V/A - Oxidized, Vol. 3

Artwork by Mocktail

The Oxidized compilation series is a charity project we have been working on since the inception of The Rust Music, with Oxidized, Vol. 1 being our very first label release in February 2017. At the end of each year we select a new charity, aid organization, or non-profit, to which all proceeds from the series are donated. In the past we have donated to organizations focusing on natural disaster aid, environmental restoration and preservation, as well as civil/human rights advocates and COVID-19 relief efforts on local, national, and international levels. Proceeds from the Oxidized series in 2022 and 2023 will be donated to support equal rights to healthcare and access to abortion.

Across the last 6 years, we've recurrently tapped into a network of both our roster talent and our close associates across the experimental electronic music spectrum to craft our first two Oxidized compilations. Now, for the final entry in the Oxidized Trilogy, we've brought together 32 producers, songwriters, and musicians from the US, the UK, Germany and Georgia to craft 28 tracks that cross through a medley of motifs in Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, Downtempo, and more. Please relax and enjoy this curated selection of moods and attitudes, courtesy of The Rust Music and our extended kinfolk.

crawdad sniper - Squid Pro Quo

Artwork: Andrew Bjorke (aab_stract)

Hailing from the D.C. area and falling back on a lifetime of experience behind the drum kit, Crawdad Sniper is a producer/DJ with a significant rhythmic bent. Already boasting a modest catalog of hip-shaking tunes and sprinkles of funkadelic electronic music, his latest collection of tracks fields sharp sound design and pocketed phasing with a polished profile. In a bid to start the new off with a righteous groove, The Rust is especially excited to host his newly minted EP, Squid Pro Quo. 

Tight, pinpoint percussion dominates the runtime of Squid Pro Quo, serving as the consistent foundation for his rhythmic and melodic arrangements. Taking clear advantage of his time as a drummer, it’s simultaneously the backbone and foreground of the EP, with each hit taking up generous sonic bandwidth. Each track flares with an alternate series of forward and laid back attitudes while keeping the focus squarely on kinetics; splices of throaty synthesis mingle with staccato lead lines and harmonized chord plucks, closing the distance between hard hitting neuro motifs and pronounced songwriting fundamentals. There’s an almost liquid quality to the EP’s engineering, producing a listening experience that is as hygienic as it is engaging, and betraying a significant dedication to cleanliness as well as design. For fans and appreciators of rhythmic inertia, funk motifs, and generous synthesis, Crawdad Sniper’s Squid Pro Quo is guaranteed to satisfy.

not yes - Nod Heads

Hailing from Amsterdam and keen to make a vivacious debut on the North American scene, the producer duo not yes has cooked up a distinct serving of broken-beat bass music.

Forgoing the more abrasive, breakneck energy and heavily-textured mixing fundamentals of their often hyper-precise American counterparts, not yes has found an intriguing balance through lithe, groove-driven production palettes and headnod rhythms on their aptly titled nod heads EP.

Each of the four tracks that populate the EP stand out through their own distinct flavors, and create a concise plate of not yes' particular blend of precision percussion and needle-threaded sound design. They're not too brackish, avoiding the often muddy waters of high-velocity bass music, but they're by no means featherweights; if you're looking to cut your teeth on something with whipcord tension and deliberate composition, then nod heads is undoubtedly up your alley.