First up is Zetta and Guillotine with “Encrypted” and it’s an absolute scorcher. The Track immediately sets a wicked tone with a sinister melody progression that builds into a well-developed drop that’ll make even most modest raver lose control. The vocal sample also provides a sarcastic take on the love/hate relationship we all have with Soundcloud. Played out over a festival sound system, the audience reactions will be epic.
Next, Nanoo takes us on a trip through the cosmos with “Supernova”. The Flatline Compilation has always attempted to push through boundaries of commonly accepted definitions of genre, and what Nanoo does with this track is a perfect example. With a hyped up beat structure pounding away at double the speed, the track offers DJs a way to diversify their sets while keeping audiences locked into the groove. Nanoo’s experience with Latin rhythms and melodies allows him to build classic dubstep synth soundscapes while also constructing a bass music masterpiece that is considerably more musical than other tracks of its kind.
We’ve seen some amazing work from 12th Hour recently, and we’re stoked to have a place on the Flatline Compilation to feature “Neon Smoke”. This track shows 12th Hour operating within his artistic sweet spot. His synth arrangements are punishing and relentless, and they seem to slice right to your core. He experiments with multiple beat structures, which all seem to coalesce together in the creation of this massive head banger.
Squaring out the Compilation is Twofold and Sudden Death’s “Dissolution” and it’s absolutely murderous. This track has one job, and it’s to dissolve minds into puddles on the dance floor. Long, multilayered, and sustained synth sections tear through the track. The track hits like a nuclear blast, and everything in its path blows right to pieces. Twofold and Sudden Death have successfully loaded this track with so much sound and force you may find it your perfect peak hour weapon.
Tracklist for Flatline Compilation Volume 4
- Zetta & Guillotine – “Encrypted”
- Nanoo – “Supernova”
- 12th Hour – “Neon Smoke”
- Twofold & Sudden Death – “Dissolution”
For more information on Firepower Records:
https://soundcloud.com/firepowerrecs
https://www.facebook.com/FirepowerRecs
https://twitter.com/firepowerrecs
www.youtube.com/user/FirepowerRecs
For Press Inquiries, contact:
Lee Underwood
Publicity Manager I Firepower Records I Twitter: @leeFPRecs
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So stoked to have you on FP! You put a ton of hard work in. Describe the path you took to get to a point where you are releasing an EP on Firepower Records?
Thank you! I’m so stoked to be a part of the team. So the road getting here took a lot of time and focus. I sent in a couple Demos to Firepower. I used to make a completely different type of music — more of a Robostep kind of feel — and Datsik saw potential where I couldn’t. He told me to try something different but didn’t tell me exactly what to make. So I took this and tried some different styles of music, more melodic, more of a style I can reach a larger spectrum of people with. So I sent in some songs. Datsik really liked this new style I started but it still wasn’t quite there. So back to the drawing board. This is when I reached out to an already good friend of mine, Skyloud, who recently started a new alias Zetta which was Him and Deltabot. We Skyped for the entire collaboration of Ice Shield and they taught me a lot about creating this style of music I was doing but needed an extra push. So after the Flatline release of “IceShield”, I had a bigger arsenal of tools and new information about sound design and just actual production. I sent in a new Demo, and that’s when I got the green light on a 4 track EP. I was so excited about this that I finished the EP within a couple months. Every track I sent in was accepted. It was a huge change in sound from what I was originally doing, but I have to say I’m really enjoying this new style of 12th Hour! That being said this was about a year in the making, and I hope other artists keep pushing to reach their goals!
How do you see your sound evolving after this release?
So after the release I think I will continue with this style I have been doing for the past 6 months, I’m going to work on some new sound design, I think that is the biggest thing I am going to work on, evolving the 12th Hour sound even more, as well as come up with some really interesting bass patterns and longer drops. I’m really excited to see what the future of my new style will bring and I hope my fans and peers are also!
If you wanted to create the world’s worst mashup, what two songs would you put together?
The worst mash up? haha! This is a pretty unique question, I’d half to go with Iggy – “Team”, and Rebecca Black – “Friday”, I’m laughing just thinking about how this would sound. Lets go Team Friday! At least the mashup title works! I have 3 sisters, I hear a lot of music I’d never listen to on my own haha.
If the firepower crew came by for a visit to your home, what awesome dish would you insist we eat?
Definitely our Pizza. My dad owns two pizza places and that is actually my full time job, running one of the stores. So if the squad came over, I’d make, hands down the best pizza they ever had. And might as well throw in our home made pasta, cant forget the drinks too!
What’s your life philosophy in 5 words?
This is a questions I’ve never been asked but lets see if I can put this in 5 words. Stay Humble, put in work. Coming from a family where I had a job waiting for me and didn’t have to graduate from college to start making money for myself, I’ve never beat my chest about it. This goes with every aspect in someones life, put in your work and stay humble on the road to success.
]]>Starting the EP is “Countdown”, and it crushes. It’s all energy and every beat explodes like an audio atom bomb. The lead in to the track hooks the listener with a sinister melody that dances through the braincase, but not for long; the buildup pulls us into a drop that would kick start any festival set. 12th Hour shows of his love of the melody with “Get This Money”, as well. But as the track breaks down and the beat drops, the growls and rollers take over, and it’s all filth from there on out.
“Oblivion” shows 12th Hour’s range of influences, and, as a result, the track benefits from how dynamic it is. Swampy at times, straight Dub at others, the track pulses with a kind of head-nodic vibe that makes for an extremely listenable headphone banger. Finally, the EP rounds out with “The Return”, and if the delayed double drop doesn’t blast you, the murderous synth arrangement will. It’s a hell of a way to bookend an EP of this caliber, and with the fall festivals dead ahead, “The Return” is a must have weapon in your festival set.
The tracklisting for The Return is:
- 12th Hour – “Coutdown”
- 12th Hour – “Get This Money”
- 12th Hour – “Oblivion”
- 12th Hour – “The Return”
For more information on 12th Hour:
https://twitter.com/12thhourdub
https://www.facebook.com/12thHour
For more information on Firepower Records:
https://soundcloud.com/firepowerrecs
https://www.facebook.com/FirepowerRecs
https://twitter.com/firepowerrecs
www.youtube.com/user/FirepowerRecs
For Press Inquiries, contact:
Lee Underwood
Publicity Manager I Firepower Records I Twitter: @leeFPRecs
]]>“Ice Shield” is a heavy track. What are some of the influences you can point to that led you to this production?
Ice Shield became what it is known today by a lot of trial and error with my production. I was in the process of sending Demos into Firepower that wouldn’t cut it, but it gave me motivation. My background in music is, lets say, “very very heavy”. Some people use the term Robostep of Deathstep and that is what I was originally known for. So I had to try something new and different. I submitted a song called “From Within”, a song with energy and emotion. That was the first demo track that Firepower saw potential in me in other forms of music (BTW this Track is now Free) So I decided I needed to drift to a new style with more energy and mass apeal. I contacted Skyloud, who is one of the members of Zetta, and we thought it would be a great idea to collaborate. He then hit up Deltabot, who is the other face of Zetta, and that’s how it all started. Now these guys know this style of music like of the back of their hand and were definitely the ones I needed to take this image in my head of what I was looking for and turn it into something everyone would love. I let Zetta take control of this project and learning more about this style, i’m very creative in my way of arrangements and how I want certain things to sound so we came up with this massive song!
How did the collaboration with Zetta come about?
So this question ties a lot into the first for me, but I can get into the nitty gritty of how me and Zetta came together. About a year ago me and Skyloud were going to actually join forces and start a new secret alias but that fell through. We kind of lost touch for a while, then a couple months ago, when I was trying to perfect this new sound I was chasing, I saw how well he was doing by himself. It was amazing and he’s still in high school! So I would ask him for feedback on tracks all the way to some sound design tricks. Fast forward a month or two. I got in touch with Firepower Records and Troy for the Infamous “DJ DatStick’ Twitter account that I made when he was in Chicago and had the ceilings collapse. Anyways I was able to get in touch with Troy and he liked some of my heavy stuff and told me I should Demo to the label. After I figured out what style of music Firepower saw potential in for 12th Hour I asked my buddy Skyloud if he would like to collab on a new demo to send Firepower after his successful track with TRIENERGY. He was of course down (who wouldn’t be) haha and he mentioned to me he started a new duo alias as Zetta with his good friend Matt (Deltabot). I of course was stoked to hear this, 3 producers putting their heads together, only good things can come from this. After the success of “Ice Shield” we actually have a lot of unreleased songs together that we hope the world will be ready for!!
Where can we see you play live? Any upcoming shows?
So I play live where ever I am requested. I had to unfortunately cancel two shows last month due to very serious family issues. But I plan on making those up and my next show is Saturday, March 19th, in the Chicagoland Area (the location is still TBA but if interested here is the link https://www.facebook.com/
What’s a piece of advice you wish more people would follow?
Stay humble. I’ve seen so many of my peers get an ounce of fame and they act like they don’t know you anymore. Its really sad because I had a falling out with a producer who I worked with and talked all the time. So yeah, that’s probably the best advice I can give anyone, no matter what you do, if it’s playing sports, making music, being an actor, anything that puts you in front of thousands and millions of people is just to stay humble and leave the ego at home’. Oh! and make music for yourself– don’t follow trends. Be unique and it will pay off in the end!
What’s one track that isn’t your own that you are really digging at the moment and why?
This is such a hard question because there are so many tracks I listen to on repeat. I am REALLLLLLY digging “Rip n Dip” by Getter at the moment, his new style really pushes me to make better and better music. He is probably my biggest inspiration at the moment.
Listen to “Ice Shield” here:
There are two of you representing the force behind Zetta. How did this project come together?
This all started around October when I found Matt’s music on a Soundcloud recommendation. I made a “Spotlight” for him then we became friends, did few collabs on our own projects, and then we decided we should work more closely together.
“Ice Shield” is a crusher of a track, where’s the name from, and how does the name represent the sound?
Nothing really, lol. ‘Ice Shield’ was the name of the project and it was never meant to be the final track name haha! 12th Hour liked this name too so we just kept it this way.
What’s next for you? Where can we see you play next?
A lot of stuff is coming up from us next actually! We just finished our debut EP and already started this new massive second EP with our buddy 12th Hour. We plan to make a lot of music with friends from Firepower Records squad! Unfortunately, we can’t travel yet because we’re underage. If we got the chance to travel, we would love to travel all the world together.
If you were making a compilation for a person you were trying crush on, what would be the first song and why?
Spicy question you got there haha! I think we would put Sex Whales & Fraxo’s “Dead to Me”. Why? Just in case they cheat on us.
If there was a hostage situation and you could blast any song over a massive speaker system that would wear the Hostage taker down psychologically until they just finally gave up, what song would it be and why?
Definitely Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”! I think they would release us ASAP just to get home, get on YouTube, and like that song!
]]>The question becomes “what do you do when you have a surplus of so much bass?” You bundle it all together and light it up. And that’s exactly what we did with these four choice tracks from some established firepower fam members and some artists fresh to the label. This collection exhibits our desire for the deeper, minimal, less mainstream and more underground sounds, and it challenges listeners to think twice about entrenching so hard in any particular part of the Bass music spectrum. We are therefore proud to announce the much anticipated 3rd volume of our Flatline Compilation.
Starting the compilation is a scorching VIP cut of “Recon” from two of Firepower’s most prolific producers—Protohype and PhaseOne. Chances are good you lost your mind to the original when it dropped on our Shellshock Legends compilation in May of last year. Turbocharge it, attach a jet engine to it, and you’ll come close to an idea of what this VIP might sound like. It’s all energy. Did you expect anything less from two of the most energetic producers in the bass music game?
It’s an honor to have Jarvis with us on the compilation. Last year, a call went out to remix Datsik’s global banger “Katana” from his Down 4 My Ninjas EP, and Jarvis answered the call in a fury we didn’t expect. “I’m on fire” showcases that talent. He displays an impressive range of production techniques, a clean vocal sample, and a diverse beat sequence. His synth layering shows a clear ear for musicianship, and his ability to construct a wall of sound makes this track festival ready right out the door. Expect big things from this up-and-comer.
We’re also stoked to have Zetta and 12th Hour with us on the compilation. “Ice Shield” is a heavy, buzzsaw-to-the-braincase track loaded to the max with enough audio ammo to re-calibrate even the most advanced soundsystems. Eerie and sinister, the track is a foot to the throat that only let’s up enough to let you breathe before it slams you again.
Krimer rounds out the compilation with “Bone Crusher”. We’ve been waiting a long time to get Krimer’s music out to the world, and given the insanity this track brings, the wait was worth it. The beat is frenetic yet fluid, never at ease with settling in. The synth is playfully aggressive, a kind of masochistic impulse that hurts so good. There’s a creative mind at work here, and the unique sound designs show a producer pushing the barriers of bass music.
The tracklist for Flatline Vol. 3 is:
- Protohype and PhaseOne – “Recon” (VIP)
- Jarvis – “I’m on Fire”
- Zetta and 12th Hour – “Ice Shield”
- Krimer – “Bone Crusher”
For more information on Protohype:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/protohypemusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/protohype
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/protohype
IG: @Protohype
For more information on PhaseOne:
Website: http://PhaseOneAU.com/
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/PhaseOneAU
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhaseOneAU
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PhaseOneAU
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhaseOneAU
Instagram: http://instagram.com/PhaseOneAU
Snapchat: PhaseOneMusic
For more information on Jarvis:
https://soundcloud.com/jarvis89
https://www.facebook.com/JarvisMusic
For more information on Zetta:
https://soundcloud.com/zettatunes
https://www.facebook.com/zettatunes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_CxyoS54tKoyJYDlo3DByA
For more information on 12th Hour:
https://soundcloud.com/12thhour
https://twitter.com/12thhourdub
https://www.facebook.com/12thHour
For more information on Krimer:
https://soundcloud.com/krimermusic
https://twitter.com/OfficialKrimer
https://pro.beatport.com/artist/krimer/348716
For more information on Firepower Records:
www.firepowerrecords.com/
https://soundcloud.com/firepowerrecs
https://www.facebook.com/FirepowerRecs
https://twitter.com/firepowerrecs
www.youtube.com/user/FirepowerRecs
For Press Inquiries, contact:
Lee Underwood
Publicity Manager I Firepower Records
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