Every now and again a genre rises to the top of the pile as the most desirable and talked about of the entire spectrum. The early 2000’s saw Tech House wrestle the limelight away from an increasingly sludgy Progressive dominance, this in turn fell foul of the more experimental Berlin-centric Minimal invasion. Fast forward to current day and it is Bass that has been the word on everybody’s lips more often than not.
Like everything that hit the heights before it, Bass’ main trait, surprisingly, is less about an obvious sound and more about disregard for genre. As a case in point, goldFFinch‘s The Volume draws upon House, Techno, Breaks and a myriad of other subtle influences, sounding familiar without being overly affiliated.
Dipping straight in at the top, The Volume goes for sheer urgency, barking Hip House snippets at you as elements fade in and out of focus like a passing police car. Point De Vue then moves off at a tangent – summery and smooth, it drops the 4/4 in favour of breathy chords and warm sub-bass.
Returning to the main room focused sound, For The F‘s menacing low end adds a large amount of growl, but then it drops a shoulder and swaps in the breaks for it’s final salvo. Digital bonus K finishes everything off, raising the temperature with a dancehall infused swagger.
How long we will be talking about Bass will come down to how long it stops looking outside for inspiration, becoming insular and self-referring. What you can guarantee, though, is that there will be something out there, like The Volume, fizzing with energy and enthusiasm, just waiting to have a label pinned on it.