When it comes to Future Bass, Northern California most definitely knows what’s up. For the past few years, from Humboldt to the Bay Area, a flurry of outstanding new talents have been pushing this new wave of trippy, squishy, bass driven & hip hop inspired music to new heights. Artists such as G Jones, Onhell, Stylust Beats, Psy Fi, Minnesota, Trevor Kelly, Hypha, Shlump, and many more are all part of this collection of Nor-Cal natives that have been relentlessly crushing the underground bass music scene for the past few years with astoundingly diverse and nuanced sounds. In addition to being one of my favorite things in the universe, this Future Bass movement is one of the hottest in the scene right now. So you can imagine my excitement when I received an advanced copy of The OriGinALz Intravenous LP a few weeks ago.
These two Sebastopol natives have some seriously incredible talent when it comes to music production. Since 2012 they’ve been refining their craft through a series of mind melting releases and collabs that have taken the bass music community by storm. If you don’t know The OriGinALz already, you’ll want to grab everything they’ve ever done after listening to this LP. It’s simply that good. So without further ado, let’s get started.
The first track on the LP is entitled “By Neptune,” featuring the Digital Connection; and it immediately showcases everything we’ve come to know and love about these guys. Crunchy crisp drum patterns, melodic buzzing saw waves, glitchy effects, & perfectly placed instruments permeate this track from start to finish, all with a squishy robotic tinge courtesy of Digital. This was a perfect way to start things off.
The next tune, is “Deep Within.” This track is one of my favorites on the LP. It’s an immensely immersive piece of music, starting off slow and heavy before building into a solidly tripped out groove that evolves as the track progresses. Also, the synths on this one are incredible, I will forever be in awe of the sounds these two manage to create.
Their next song, “Hidden Treasures,” is an absolute blast. It’s also purple as f*ck; but with a gritty, hyphy nuance to it that is sure to rock anyones socks clean off. Like the last track, this tune is constantly evolving; getting crazier and dirtier as it goes, with priceless vocal sampling accenting each new level of awesome. This one is the very definition of fun.
Next, “Star Seed” takes us on a fantastically tripped out journey through the jungles of the cosmos in a funky fresh bass-ship of love. At least that’s what it feels like. Filled with robust lasers, squished effects, dirty saws, tribal drums, & wildly arpeggiating synths, this tune is guaranteed to put a mile wide grin on the face of any electronic music fan.
This next track, featuring the infamous Knight Riderz, is entitled “West Side Comin’ Thru.” This might just be my favorite song on the album. From start to finish this track just screams west coast bass music. Not only that, but everything in this track from the song structure to the sound design, is practically flawless, which is no small feat, especially considering how much is going on. It makes my brain hurt to even think about how they managed to pull this tune off, but it sounds effortless. The progressiveness of their style really shines through on this track, and the addition of Knight Riderz is a match made in bass music heaven. Easily one of the best tracks I’ve heard so far this year.
Now it’s time for the title track of the LP, “Intravenous.” This track feels like it took some time to hammer out. Its structure is different from the other tracks on the album, and the sounds are meticulously well placed, almost like an art piece. Actually, exactly like an art piece. From the steady, intricate build to the multiple bass drops and switch ups, this song is most definitely the crowning achievement on the album. It might come in second to the previous track in my book, but production and design wise, “Intravenous” very clearly takes the cake.
Up next is the last original Originalz tune on the LP. “Purple Unicorn” is a track that feels like it’s made out of psychedelics. Put your headphone jack on a ten strip, and this is most likely what you will hear. It’s weird, warped, incredibly tripped out fun in a compact soundscape absolutely buzzing with energy. I would gladly wander festival camps at night with this as my soundtrack.
Now, it’s time for some remixes. First up is another Bay Area star’s take on “Intravenous.” Using his extensive production skills, Labrat flips the title track of the LP into a melodically smooth, wobble-infused groove that rides out all the way to the bank. This beautifully heavy rendition of a soon to be classic asserts yet again just how much the West Coast knows about Future Bass. Check out the music video here.
Next, another West Coast native known as Bleep Bloop remixes “By Neptune” into a hard hitting & glitched out stomper of a track that takes a slightly jukey turn halfway through. While this remix is easily my least favorite on the album, it’s still very well produced, and has those wonderfully classic drums that have made Bleep Bloop so popular.
After Bleep Bloop’s remix comes Stylust Beats’ remix of “West Side Comin Thru.” Yet another native to Nor Cal, Stylust Beats has a reputation for crushing remixes, and this one is no different. Although the original track is still my favorite version of the tune, this remix does not fall far behind. True to his name, Stylust turns this track into a quicker, crunchier and much more Hip-Hop inspired track that is guaranteed to get heads bobbin’.
Finally, the last track on the LP is Perkulat0r’s remix of “Purple Unicorn.” The only non-Californian to have a remix featured on this LP, Perkulat0r is one of the hottest artists in his genre right now, and it shows. If you thought the original track was a trip, you better sit down to play this one. Perkulator’s beautifully complicated style of music takes this tune to the next level, and makes it the perfect track to close things out.
Listening to this LP for the past few weeks has been an amazingly fantastic experience; and I won’t be stopping anytime soon. The OriGinALz are the embodiment of Future Bass music in every sense of the word. This album was straight up California flame from start to finish. Their skill at production and songwriting is some of the best I’ve had the pleasure to experience in a very long time. Northern California is going to be responsible for some of the biggest names in the industry over the next few years, mark my words, and The OriGinALz will definitely be among them. However, with the bar already set this high, I can’t imagine what they’ll think of next. Grab the full album here!
