There is a constant influx of new music being put out in the electronic music scene each and every day, which can make standing out of the crowd increasingly difficult. This has not been a challenge for Ohio native bass producer, Toadface, who has launched himself to the forefront of the scene with his latest release, “Cardboard”. Serving as the first single off his upcoming EP, this track provides a bouncy high energy soundscape, all while maintaining the iconic experimental sound we know and love from this artist. This tune breaks the illusion between what is real and what is fake through the use of its vocal samples, representing the separation of what is and what seems to be. The steady bass lines, cascading falsettos and attention to subtle details really make this song a masterpiece of sound that you do not want to sleep on. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Cardboard”, a certified bop.

“Cardboard refers to the feelings of thinking something is real only to realize later it was fake the whole time. The sample ‘so many details’ refers to how real you thought the thing was until taking a closer look.” – Toadface

DIving Deep w/ Toadface

1.  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?

“It can be hard to feel okay with taking time off when you are your own boss but I always at least try to take some time each day to exercise and spend time with the fam. It feels important to do things other than make art to fill your artistic spirit.”

2. Did you have a moment in your life/ childhood that made you stop and realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?

“I was playing in our friend’s basement. It was the first time I had ever djed and it was only to like 10 of our friends. We used studio monitors with no sub. Back in those days, I had no idea what I was doing, but everyone still went crazy. I still chase that high to this day.”

Back at it again with the second half of his 2 part EP release, Vermont producer, Marvel Years has returned to present the second installation of Voyage Ahead. One month ago, Marvel Years introduced the first half of his most innovative work yet, in which he produced and played every musical element in each one of his tracks. Today, we have the pleasure of premiering “Dive” off the second half of this ingenious compilation, which aims to encapsulate the more hard hitting soundscapes of his project. Focusing on using guitar sounds, the bass heavy energy of this track is infectious, making this one we will have on repeat for the foreseeable future. The entire second half of this EP is crafted perfectly, displaying the different thought processes that went into the composition of the sounds in each of the 4 tunes. Both parts of the Voyage Ahead EP is not one you should be sleeping on. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Dive” and the rest of the Voyage Ahead 2 EP, a certified bop.

“Dive” is a track I made to showcase the heavier side of my music. I wanted to make a bass-heavy track that revolved around a guitar riff and fuse the two elements together. The end result is a gritty, guitar-focused bass banger that delivers energy from the first note. – Marvel Years

Diving Deep w/ Marvel Years

1. What originally made you want to pursue music full time? Was there any moment in your life that made you stop and realize that this was something you wanted to be serious about?

In high school, I always found myself messing around and making beats late at night but it wasn’t until I started uploading my music online and received my first show offer that I really considered it an option. I ended up seeing RJD2 live my freshman year of college and after that show, I realized this was something that I really wanted to pursue and the rest is history. I’ve been doing it ever since that moment.

2. 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?

Being an artist nowadays can be hard sometimes because it involves so much more than just the music. There is a whole online presence that comes with being an artist, especially an independent artist. So it can be tough sometimes to take a breather and walk away from social media for a day or two, but I have found that going outside and doing outdoor activities like skating or hiking have been a huge benefit to me and can help disassociate the personal from professional aspects of life.

3. Being an artist in the spotlight, you have a continuously growing impact on your fanbase and the scene. Due to the nature of this, have you had any fan interactions that have particularly hit home for you as an artist and why?

Meeting fans who I have inspired is something that I will never get used to still. It’s an amazing feeling to hear from someone how my musical journey impacted them so much that they decided to chase their dreams as well. It really makes all of the long hours on the road worth it to hear something like that.

4. What’s next for Marvel Years? What are some goals you’re trying to hit with your team as well as for yourself?

Lots of new music. I am planning on writing an album and releasing it hopefully early next year so that is something I am really excited about. I also want to curate a tour around the album and make it especially unique to the new music and build the show around that. A lot of great things are on the horizon and I can’t wait to show everyone what I have been working on.

If you are looking for an absolutely soul crushing, heavy dubstep heater to blast to start your day today, then boy do we have a treat for you! Iman Sedighian, better known to many as insane dubstep artist IMAN, has come out swinging with the latest release “START”, that we have the immense pleasure of premiering for all you headbangers today. Combining heavy drops and bone shattering bass lines, the energy in this track cannot be beat. Starting off slow and eerie, this track offers an incredible build, bringing all the hype we have come to expect from this artist. This tune is a non-stop stomper, creating absolute madness until the very last bar. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling IMAN’s new banger of a song, “START”, a certified bop.

“I made this song to bring listeners on the race track with me and throw them around on a course of heavy bass with a lot of sharp twists and sudden turns. I want them to feel the adrenaline and rush go down their spine as they reach top speed.”

Diving Deep w/ IMAN

1. If you could go back in time and start over given what you have learned in your career so far, what changes and approach would you have done differently?

I would’ve released music far earlier to show my progress and development as an artist. I would’ve created and posted a lot more content from DJ sets, and shows I have attended (and thrown). Lastly, I would’ve learned more about the marketing aspect of releasing music and building a brand.

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

 If I could, I would fix the wealth inequality in the world as it is the cause of poverty, hunger, war, homelessness, instability, and other social issues.

In the electronic scene, there is a constant ebb and flow of artists and new music. Being able to make a path and a name for yourself has become increasingly more challenging as more and more artist also are doing the same and looking to put their name at the forefront of the scene. Chicago native bass artist, MUFUNKA, has been able to put his own unique mark, producing music that presents a dynamic range of concept and emotions with each piece. This is evident in his release of his latest EP, “Phase Transition”, which exemplifies the ever changing state of these emotions and sounds. Our premiere today, “Flitter Emitter”, provides an upbeat, bouncy soundscape that cannot be beat. It’s wonky, uptempo sound and bumping basslines combined with it’s electric synths that will have you nodding along from start to finish. We are definitely doing to have this one of repeat for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling “Flitter Emitter” and the rest of the “Phase Transition” EP, a certified bop.

Diving Deep w/ MUFUNKA

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

If you are looking for a new heavy hitting mix that is perfect for any car ride, gym session or just to get you up and going this week, then boy do we have a treat for you today, folks. Bay Area producer, BLAOW! has created a versatile, hard hitting mix for us to get down to that absolutely packs a punch from start to finish. Combining classic dubstep with the wubby bass we all love, there is not a single second that will not have listeners up on their feet and jumping around. Featuring I.D.s with artist such as Jalaya and Shlump, this one is a definite do not miss. The high energy that BLAOW! has created in this mix is incredible and we can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us in his future release. BLAOW! is definitely back and better than ever. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling the “Out of the Woods Vol. 1” mix, a certified bop.

“Out Of The Woods Vol. 1 is a versatile mix of all unreleased tracks that holds a special place in my heart, featuring tracks that were written during the time of my lowest lows and highest highs of today. Being able to watch these sounds emerge and evolve during this time of growth is something I’ll never forget. BLAOW! is officially “Out Of The Woods” and won’t be going anywhere.”

Diving Deep w/ BLAOW!

1. In a perfect world, where do you see yourselves 2 years from now and why?

Working hard on manifesting playing some Bassrush/Insomniac Events. Moving to SoCal at the end of this month and I’ll be grinding twice as hard as I have been to make my goals happen. This past year has been the most I’ve leveled up in my entire music career and I know another year or two will only make things stronger.

2. What are the inspirations that helped push you into wanting to pursue a career in music?

Getter was a huge inspiration to me growing up back in 2008. Knowing him in highschool and watching him blow up was nothing less than inspiring. While I was in a band pursuing rock music that was impossible with 4 other members, seeing his type of growth made me drop the “band” dream and slowly move over into the electronic scene over the years. In 2013 I discovered underground bass music at Burning Man w/ Camp Questionmark and was musically inspired by champions like G Jones, Bleep Bloop & Yheti. Was on stage watching these legends play and had absolutely no idea who they even were. These artists truly pushed me to want to make something different and aim for anything that is beyond the norm.

One of our favorite freeform bass artists, Shanghai Doom, has teamed up with some incredible talent to bring forth their latest remix compilation for their track “Platnium Artists”. Featuring artists such as Slang Dogs, Toadface and Tsimba, this 5 track EP is stacked with some absolute stompers to bless your ears on this fine Tuesday. Our premiere today, coming to you from bass wizard, Super Future, is nothing short of incredible, packing high energy from start to finish. This track goes crazy with its heavy bass line and electric synths, making you want to bop around every time you listen to it. This is definitely a tried and true Super Future remix, showcasing the heavy, uptempo sound we have come to love from this artist. All of the remixes on this EP are not something you want to sleep on, so make sure to check out these heaters! Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling Super Future’s remix of “Platnium Artists” and the rest of the remix compilation, a certified bop.

“After seeing some success with the original, we thought it would be fun to get some of the homies to flip the track. Each of them brought their own unique spin and really killed it. We were blown away by all the remixes. Really stoked to put these out!” – Shanghai Doom

Diving Deep w/ Super Future

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

I’m constantly moving from one inspirational path to the next, but there’s no shortage of that if you appreciate other people’s music and are open to new creative ideas. I’m very fluid like that, and I think it shows in my range of music. I think to sum that up it’s a combination of appreciating other people’s art (all kinds) and a little bit of microdosing here and there. It’s very liberating to chase new inspiration every day, from literally anything that has an effect on you. Plus it keeps things fresh and fun!

2. What has been a personal career struggle that you have battled with the most and how has it helped mold your character for the better good presently?

I’ve wavered a lot on one thing, and thankfully there has only really been one personal struggle as an artist. Sometimes when you’re trying to establish yourself as an artist, having a ton of range in your music can make you less marketable. It makes your brand a bit more confusing and harder to place you in lineups. Sometimes I think I should double down on a few core styles and sounds… but at the end of the day, that is so one-dimensional and limiting for your art. How much groundbreaking art comes from doing that?? After talking with some very trusted friends along the same path, I’ve turned that insecurity into something I can lean into. It just feels better, and more authentic! I’m here to bring new and exciting sound and feelings to everyone in every style that comes to me thru all of my inspiration, and I think the people who are on my wave know it and love it too. Expression over marketability any day of the week. I’ll be that guy who leaves jaws on the floor with heavy bass, and then puts you into a beautiful trance with a sensual sunrise set. It’s about Yin and Yang for me, and that’s where I got the “S” shape in my diamond logo from 😉