Self-taught beatsmith RUMPUS has teamed up with Canadian bass house duo FOOTWURK and award-winning Bristol-based vocalist Dread MC to deliver a dominant dancefloor heater.
Dubbed “My Crew,” “I got together with the FOOTWURK boys–who are actually from my hometown,” RUMPUS explains in an interview. “We have been friends for quite a while and always talked about doing a track together… and we finally found one that was the right fit.” Exuding equal parts of RUMPUS and FOOTWURK’s stylistic approach in the studio, the tune infuses the latter’s driven bass house sensibilities with the former’s tried-and-true tech and funk elements. RUMPUS recollects how the production for “My Crew” came together seamlessly as all contributors connected over Zoom for live studio sessions on Ableton. “Even Dread MC was in the studio–in Europe–recording the vocals, and we were able to watch it in real-time,” he adds.
Released on October 14 by way of Westwood Recordings, “My Crew” emanates the undeniable energy that a sense of community creates. RUMPUS shares that the track was inspired by the longing to be reunited with friends after so much time apart. “We wanted to do a track that was about being with your friends, ‘your crew,’ and getting back together,” he continues. “That’s basically what the song is about. Going out and having a good time with your friends.” RUMPUS has released music with Westwood Recordings before, such as “I Get Down With Aliens” and “Footwork,” and strongly believes that it’s a great Canadian label to be releasing music on. “I’ve been a part of the Westwood fam for years now,” he begins. “I thought it would be cool for FOOTWURK to get in as they’re Canadian artists, too.”
Over the years, RUMPUS has signed his music to several reputable labels such as Hood Politics Records, Insomniac Records, Vibrancy and most recently, Rock Bottom Records. His latest release “You Better” with Nicky Genesis was signed to Rock Bottom, marking his second with the label overall, following “Money Maker” at the start of the year. In between those two releases, RUMPUS went down to L.A. to play a show and he met one of the label founders, Daniel Nish (Luxo). “Ever since that night, we stayed in contact,” RUMPUS notes. “They are doing some restructuring at the label, and there was space for another person to come on to help with A&R,” he recollects. “We had a chat about it and it’s something that I’ve always been interested in…You know, possibly starting a label… This seemed like a much better opportunity because it’s already established and I can come in and bring new ideas and new direction to something that’s already got roots.”
Since coming on as an A&R Representative for Rock Bottom Records, there are now two upcoming releases that have been scheduled. The first one is a release from the label boss himself, Luxo, and the second is a new track from the Whistler-based production duo, SkiiTour. For the year’s end, Rock Bottoms Records will be putting out a compilation, which they do annually. According to RUMPUS, “We are going to have various artists on [the compilation], and we are in the process of taking in demos now.” He also reveals that he too will be putting a track out on the compilation, and then “for the rest of the year I will be in the studio as 2023 is going to be really busy.” In the meantime, keep an eye out on his socials for updates.
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Listen on: Apple Music | Spotify
