#1

I know a lot here is focused on ambient, but I just wanted to start up a thread discussing “underground” bass music broadly with a production focus as well. I think that many here will appreciate this scene as experimental sound design is one of the key features as well as hip-hop inspired rhythms. Inspiration from Jungle, Acid, Hip Hop, Dnb, Dubstep, Industrial, Experimental, Lofi.

Does anyone here listen to this genre or produce music in this vein? I just wanted to put out a feeler to see if anyone wants to discuss the music or production techniques.

Some of my favorite artists in the genre (no order, & many omitted to keep it brief):

  • Shades: Eprom + Alix Perez. Selected Track, The Saga

  • G Jones: No comment needed. Selected Track, THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE

  • Eprom: One of the godfathers of the genre. Selected track, Drone Warfare

  • Tsuruda: Lots of Jazz/Modular samples. Selected track, Brrrap!!

  • Bleep Bloop: Anti-establishment modular destruction. Selected Track, The Fifth Pupil

  • Chee: Snares. Selected Track, Blood Thirsty

  • Alix Perez: Deep DnB, Halftime, Dubstep. Incredibly dark sound. Selected track, BXL

  • Noer the Boy: So underrated. Selected Track, God Hand

  • Amon Tobin (Two Fingers): I’m sure many are familiar with his more experimental projects. Here’s a recent stream regarding his most recent album as Two Fingers (link).

  • Little Snake: Craziest music out in 2020. Selected Track, Fasterthananearthquake

  • Ivy Lab: Vibes. Selected Track, Jet Lag

Some ideas on sound design techniques:

  • Heavy distortion, compression

  • Drums Drums Drums

  • Usually DAW arranged

  • Bass focused, obviously

  • Lots of emphasis on sampling/resampling

  • Experimental sound design a major focus

  • Ambience important to create mood

  • Rave, Soundclash Samples.

27 Likes
#2

Yes! <3 bass music! For production tips I recommend Eprom’s Twitch channel; he goes through some of the tracks on his recent Aikon EP and it’s very informative.

It’s interesting to see how different artists approach the genre – Eprom is heavily digital & in-the-box, whereas Amon Tobin uses a lot of analog gear (including a Cwejman-heavy Eurorack setup that must have cost serious $$$$) to make the Two Fingers stuff. He goes into his modular setup on his youtube channel and it’s pretty impressive.

Also, Pearson Sound’s new Alien Mode EP is :+1::+1::+1::+1::+1::+1::+1::+1:

7 Likes
#3

I’ve watched the Eprom vids a few times. Love what he does with granulator II, super inspiring. He also has an ambient modular jam if you’ve not seen it yet. I’ll check out pearson sound I haven’t listened before.

Here’s his studio too https://xlr8r.com/in-the-studio/in-the-studio-shades/.

Yeah Amon has the whole buchla and kyma system, he’s definitely more hardware based I’d say.

1 Like
#4

i don’t want to come across the wrong way but it’s quite amusing you worried there might not be an audience for this here

happy to discuss anything on the topic because it’s a core part of my musical diet

would also like to recommend this book by laurent fintoni which touches on some of our shared interests

11 Likes
#5

Really interested in this one.
Seeing some familiar names on your list, others I have to check out!
Been a big fan of G Jones and Bleep Bloop for so long.
Eprom is a beast, especially with G Jones.

I’m a bit out of the loop but I’d like to share some old favorites of mine :

Freddy Todd. A fuckin’ genius, I’m not connecting with his latest Dubstep stuff tho.
Grip Platter
Dopesauce

Krampfhaft. Great sound designer from Holland.
Carl Sagan
Take me under

Any early Saturate Records.

The Russian Bass Music scene also had a particular sound, people like Pixelord, Gillepsy, DZA, 813 before he went full Tomorrowland EDM…

1 Like
#6

I love bass music!

How do people who have families and neighbors produce it?!

1 Like
#7

G Jones is great, I’d love to try my hand at some bass music production. Interested to see how this evolves.

1 Like
#8

I sure as hell will now.

3 Likes
#9

I don’t listen to a lot of bass music, but I really enjoy Mr Bill’s podcast. A lot of his guests are bass music producers.

2 Likes
#10

I used to make “serious” dnb in a past life, and bass in general (i’m from south florida i can’t help it) has always been super central to my process (and music consumption).

A few weeks ago I thought it would be fun to take a stab at making neurofunk (that dnb subgenre super focused on warp-y basslines, kinda protodubstep) without drums lol.

neurenzo bassi

the filename is a pretty obvious goofy headnod :upside_down_face:

3 Likes
#11

i dont know if this counts as bass music but i really like the liquid sound design in this guy’s work. it does remind me of mr. bill’s stuff kind of

3 Likes
#12

essential

1 Like
#13

Can’t tell you how much I love those vids. RIP derg.

#14

I’m from South Florida too. Grew up around Hondas with subs and DJ Magic Mike mixes. This topic pulled me right in.
Dynamix II is my go-to for the sound of that era.

3 Likes
#15

Love Dynamix ll but I classify them more as Electro.
I’m from Europe and back in the 90’s we mostly called that Miami Bass.
We mixed a lot of those with AUX 88, Drecxiya, UR, Dopplereffekt :space_invader:

Good times in dark warehouses :hugs:

4 Likes
#16

Love all of them too!
I think of slower Dynamix like the color beats as bass, the faster stuff is more electro for sure.

2 Likes
#17

Love Dynamix ll but I classify them more as Electro.
I’m from Europe and back in the 90’s we mostly called that Miami Bass.

not trying to argue or really overly get into semantics, but I don’t understand the “but” in this statement?
is electro not bass music? is miami bass not? Certainly that’s not what you’re implying.

Dynamix II is defo Miami Bass and Electro and Bass Music.

Anyway yes, love for all the above mentioned :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#18

It’s nothing new or super underground, but I keep coming back to Flume’s “hi this is Flume” from 2019, which he labeled a “mixtape” but feels awfully cohesive & complete to my ears.

The sound design is really killing it, to me.

I also have been revisiting Pole’s early works, especially LP1 and EP2 (the “blue” and “red” Pole records).

6 Likes
#19

Oh, and this one from Hyperdub back in the day, too!

LV feat Dandelion: CCTV (Hyperdub)

2 Likes
#20

Really a fan of HTIF. Flume is really popularizing granular synthesis in the more mainstream EDM, and I like how he returned to some more experimental compositional styles on that mixtape. You can hear the PC Music inspiration from Arca for sure and obviously Sophie who is on a couple tracks. Lots of creative delays and phys modeling too from what I hear, but truly unique composition regardless, no wonder so many try to follow his most recent style.

1 Like