Getting Frenetic With Conduit's Debut Duality EP

With over 14 years of music production hanging off of his toolbelt, Sam Rivkin has taken the patient path to musical maturation, gradually stirring his ingredients at the right pace and temperature to guarantee hearty results through his Conduit project. Rivkin is certainly no stranger to sound, having been a multi-instrumentalist for much of his life, and has been concurrently performing through his collaborative duo project Betafuse for over a decade. Up until now, Conduit releases have been kept close to vest. The payoff for this patience is release of his debut Duality EP through the veteran Colony Productions label, an apt home for such a granular set of tracks.

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An Expansive Conversation with Culprate in the wake of "Normal" LP

Resurfacing for air two years after the release of his psychedelic α​ρ​ι​θ​μ​ό​ς τ​έ​σ​σ​ε​ρ​α 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. 

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Seppa 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.

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Observatory 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.

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Submersion 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.

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A 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.

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Rasp-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.

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Getting 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.

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Exploring 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.

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Kuhlin - 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".

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Conversations 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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Submersion Festival 2022: Discerning Sound for Discerning Soundheads

On October 6th, nestled in the verdant, bristly Pine Barrens, years of careful positioning came to fruition at the reimagined Submersion Festival. Hosted at the idyllic Paradise Lakes Campground, this year’s rendition came as an expansion from the single-day event that took place last year in Philadelphia, and allowed friends, family, fans, artists, and staff the chance to revel and relax in the crisp autumn air amidst a myriad of top flight artists and creatives.

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Kalaha + Hilal Kaya and the Aurhus Jazz Orchestra - Ince Ince [Exclusive Premiere]

Rolling out riveting blends of Anatolian rock, contemporary synthesis, orchestral swells, and Turkish folk music, the Danish supergroup Kalaha has become a frequent flier on The Rust’s radar and the global listening bandwidth. After leaving behind a soaring impression with their 2021 LP Mystafa, they’ve returned with A.J.H. in toe, as well as the addition of vocalist Hilal Kaya, to press their latest LP, Tutku. In anticipation of the LP’s landfall, The Rust is incredibly honored to host the premiere of the focal track "Ince Ince".

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Seppa - Warn [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]

Swinging back around with another bevy of tracks for 2022, Seppa is continuously preparing visceral servings of low end grooves for discerning consumers of brackish bass music. With several upcoming appearances loaded in the chamber, the forthcoming release of the Elision EP is poised to take priority on the stage. In anticipation of the full EP's touchdown, The Rust is honored to host the premiere of "Warn".

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Nimbo Shows Off Tactile Songwriting in Shapes EP

Continuing the 2022 pattern of upstart producers hitting their stride, Nashville's Nimbo has shown up with a particularly nimble blend of tracks in the form of the Shapes EP. Putting on a succinct display of production prowess and maturity in arrangement, the EP pushes thoroughly polished frequencies through a creative sift that leaves behind the faintest residue.

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Nowfeel Explores the Space Between Style and Impact through Kin LP

Nowfeel is the artistic alias of Ben Rissin, a Canadian producer and songwriter whose watermark is a distinctly fluid brand of electronic music. Fusing contemporary, innovative arrangements with driving sound design inspired by the UK's love affair with sine compression, Nowfeel captures the precision of modern engineering principles alongside impeccable phrasing and pace. Expounding on the motifs and breakthroughs of his Spectrum LP in 2019, Rissin has achieved terminal velocity once again through his latest release, the kin LP.

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Shambhala Returns to the Fold in 2022

Shambhala is to some a tradition, to others a bucket-list destination, and to a select few – a pilgrimage home. This magical event is a refuge for the different and the strange, where one is accepted no matter their differences or how weirdly they dance, and we’re incredibly excited to return to this premiere massive for 2022’s guaranteed weekend of iridescent festivities.

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Blockhead and Eliot Lipp Reprise Their Roles in Lipphead for In The Nude EP

In the spaces of trip-hop, electro-soul, and nu-disco, Eliot Lipp and Blockhead are particularly known quantities, with both having been progenitors within their lanes of choice. In 2019, the two joined forces under the Lipphead moniker, releasing a self-titled EP that exposed listeners to the vibrant and salacious combination when their skillsets are mingled in symbiotic fashion. Reprising their respective rolls for Lipphead, they’ve gone to ground and back again to create In The Nude, their latest and most impressive collaborative record to date.

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