As the year begins to fly by, the stream of new music shows no signs of slowing down. Especially on the Future-bass front:
Each new year brings change and excitement. So far in 2019, the normalization of electronic music continues. When EDM first came to be, many people were unfamiliar with the genre and would gather an immediate opinion about it. Over the recent years, EDM has become more and more mainstream, especially at SDSU. As a music fanatic myself, I was originally drawn to electronic music because of its experimental sounds and creative approaches to push musical boundaries. Now, as the world of electronic music grows, so do the sub-genres within it. While all electronic sub-genres are great in their own ways, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite future-bass releases of 2019 thus far. Future-bass features modulated synthesizer bass sounds, and has been described as “the child of melodic dubstep and chilltrap.” I am drawn to this sub-genre because it focuses heavily on the melody and provides a feel-good bounce that is bound to warm your heart.
With that out of the way, here are my favorite future-bass releases from 2019 (so far)!
Sober Rob – Right Now (ft. blackbear)
With blackbears smooth rap verses and Sober Rob’s incredibly unique production abilities, this has to be one of my favorite songs of the year thus far. Blackbear has blown up in the past few years, and Sober Rob deserves that same amount of fame and attention. The build-up in this track is one-of-a-kind, featuring a creative drop with chop-and-screw styles that will blow the minds of any listener.
Fix Me – Cuco and Dillon Francis
The moment I saw these two names collaborating for a track together, I was interested. Cuco is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter that is famous for his bedroom-produced songs with an indie flare. His unique “sad-boy” sound combined with Dillon Fancis’s talented production skills created a beautiful track and I can’t seem to get out of my head.
1993 – Manilla Killa
Kicking off his new album with a bang, Manilla Killa sets the tone for his entire album through this incredible song. Named after the album itself, this instrumental track has a captivating build-up, fun energy, and lots of vibes. Make sure to check out the rest of his album for some more feel-good electronic music.
RL Grime & Graves – Arcus
After a long-awaited release, this collaboration surely did not disappoint. RL Grime and Graves are two amazingly talented producers, and this song will bring chills to any electronic music fan. This song was first featured on RL Grime’s famous Halloween VII mix, and stirred up many conversations across the EDM fan base.
Whethan – GOING UP
This up-beat jam is the perfect song to be heard at a festival or around friends who want to dance. GOING UP is the epitome of 2019’s future bass sound, and I am excited for this sound to carry into the rest of the year.
What So Not – We Can Be Friends ft. Herizen
Opening with an off-beat drum line, I was initially confused by this song. It is so unique, yet still holds true to What So Not’s signature sound. The more I listened, the more I became obsessed. Herizen kills the vocals, and it’s easy to hear the emotion in her voice, making this track extra special.
Gill Chang – One For You (feat. glasscat)
This new song from Gill Chang has clever chord progression and clean production. The beat breakdown in this track sounds more Pop than Electronic, but it is a cute song that would be best enjoyed with friends on a sunny day.
Robotaki – All I Can Do
This is the first single off Robotaki’s upcoming EP with Foreign Family Collective, where he shares his struggles of coming to terms with the end of a relationship. Robotaki says “when it’s suddenly over, you start asking questions that ultimately don’t have answers. Sometimes, all you can do is move on.” This is a beautiful track that pulls from electronic and indie styles of production, making it a unique and relaxing tune.
Hex Cougar – Silence ft. Sara Skinner
Opening with chords that will put you in a trance, Hex Cougar will send you off to space through this single song. Sara Skinner has a beautiful voice that relaxes listeners, just before Hex throws in a creative, choppy beat drop.
Pronouncedyea – sweater weather (pronouncedyea remix)
Now this one really hit me in the feels. This is a brand-new remix of another old song that will warm the hearts of any fans of The Neighbourhood. Pronouncedyea has been one of my favorite producers from some time now, releasing moderately fast-paced music with chopped vocals and pretty beats.
These are only a few of my personal favorite releases over the past two and a half months, but I have to give recognition to all the incredible artists I didn’t include in this article. Soundcloud is always a great place to find new electronic music, especially if you’re a fan of future-bass. After reflecting on my favorite releases of the year, I can tell that we have some great things ahead for the rest of 2019.