With there being a continuous influx of new music, it seems that there are always artists putting the latest spin on some of our favorite classics that we return to time and time again. Tampa bass producer, Keaton Huff, who is better known to most as KPUFF, has done just this, putting an experimental bass spin on a classic M.I.A. track. Focusing on keeping the integrity of the original track while adding in some heavy hitting bass elements, his latest flip of “Paper Planes”, that we have the pleasure of premiering for you today, is not one you should be sleeping on. With its driving bass lines and varieties of tempo, each drop holds a new and exciting sound that creates an absolutely infectious energy from start to finish. We got the privilege of hearing this one live last week, and boy we can’t wait to hear this one being rinsed out all over in the near future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling KPUFF’s “Paper Planes” flip, a certified bop. 

“Have always loved the original track by M.I.A. and have been wanting to flip this for a while now. Had a lot of fun making it and hyped for people to hear it.” -KPUFF

Diving Deep w/ KPUFF

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

I never knew what i wanted to do growing up and then started playing some shows and realized i finally have an answer when people ask what i want to do for a living.

2. What has been one of the most memorable career achievements so far as an artist and how did that impact you moving forward?

Being able to open for some of my favorite artists or getting to play something I made for a room full of people is great feeling.

3. What would you tell your younger self today knowing where you’re at now and what it took to get there?

I would say to stick with music/not be in a rush and just keep the end goal in mind.

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Emengy has been a haven for all things bass music. Whether you are looking for melodic or heavy, this label houses all sorts of bass music for every listener to enjoy. This year they are back at it again with the 4th volume of their Bass Dreams collaboration, a compilation of the hard and heavy that they put out around this time every year to get us ready for spooky season. This years’ roster is jam packed with incredible artists such as BERNZIKIAL, Kris Cayden, Zoobstool and many many more talented producers. Today’s premiere of this 30 track collection is by heavy hitters Smiles Only. This duo has come out swinging with their track “Codebreaker” which combines the perfect mix of hard and heavy. This one is definitely a track that we hope to see rinsed out in the future because it’s booming bass lines and nasty drops will get anyone up and bouncing around! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Codebreaker” and the rest of the Bass Dreams Vol. 4, a certified bop. 

“Blending elements of melodic and bass, Codebreaker comes together to set you on a futuristic journey. The Vancouver-based duo is set to impress a variety of bass enthusiasts. It’s time for a sonic adventure.”

Diving Deep w/ Smiles Only

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

“We both got into music mainly because of how music can capture raw emotions and tell beautiful stories. Neither of us would say that there was one specific moment, instead, it was the connection that we developed with music that inspired us. The main reason “Smiles Only” was created was because of this mutual love for that part of music and wanting to create it ourselves and, in a way, give back to music what music gave to us.”

2. What kind of impact do you wish to have on the scene 1-2 years from now with your project?

3. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

“Definitely, “Don’t compare yourself to others”. It’s really easy to get into a bad headspace when you compare your success against others and at the end of the day, there’s no real reason to. Everybody who creates a form of art will have a different journey, so it’s better to focus on yourself and learn what your own journey will be. Set practical short-term and long-term goals that you know you have the potential to achieve.”

4. What’s next for Smiles Only? What are some goals you’re trying to hit in the near future?

“Definitely connecting and collaborating with more artists and dialling in our own sound. We’ve started to work on both of the goals recently, and it’s been a lot of pushing ourselves out of our boundaries. We’re really happy with the tracks we’ve been creating with other artists and pushing out a new level of quality that we haven’t quite hit before.”

There are many artist continuously making waves in the electronic music scene with their latest and greatest releases. One of these such artists who puts out absolute bangers again and again is Montana producer and bass aficionado, SEDA, carving his way to the forefront of the scene. His latest heater, “Love In Mandarin”, that we have the pleasure of premiering for you all today, tops the charts. With hip-hop influences and vocals combined with bouncy wubby synths, this track has an infectious energy that can’t be found anywhere else than the SEDA project. SEDA’s ability to combine outside inspirations with experimental bass music are top tier, so definitely make sure to check this one out immediately. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Love in Mandarin”, a certified bop.

“This is a hip hop inspired experimental bass track. I wanted to keep the arrangement unique so I incorporated verse sections that repeat where the vocals can really shine. Kind of like a pop song.”

Diving Deep W/ SEDA

1. What has been one of the most memorable career achievements so far as an artist and how did that impact you moving forward?

So I’d say it has to be between this label release with Saturate and locking in Submersion music festival as my first ever festival booking. Releasing on Saturate has been a goal of mine since I decided to start producing. Some of my biggest influences and inspirations have released with Saturate including G Jones, Zeke Beats, Sayer, Mad Zach and so many others. I think you can really hear the Zeke Beats influences in this tune especially in the 2nd drop. Submersion is a dream come true for me. To be able to share the stage with so many amazing artists who’ve inspired me is more than I could ever ask for. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. Moving forward I’m gonna use these achievements as milestones and strive to go even further. In my mind I never thought I’d be able to reach these achievements so this lets me know to ignore that voice in my head and that the sky’s the limit.

2. What kind of impact do you wish to have on the scene 1-2 years from now with your project?

My biggest goal has always been to inspire. I was an opiate addict for almost a decade and in that time I never felt more hopeless. I had this idea in my head that I was always gonna be that way and I would never change. From where I stand now I know that simply just isn’t true. So I hope to inspire, I hope my project can help people understand that you aren’t stuck even when you feel like it and if you keep going you can make it out of whatever you’re going through. That’s the impact I wish for my project to have on the scene, to inspire.  Trust me, if I can do it, so can you. 

The bass scene continues to thrive like never before thanks to artists such as ASHEZ and Gallium. In a sea of never ending artists, it can be tough to make your name known, but this has never seemed to be a challenge for either of these artist individually, let alone when they team up to produce some stellar tunes together. Today’s premiere, off their forthcoming EP entitled See Inside, is an absolute stomper you don’t want to miss out on. Combining there unique styles into one heater of a track, “Check It”, this track brings an immense electric energy that is not to be beat. With its uptempo wubby synths, driving bassline and overall infectious soundscape, it is clear to hear the flow and artistic chemistry of this track from start to finish. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Check It” and the rest of the See Inside EP, a certified bop.

“Last year Max was traveling the states and we had connected online previously through liking each other’s music. During his time in Denver we decided to kick it for a few days and see what we could write together. Immediately we started cranking out ideas and after the first we were like “should we just see if we can knock out an EP?” Within 3 days we had 3-4 really solid tracks going, the artistic chemistry and flow in those three days is something I think is very rare when collaborating with an another artist and I am beyond stoked to finally share this project with everyone.”

Diving Deep w/ ASHEZ and Gallium

1. How did you decide to get into music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

2. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started making music full time? Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

“I think everyone is in such a rush to “make it” and always compare themselves to other artists which I think is unhealthy and you end up getting burnt out. What I’ve learnt is that taking proper breaks and not focussing on music for a few weeks can be super helpful. Whenever I do that I come back super inspired and motivated.” – ASHEZ

“I’d say one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that consistency is key. I used to really beat myself up that the tunes I was making didn’t quite sound how I had imagined. I know that this alone can be discouraging to a lot of new producers, and it’s something I saw a lot of during my time at Icon Collective. When you get into production one thing I think everyone needs to know is that your learning journey will never end. There is only more and more to learn and improve on, and being consistent with you’re learning and experimenting is the only way you’ll see true growth.” -Gallium

3. It can be very hard sometimes separating music from day to day life when it’s your whole career. How do you personally separate your artist life from your everyday life, and have you faced any challenges doing so?

“This is honestly something I’m struggling with at the moment, I was having this conversation with my family recently because I definitely am feeling the pressure and struggling to balance music with my personal life. One thing that definitely helps me is going surfing, I think finding another hobby and making time for the people that are close to you is super important because it’s very easy to get lost in the music grind.” -ASHEZ

“One way that I personally separate artist life from personal life is having dedicated times blocked off for my day to be fully in the artist headspace, which is typically from around 9am to around 5:30pm. It can be hard at the end of the day to just pop out of the headspace so I’ll do things like focus on cooking dinner or watching a show to wind down my mind. During the winter I get out and snowboard almost every weekend which is definitely huge in getting my head out of the artist space. Everyone needs a breather and sometimes taking a couple day break from Ableton can have me back writing better than before.” -Gallium

Each and everyday there are new and exciting artists catapulting themselves through the electronic bass scene all making their mark with their own unique sound. One such talent is Kentucky producer, Nomis.wav, who has been changing the game with his electric soundscapes. Today, we have the pleasure of bringing forth his latest release, “Ultrasonic”, and the title tells all for what this track hold. With a high tempo melody and deep heavy bass line, this track is not one to miss. It’s combination of high energy synths and bouncy drops makes this track something that gets you up and on your feet no matter where you are. We will definitely be rinsing this out for the foreseeable future! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling this stomper “Ultrasonic”, a certified bop.

 “I feel like Ultrasonic is such a good representation of my sound – it’s one of my favorites I’ve ever made. It came as this burst of pent up creative energy after not making anything new for a few weeks. I love this track, I’ll be playing this one for a long time.”

Diving Deep w/ Nomis.wav

1. What is your biggest inspiration to this day that has helped shape your style of music and why?

I feel like I am constantly drawing inspiration from people and things around me, but at the core of it all the idea of innovation is what inspires me every time I sit down to create something. Striving to be unique to myself as an artist is super important to me. Artists that are in their own lanes creatively and are constantly pushing the scene forward, seeing that lights this fire in me to want to do the same with my project. Space Laces, Moody Good, Porter Robinson, Ivy Lab, Madeon, Kanye – the list goes on, but those are just a few that come to mind. 

2. If there was one thing you could change for the betterment of society, what would it be and why?

This is a tough one… partially because I have so many possible answers but also because there so many ways American society could be improved. I think a lot of the problems that exist within our society stem from a general lack of empathy – and if more people were able to find it within themselves to be more empathetic it would lead to other problems being resolved. Now how we lead people to becoming more empathetic, that’s another discussion, but in my opinion it starts with people being genuinely more curious in one another. When I try to take a step back and look from the outside in, it seems that our generation is more empathetic than those before us, so I have a lot of hope for the future. Maybe switch to a 4 day work week and allow people more time to explore their interests? I’m not sure what specific thing I would change, but I think promoting creativity and allowing everyone more time to pursue what genuinely interests them would shift society in the right direction.