Los Angeles (April 18^th, 2016) Firepower Records is proud to announce the next release of our Shellshock Compilation, Kamikaze, and we’re getting early reports that it’s already setting flammable material ablaze thousands of miles away. The release of our yearly Shellshock Compilation also gives us a chance to reach out to you, our extended Firepower Fam, and celebrate the fact that you are what make us so strong.

Since its humble inception in March of 2012 by Troy Beetles— Datsik by his nom de guerre—Firepower Records has evolved into a bass music behemoth, releasing heavyweight producers like Datsik, Protohype, Getter, Barely Alive, Truth, Bear Grillz, Mayhem, Antiserum, Fox Stevenson, Must Die, PhaseOne, Terravita, ETC! ETC! and Trolley Snatcha and featuring Hip Hop and Rock royalty like Snoop Dog, Trinidad James, KRS-One, DJ Paul KOM of Three-6 Mafia and Travis Barker of Blink 182. The Firepower Family currently claims 65 artists and counting and on May 13th, the label will showcase the best and most badass it has to offer. As a show of overwhelming support, some of dance music’s heaviest hitters have signed on by offering tracks exclusively for the ShellShock Kamaikaze release. The tracklist reads like a bass music “best-of” list. If Bass Music had a fantasy league, this would be a winning line-up.

But Firepower is more than a disjointed and disconnected series of artists and tracks. We like to consider ourselves more of a Family and the ShellShock Kamikaze release as more of a family reunion. Firepower Records is a label and an internationally respected dance music brand, but it would be nothing without the like-minded artists, friends, neighbors, and fans that hold it all together and keep it alive.

There’s no finer example of the familial nature of the bass music world than the first collaboration on the Compilation. Datsik and 12^th Planet come together with a dub infused “Party In The Sewer” featuring Elan, and it’s massive. A one-man wub factory, Datsik smashes the track with his signature wobbles, while 12^th planet puts his creative beat creation and swampy sound techniques to work. Next, returning family member Bear Grillz throws down with “Nap Gurlz”. The disco hook pumps your impulse to dance and the drops will snap your neck if you’re not prepared. A quick word though–this track is in no way associated with the good people of Nap Girls, and if you’re interested in who they are, check them out! Protohype and Stratus put in work with “Let’s Do This”, and as expected the two artists march us through a spectrum of sound structures so diverse you lose your mind trying to keep track. Soltan continues to impress us with his creative vision. With “Turn Up” he takes Bass Music to the edges of the known universe and then hits lightspeed. Soltan is easily one of the new visionaries, and we should all be watching him closely.

EH!DE and Funk4mation peel the roof off with “Come Back”, and the Bass living under the basement of this track is scary and mad. EH!DE’s been crushing it recently, but it goes without saying that this has been the year of Zack The Lad. His release Black Sheep began the Firepower Records release calendar in 2016 and we just can’t get enough. It has been said that Datsik only has a few artists loaded into his personal iPod, and one of those artists is Zack The Lad. Here, he offers us “Won’t Stop”, and his production skill is immediately superior.

Spag Heddy is back with “Hugs and Stuff”, and we couldn’t be more stoked. A definite fan favorite, Spag Heddy has released nothing but fire. The opening wraps the listener with sonic sunshine and then slams your ass to ground. That must be the “Stuff” in the title. Init, Goldplate, and Hami all put in on “Greens”, and with all three of these stellar talents maximizing potential, the result is an epic facemelter. If there’s any way to guarantee the crowds will run a mosh pit on you, hammer this track through the sound system.

It’s been a while since AFK rolled out a release with Firepower Records, and we’re glad to have him back. “Death Gun” showcases the frenetic and yet focused musical mind of AFK. The synth takes us all over the sonic map, and we love it. We also love Drum and Bass, and what’s bass music without a little heavy Drum and Bass? Leave that to MineSweepa. “No Face” takes bass very seriously. The shift to Drum and Bass is perfectly placed in the track and by the time it hits, you’ve separated your mind from its corporeal lodgings. Rounding out the EP is Twine. They do nothing but amazing work, and it’s clear by the complexity of their productions. “Dayjahvuh” is another reminder that Bass Music is nowhere near finished evolving. The beat structure, with its diversity of fills and intricate sound designs, is both groovy and heavy.

The collection of talent contained in the Shellshock Kamikaze Compilation represents the best of what bass music has to offer and we’re happy to be sharing it with you.

The tracklist for Shellshock Kamikaze is:

1. Datsik & 12^th Planet – “Party In The Sewer” (feat. Elan)
2. Bear Grillz – “Gurlz”
3. Protohype & Stratus – “Let’s Do This”
4. Soltan – “Turn Up”
5. EH!DE & Funk4Mation – “Come Back”
6. Zack The Lad – “Won’t Stop”
7. Spag Heddy – “Hugs And Stuff”
8. Init, Goldplate & Hami – “Greens”
9. AFK – “Death Gun”
10. MineSweepa – “No Face”
11. Twine – “Dayjahvuh”

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

lee@firepowerrecords.com

Publicity Manager I Firepower Records

Los Angeles (March 2^nd, 2016) – Firepower Records is thrilled to announce that Datsik’s forthcoming Darkstar EP will drop March 25^th, 2016, and, fair warning, it’s on fire with the force that lit the stars. This is a massive and ambitious piece of work from the Firepower Records label boss himself, and the EP features some the music industry’s elites, including Travis Barker, Trinidad James, Liinks, and the inimitable wordplay wizardry of Armanni Reign. Datsik also showcases the skill of newcomer Soltan, and he’s back with a collaboration from the bass music phenom Zack the Lad, whose Black Sheep release on Firepower Records earlier this year set an impressive tone that will be nearly impossible to match. Nearly. Darkstar is heavy, and it’s the kind of work that merits the crown Datsik has deservedly acquired. This coming on the heels of a massive year where he revealed his Ephwurd project with Bais Haus, which has already netted multiple chart topping heaters and solidified his place at the top of the dance music game.

The release also coincides with the launch of Datsik’s 17 date Spring Loaded Tour starting March 22^nd in Missoula, Montana. As direct support for the tour, OOKAY will be the perfect addition to DATSIK’s already bass-heavy sets, known to hype the crowd to unparalleled levels when on stage in front of thousands of fans. From humble beginnings, San Diego-based producer OOKAY (pronounced “Okay”) exploded onto the electronic dance music scene and left a permanent mark resembling his now iconic bandana. With a rapidly growing fan base, due in part to his hilarious Twitter persona, OOKAY has proven that age isn’t a factor and has quickly become one of the young leaders in the league of superstar Trap producers. The tour also features direct support from the talented Drezo.

Darkstar explodes with “Tantrum”, and Rap’s golden boy, Trinidad James, drives the track right into the center of the insanity with his energy-intense vocalism. The track features Datsik’s signature wobbles and murderous synth sections over the top of a classic drumstep beat structure. It feeds nicely into “Let ‘em Know” featuring Armanni Reign whose skill on the mic is indisputable. His crowd-hype abilities consistently measure out at the wizard level, but it’s Datsik’s production prowess that takes the track interstellar. A gut-rumbling sub bass under girds the track and supports big synth combinations that ultimately form into a supernova of sound. It’s a mind-splitter, plain and simple.

“No Mind” is as sinister as it gets. The track starts off with a funky headnodic section, but immediately drops into neck brace territory real quick. Soltan comes through with his eerie melodic accompaniment, which scorches over the top of a rolling beat sequence. The track mixes it up with variations on the dubstep theme, but the classic Datsik sound always stays front and center. “No Mind” is followed up with “Get Back”, which reveals Datsik’s appreciation of the obscure. A simple, brain piercing melody provides an off key shift, but the simplicity leaves room for Datsik to focus on the massive bass-and-wub combo that overwhelms the senses and takes the track to light speed.

Rounding out this masterwork are two of the EP’s most beautiful and melodic. Liinks offers her gorgeous vocals for the title track “Darkstar”, and Travis Barker, famous drummer of the punk rock band Blink 182, offers the drum track and an insane drum solo. The result is a hauntingly beautiful yet aggressively energetic track that sounds like it was forged in heat of a collapsing star. “Feel Good” is the result of two massive forces being pulled into each other’s orbits. Datsik has found in Zack the Lad a perfect balance. “Feel Good” is the ultimate euphoric celebration of music as the universal language. Datsik is heavy and wub-centric. Zack the Lad is melodic with a trap-style vibe. In any other circumstance, one style would only crash into the other. But this collaboration has created a harmony so perfect, it might just be the actual sound of Universe.

The tracklist is:

1. Datsik – “Tantrum” (Feat. Trinidad James)
2. Datsik – “Let ‘em Know” (feat. Armanni Reign)
3. Datsik & Soltan – “No Mind”
4. Datsik – “Get back”
5. Datsik – “Darkstar” (Feat. Travis Barker & Liinks)
6. Datsik & Zack The Lad – “Feel Good”

Check out DATSIK on his Spring Loaded Tour in the following cities:

DATE                        CITY                                    VENUE

Sat            3/12             New Orleans, LA             Mardi Gras World* – Buku Music & Arts Festival

Sat            3/19             San Bernardino, CA            San Manuel Amphitheater* – Beyond Wonderland

Tue            3/22            Missoula, MT                        Stage 112 (Drezo support only)

Weds            3/23             Vancouver, BC            Celebrities* – Seasons Festival Opening Party

Thur            3/24            Eugene, OR                        McDonald Theatre

Fri            3/25            Portland, OR                        Crystal Ballroom

Sat            3/26            Spokane, WA                        Knitting Factory

Thur            3/31            Norfolk, VA                        The Norva

Fri            4/1            Baltimore, MD            Rams Head Live

Sat            4/2            New York City, NY            PlayStation Theater

Mon            4/4            Burlington, VT            Higher Ground

Tue            4/5            Syracuse, NY                        Westcott Center

Wed            4/6            Syracuse, NY                        Westcott Center

Thur            4/7            Buffalo, NY                        Town Ballroom

Fri            4/8            Wallingford, CT            The Dome at Oakdale Theater

Sat            4/9            Richmond, VA            The National

Tue            4/12            Cleveland, OH                        House of Blues

Wed            4/13            Covington, KY            Madison Theater

Thur            4/14            Chattanooga, TN            Track 29

Fri            4/15            Orlando, FL                        Venue 578

Sat            4/16            Tampa, FL                        Amphitheatre Event Facility

Wed            4/20            Indianapolis, IN            Old National Centre

Thur            4/21            Nashville, TN                        Marathon Music Works

Fri            4/22            Detroit, MI                        Elektricity (Drezo support only)

Sat            4/23            Minneapolis, MN            The Skyway Theatre

Fri            5/13             Kansas City, MO            Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland – Global Dub Festival*

Sat            5/14             Morrison, CO                        Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Global Dub Festival*

* Non Spring Loaded Tour date/separate support/No PK

For more event details and to purchase tickets to the Spring Loaded Tour, click here: www.springloadedtour.com

For more on Datsik:

http://www.datsik.com

http://www.facebook.com/djdatsik

http://www.twitter.com/datsik

http://www.instagram.com/datsik

http://www.soundcloud.com/datsik

For more information on Firepower Records:

FirepowerRecords.com

Beatport.com/label/firepower/24439

Facebook.com/firepowerrecs

Twitter.com/firepowerrecs

Soundcloud.com/firepowerrecs

For press inquiries, please contact:

Lee Underwood

lee@firepowerrecords.com

Publicity Manager I Firepower Records

Leading the EP is “I Want It”, and it puts on full display the expert interweaving of the foundational elements of both Dub and modern bass. It’s a theme with which Zack the Lad will experiment throughout the EP, and, as in “I Want It”, his use of live drumming and guitar progressions acts as a homage to the roots of the culture. The melody is sexy and vibey, and as the winter chill sets in, this track is designed to warm you up.

“Make Me Move” infects the whole body before the mind has even registered what’s happening. Zack The Lad’s emphasis on soaring vocals, a gorgeously euphoric synth arrangement, and a heavy emphasis on the 808 trap style beat structure, boosts this track into the sexual stratosphere. His decision to support the track with a screaming electric guitar accentuates that very human yearning to break out and dance close with someone special.

“Bitter World” continues to push the organic dub theme, but the focus here should be on the soul-expanding wall of sound Zack The Lad builds into the track. Multiple layers of sound designs blast though the sound barrier, including live piano instrumentation and the sound of rain falling on a tin roof. The overall tone of the tune is on fire with a kind of cathartic melancholy made possible by the intense energy of the vocal. If bass music was a church, this track would lead the ritual.

Datsik selected “Skin” as his “UKF Tune of the Month” last year. It’s soulfull and searching, and the mind yields for the body. Sinister yet musical, the organic nature of the track feels like a throwback to Robert Miles and the heavy Trip Hop stylings of his 2001 Organik album. Zack The Lad’s pure artistry is displayed here, and as the song reunites the mind with the body, we realize that music is a kind of powerful drug, and the best artists remind us of that through their art. From now on, we put Zack The Lad in that category.

The tracklisting for Black Sheep is:

1. Zack The Lad – I Want It
2. Zack The Lad – Make Me Move
3. Zack The Lad – Bitter World
4. Zack The Lad – Skin

For more information on Zack The Lad:

soundcloud.com/zack-the-lad

www.facebook.com/pages/Zack-the-Lad/213230618882381

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

lee@firepowerrecords.com

Publicity Manager I Firepower Records