Resurfacing for air two years after the release of his psychedelic αριθμός τέσσερα LP, the Bristol-based producer John Hislop has come up for air with another minted project. Stretching back to his formative days with the Dubsaw and Inspected labels, Culprate has become a staple producer in the arc of bass music and contemporary audio production. his latest release through Inspected, Normal, puts pure force on display, harkening back to the energy in his formative years. In collaboration with The Rust, Hislop agreed to an insightful interview that has given us a proper lens into his thought process, approach, and interpretation of his own productions and some of the wider context to his career so far.
Read MoreBeyond the Music at Bass Coast
Every seasoned festival-goer in North America should try to attend Bass Coast at least once. But be warned - once you go, you’ll want to return every summer. That can be challenging for those who live far from Merritt, British Columbia, but the trip is worth every mile. Tucked into a hot, dusty valley in the BC interior, Merritt is Canada’s country music capital, or used to be, depending on who you ask. The likes of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Tanya Tucker have handprints on the town’s Walk of Stars, and Merritt Mountain Festival used to bring more than 100,000 people to the area. In this context, Bass Coast is a natural fit for the area.
Read More10 Can't-Miss Artists of Color at Bass Coast
Why is it important to consider equity and diversity in dance music? From house and techno to jungle and dubstep, electronic dance music often came from marginalized diaspora communities which, at least in North America, were often Black and Latino. Yet as dance music has become a mainstream, multi-billion dollar business, it is impacted by racism and exclusion like any other business in a society where these challenges remain all too present. In 2019, Bass Coast started collecting detailed demographic data about its bookings and using it to “critically look at strengths and gaps in our programming choices.” In 2024, the Phase 1 lineup featured more than three dozen women and gender non-conforming people, and nearly 30 artists of color, including several indigenous and Métis DJs and producers from Canada. So with this in mind, in addition to Leikeli47, here are 10 can’t-miss artists of color at Bass Coast.
Read MoreHow to Practice Sustainability at Bass Coast (And Beyond)
It takes hard work to host an enormous music festival in the middle of the woods without leaving any waste behind, but Bass Coast in Merritt, British Columbia (BC), Canada strives to make it easier, for both attendees and crew. Boasting a modest 6,500-person capacity and operated independently in the southern BC interior, it’s been twice awarded 'Best Boutique Festival in North America' by DJ Mag and 'Best Midsize Festival in Canada' by the Canada Music Awards. Curated by Andrea Graham aka The Librarian and Max Ulis, the lineup is of course stupendous. But Bass Coast hasn’t earned these accolades for music alone. Excellence at the event extends beyond the music to things like harm reduction, cultural respect, and sustainability.
Read MoreEntangled Mind Puts Collaboration Front and Center with Latest LP
Marissa Barbato, the creative force behind Entangled Mind, has carved out a place for themselves through their consistent blends of instrumentalism and exceptionally high production standards. Three years after the release of their debut LP, Eternal Motion, they’ve poured their energy into a sophomore album that expands on the thematic psychedelia at the center of the Entangled Mind sound, and reaches new heights against their personal catalog.The Lucid Living LP bridges the gap between emotive and somatic compositions, employing sound as a conduit for fostering connection and introspection.
Read MoreSeppa Gets Straight to the Point with See It Through LP
Another year comes, and another stellar release makes it’s way out into the wild from the heart of Bristol in the UK; Sandy Finlayson’s Seppa moniker needs little and less introduction these days, with his extensive catalog of EP’s and LP’s doing the majority of the talking. With four years having come and gone since his last solo album release, and his current spate of US shows kicking off this evening, he’s primed to flesh out a grip of new tracks across each stop from his latest See It Through LP across the eponymous 11-stop tour.
Read MoreObservatory Records Zeroes in on the Dance Floor with Pure Energy Compilation
Punching through to new territorial waters, the collective cross-atlantic bass music culture has been steadily seeking out fresh inspiration and deeper dance floor integration for several concurrent years, with breaks, house, and drum and bass feeling particularly syncretic for so many stalwart producers and fans alike. Recently stepping into the arena for a slice of newfound sonic territory, Observatory Records has tapped the efforts of several cutting-edge acts to craft their sophomore release, the Pure Energy compilation EP.
Read MoreSubmersion Aftermath: Mark Farina
At its core, Submersion Festival has no defined “home sound”; there’s no singular lane or style that fully engulfs the breadth of the festival’s musical vision. Both as a part of its appeal, and as a result of the palettes that craft each successive lineup, a diversity of sound and presentation is the fundamental characteristic that carries the event from year to year. High on our own list of desired acts, and standing atop a three-decade career, was Mark Farina, the prolific DJ & producer who’s remained an invaluable staple across the domestic and international touring circuits. A few days ahead of his appearance at Submersion, we had the opportunity to have a conversation covering a number of points that sat parallel to Mark Farina’s hour in the Saturday sun.
Read Morepheel. Carves out his Territory through Debut echo chamber. LP
Closing out another monumental year in a career built on its own momentum, Phil Gallo continues to deliver a sultry, vivacious package through his musical alias, pheel.. The New York-born producer is a crucial member of Denver’s venerable all:Lo record label, injecting his distinct blend of boom bap and groove-driven bass music, and paying homage to the music of his childhood while nose-diving into the sounds of the future. Much to the delight of his fans, Gallo’s latest release is his long-awaited debut album, echo chamber., demonstrating his ever-evolving talent and ability across nine tracks of shifting moods and nebulous hues.
Read MoreSubmersion Aftermath: Flourishing during Sophomore Year at Paradise Lakes
On October 5th, electronic music fans flocked back to the Pine Barrens for the third annual Submersion event. For the second year, the three-day festival was hosted at the picturesque Paradise Lakes Campground, nestled among moss-covered pines providing ample shade from the waning summer’s sun. The second and highly-anticipated installment of the Submersion camp-out once again housed two distinctly and carefully curated stages showcasing global and domestic veterans of the festival circuit, U.S. debuts, and up and coming stars of the underground. In the wake of its 2023 installment, Submersion proved that when the right teams come together, lightning can in fact strike twice, allowing creativity and inspiration to flourish while providing an exemplary experience for all of those who attend.
Read MoreLipphead Dive One Step Deeper in From The Back LP
The dynamic New York-based production duo Lipphead has gradually built out a sonic playground of funkadelic slides, swinging trumpets, and tipsy, on-the-nose rhythms, bringing their energetic and eclectic instrumental hip-hop style out to play. With already potent pool of established tracks between the two, Blockhead and Elliot Lipp continue to outdo their stereophonic dance floor motif with the sensual blends and lush progressions of their latest record, “From The Back”.
Read MoreA Quaint Conversation on the new Collaborative DOS Project
Individually, Ilya Goldberg and Random Rab have extraordinarily fruitful careers on their own merits, with the former both through his Lapa project and being Doug Appling’s right hand man in Emancipator, and the latter through a dedicated, double-decade approach to the Random Rab sound. It was only a matter of time before these not so disparate camps found themselves unified under the same banner, and this year saw the inception of their collaborative project, DOS. Consequently, and ahead of their appearance at Secret Dreams later this month, the Rust felt it necessary to have a quaint conversation with these artists on the nature of their collaborations, the inception of the project, and the lens through which they view their own musicality.
Read MoreRasp-5 & Tygris Return with Their Smash & Grab EP
Long after the divergence of hip-hop music and its swing-centric instrumental arrangements, both lyricists and producers find themselves coming back around to their time-tested partnership of songwriting and studio finesse, with a few choice sets of creatives finding their stride with contemporary flavor. Continuing their gradual dive into the murky waters of lyricism and bass music, Rasp-5 and Tygris follow up their rambunctious Cheap Thrills EP with a dual serving of brackish low-end and sauntering wordplay, with The Gradient Perspective hosting their latest release, Smash & Grab.
Read MoreGetting Acquainted with NYC's Edica+
Making a fast-paced break into the spotlight of NYC’s sound system culture and musical underground, the texas-raised and New York-based DJ and show-host Edica+ has already made an ample name for herself. Stretching from Reggae and Cumbia to contemporary bass music and beyond, her effusive influences and pronounced mixing fundamentals have made her a potent force behind the decks, showcasing ecstatic and expansive DJing in pure form. Tomorrow evening, The Rust and our long-time co-conspirator Sermon are slated to host Commodo, Ellis Delta, EasyJack, and Edica+ at The Meadows in Brooklyn, and in anticipation of the rambunctious evening ahead, we felt it necessary to get ahold of Edica+ for a brief primer on her influences, background, her experiences as a show-host, and her time with Dub-Stuy records.
Read MoreMisticeti Dials in on Influence and Attitude with Signals EP
Inspired by the songs of baleen whales migrating through the pacific coasts of Columbia, Juan Manuel Vasquez’s Misticeti project mirrors the pulse and breath of his marine counterpart. His debut EP, Signals, is a 4-track record takes listeners on an enchanting journey through a blend of mesmerizing melodies, incorporeal atmospheres, and pumping rhythms. Released through the widely acclaimed Loci Records label, this hypnotic collection of songs showcases Misticeti's iterative artistic vision, his Latin roots, and the rich tapestry woven between them.
Read MoreExploring New Perspectives on Music and Photography with SMYAH
Across the pond, the pensive and surefooted Bulgarian creative Yavor Zografski has spent the last several years tightening the reigns around both his own musical project SMYAH, and the wider Sound in Picture label under his purview. Narratives covers a variety of styles and genres, with notable influences from IDM, jazz, downtempo, trip-hop, and ambient film audio. Founded in 2018, Sound in Picture features dozens of individual releases, all paired together with accompanying photographic art. Given the expansive scope of both Yavor’s personal musical output, and the approach to his particularly curated label, The Rust felt an immediate necessity to sit down with this affluent artist and discuss the genesis and direction of his dovetailing projects.
Read MoreSMYAH - Labyrinths [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]
Yavor Zografski, aka SMYAH, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Sofia, Bulgaria. He boasts a career as a music production teacher at Sound Ninja Academy, and the owner of the Sound In Picture multimedia label. With such a complimentary rolodex of skills, it's no wonder that his latest incoming release, Ascension, is such a significant and wide-reaching collection of tracks. As such, The Rust is incredibly excited to premiere the song "Labyrinths” ahead of the full Ascension release.
Read More5AM Enhances Growing Catalog with Aperture EP
Amassing a reputation and a fan base that answers first and foremost to quality, Sam Andrus has developed the 5AM project into a high-fidelity multi-tool; from the live solo performances and evolutionary 3-piece band, to the numerous sound design and composition workshops, his pronounced graphic design skill set, and his modest catalog of studio release, he's a veritable jack of all trades and a remarkable powerhouse amongst the wider field of his contemporaries. Earlier this week, he gave eager listeners the next taste of that developing discography; the Aperture EP.
Read MoreKuhlin - Beat Machine Broken [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]
With a penchant for head-nod sensibilities and palatable grooves, the Colorado-based producer Kuhlin has gradually developed his sound and style in a particular flavorful lane. Taking inspiration from golden-era hip-hop and contemporary production and synthesis, he's a beatsmith with a pronounced songwriting attitude that sinks its teeth with ease. Ahead of the release of his Downhill EP, The Rust is excited to premiere the titular track, "Break Machine Broken".
Read MoreConversations on Community and Musical Exploration with Murkury
Over the past few years, the Asheville music community has become a hotbed for psychedelic and low-end centric electronic music One such producer, Alec Seifart is making waves not only through his Murkury project, but through his work with multidisciplinary organization The Undergrowth in the local Asheville scene in tandem. Taking his musical and communal efforts both on and off the stage into account, The Rust Music was delighted to have an opportunity to speak with Alec about where his Mukury project began, his experience with The Undergrowth, and the total vision for his musical journey.
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