Face Plant - Spectral Drift

Art: Surreal Art Visions

Following the aggressive dancefloor EP Boom Slang from earlier this year, Face Plant the mad chemist returns with the more psychologically complex and cinematic Spectral Drift. This release manages to fit what feels like dozens of deep and sophisticated musical ideas into just three tracks, all while packing a frightening sonic punch.

Face Plant carefully orchestrates communicative melodies across the release which balance well with intense sound design. So while synthesizers split the speaker cones, highly cultivated note relationships and tonal movements create an engaging narrative for the listener to follow. Two talented instrumentalists are featured on Spectral Drift. Violinist Jon Hao (Bunk Buddha) lays down a lead full of folkloric flair upon which Face Plant spills a barrel radioactive glitches. Later, McWavy comes correct with a bellowing saxophone solo which is processed then positioned perfectly by Face Plant.

The producer prides himself on transcending the typical trappings of bass music to offer a thought provoking mental journey on top of a slamming dancefloor experience. He dials in that signature Face Plant dynamic just right on Spectral Drift.

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AMAWALK - Solar

Art: Buffalo Jay

AMAWALK offers a peaceful and enchanting listening experience on this three-track EP, Solar, balancing careful electronic movements atop a textured instrumental palette. This represents the first label release from the New York City-based producer, whose music is wise beyond its years.

Across Solar, AMAWALK leverages the organic sound of strings, woodwinds, and a buffet of percussion. He leans on the natural resonance of these sounds to establish wide, earthen atmospheres. Layered sine waves, ample sub movement, and a garnish of glitch; these electronic elements descend into his compositions and lea to a quickening. Pieces begin to interlock, forming full-bodied, enlivened compositions that gently grab hold of the listener without overpowering them. With great continuity from song to song, Solar becomes its own novel journey, reaching an emotional and harmonic climax before fading into silence.

The Rust Music - Auburn Etch [VA]

The Rust Music is honored to present our third compilation, Auburn Etch. Departing from the variable genres of our previous Oxidized compilations, this collection of music is a full service package of brolic and boisterous bass music. We’re tapping into the global reservoir of talent for this release, presenting producers from the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Poland, and Australia.

Featuring high-octane rhythms, visceral sound design, brutish breakdowns, and break-neck musical phrasing, each track on this compilation represents a one-inch-punch of high fidelity audio production. Danny Grooves, Rumpistol, and Easyjack have lent their production wizardry and impeccable rhythm to the compilation, anchoring a release that showcases the unhindered skillsets of 5AM, Maxfield, Wessanders, and a host of other young-blooded producers with a tenable ferocity for meticulously processed synthesis.

Auburn Etch is a necessity in the catalog of any discerning audiophile. It’s full of those sonic sensations that are fondly familiar, and those that are new and boundary breaking.

Art: Max Burstein

Zonra - Formed

Art: Hexeosis

Take a pure and undiluted dive into sonic psychedelia with Formed, a five-track EP from Zonra, a veteran of experimental bass music. Although abstract electronica has always been a calling card for Jackson Hale (Zonra), he continues to test the limits of his creative faculties, and Formed is the splendid result.

Formed is detail-oriented electronic music. Crisp programmed percussion pairs well with resonant hand drum samples. Provocative sound design is arranged into complex structures resembling a four-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The producer, who hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico and currently resides in Denver, Colorado, is recognized for his stylistic flexibility. Although Formed leverages psydub motifs, the release cannot easily be pegged with a traditional classification. Rather, it’s an exercise in experimentation.

Formed ultimately represents an unfolding, a manifestation on the physical plane of imagery conceived on the spiritual. The complexity of the imagery means that successive listens may yield new results. Spend time with Formed and one will realize that things may not be in the end as they seem at first.

MALAKAI - Saros [New Cycle]

Art: Jesse Wheaton

Coming back around for its second pass through the gauntlet, MALAKAI’s methodically sculpted Saros EP has been remixed and reimagined by a select cadre of forward-thinking producers on Saros [New Cycle]. Primate., pheel., Foxtail, and wiseyoungfool bring forth unique flavors of experimentation on each respective remix.

From wildly enhanced percussive movements to fresh synthesis and juggled arrangements, each producer has spared no effort unleashing a renewed creative wave over Saros. Having no mind to miss out on all the fun, MALAKAI also snuck in a VIP of “My Middle Name..“, reinvigorating the track from the top down with a fresh lease of life. Considering each new take falls in line with the MALAKAI ethos, fans of his original catalog will thoroughly enjoy the musings on Saros [New Cycle].

Sylph - Alien Speak

Art: Mindex

Bursting onto the scene with an appetite for the psychedelic, Alien Speak is the stellar first release from Sylph, the musical alias of Emily Thaler. Based out of New York City, she has spent the last several years quietly expanding upon her production, composition, and engineering knowledge. The producer’s patience has paid off with a musical bounty worth it's weight in sub bass.

Drawing from the font of psybient influence, each of the four tracks is a boisterous dance of pulsating frequencies. Glitchy harmonies and high-processed synthesis turn each moment into a downtempo tango between the visceral and the effervescent. With an obvious inclination towards arrangement and general musicality, the EP is a testament to an intrepid work ethic. For fans of pronounced sound design and glitched-out serenades, Alien Speak should feel right at home in your catalog.

wiseyoungfool - Bridges

Art: wiseyougfool

wiseyoungfool continues to carve and mold his unique blend of experimental bass with Bridges. Stuffed with atmospheric foley work, there is an organic association between the blended tones of each track that acts like a musical glue. The gratuitous spacial dynamic across the album allows the music to fill the air with a rhythmic pulse. The synthesis elements feature wiseyoungfool’s signature brand of shredded sine waves and thorough compression. Each bass line rips through the mix and becomes the coarse bedrock for the other elements of the song, creating a full frequency palette for the ears to consume. If head-smacking beats and granular glitch are your thing, this album will most definitely satisfy.

Written, mixed and mastered by wiseyoungfool

Thought Process - Intention

Art: OZWLD

Thought Process comes in from left field slinging grit, dirt, and massive amounts of stereo imaging with his Intention EP. Combining dusty percussion lines with thick low-end modulation, the EP carries a steady hip-hop flavor throughout its duration. The collection of tunes hones in most especially on gratuitous sub-bass distortion and crafty rhythmic juggling. Mingling uptempo dancefloor tunes with abrasive half-time hammers, there is a clear intention to slice soundsystems clean in half, if given the opportunity.

Cut Rugs - New

Art: ovsrv

Strange black magic can be felt seeping through the speaker cones once New starts to crank. Communications begin traveling back and forth beyond the veil carried on the medium of gnarly bass synthesizers and knock-out drum programming.

This three-track release finds the Carolina-based producer focusing on highly-cultivated sound design. He pulls on threads from neuro and hip-hop to dubstep, but ultimately offers simple screwface music that generates a raw, physical impact and spares no time for pleasantries. The arrangements are straightforward and dense with groove while the sound design swings back and forth with the grace and controlled disorientation of a trapeze troupe.

As the boundaries around underground sound continue to disappear, tinkerers like Cut Rugs aka Kyle Partin with his mad scientist mentality will continue to poke wormholes in the continuum of what’s trending. By flipping the familiar into an attractive new form of heaviness, New provokes an intellectual repose for the soundheads, and a high-voltage jolt for the dancefloor denizens.

Gaddy - Mixtape Mentality

Art: KnowMatter

A kick, snare and killer bassline is all Gaddy needs to get the bodies moving. The young man from Austin, Texas by way of Houston knows these fundamental musical elements like the back of his hand. On Mixtape Mentality a seven-track release that straddles the line between EP and LP, they serve as the foundation for experiments in groove. The common denominator is a steady head nod, and the rest is up for interpretation.

Many musicians blur the line between what is and isn’t electronic music. Gaddy was unaware the line existed. As a musician, he’s rooted in archetypal American sounds like hip-hop, rock, and soul. Instrumental samples from guitar and keys are leveraged as much as synthesizers or sound design. Both are given enough space on Mixtape Mentality to mingle and form strong bonds with one another. Tastefully tuned sub-bass generates enough weight to flex sound systems and ignite dance floors. At the same time, elusive pads and smoke-filled arrangements create a relaxing swing to keep the atmosphere activated after the party’s over.

Gaddy’s released a string of EPs and singles before with labels relevant to the underground electronic sound. But now there’s no more messing about. His creative energy is focused singularly on expanding the groove. He’s in a mixtape mentality and everything is fair game as long as it starts with a sidewalk-stomping beat.

Shapesift - Myrrhidiance

Art: Serif

The title of Shapesift’s first single via The Rust Music mirrors its enchanting atmosphere, as “Myrrhidiance” depicts a strange and alluring world all its own. In this dreamscape the producer plies the intersection of digital sound and organic motif. Aquatic flourishes and crystalline chimes evoke morning dew. Delightfully subtle pads act as morning fog, blowing softly back and forth across the stereo spread as if steered by the wind. Strong percussion patterns offer structure and help to pin down the otherwise ethereal arrangement, while a sharp but delicate bass synthesizer weaves through the soundscape, casting spells.

5AM - Onward

The smoothest psychedelic sound this side of the Milky Way can be found on Onward, a five track EP from the Philadelphia-based electronic musician 5AM aka Sam Andrus. Onward is the most ambitious effort yet in 5AM’s ongoing journey to blend jazz, funk and R&B with forward-thinking psychedelic bass music. Indeed, listening to Onward feels like lurking about an intergalactic jazz cafe where the atmosphere is electric, eyes are low, and harsh vibrations are checked at the door.

As a composer and arranger 5AM comes off calm and collected yet bold on this release. He flips and flexes sounds to their limits, but there’s no overreach. Complex arrangements of liquid glitches, space-travel synthesizers and weighty basslines somehow render themselves easy for ears to follow. With an obsessive attention to detail, 5AM has earned praise from his peers for immaculate mix-downs. Across Onward, each track is clean and buttoned-up. All sonic elements - vocals, guitar (courtesy of Keith Wadsworth of Wax Future), percussion and righteous keys - fit together like a puzzle.

But qualitative analyses aside, simply plunge into the feel of Onward. The mind, hungry for inspiration and inclined towards adventure, instinctively picks up what 5AM puts down and it becomes apparent: this is a fresh sound and attitude with lasting relevance for the future.

Art: 5AM

pheel. - Lost In Thought

pheel. Is the musical identity of Phil Gallo from Denver, Colorado whose mystical four-track trip-hop EP Lost In Thought dropped on May 8th, 2018. The title is no misnomer. These four tracks offer a deep, pensive listening experience. The EP is composed with frequent collaborator Parkbreezy, with Thought Process and Xenolinguist also making contributions to one track apiece. 

Lost in Thought is imaginative trip-hop infused with glitch subtleties. Its rhythms are rooted in hip-hop and downtempo. They’re paired with gentle, dissonant melodies and filled in with a serving of synthesized psychedelia that’s generous but not overwhelming. Ambient tropes and vaguely nostalgic flourishes provide a final garnish. The arrangements are spacious. Each sound has more than enough room to breathe, be it a lush pad, a curling synthesizer or a sprinkle of crisp percussion. 

This release finds grace in humility. pheel. makes no attempt to flash talent or grab at the listener. Lost in Thought is an offering, a prism through which one’s mind can interpret anew if only briefly. Enjoy for easy listening, and you will be at ease. Engage more deeply, and you may be rewarded with insight.

Art: photograph.your.mind

MALAKAI & wiseyoungfool - Captain's Quarters

Art: Only Motif

Here's a freebie from MALAKAI and wiseyoungfool to celebrate 2,000 followers on SoundCloud, and as a special thanks to everyone whose been supporting The Rust Music.

wiseyoungfool - Slowpoke

Brandishing his new single, “Slowpoke”, Wiseyoungfool furthers his signature combination of choice melody and intense low-end synthesis. The sound design of the track is filled with grit, distortion, and wild compression to allow it to fill up the frequency spectrum. The harmonious sample play that serves as the riding melody is a careful blend of pads and melancholy note relationships that give “Slowpoke” a breath and atmosphere of its own. Make sure to keep your eyes on wiseyoungfool, lest you miss out on any more treats thrown in your direction.

Art: wiseyoungfool

Uprising - Kermit

Delivering a sonic K.O. with extreme precision, Uprising is steadily creating a home for himself amongst his contemporaries in aggressive bass-music. His Kermit EP is a departure from the heavy psy influence that is pervasive with the Australian electronic scene, instead adopting a neuro sound design and half-time cadence. Both tracks are serious neck-breakers, filled to bursting with rhythmic turn-arounds and pulsing, shredded basslines.

Art: Uprising

wiseyoungfool - Denizens

Bursting into the fourth year since the creation of his musical project, Wiseyoungfool is a young producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who has honed in on the nuances of his craft. Pulling influence from drum-and-bass, downtempo, house, and trap music, his own designs and arrangements are a culmination of the recent evolutions in the production and composition of eclectic bass music. Wiseyoungfool’s latest foray into sonic synthesis, Denizens showcases the multilateral productions and sound designs that separate the artist from the pack. 

Denizens is a forward progression of d-n-b, halftime, and neuro styles, wrapped up in various overarching soundscapes. The synthesis is balanced and full bodied, combining granular textures with precise harmonious arrangements. Each track is a fully immersive, standalone beast that takes on a number of attributes from a wide array of influences. Some features and aspects are carefully dusted over to give an organic atmosphere to the song, while others are meticulously produced to a high veneer finish, begging to be rinsed through proper sound systems. Overall, Denizens is poised to set a new standard for the propagation of the constantly morphing attributes that make underground bass music such a malleable and pervasive force.

Art: wiseyoungfool

Waterchild - Loria

Art: Chris Fun

A cache of deep grooves as hypnotic as they are diverse pour forth from Loria, the first full-length LP from the Nashville-based electronic musician known as Waterchild. Loria weaves together a miscellany of styles including ambient, downtempo, dub, hip-hop and jazz. Since he began writing music Waterchild has mined and manipulated this diversity to create his own personal blend of sound. Loria represents the most developed and cohesive presentation of that sound to date.

The album is a complex collage of instrumental and acoustic material. The drums are never so heavy as to betray their electronic origins, especially when sprinkled over with wooded rimshots and metallic ride cymbals. Jazzy piano and classical guitar are spliced into the space between boom and bap on. Woodwinds help paint a colorful, arrhythmic landscapes of eastern ambience. Saxophone saunters on top of synth pads.

Regardless of the style a track adheres to or innovates upon, Waterchild adopts a stance of peace, contemplation, and emotional vulnerability throughout Loria. Nothing is hidden and no airs are put on. This is music to relax with; music to think on and to feel; music for dreams and dreamers.

Maxfield & WESSANDERS - Tacos Al Pastor

Jake Maxfield aka Maxfield and Kai Felsman aka Wessanders from Boston, Massachusetts team up on Tacos Al Pastor, an exhilarating two-track EP. The project possesses fundamentally unorthodox songwriting, with two cuts - “Tacos” and “In Tulum” - that cut unique paths and leave room for sonic surprises.

Both producers flex impressive sound design many times over, offering weighty, gravitational basslines that are juxtaposed with a spread of delicate glitches. Both of the tracks are sewn together with fine-tuned percussion that is progressive but accessible. 

Tacos Al Pastor comes on the heels of Maxfield's stellar Sonorous EP, and for Wessanders it follows his crunchy Christmas Miracle Mini Mix. We hope you enjoy this listen and stay chooned for more. 

Art: Jake Clarke