Blockhead and Eliot Lipp Reprise Their Roles in Lipphead for In The Nude EP

In the spaces of trip-hop, electro-soul, and nu-disco, Eliot Lipp and Blockhead are particularly known quantities, with both having been progenitors within their lanes of choice. With just under and over 20 years of professional musical experience under both belts, respectively, they each have their own expansive and evolutionary catalogs; Blockhead’s prolific sample-collaging and Lipp’s unmistakable penchant for warm, analog synthesis have become the mainstay tropes that make their music so instantly identifiable across two decades of minted works. In 2019, the two joined forces under the Lipphead moniker, releasing a self-titled EP that exposed listeners to the vibrant and salacious combination when their skillsets are mingled in symbiotic fashion. Reprising their respective rolls for Lipphead, they’ve gone to ground and back again to create In The Nude, their latest and most impressive collaborative record to date.

Lipphead · In The Nude

Landing with a total of 13 tracks, In The Nude is a full service dive into a plethora of rhythms and sonic perspectives, all threaded together by a constant and unmitigated command of groove. Tracks like “D.I.A.”, “The Squirrel From Ipanema”, and “Wait Til You See My Outro” all wield the classic, downbeat-centric flow that has been so indicative of Blockhead works across his entire career, while “Shallow Halal”, “Proud Dad”, and "Nocturnal Omissions” exude the dance-centric, often frenetic energy of Eliot Lipp’s most impactful compositions. Even with sonic signifiers bending towards one or the other producer, there’s no majority dynamic to In The Nude; every track features a mingled web of hallmarks and classic tones that have made the two artists in question such recognizable acts, suffusing a parity of elements throughout the 33-minute runtime of the album. With jazz and soul thematic elements at play across every arrangement, there’s no moment where the vibe falls victim to lethargy, making every second of the LP’s journey a consistent and sultry bite of the Lipphead apple.

There’s no doubt that we’re often suckers for a solid collaboration, but there’s a notable difference when combined palate is so complimentary before the first notes are even struck. Eliot Lipp and Blockhead have carved out their own specific territories seemingly parallel to one another, making the act of bridge-building a natural step for this key-turn pairing. For discerning fans of broken-beat music with movement in mind, as well as appreciators of either respective discography, Lipphead’s In The Nude should undoubtedly be next on your must-have list.

FOLLOW Lipphead: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Official

Undehfined - Trip Report (ft. Blue Carl) [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

The Rust Music · Undehfined - Trip Report (ft. Blue Carl) [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Amongst the ever-evolving waves of incoming talent in the North-Eastern US circuit, Undehfined has made quick gains in his compositional and production strides. He’s been hop-scotching across styles and tempos, and is quickly zeroing in on his lane of choice, bringing a tight hand of halftime synthesis and mean bass lines to the table. With the forthcoming release of his Anticipate EP right around the corner, The Rust is excited to host the premiere of its final track, “Trip Report (ft. Blue Carl)”.

Fixing the mood somewhere between curious and confident, “Trip Report” moves with a salacious neuro-hop saunter. The two producers manage to strike the pocket between swung percussive grooves and loquacious glitches in constant conversation. The lean melody leads the track while its slathered low end follows in toe, giving each element in the mix clear bandwidth and extra sharp action. Wielding an obvious bevy of dance floor arrangements with the same potent potentiality as his contemporaries, Undehfined has an obvious bent towards manning the helm of a solid sound system, and if “Trip Report” is any indication, the Anticipate EP will practically require the power of proper sound.

FOLLOW Undehfined: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Faelow - Orbit [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

With his focus clearly honed in on scintilla and liquidity in sound, Faelow has been sculpting away at his creative clay mound with dutiful intent; the last two years featured two well-rounded EP’s that showcased a well-developed talent for harmony in arrangement, and his increasingly gratuitous production chops are smoothing the edges around the crisp specificity of his compositions. As such, The Rust is incredibly excited to host the premiere of “Orbit”, off of the forthcoming Scyphozoa EP.

The Rust Music · Faelow - Orbit [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

True to quintessential downtempo form, “Orbit” rides along a recurrent melody with the effect of a repetitious lullaby; inflecting percussion and cascading foley wrap around the main arpeggio with serpentine effect, panning across the spectrum as each next note plucks its way through the measure. It’s sharp in it’s movements and pronunciation of tone, with virtually no extraneous production artifacts to be found. “Orbit” is a clear indication of level-headed growth, suffusing the Faelow sound with an increasing bounty of tricks and ergonomic production concepts. With fans of dripping, salient songwriting and pointed sound design, “Orbit” is just a taste of the entire Scyphozoa experience, set for release on June 17.

FOLLOW Faelow: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Verdance Channels Equatorial Heat through Islands LP

Riffing on the lighter side of electronica and dance-floor music, the UK-based sound designer and producer Verdance is looking to make a positive splash with his latest LP; released through Loci Records, Islands is an 8 track album that moves like a puddle-jump through sound. Verdance transports listeners across a variety of environments, and brings organic, lush, natural soundscapes to life with IDM-inspired motifs and progressive songwriting fundamentals. Sitting amongst the Loci Records cast of musicians and creatives, it stands out as a particularly upbeat, driving collection of pointed tracks. 

Loci Records · Verdance - Islands

The album begins with “Rudolf Island”, an homage to spoken word poetry met with the powerful emotional ride of downtempo electronica, and it's the kind of dynamism that allows the listener to gently engage with the album’s conceptual field of play. Then as if waking up from a dream, we enter into “Brava”; located off the coast of Portugal, the song pays homage to the namesake islands’ verdant ecology. The spectrum is awash with lush tones, humid vibrations, and soft broken beats juxtaposed against delicate harp plucks that decorate the melody. The further one travels into this sandy repertoire, the more pronounced the blissed-out compositions become. Building these expansive musical worlds is Verdance’s speciality, with Islands' airy canopy providing fertile ground for lively, organic arrangements.

The relaxing and engaging nature of this album sets the scene for release and introspection, letting the waves roll over and let the tide come in. Dreamy, thought provoking textures and sonic ecosystems make Verdance’s latest collection a must listen on a warm summer day, with a cocktail to match. Uplifting, adventurous, and inventive, Islands is an exquisite equatorial experience that warms the air and soothes the soul, and couldn’t have a better home than amongst the roster of like-minded producers at Loci Records.

FOLLOW Verdance: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Conversations and Explorations on Generative Visual Art with Actualize

Denver-based visual artist David Schunemann, or more familiarly known as Actualize Visuals has been diligently cultivating his most progressive body of work to date. Carefully collaborating and decorating stages across the country summer after summer, Actualize has become a household name amongst the wider fandom of digital visual artists and designers.

Directly influenced by painters, 3-D sculptors, animators, and live performance, David aims to create an act that not only accompanies top-tier musical artists, but adds an undeniable depth to every experience. Building off of natural moments of hype, the vibe, and his own take on relevant art in the adjacent scene, he builds an unforgettable dive through vivid dreamscapes, ardent colors, and creative movement. While the pool of visual artists and VJ’s has steadily grown in both size and manifest talent across the last five years, David’s work continues to speak volumes about the sheer tenacity behind his confidence.

Appropriately, The Rust took advantage of an opportunity to sit down at a downtown Denver cafe and speak about the Actualize vision, perspective, and manifestations. 

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The Rust: Where do you hail from, and where are you now?

David Schunemann:  I am a transplant to Denver, a brand new transplant. I am from Boston. I was born in the Boston area and then moved up to New Hampshire when I was like 8, and then lived there till like 3 or 4 years ago and moved back down to boston. Lived there for a while, but now I am here. 

The Rust: What brought you to Denver?

David: Mainly music and art.

The Rust: Where did it all begin? How did this project get started?”

David: I guess just going to a lot of events. I started going to shows in 2016, electronic shows, and I just was like automatically addicted. It was the craziest shit I had ever seen. As soon as I went to my first electronic music festival I was like, “I've seen bands play before but it's not like this.” The stage production in general is crazy. My first festival was Mystery Land in 2016. It was at the original Woodstock grounds actually.

The Rust: Wow, in upstate NY? That's a legendary venue.

David: Yeah, it only happened for like 3 years, then someone bought it and fucked it all up. So it’s not a thing anymore, but it was amazing when I went. After that I just started going to as many music festivals and shows as I could go to. Then after about a year of going to non-stop events. I simply needed to know how it all worked, I needed to understand what's happening here. I started like looking shit up online, diving into it, trying to figure out what was actually going on. The video mixing thing I thought was super cool. I kinda tried DJ-ing a little, but once I realized you can do the same thing with video, it was over. Essentially, just mixing video, you can do it even crazier than you can mix audio. You can have infinite layers, run effects through everything, and route shit different places. The effects are not just limited echo and delay, you can do literally everything. Fuck, you can stack as much as you want until you build something insane.

The Rust: Did that start by combining your audio with your video? What's your speciality?

David: Yeah! What I specialize in is like building custom effect stacks (in Resolume). So I will take tons of different effects and stack them on top of each other in a way that makes something really cool and unique. Then you can go into each of those effects and make different parameters audio reactive or whatever you want. So when the bass hits the whole thing or fine tuned parts will wiggle or shake, change color, or flex.

The Rust: I love that subtle movement in visuals, especially on a big stage or screen.

David: Yeah, not the whole thing. Just very fine tuned. The fact that you can do it live and on the spot with any piece of video content, picture, anything. Just completely blew my mind. As soon as I realized you can do that, I was all in. Playing with it like everyday. Friends would come over and put on music. I'd be like “Yo, check this out.” I would end up sitting there while my friends are just chilling.

The Rust: So it was basically all consuming for you?

David: Insanely.

The Rust: Your first festival was in 2016; it's now 2022. When did you start making your own visuals?

David: 2017, pretty much right away. I have been doing it full time for like 4-5 years now.

The Rust: What did you go to school for?

David: I went to school for software engineering actually. I was working software engineering jobs while I was going to all these festivals. So that was kinda funding everything. Then I got laid off in 2018. I got another job and I had been working that job for a couple years and doing visuals on the side. Then I got laid off again at the beginning of the pandemic, and I was like, “Alright, I don't really want to do this anyway. There is probably a reason I keep getting laid off.”

So after that I was like, “fuck it.” Whether I make money doing this or not, I'll figure that part out later.

The Rust: Completely. I love that train of thought. Fuck it, might as well make art. Can I ask how old you are?

David: 30. So I started going to festivals around 25.

The Rust: Where does the name come from?

David: When I first started I thought about it a lot. Like, what I wanted my name to be…. something. Because I wanted it to be something that kind of reflected what I was doing, then also sound cool you know. It literally came to me at a G Jones show. He is one of my biggest inspirations. Visually and also musically because it is so experimental. He is just trying things no one else thinks to try.

The Rust: He’s earned his reputation through and through.

David: Yeah, so I was getting my mind blown and someone came up to me and told me he did all his own visuals for that tour. I was like, “How? How does someone even have the time?”

What's my excuse? So he had all these visuals with eyes. And there it was... Like “Actual” “EYES”.... Actualize. All he did was actualize the eyes. I was cracking up. In the beginning my name was Actual Eyes. I quickly realized I didn't want to make eye-based content. Then someone messed it up on a flier and put Actualize and it stuck. It looks way cooler and had my motivations all wrapped up in it. So it's also a reminder to myself to just do it. Just wake up and do it.

The Rust: “What’s your excuse?”

David: Yes, exactly. If G Jones can make all his own shit, touring, making music, and incredible visuals. “What's your excuse??

The Rust: Is that how you approach art? Just hit the ground running?

David: Yes. pretty much. Just do it, make art.

The Rust: You spoke earlier live sets. Do you do all your visual sets live?

David: Oh yeah, definitely.

The Rust: Like mixing the movements and textures? Interacting with them?

David: Yes, all live. A lot of it is literally being made on the spot. It's not like I prerender a whole lot of content. Like, I have content that I have either made, bought, or been given over the years. But what I do live is run it through all these custom effect stacks so it looks like something totally different. Then I can switch between the different effect stacks, layer them on top of each other. Speed it up, slow it down, change the colors. Put trails on it, make it vibrate, shake or whatever combination. So basically, I just like playing with it. Listening to the music and playing with the toys that I have and trying to match the speed and the vibe, the colors of the stage and everything.

The Rust: It's like you're reacting, even playing with the musician(s). 

David: Yes, exactly. It's amazing practice doing it live. It makes me a better VJ everyday.

The Rust: So I normally ask musicians this but how do you describe your art? To a layman, what’s your style?

David: Man, it's tough because there are not really well defined genres within visuals. Psychedelic, for sure. Effects-based, psychedelic, geometric, live experiential art, I guess. I like music and art experiences, so [my art is] where those two meet.

The Rust: What can we expect from you this summer?

David: Gotta keep an eye out to find out, but more than one line up should be dropping here in the next week or so. 

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Alongside some of the most high-profile visual artists in his field, David hopes to captivate audiences in the same way he was captivated back on the fields of upstate New York. The future is clearly set, and David's mission above all else is the successful progression of art, music, and this particular creative culture. For those of us that get to attend music festivals this summer, Actualize will be one to set your alarms for; a sight for your actual eyes. 

FOLLOW Actualize Visuals: Facebook / Instagram / Official

Reso X Rasp-5 - Steep Tech [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Lyrical hip-hop and raw electronic production have a key-turn relationship; The voice is the driving force atop the bedrock that is the track, and there’s virtually no limit to ways in which this relationship can and has been exploited with powerful effect. The UK progeny Reso comes from a decades-long background of experimentation and a bleeding-edge production ethos, merging his brolic style with countless genres and motifs. New York’s Rasp-5 meets his aggressive gait from the other side of the spectrum, transitioning from a background in traditional hip-hop compositions to a virulent and impactful lyricist directly at the center of a new marriage between bass-driven beats and narrative-driven songwriting. Combining their talents for a trans-Atlantic sonic dive, The Rust is incredibly excited to host the premiere of Reso and Rasp-5’s latest minted collaboration, “Steep Tech”.

The Rust Music · Reso X Rasp-5 - Steep Tech [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

The usual combination of hip-hop and bass music ingredients would have choice lyrical cuts atop a polished, synth-laden backing track, but we’re dealing with two musicians with a focus on novelty; eschewing the safer blends of jazz or trip-hop instrumental arrangements, “Steep Tech” offers an exceptionally grungy interpretation, fusing dissonant tones and the bright tails of steel-coated drums for an industrial impact. Rasp-5’s wordplay and playful call-and-response between bars rest between each sharp transient, pushing the track in parallel with its percussive underbelly. With a keen ear for leaping across territorial boundaries, Reso and Rasp-5 successfully showcase the evolving dynamics of lyrically-driven productions, keeping listeners on their toes, and our heads spinning on a perpetual swivel.

FOLLOW Reso: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

FOLLOW Rasp-5: Soundcloud / Spotify / Facebook

Spectateur Leans Into Softer Edges in Nocturne LP

Loci Records has an extensive, if relatively quiet history of showcasing a distinctly grounded, featherweight approach to electronic music; spearheaded by Emancipator, their roster and catalog follows in the footsteps of numerous trip-hop, downtempo, and electronica progenitors. Their latest release comes in the form of the Nantes-based producer Spectateur’s Nocturne LP, providing a poignet soundtrack to an evening's journey. Implementing various musical modalities that fluidly evolve throughout the album, Spectateur demonstrates a complete control over a diverse use of instrumentation, ranging from ethereal percussion, to licks and melodies reminiscent of the Fertile Crescent, to infectious call-and-response bass lines, invoking a myriad of emotions along the way.

Loci Records · Spectateur - Nocturne

Settling into Nocturne begins with the easy egress into “About Last Night”. It lulls you in with a juxtaposition of airy keys and rhythmic humming, gradually giving way to intentional dissonance that creates the tension lines of the track. Slowing only for a moment, the track meanders and builds toward a crescendo dash towards the conclusion of the composition. The album progresses onto a lighter path with tracks like “Inner Jungle” and “Lazy Boy”, featuring determined head-nod rhythms and laid-back house archetypes that both play off of instrumental dialogue and compositional whimsy. “Inner Jungle” cruises at chilled-out speeds, fusing a grab-bag of primal animal samples and syncopated 808 phrases. In contrast, “Lazy Boy” fuses bass guitar plucks, six–string licks, and clavinet runs into a jubilant dance-floor party. Wrapping up Nocturne’s journey from dusk to dawn, “Under The Sun” allows the listener some final moments of introspection as sweeping bass tones, a snare-centric beat, and lightly arranged cymbals mimic that feeling of catching the sun rise over in the distance, and those first salient moments of sun-touched skin.

Spectateur’s Nocturne is a fresh perspective on electronic music’s softer edge, putting the focus on clear, clean songwriting and tight dance-floor fundamentals. While there’s no telling when the next Spectateur release or performance will be seeing the light of day, we highly recommend that you dive into his five previous releases, or his bombastic Stereo Utopia project, to hold you over in the meantime. 

FOLLOW Spectateur: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Charting New Territory with Nikki Nair and n goes to infinity

djmag · Recognise: Nikki Nair

In the context of electronic music, crossing the sonic Rubicon to unite formerly disparate genres and styles has become a mark of high composition. As our collective community rolls through various conflicting waves of artistic stagnancy and growth, the overall motifs that we’re drawn to in music progress in tandem, and that’s most reflected in the contemporary focus on dissolving the hard lines between the sounds that catch our ears. Sitting squarely within that paradigm is Nikki Nair, an Atlanta-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer with a burgeoning appetite for weaving new threads between even the most incongruent of BPM’s. In an effort to concentrate his new personal discipline and exploration in production and composition, he’s launched n goes to infinity, a creative label with an expansive focus on music outside the comfortable lines of the traditional wheelhouse.

Nikki’s early years within the space of electronic music were dominated by a hardware-centric and DIY approach to electronic production, zeroed in on the lane of steady-beat techno and house music. In time, he’d be exposed to what is often considered the inverse world of broken-beat bass music. Finding clarity amidst the parallel influences of minimalist production elements and progressive, maximalist sound design is already its own hill to climb, but it comes with parallel challenges in the social sphere. No historical music scene is without its natural guardrails; umbrella genre’s dictate the overall feel of the music in question, and the subsequent sub-genres dictate the terms on which that feeling is met in context. Ostensibly, sub-genres tend to propagate tight-knit communities and scenes of like-minded revelers, and the old paradigm involved rarely, if ever, crossing those imaginary boundary lines. Once you found your people, and your sound, the next natural step was to sit tight and hold the flag atop your hill. While there’s no good moment to point to where the dissolution of that old paradigm began to reach a terminal velocity, Nikki’s experience coming into his late adolescence and adulthood within various iterations of musical communities gives him a perspective with a swivel. 

Cracking into Nikki’s background and motivations for both his own unique project and n goes to infinity unravels a rich tapestry of influence and a vibrant vantage point on how to best shape the abandonment of hard genre separation. As such, The Rust felt it pertinent to dive into his thoughts, musical processes, and perspectives on where we’ve come from and where we may be going.

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The Rust: So how did you find your way into electronic production in the first place? 

Nikki Nair: 2012 is around when I started actively participating. The scene I found were people who were really into Jeff Mills, Underground Resistance, and even the more “EBM” sort of goth/industrial stuff. Yea, I think when I started making proper dance music, I was also in this scene of people who were really into hardware, so it was a lot of doing shows with drum machines and synths. So I got really into finding cheap production and hardware gear to make “hardware techno” and similar stuff. That workflow carried over into what I’m doing now, where I still like having real outside-the-computer sound sources, or processing through analog channels, or recorded instruments. Now, I’ve just become a nerd about audio engineering, so it all feeds off of itself.

The Rust: How do you find your own marriage between the American bass music movement and its dance-floor oriented cousins?

n goes to infinity · Nikki Nair - 1overf

Nikki: It feels like the rave and club oriented scene (where you normally hear house, techno, and breaks) is almost completely separate from the bass music scene in the US. I'm sure there are a ton of reasons for this, but I'm also sure that there are many people from each scene that love music from the other and just don't get to play tracks from the other side.

I think on the bass-music side, part of this is because rave-oriented music is usually quite simple/functional and doesn't focus too much on sound design, and so wouldn't sound that engaging in the middle of a complex and intricate bass music set. Similarly, the half-time energy of a lot of bass music makes it tough to play in a situation where you are trying to maintain forward momentum on a dancefloor. I really want to be able to play music from both sides of and find ways to combine these scenes because I think there is some really exciting, uncharted musical territory in between.

The Rust: When did you first begin to envision n goes to infinity as a sort of bridge between those camps? How did it first come to mind?

Nikki:  It was kind of a moment of clarity. I'd certainly had the dream of having a label for a while, but did not want to start a label just to start one. I'd been playing bass music in my dance sets for a while, and also making tracks that sat in between. When I realized many of these in-between tracks I made couldn't get signed to either bass music labels or club labels, I realized I had to start the label. 

It was pretty recently, really in the last couple of years, that I noticed that the sort of scene I come from, the house/techno/dancefloor oriented stuff, we really missed a lot of the bass music developments. All I knew of it was that we would sometimes play our parties in the side rooms of those parties. We wouldn’t even go in; I remember G Jones was playing at one of those parties, and I thought it was some “dubstep guy” and wasn’t interested. We just did our thing outside instead, and now I love G Jones! I wish I had just taken the chance and stood in there!

I came from wanting to just make Acid Techno with just a Roland TB-303, like literally just a TB-303 and a tape machine and that was it. Now, I want to find a way to bridge the gap as much as possible. There’s amazing music coming from both angles, and I want my label to be a space where I and others can draw from both perspectives. When I release on techno labels, It’s much more difficult to squeeze a half-time drop in the middle of a track and have it go over well with those ears. Or some of the more ridiculous sound design in bass music, that’s not very popular in the more clubby, rave-oriented side of things, where there’s a focus on the simplistic, hardware-driven sounds. 

The Rust: What’s your perception on the evolution of genre spread and intersection of the people at the ground floor of these scenes? 

Nikki Nair · Startrack

Nikki: It seems like there’s a new generation of kids who didn’t grow up seeing such a distinct rift between scenes; they probably found this stuff on the internet and that was that. They don’t really acknowledge the separation, musically. Part of what kept these scenes separate involves ethos and intent. A lot of the parties I went to coming up were “political”, or maybe poticially charged, in that they were dominated by the queer and BIPOC communities. If you went to a dubstep party in the same area, the queer scene didn’t have that same kind of embrace or representation. 

But that’s changing fast, and now you have people like Wreckno, who are able to take that representation and foist it onto this huge platform, and merge whatever styles of music fit for the moment while reaching out to bigger and more diverse groups of people. 

It seems like everyone wants dance music to be for everyone, and I don’t think bass music is a place just filled with straight white dudes, that is just a perception. That was my perception. Now, I realize how many people from so many different backgrounds are involved in all this new musical exploration, and it makes me realize that there can be bigger safe spaces. Parties can be both big and safe at the same time.

The Rust: If the proliferation of dancefloor rhythms with a stark focus on sound design and engineering is the goal, how do you intend to use n goes to infinity as a platform?

 Nikki Nair: Right now, I'm simply releasing music that hopefully fits this bill. In the future, I'd like to find new things to do, but I'm playing everything by ear. It really feels like things are changing in electronic music right now, and my main intention is to find ways to facilitate that change and try to make it change for the better.

 I like to think I can’t predict it; I can only hope that something new comes out of it. I can only say what I’m doing concretely, and what I hope that brings. This year I’ll be focusing on my own releases through the label, with the goal of being able to lift up other, niche artists in the following year. I want it to be as fresh as can be, and supportive of everyone who falls outside the usual lines of the music that we’re all into.

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The attraction to formally taboo crossovers and combinations both in the mix and in the studio has become increasingly palatable in recent years, and it feels indicative of a sort of positive ouroboros of influence. Artists like Nikki Nair tap directly on the pulse of that movement, energizing it through the marriage of dueling creative perspectives. With the launch of n goes to infinity, he’s taking point at the head of a new congress of beatfreaks and speaker creatures across the parallel hemispheres of electronic music.

FOLLOW Nikki Nair: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Webpage

FOLLOW n goes to infinity: Webpage / Facebook

Grayskale - String Theory [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Searching for their stride in self-expression, the Detroit-based songwriter and producer Grayskale has been steadfastly exploring the wide array of bass music styles and rhythms across his time as a public-facing musician. With a clear attraction to clarity and structure, his humble catalog already displays a munificent bounty of production knowledge and compositional finesse. Consequently, The Rust is incredibly excited to premiere the namesake single to his forthcoming first album, String Theory.

The Rust Music · Grayskale - String Theory [EXCLUSIVE PREMEIRE]

“String Theory” is a distinctly narrative stroll, fusing a focused message with syncretic sound design. The first half of the track features a whimsical orator giving us the foundational argument of string theory, parallel to the gradual rise in chord progressions and swelling percussive rides in the background. At the track’s midway point, it cleverly dovetails into a staccato dance of pulsing low end and flighty melodies. At it’s apex, “String Theory” displays the blissful colorways capable when bass music is designed to be particularly rich in harmonics and fidelity, and has us eagerly awaiting the full dive into the String Theory LP.

FOLLOW Grayskale: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Mufunka Crosses the Emotional Rubicon with Samsara LP

A new subspecies of exploratory bass music has been discovered amongst the high mountain peaks and the effervescent pine trees of central Colorado; Music producer Mufunka’s latest release, Samsara, covers a dynamic range of musical concepts, evolving emotion, and symbiotic intensity. The Buddhist metaphor for the wheel of life, including all things we experience and are unconsciously aware of, is given a new narrative journey in a masterful 8 track, full length album, with Mufunka’s use of clever reverb and odd time signatures impressing upon us wide vacuums of space for our imaginations to frolic. 

Mufunka · Samsara

As we begin to peel back the skin and examine the innards of Samsara, Mufunka’s command over snare-centric beat progressions, tantalizing dissonance, and clearance of the frequency spectrum put his compositions into crystalline focus. In tracks like “Event Horizon”, the blend of automated triggers and ever-growing background of bass tones packs a punch for even the most critical of heads. Conversely, with tracks like “Chrysanthemum”, the swelling kicks give the listener a feeling of rebounding through endless tunnels, bouncing from wall to wall, end to end, never quite knowing which is up or down.   

When asked what inspired his album, he replied, “In Buddhism, Samsara represents the wheel of life, [and] I wanted to share what I thought the journey in between could be like.” Motivated by a recent passing of a family member, Mufunka is determined to showcase his own musical progression. To end the album, Mufunka decided to save the best for last, “Slipstream”. In a single track, the listener can see the culmination of ideas presented throughout the album; with all vibrations aligned and dissonance dissipated, Slipstream transports us to the end of our sonic journey, placing a cherry-flavored bow atop an electrically charged and emotionally uplifted album. 

With free downloads of Samsara on Soundcloud, it’s too easy to get plugged into Mufunka’s nucleic prowess, and with such a steller landing for the LP, there’s no telling what sorts of iridescent productions still sit up his sleeve for a later date. Additionally, you can catch Mufunka opening for Kursa, K.L.O, and friends on April, 9th, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

FOLLOW Mufunka: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Inspect3r - Bop Socket [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Steamrolling through the Philadelphia community, and consequently making waves across the Northeastern circuit, Inspect3r has quickly become the go-to man for discerning DJ sets that span from cerebral, to punishing, to outright ludicrous. While his command on the decks carries his reputation with speed, his command in the studio is equally as audacious. With an eagerness to stake his claim and a skillset to match, The Rust felt it more than appropriate to premiere the titular track from his forthcoming EP, Bop Socket.

The Rust Music · Inspect3r - Bop Socket [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

“Bop Socket” is a laced-up midtempo cut, bringing modest synth work to the front of the mix. The low end is reigned in without giving ground, letting the ebb of the rhythm lead the composition. It’s explicitly designed for the dancefloor, radiating movement with an emphasis on hips and shoulders, but that’s part and parcel of the Inspect3r game plan; the voracious command of movement is what the people crave, and there’s clearly one man for the job. With the full release of the Bop Socket EP just around the corner on March 7th, this premiere is the perfect primer for 2022’s evolution of the Inspect3r catalog.

FOLLOW Inspect3r: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Getting Acquainted With The Thought Process Behind Thought Process

Nestled less than an hour east of the Rocky Mountains, the city of Denver has been playing a crucial role in the evolution and championing of both distinctly American and profoundly global bass music. In the heart of the city proper, The Black Box operates as the flagship events space for both the Sub.mission team and for the wider community of beat-freaks and creators. Performing at The Black Box has become a sort of rite of passage, giving creators the chance and the power to rinse out their best material and blends for an often jubilant crowd of appreciators and revelers. Soon to be joining the growing list of illustrious headliners is local Denverite Joe Rich, whose Thought Process alias has risen to the forefront of his sonic arena at breakneck pace. The sold out event features a hand-picked supporting cast including Easyjack, Base2, Aptic, and fellow all:Lo label head parkbreezy, alongside visual support from OZWLD, Spectrumone & Waveform.exp.

Thought Process · 2021 Mix

It is no small feat standing apart musically in a city like Denver, where there is a seemingly endless influx of prodigious talent and gumption. Consequently, Rich’s success is in large part due to the careful lines straddled by the Thought Process project; the distance between conventional hip-hop and broken-beat electronic music has always been relatively short, and yet Rich finds ingenious and pragmatic ways to explore and prop up newfound commonalities and juxtaposed compositional standards. The other major ingredient to his success is his sparing approach to his public catalog. His offerings of new studio productions come in the form of a yearly mix series, as well as an EP or two’s worth of material on an annual basis. This approach of holding your studio catalog close to the chest is not uncommon in the scene; it’s a masterful way of forcing the fans to come out to experience the sound the way it’s meant to be heard. For a creator like Rich, however, sound is just one half of the experience.

Accompanying Thought Process at The Black Box is his long-time friend, collaborator, and all-around visual wizard Andre Tamagachi, better known as OZWLD. The pair met when Joe purchased an OZWLD designed Pretty Lights New Years Eve poster in Las Vegas of 2015. Several years later, the two would again cross paths at a Tsuruda event where Joe was handing out tickets for an upcoming show of his. Andre got his hands on a ticket and after watching Joe’s set, the two linked up and cemented their vision over a beer. Fast forward to the present, and the two have created a fully-immersive sonic and visual environment that pushes the Thought Process project closer and closer to a narrative-driven experience.

As this upcoming show is a clear milestone in Rich’s career, The Rust thought felt it proper to sit down and pick the brain of the man himself on this show, his production methods, his expansive influences, and what the future holds for Thought Process.

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The Rust: You've played all over the country as Thought Process; how does it feel to be headlining for your first time in Denver at a place that has played such a large role in your development as an artist? 

Joe Rich: It's wild, man, honestly. I definitely didn't think it would happen so soon, and this is a show the team and I have been planning for over a year.The Black Box actually reached out to us last May about headlinging and I thought, “I don’t really know about this.” I kind of wanted to put it on the back burner. As it was happening the whole thing felt dreamlike. I’ve been working at the venue in some sort of capacity since it opened and learned a lot under the wing of my current agent Corey Pffaf. He’s been a mentor to me since the very beginning when I joined the Black Box street team. Working with him and Nicole Cacciavillano (owner of The Black Box) over the years and watching their vision come to life has been insane and one of my biggest sources of inspiration in my musical journey. To be able to bring it home, to curate the lineup and do it the way I’m doing it, it still doesn’t feel real. I feel like I’m just floating by and working on this “thing”, you know? I’ve been grinding and focusing on this one event for almost a year, and it’s kind of hard to imagine what the night is actually going to be like. It’s epic and I couldn’t be any more grateful for the opportunity; these people have been supporting me from before day one. It feels like a big full-circle moment and a momentous thing to do with this crew. 

The Rust: The lineup for this event feels like it’s going to gel extremely well; how did you decide who to add on the bill? 

Joe: Aptic and I had been internet friends for a while, but when I announced my Atlanta show last year he instantly reached out and was like “Yo, come stay and crash and we can hang out and connect in the city,” and I thought this was going to be perfect. He’s got banging music, he’s a super cool dude and when I asked him about playing my show he was super about it. Parker (parkbreezy) is the number-one-fucking homie. I definitely wanted to have one of the All:Lo cats on the bill, and I’m extremely stoked on the direction he’s taking his stuff and I wanted to showcase that. 

For Base2 and Easyjack, I was basically just shooting my shot. I didn’t think they would have been so instantly down. They’ve both been such huge inspirations for me for a while. Easyjack and I have played a few shows together but not as much with Base2; but I’ve admired his work for so long. I asked Base2 to do more of a journey set so it could bridge Parker’s immaculate vibes by having him come into more of a downtempo start and then shift into his uptempo stuff, and then take it home with Easyjack who always just brings a dance party. It’s something I’ve sat with for awhile where I really was trying to picture the flow of the entire night, while also making sure I’m surrounded by people that I am inspired by. 

The Rust: What kind of impact do your influences have on your musical output? Can you elaborate on how much or how little of an imprint they infuse?

Joe: That is a tough one; it’s kind of changing all the time. The musical output is something I definitely find myself struggling with. I see a lot of people around me constantly cranking out new music, especially in the last two or three years where you see more of the Bandcamp-subscription style coming about. People like Kursa, Lone Drum, Supertask, VCTRE, and Danny Groove all have Bandcamp subscriptions, and they’re all putting new music out that’s top tier so often that it’s almost intimidating. Then you have some of my other major influences like Pretty Lights where they just take their time while they master their craft. I’m trying to hit somewhere in the middle of that. A lot of my fanbase and my homies know that I rely on a lot of unreleased mixes to test ideas and see what people like or don’t like and what sticks out the most. In terms of actual musical output, I’m always working on new stuff, always writing and trying to stay motivated. I’m never really sitting in one pocket, and I don’t know how to put it out all the time. I definitely lean on more of the Detox Unit-style of putting out some mixes where I test out the “Recent Works” and seeing what people jive with, and then finishing those tunes. 

Thought Process · Collapse in Real Time

The Rust: Your last EP, Collapse in Real Time, showcased a beautiful marriage between high-fidelity sound design and Hip-hop while still maintaining your Thought Process foundations. How has your style and how you approach making music changed since the start of your project? 

Joe: I guess I take my influence from a lot of different places, a lot of different pockets of music, but the biggest would probably be hip-hop, as that’s always been home. It’s really sample-based music; that’s kind of what I’ve leaned on the most. I think for my more recent works, it’s less sample-based and more of me writing the melodies and working on the sound design on my own. I’m not separating myself from the sample stuff at all, but I think what people might see from me is much more original elements. I’m trying to learn to get across my ideas. A lot of the stuff I’m working on now is stuff that I’m going to premiere at The Black Box and a mix following shortly after that -wink wink - that’s kind of the next play. There’s going to be a lot of more originally melodic tunes, that aren’t as hardcore on the samples, that I’m writing from scratch. 

My approach is different in the sense that everything prior to half of the 2021 mix was written when I was still living with Parkbreezy and pheel. I shared a studio with Parker that was in the back of this kitchen area in the house we lived in for 4 years. Now I’ve moved and have my own personal studio and it’s much more private where I’ve had the chance to really dial in the space. I’m getting more connected to my art in that way, I’m not making beats with people around or in a shared space as much anymore, and that’s really elevated my ability to connect with what I’m making I think. 

The Rust: Your Thought Process catalog and your work with Groovsauce fits hand in glove; how do you approach each performance? Are there stark differences, or do they play off of one another?

Joe: There’s massive differences. With Groovsauce every single performance has to be so dialed in because there are so many live and improv elements to it. I do most of the set coordination, I plan the flow of it with Parker and Phil, adding more of the jam elements via the keys, sampling, scratching and things like that. Each Groovsauce set takes hours of work and practice where we all meet up and get to writing in the garage and seeing what we can play off of in Ableton. We also love to have special guests which is something that keeps those sets unique. We had Vide from the Lost Dogz music crew sit it for one of our shows on guitar. That was super different and out of left field for him since he’s used to throwing down mostly banger sets. Not many people know that he plays the guitar that well. At Cheesman Park, we got Brother Nature who freestyles and plays trumpet on top of it.

My Thought Process sets on the other hand, I’ve been doing only all original sets for the last year or so. I’ll try to write a piece or do something visually related to the space I’m in. When OZWLD and I are playing together he and I will go and get shots of the city we’re playing in that morning and he’ll use them for the opening shots and I’ll play music where I might use samples from artists from that city. 

The Rust: The contemporary trip-hop focus of your all:Lo label is clear as day; what drew you so solidly into your lane? 

Joe: all:Lo originated mostly as Phil and Parker’s brain child. I got the blessing to be a part of it and help them run it directionally throughout living with them. The beginning of the story involves them doing the Morning Coffee mixes which are so unique and something entirely of their own where they created their own style and they wanted to extend into that space of low-frequency, low-fidelity, which is kind of what all:Lo is at the end of the day. The direction I provide is all rooted based on where they started and where they see the project going, so definitely a big kudos to them. I don’t even think they realize how conscious their vision is and how easily it bleeds into the rest of us who are helping. It started with them but now it’s expanding, TF Marz is involved, Scarien is involved, and we all work with each other, but I don’t think they understand how that original all:lo vision is rooted in sounds and styles they’ve been pushing for years. 

The Rust: What are some of your favorite events you've attended/performed at and what made them so special to you? Is there any aspect of those shows you want to emulate at your show? 

Joe: My number one favorite event I’ve ever performed at was at Resonance Music Festival on The Rust’s stage this past summer. My favorite music event I’ve ever attended as a fan is probably gonna be Pretty Lights at The Gorge and the run into Red Rocks right after back in 2017. I think I enjoyed performing at Resonance so much because The Rust organized the stage and they were the first people to ever release a song of mine. Malakai is one of my best friends in this world who has always believed in me and trusted in me, and has helped support me for so many years. Seeing that whole crew grow to the point where they can organize an entire festival stage for three days straight and to be a part of that with my set where I played with Zone Drums for the first and only time was absolutely monumentally special to me. 

The Rust Music · MALAKAI x Thought Process - Iota

Pretty Lights has always been my biggest inspiration and seeing him do what he did to push those events and his new live band in such a different space is what inspires me and reflects the direction I want to take my project in the future. Growing and collaborating with other musicians who inspire you, working with new people who inspire you and looping it all together is something I want to do more of. Playing events with Zone Drums, playing with Groovsauce, playing events hosted by friends, playing festival stages with people I’m close with, that’s what motivates me. A quote that I heard recently from one of my friends was “all ships rise with the rising tide”, and that’s something I'm trying to emulate, it’s all for the whole. The more people you work with, the more music you can make; the more friends you make, the more events you can play. Everyone is homies and everyone brings everyone up. 

The Rust: Where do you see the Thought Process project going from here? What do you want to see come true for yourself? 

Joe: Honestly, [I want to see] if I can keep doing what we’re doing with this Black Box show on a bigger scale and more often - if I can keep putting together lineups and bringing crews of people together, keep bringing the community that is forming around this music higher and higher. To have bigger and better gatherings with people who are just down for the cause and about it. That’s all I can really hope for. It’s wanting to create a comfortable and safe space for people to talk and listen and open up to each other. If I can keep doing that, that’s really all I could ask for. 

The Rust: Is there anything else about you or the Thought Process project the people should know about? 

Joe: Other than just a massive thank you, that’s pretty much it. I can’t even believe I’m in this position right now. It’s homies like you, having these kind of conversations, believing in it and putting me on and to everyone out there listening, supporting my music and coming out to my shows at cities I’ve never been to and meeting so many new people, I just can’t express my gratitude and my appreciation enough, just thanks. Let’s fucking keep rocking this shit.

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With a future clearly defined by sheer determination and communal success, Joe Rich is well on the way to cementing his own enduring legacy within our shared musical community. For those lucky enough to be attending the festivities at the Black Box this weekend, there’s no doubt it will be a sonically and visually elucidating experience, and for those sticking it out at home instead, keep your ears peeled for an upcoming serving of Thought Process’ latest laboratory experiments, and your eyes peeled on this stalwart artist’s expansive horizons.

FOLLOW Thought Process: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Somatoast Displays Maturity in Composition with Creation is Creation LP

Somatoast · Creation is Creation

Amidst the flurry of evolving genres, scenes, and passing generations of producers, Mark Rubin has been steadfast in his creative lane, bending his trajectory ever so slightly to encompass new fascinations in the production and sound design communities within his ever burgeoning umbrella of interest. His longtime project, Somatoast, is the working history of his own musical evolution, charting a journey that has always been grounded in prodigious composition and instrumentalism. From Goop to Dreamhop Jazzytime, each of his releases turns the page on his musical exploits, bringing time-tested concepts on a collision course with uncharted territory. In a fashion true to his form, Somatoast has once again brought the vast surfeit of his ideas into a psychedelic melting pot, crafting a new and lucid brew; the Creation is Creation LP.

In an era of producers often choosing to ride out of the gate with a bang, Somatoast opts for the smoother route; “Tapping in Boyd Hill” sits like the layer of cream atop a good dessert, hitting the palette with a velvet richness designed to get the glands salivating. There’s no momentous crash or rousing tension, just the exposition of choice, emotive note relationships in the medium of full-bodied textures that starts and ends on the same gentle egress. After wetting the palette, “Dawn” serves as a faithful and melodious bridge, riding gentle harmonies and forthright percussive shuffles. It’s abrupt end is met with the rising energy of the LP’s namesake track, featuring a delicious half-time interpretation of a steady dance-floor rhythm. “Creation is Creation” channels the classic Somatoast infusion of jazz, space, vocoders, and an undeniable groove, all swelling into the blissed-out, scintillating breakdown that dominates the latter half of the track.

At the LP’s midway point, “Kokoa” calms the rising intensity, featuring an arrangement heavily dominated by harmony and vocal interplay. It floats a permeable atmosphere above the central elements in the mix, putting the focus squarely on the journey, as opposed to the individual steps. The penultimate track, “Icicles”, personifies its title through generous reverb, ride tails, and potent chimes that follow the arpeggiated melodies throughout. At the height of the track, those elements dovetail into stabs of throaty synthesis, bringing the LP’s experience to the peak of its impact. Bidding farewell to the LP’s original compositions is “Ooh Yea”, a sensual dance through swelling chord progressions and delicate juxtaposed textures. There’s a certain shine to the track’s arrangement that feels as sharp as it is sultry, and that is precisely what gives Creation is Creation the Somatoast seal of quality. 

As if six resplendent Somatoast tracks weren’t enough to satisfy new and old fans alike, the back half of the LP features impressive remixes by Lapa, Edamame, Skysia, and Kaya Project, bringing a number of top flight composers under one roof. As with previous Somatoast releases, Creation is Creation is indicative of a producer and musician who’s sitting squarely in the zenith of their creativity, and even with the momentous arrival of this new suite of Somatoast productions, we can’t help but wonder what’s in store for next time.

FOLLOW Somatoast: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Ovoid - Desert Planet [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Over the past 10 years, Adam Westover, better known as Ovoid, has been creating symphonic musical adventures that span combine modern musicality with cutting-edge audio production and engineering. Psychedelic and mind bending, Ovoid’s music never disappoints; impossible to pass up and captivating in form, his compositions cultivate a distinct hallmark of the audiophile experience while bringing electrifying bass music to dance floors. As such, The Rust is honored to once again host his work, this time featuring the exclusive premiere of his track, “Desert Planet”, from his latest EP, Apocryphal.

The Rust Music · Ovoid - Desert Planet [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

“Desert Planet” opens with elements of thick and decorative percussion. The cerebral LFOs dance in the background while building the melody with strums from a filtered guitar, and each embellished note elucidates deep echoes and fleshy reverb. Adam shines bright when incorporating many musical disciplines into his EPs; His creativity often radiates with nods to Eastern musical stylings and syncopated rhythms. He is constantly and dynamically evolving his tonal space and creating musical environments that conjure imagery of spaces that are both compressed and tight, and that explode into wide and galloping expanses of sound, and “Desert Planet” channels each of these distinct characteristics with ease. With the full release scheduled March 4th, the full release of Apocryphal is close on the coattails of this high-impact single.

FOLLOW Ovoid: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Mindex Opts for a Rhythmic Twist in Trapped

Beginning his euphonic journey in 2011 with the Neverland album on Time Resonance Music, Mindex has thrilled his fans with soundscapes, dance-floor bangers, and tantalizing psychedelic melodies. His expertise in creating works of mind-bending complexity and creativity have come to a head in recent years, catching eyes and ears by surprise whenever the occasion strikes. In lieu of ground shaking bass, the methodical producer has chosen to bring four tracks out of hiding that emit subtle shapes and colorful patterns. His latest EP, Trapped, challenges listeners to explore the many corners and crannies of his stylings while exciting their senses with hip shaking snares and double-timed high hats. 

The Trapped EP explores the psychotropic world of sounds and textures brought to life by colorful tones and vocal riffs. The use of cascading kicks and synthesized drum patterns keeps the listener's ears perked, while long decays in the background bend and tremble. “Ocean Featuring Qoi'' is a jazzy, lo-fi track that has exciting licks of vocals, cascading keys and delicate metallic percussion. The second track, “Happy Trappy'', begins with an echoing melody that gladly meets a happy percussion line. Mindex’s use of double time signatures creates a drippy feeling in all the right places, merging his choice touches with the otherwise disparate genre.

With a consistent and evolving output honed in over years of potent concentration, Mindex has amassed an impressive catalog, and is clearly no closer to tapping out the creative well. Keep yours sharp on further movements from this multi-faceted artist as your ears soak in his latest EP, and you’re sure to see his next body of work just over the horizon.

FOLLOW Mindex: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Man From Sol & Nuan Sonar - Mycelial Cognitive Network [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Hovering in the orbit of hyperglitch and related genres, Man From Sol continues to develop his programming and production skills around extraordinarily novel interpretations of glitch music. Branching off from the calmer iterations of his sound and style, the forthcoming Bionetworks EP features his most abstract and verbose palette to date. In anticipation of this scintillating release, The Rust is proud to host the premiere an exclusive single ahead of the pack; “Mycelial Cognitive Network”.

The Rust Music · Man From Sol & Nuan Sonar - Mycelial Cognitive Network [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Featuring the collaborative talents of Nuan Sonar, “Mycelial Cognitive Network” expands upon the archetypal mixture of seemingly disparate textures and synthesis with a stirring and discernably physical composition. Beginning with playful jaunts of melody synthesis and ending with the gradual infusion of distortion and cacophony, the track flows into and out of a rich, pulsating groove that denotes the honest synchronicity between glitch music and it’s dancefloor cousins. With the totality of Bionetworks dropping on 1/15, “Mycelial Cognitive Network” arrives just in time to get you acquainted with Man From Sol, Nuan Sonar, and the effusive nooks and crannies of hyperglitch.

FOLLOW Man From Sol: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Facebook
FOLLOW Nuan Sonar: SoundCloud / Bandcamp

Music For Serial Ports Forms Intrigue out of the Mundane

Barcodes are computer generated codes that are a visual representation of a product or corresponding location. These readable sets of  parallel lines are a basis for virtual communication and used as unique idiomatic identifiers. The latest release from Satellite Era focuses on the complex labyrinth of music translated by programs and musicians from barcodes; Music For Serial Ports [Part One] is the charismatic product of southern-California based producer Scott Metoyer, dovetailing his musicianship with a truly novel marriage of ingenuity and artistic gumption.

SATELLITE ERA · Scott Metoyer - Music For Serial Ports (Part One) [SERA011.1]

Scott uses his custom-built midi controllers, modular synths and household barcodes to create incredibly tech-heavy crescendos and melodic ideas that are built entirely from deep ciphers of code. When writing his software, certain parameters were used to create a distinctive atmosphere for each track while balancing for the project’s thematic needs; This record starts as raw data taken from household items, turned into music, written entirely in Node.js. Straightforward on paper, yet anything but in practice. 

This algorithmic production artist, musician, and software developer has certainly caught the attention of his peers, and the novelty of the Music For Serial Ports project is no doubt just one angle to Metoyer’s creative endeavors. If you’re feeling inspired by the whim and talent behind this unique take on generative music, Metoyer has included software codes and other useful tools on his Github page, giving any and all the opportunity to borrow from his personal palette of inspiration. With titles like “Brown Bag tortilla chips” and “effervescent antacid tablets”, how can one not be curious what their personal pantry treats sound like?

You can download the aforementioned production assets provided by Scott Metoyer through this link

Jonah Hodges - Comfortability Trap [Exclusive Premiere]

Textured and tranquil, measured and mysterious; Jonah Hodges is reproducing what sonic enthusiasts cherish most about his arrangements. Like watching waves crash upon a distant shoreline on a brisk morning, the snares, kicks, and 808’s are a persistent and pervasive center piece for Jonah's style. His music is refreshing and energetic with hints of a warming melody leaking out akin like steam from beneath a collared coat. As such, The Rust Music is proud to premier Jonah’s Hodges latest single, “Comfortability Trap”.

The Rust Music · Jonah Hodges - Comfortability Trap [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE

"Comfortability Trap" is a refreshing and frosty track that explores elements of Lofi, jazz guitar, and creative percussive ideas that seem to burst out of the speakers. Known for his dynamic percussion and stunning sound design, Jonah plays off the way his percussion moves while maintaining meticulous melody phrasing. A return to what fans love and a homogeneous push to exemplify his unique sound, "Comfortability Trap” is undeniably expressive, extraordinarily spirited, and just a taste of the rambunctious man's ability.

FOLLOW Jonah Hodges: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Navigatorz and Maya Elise mingle talents in Characters

Denver based producers Vinja and Sortof Vague are notorious for their textured phrase-based scratching styles, expressive melodies, and their unique drum patterns. This swagger-laden energy comes from years of experience on the stage and deep in their respective creative lairs. Together, they play as Navigatorz, a rowdy and energetic DJ duo with an ear for timeless dance vibes and satisfyingly melodic tracks. The group last week released a new EP, Character, a four track EP that features a Mystic State and DJ MADD remix of their title track. The jazzy and soulful vocal track, “Character”, has an explorative dubstep backbone and a covid inspired background. For those of us catching a glimpse of its creation throughout the summer, this is a much anticipated release. Not only was the track played at multiple shows and festivals this year but was featured at the end of Navigatorz Observatory Mixtape in 2020. 

Navigatorz · Character ft. Maya Elise

Featuring vocalist Maya Elise, an exciting choice for her unique style, control, and stunning tone, the track has a perfect combination of cadence and texture with modern accents of electronica. Reminiscent of jazz singers like Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald, her notes travel and change with passion and at times angst. Maya creates a painted image of sound for her audience to decipher. 

Played at only the most propitious times this summer, eager fans have unknowingly bared witness to bits and pieces of sound creation. Characters opens with lasers cascading through open air with a simple cymbal. Within moments the track quickly accelerates, filling the space with an uplifting-soulful pace and bouncing drum patterns. Accompanied by Maya's angelic echoing lyrics, the sensuous melody and intoxicating vocals brings us into a place both sexy and mysterious. 

Inquisitive and excited, we spoke briefly with Sam and Maya about their time working on this track and their inspirations. 

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Alyssa Barnhill: I swear I have heard this track at one of your shows this year. When did this project start and how did you find yourself here?

Sortof Vague: “We wrote Character a couple of years ago for a live set that we were working on at the time. It only took us a few hours to flesh out the idea, which was inspired but a pair of classic tunes that are around the same tempo. After playing out the instrumental live and receiving good feedback, Vince (Vinja) suggested that we find a vocalist to take the song to the next level. We approached Maya with the offer and she quickly delivered a wonderful vocal performance featuring lyrics that match the overall vibe of the tune perfectly. We knew right then that we wanted to give the track a proper release.

Alyssa : Maya wrote the lyrics? The passion is palpable. What was the inspiration?

Maya: "When Navigatorz contacted me about sending over my vocals to them, I had been isolating myself heavily due to the pandemic. The lyrics I wrote to Character are about making time to dig deeper and to face what we maybe ignore or deny. I think that acknowledging the darker parts of ourselves is crucial to our overall growth. Sam and Vince have not only been so encouraging to me during this process but they have also been clear with their direction and communication and I respect that so much."

Featured at Kings Theatre this last weekend in Brooklyn NY, at the Mishawaka Amphitheater  over the summer, Junetember Jam in Flagstaff AZ, and at Infrasound music festival in Minnesota, this dynamic duo has no signs of letting up. Whether you are interested in DnB tempos that are fun and racey,  140 vibes, or jazzy textures, this EP has something for you. 

FOLLOW Navigatorz: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

FOLLOW Maya Elise: Facebook

not yes and Their Aversion to Formality and Formula

not yes · MIXES

Amongst the incoming generation of artists having finally found their bite, not yes exemplifies the modern paradigm of electronic production; there are no hard boundaries, no clearly defined destinations, and unbridled compositional freedom. There’s a refreshing whim to their choice of direction, seemingly letting the music take the wheel before the tracks are fully fleshed out. The result is a fast-growing, dynamic catalog that takes us through virtually every space in low-end territory.

With over 8 years of collaborative production and songwriting exploits between them, there’s a certain level of incubation to this Dutch duo. Their immersion within Amsterdam’s musical landscape adds a savory camaraderie to their determined project, solidifying their status as both a maverick offering and a team player in their immediate scene.

“Bass music specifically isn’t as big as it is in a city like Bristol or Denver for example. It however still is one of the capitals of electronic music production and you can feel that. There’s constantly stuff happening in all genres, and if you throw a mean bass party you’ll sell all your tickets easily. We do want to stir this up further, proudly wearing the Amsterdam label and seeing how much more people we can connect with in the scene here.”

Their advantage is both the marriage of their ideas and their willingness to push their own creative limits through performance programming technology. With Ableton as their central hub, they dive straight into the generative and manipulative power of midi controllers and Ableton’s famed Session View. With a surprising lack of in-depth formal musical education, the pair explore the contemporary sandbox of digital production with open minds and intuitive direction, with a clear and concise payoff ala their discography.

The Rust Music · not yes - nod heads

“We’re die hard Ableton nerds. Always on a mission to make our workflow faster. Basically every click we have to make to get our idea in the DAW is one we try to avoid. The less we’re looking at our screen, the more we can focus on the idea. We’re actually moving away from a lot of plug-ins, mostly sticking to the stock Ableton stuff. We feel this is easier to use and actually gets most of the things we want done. It also makes collaboration easier. But of course there’s some essentials like Pro Q, Pro L, and Omnisphere.”

With the unveiling of their nod heads EP buffing up their already expansive back catalog, the American public is now steadily receiving a IV drip of the not yes formula, exposing them to inarguably choice blends of breakbeat, neuro-hop, halftime, and various takes on thematic system music. It’s a rambunctious and virile journey across the many shades of bass music, and a clear-cut demonstration of the continuing global appeal of high fidelity low-end rhythms.

With a visible wind in their sails, not yes is on a mad dash through whatever fledgling genre takes their interest, paying no heed to compositional guardrails or stoic conventions. It’s already producing a demonstrable payoff, and, so long as the duo remains committed to their aversion to formality and formula, that’s likely to continue into the indefinite future.

FOLLOW not yes: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook