Amidst the continuous halt in industry operations, we were still gifted with a multitude of exceptional records over the past four weeks. Without a doubt, April was the most prominent month thus far in bass music. Releases from artists such as Slushii, Ghastly, REAPER, JOYRYDE, Apashe, and more helped propel April to salience, which caps off quite possibly the most competitive month within the realm of bass.
See past bass charts here.
1. SLUSHII – 'WISH YOU WOULD' [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
Not only does Slushii continue to pump out tracks month after month this year, but time and time again he is able to push his limits to create masterpieces that we didn't think were possible. "Wish You Would" features numerous variations of bass, a multitude of drum patterns, energetic vocals, which all bring out the staple Slushii sound. After coming off of a collaboration with Steve Aoki, the LA-based producer had high expectations and made a statement with this track and even chose to release it independently, with no label support, which is an increasing trend that has proven effective for The Shalizi Group artists over the past few years. You can stream the full track below.
2. GHASTLY FEAT. KARRA – 'HELP' [PROXIMITY]
Breaking his silence after months, Ghastly teams up with Karra to make his 2020 debut with "Help." With support from Digital Mirage affiliate Proximity, Ghastly was able to premiere the track during his live set during the virtual festival, which helped raise over $300,000. Singer-songwriter Karra continues to be a popular vocalist for producers in the bass industry, as she has previous collaborations with likes of Moody Good, SLANDER, and many more. Ghastly revealed a new logo and aesthetic on top of the single, which certainly hints towards a newly renovated project with a lot more to come for the remainder of the year.
3. BENDA – 'BARE BONES' [THRIVE MUSIC]
Fresh to the scene, Benda, releases his debut Bare Bones EP with label support from Thrive Music. After delivering his debut single with Borgore, Benda has expanded his discography with the help of Insomniac Records, Buygore, and Bassrush Records. The EP is fully loaded with four aggressive tracks that will add on to the vigor of his recent releases and make his sets full of sustainable energy. Benda is an artist that is willing to go against the grain and seems to avoid cookie-cutter genre statutes, which helps maintain his originality. Stream below and witness the growth of Benda as a new artist.
4. SAINT PUNK FEAT. MATT MCANDREW – 'WARNING' [ARMADA MUSIC/GRAFFITI RECORDS]
Coming off of two highly anticipated remixes of tracks from BLVK JVCK and Tokyo Machine, producer Saint Punk delivers us a "Warning" with unshakeable vocals from NBC's The Voice, Matt McAndrew. The bass house track features screeching synths, punchy rhythms, and exultant harmonies that collectively bring out immortal energy. Saint Punk continues to have a strong year with the release of "Warning" and is trending heavily in the electronic music scene.
5. REAPER – 'HEADHUNTER' [MONSTERCAT]
The mysterious REAPER returns to Monstercat with a sinister track titled "HEADHUNTER". As part of his four-track Renegade EP, "HEADHUNTER" contains an eery intro that transitions into a chaotic clutter of heavily distorted bass, killer vocals, and an addicting groovy rhythm. After amassing over 5 million streams over various DSPs in 2019, gaining support from acts like SLANDER and Zeds Dead, and a live debut through Brownies & Lemonade, the blood-curdling REAPER is steadily gaining dominance throughout the bass industry.
6. MSFT – 'MOVE' [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
After coming off of a remix for NGHTMRE's "Holdin On To Me," Italian producer msft is back with a grimey track titled "Move." This track is just one of five new releases from him this year, with one of his tunes being released through the hot independent label Jadu Dala. msft has a unique production style through his meticulous song structuring, diligent sound design, and his potent low-end bass mixing. There is a lot more in the works from the young producer, so make sure to give him a follow and support "Move."
7. APASHE – LORD & MASTER [KANNIBALEN RECORDS]
April was a big month for Apashe, as he released his new album Renaissance – a fuse of classical and electronic music. "Lord & Master" perfectly captures the vision of the project through heavenly orchestral segments, vibey hip-hop-inspired percussive elements, and a heavy-hitting drop. The Kannibalen Records artist continues to gain heavy traction from this album across the bass community.
8. JOYRYDE – 'YARDIE' [HARD Records]
Joyryde pretty much owned April with the release of his debut album Brave. "YARDIE" really captured my attention because of the nonstop energy and unique vocal production. It is safe to say that this track would have easily been a festival favorite.
9. TISOKI FEAT. LIL LOTUS – 'PROMISE (VIP)' [DIM MAK]
DJ and producer Tisoki releases his VIP version of "Promise" as the departing track of his Promise EP that gained support through the influence of Dim Mak. "Promise" is the perfect combination of melodic, punk vocals from LiL Lotus and harmonic chords, mixed with fierce drops and hard-hitting percussion. It is needless to say that through his Promise EP, Tisoki has expanded production experimentation and continues to be making powerful moves through the collaborative efforts and industry support involved in the marketing of this particular release.
10. SKELER – 'MY FIGHT' [4AM]
There is an expanding sub-genre niche within bass music, which is the hardwave movement. You may be asking: who is spearheading this? Skeler. The Australian producer has just released his Rez.One EP which fuses the likes of bass, trap, and trance elements. "My Fight" perfectly showcases the genre and gives us a 360 view of Skeler's knack for bringing dance music's roots to the forefront of the bass music industry. The viral producer has gained support from artists such as RL Grime, who released an edit of Skeler's "Arcadia" in April of 2019.
11. BOWSER – 'TITAN' [ELEKTROSHOK RECORDS]
Breaks producer Bowser keeps up with a consistent release plan on Elektroshok Records with the dropping of "Titan." The Sevilla based producer incorporates groovy vocal chops, variations of distorted synth leads, hollow plucks, and that rhythmic breakbeat percussion pattern that we all know and love.
12. THE MIDNIGHT – LOS ANGELES (STAYLOOSE REMIX) [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
Coming off of an album release in late February, Denver based StayLoose marks his return with a remix of The Midnight's "Los Angeles". The remix was completed in a week, as StayLoose started the record as soon as the stems dropped in late March. Every classic future bass element is packed within this song, with perfectly tuned 808s and bass, heavenly saw waves, and lush vocal chops.
13. NOT U – 'AWAKE' [INEXTREMIS]
After going quiet for six months, Spanish producer NOT U makes a strong return with a thrilling release "Awake". Nearing four minutes of playtime, this energetic, feel-good track features heavily distorted basslines, melodic vocal chops, and chilling effects. To cap it off, NOT U released a music video to go along with the track.
14. KUREI & AJ EURO – 'NO ANSWER' [BELOW THE SURFACE]
Los Angeles-based KUREI continues his 2020 journey with yet another quality release "No Answer." With gripping vocals from AJ Euro, creamy low end, and lively wobbles, "No Answer" is a trap fanatics dream. KUREI released his Falling EP along with this track.
15. PHASEONE – 'BREAK EM' (DIRTYPHONICS REMIX) [DISCIPLE]
To celebrate the one year anniversary of PhaseOne's album TRANSCENDENCY, the decision had been made to release a remix album featuring the hottest names in bass music right now. Duo Dirtyphonics remix of "Break Em" is nothing short of impressive. The track features distorted wobbles, tight low end, and gloomy vocal chops. Along with a plethora of other remixes, it is safe to say that "Break Em" features some of the most creative and technical production techniques.
