sound design is arranged into complex structures resembling a four-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The producer, who hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently resides in Denver, Colorado, is recognized for his stylistic flexibility. Although Formed leverages psydub motifs, the release cannot easily be pegged with a traditional classification. Rather, it’s an exercise in experimentation.

Formed ultimately represents an unfolding, a manifestation on the physical plane of imagery conceived on the spiritual. The complexity of the imagery means that successive listens may yield new results. Spend time with Formed and one will realize that things may not be in the end as they seem at first.

MALAKAI - Saros [New Cycle]

Art: Jesse Wheaton

Coming back around for its second pass through the gauntlet, MALAKAI’s methodically sculpted Saros EP has been remixed and reimagined by a select cadre of forward-thinking producers on Saros [New Cycle]. Primate., pheel., Foxtail, and wiseyoungfool bring forth unique flavors of experimentation on each respective remix.

From wildly enhanced percussive movements to fresh synthesis and juggled arrangements, each producer has spared no effort unleashing a renewed creative wave over Saros. Having no mind to miss out on all the fun, MALAKAI also snuck in a VIP of “My Middle Name..“, reinvigorating the track from the top down with a fresh lease of life. Considering each new take falls in line with the MALAKAI ethos, fans of his original catalog will thoroughly enjoy the musings on Saros [New Cycle].

Sylph - Alien Speak

Art: Mindex

Bursting onto the scene with an appetite for the psychedelic, Alien Speak is the stellar first release from Sylph, the musical alias of Emily Thaler. Based out of New York City, she has spent the last several years quietly expanding upon her production, composition, and engineering knowledge. The producer’s patience has paid off with a musical bounty worth it's weight in sub bass.

Drawing from the font of psybient influence, each of the four tracks is a boisterous dance of pulsating frequencies. Glitchy harmonies and high-processed synthesis turn each moment into a downtempo tango between the visceral and the effervescent. With an obvious inclination towards arrangement and general musicality, the EP is a testament to an intrepid work ethic. For fans of pronounced sound design and glitched-out serenades, Alien Speak should feel right at home in your catalog.

wiseyoungfool - Bridges

Art: wiseyougfool

wiseyoungfool continues to carve and mold his unique blend of experimental bass with Bridges. Stuffed with atmospheric foley work, there is an organic association between the blended tones of each track that acts like a musical glue. The gratuitous spacial dynamic across the album allows the music to fill the air with a rhythmic pulse. The synthesis elements feature wiseyoungfool’s signature brand of shredded sine waves and thorough compression. Each bass line rips through the mix and becomes the coarse bedrock for the other elements of the song, creating a full frequency palette for the ears to consume. If head-smacking beats and granular glitch are your thing, this album will most definitely satisfy.

Written, mixed and mastered by wiseyoungfool

Thought Process - Intention

Art: OZWLD

Thought Process comes in from left field slinging grit, dirt, and massive amounts of stereo imaging with his Intention EP. Combining dusty percussion lines with thick low-end modulation, the EP carries a steady hip-hop flavor throughout its duration. The collection of tunes hones in most especially on gratuitous sub-bass distortion and crafty rhythmic juggling. Mingling uptempo dancefloor tunes with abrasive half-time hammers, there is a clear intention to slice soundsystems clean in half, if given the opportunity.

Cut Rugs - New

Art: ovsrv

Strange black magic can be felt seeping through the speaker cones once New starts to crank. Communications begin traveling back and forth beyond the veil carried on the medium of gnarly bass synthesizers and knock-out drum programming.

This three-track release finds the Carolina-based producer focusing on highly-cultivated sound design. He pulls on threads from neuro and hip-hop to dubstep, but ultimately offers simple screwface music that generates a raw, physical impact and spares no time for pleasantries. The arrangements are straightforward and dense with groove while the sound design swings back and forth with the grace and controlled disorientation of a trapeze troupe.

As the boundaries around underground sound continue to disappear, tinkerers like Cut Rugs aka Kyle Partin with his mad scientist mentality will continue to poke wormholes in the continuum of what’s trending. By flipping the familiar into an attractive new form of heaviness, New provokes an intellectual repose for the soundheads, and a high-voltage jolt for the dancefloor denizens.

Gaddy - Mixtape Mentality

Art: KnowMatter

A kick, snare and killer bassline is all Gaddy needs to get the bodies moving. The young man from Austin, Texas by way of Houston knows these fundamental musical elements like the back of his hand. On Mixtape Mentality a seven-track release that straddles the line between EP and LP, they serve as the foundation for experiments in groove. The common denominator is a steady head nod, and the rest is up for interpretation.

Many musicians blur the line between what is and isn’t electronic music. Gaddy was unaware the line existed. As a musician, he’s rooted in archetypal American sounds like hip-hop, rock, and soul. Instrumental samples from guitar and keys are leveraged as much as synthesizers or sound design. Both are given enough space on Mixtape Mentality to mingle and form strong bonds with one another. Tastefully tuned sub-bass generates enough weight to flex sound systems and ignite dance floors. At the same time, elusive pads and smoke-filled arrangements create a relaxing swing to keep the atmosphere activated after the party’s over.

Gaddy’s released a string of EPs and singles before with labels relevant to the underground electronic sound. But now there’s no more messing about. His creative energy is focused singularly on expanding the groove. He’s in a mixtape mentality and everything is fair game as long as it starts with a sidewalk-stomping beat.

Deerskin - Kokopelli's Flute

Burgeoning through the surface of contemporary sound system music, the Kokopelli’s Flute EP is an ambitious and meticulous twist on melodious dialogue, and brings Milwaukee-based Deerskin deeper into his hypnotic approach to composition. Having developed a particular touch of psybient influence throughout his discography, Deerskin continues to expand on and reinvent his approach to combining constant rhythm with an atypical arrangement. Drawing inspiration from various cultural approaches to scale and mode, the EP is an exquisite production, and is equally impressive in its musical constitution. 

Kokopelli’s Flute is much more evolutionary than it is climactic, with each composition gradually revolving around rooted scales and musical tropes. As the seconds and minutes pass, synthetic textures take on new phenotypes and propel the arrangement into varying states of aggression. The choice of instrumental samples stays firmly put on reverberant strings, and dances along with the porous low-end in a complex interplay of dialogue. From start to finish, each track in the EP feels primed for one another, and together create a larger musical narrative that demands attention from the very first note to the very last. 

Tethering the vibe between the dark and the ethereal, Deerskin does not disappoint with yet another air-tight release to add to an already impressive catalog. Standing atop the current peak of his musical prowess, the road ahead for this surrealistic producer is poised for even deeper dives and psychedelic hypnosis. 

Art: Serif

Pluto Era - Die Many Times

Art: James Houstian

Filthadelphia's resident ooze overlord Pluto Era returns to the table in full force with "Die Many Times". The track features his signature squelch paired with nebulous synthesis that bubbles up to the surface like a deep sea mutant searching for air. Mosey on down to the tar pits and grab a download.

All proceeds will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation.

Mastered by Seppa

Shapesift - Myrrhidiance

Art: Serif

The title of Shapesift’s first single via The Rust Music mirrors its enchanting atmosphere, as “Myrrhidiance” depicts a strange and alluring world all its own. In this dreamscape the producer plies the intersection of digital sound and organic motif. Aquatic flourishes and crystalline chimes evoke morning dew. Delightfully subtle pads act as morning fog, blowing softly back and forth across the stereo spread as if steered by the wind. Strong percussion patterns offer structure and help to pin down the otherwise ethereal arrangement, while a sharp but delicate bass synthesizer weaves through the soundscape, casting spells.

5AM - Onward

The smoothest psychedelic sound this side of the Milky Way can be found on Onward, a five track EP from the Philadelphia-based electronic musician 5AM aka Sam Andrus. Onward is the most ambitious effort yet in 5AM’s ongoing journey to blend jazz, funk and R&B with forward-thinking psychedelic bass music. Indeed, listening to Onward feels like lurking about an intergalactic jazz cafe where the atmosphere is electric, eyes are low, and harsh vibrations are checked at the door.

As a composer and arranger 5AM comes off calm and collected yet bold on this release. He flips and flexes sounds to their limits, but there’s no overreach. Complex arrangements of liquid glitches, space-travel synthesizers and weighty basslines somehow render themselves easy for ears to follow. With an obsessive attention to detail, 5AM has earned praise from his peers for immaculate mix-downs. Across Onward, each track is clean and buttoned-up. All sonic elements - vocals, guitar (courtesy of Keith Wadsworth of Wax Future), percussion and righteous keys - fit together like a puzzle.

But qualitative analyses aside, simply plunge into the feel of Onward. The mind, hungry for inspiration and inclined towards adventure, instinctively picks up what 5AM puts down and it becomes apparent: this is a fresh sound and attitude with lasting relevance for the future.

Art: 5AM