LA has always been a hotbed for creatives. Maybe it’s the crazy nightlife, Oceanside views, or infinite sunshine. The most recent proof of this is the incredible variety of heavy house sounds emerging from the area. Whether it’s bass house, G-House, future ghetto, future house, sunset house or some other presumably made up offshoot, the music is undeniably awesome. Considering so many of our favourite new artists are a part of the movement we wanted to highlight a few that you need to be listening to. From well-established veterans, to rising stars and under the radar producers, we’ve got them all. Check out the list below and be sure to listen to our playlist at the end.
Dr. Fresch
One of the best sounds coming out of the scene is the convergence of bass house and rap. The rap bars add a certain level of swag to the housey beats, while the deep bass lines add a deeper dimension of gritty. You’d be hard pressed to find a producer doing a better job fusing the two than Dr. Fresch. His remix with Tendra of Big Boi’s ‘Kryptonite’ has attained support from Daddy Fat Sacks himself and has clocked nearly a million plays on SoundCloud. A figure which was recently realized by his ‘Promiscuous’ rework. If you’re looking for something ignorant with a futuristic feel then ‘Pillz’ is just what the doctor ordered. The combination of Gucci’s southern signature and the forward thinking wobbles and synth work are guaranteed to have you geeked up. Is it the good Dr.’s best work to date? “Bitch it might be”. As is the case with many of today’s great remixers, Fresch has decided to take a break and focus on some originals. His most recent track with Thewz is a G-house anthem primed for warm weather. On the decks fresh is no joke either. His mixes always contain exclusive edits and flawless transitions. The combination of skills behind the boards and on the decks make Dr. Fresch one of the brightest stars rising out of LA.
Ghastly
“Who is this Ghastly Man?” If you haven’t heard of Ghastly yet, it’s time you get familiar. Yet another producer that has experimented with an array of different genres. Ghastly is currently putting out some of hardest hitting tracks in the game, from his remix of OG Maco & 2 Chainz ‘Bitch You Ghastly’ to his latest original ‘Every Night’. Just released is Ghastly and Fawks’ remix of ILOVEMAKONNEN’s ‘I Don’t Sell Molly’. The original track was released a year ago featuring oddly eerie synths, which I assumed was a Ridley Scott interpretation of what rap music would sound like in a future of blade runners. Ghastly and Fawks took the sleepy down tempo rap track and flipped it into a mind-blowing bass heavy banger primed for the clubs. Check out his mix for YourEDM, featuring some fellow artists pushing past the boundaries of dance music genres, bringing you a blend of house, hip-hop, and future bass in a high-energy one hour set.
Jauz
Jauz has taken the world by storm with his break out track ‘Feel The Volume’. The song features groovy keys and a powerful set of vocals reminiscent of a Robin S track from the 90’s, building up to a wubbed out bassline drop that hits like a sledgehammer to the chest. Whether it’s an original track or a remix, Jauz continues to impress with his range and versatility. One of his first releases with Sullivan King ‘Pure Evil,’ takes you down a dark and spooky journey into dubstep. The track bangs so hard it could easily be mistaken for an Excision and Datsik original. If future bass is more your thing, check out his remix of Childish Gambino’s ‘3005’. If it’s those powerful bass house tracks with rap vocals you’re after, be sure to check out his remix of OT Genasis’ ‘Coco’ and Tiga’s ‘Bugatti’. Jauz takes both of these tracks to the next level with his signature wubbed out basslines. Jauz is your favourite producer’s favourite producer, so it’s probably time for you to join the shark squad (^^^).
SNBRN
SNBRN: A fitting name for a producer who crafts sun-filled deep house vibes that warm your skin. His sound is definitely not as dark as some of the others on the list but that’s not a bad thing. Plus anybody who can do justice to remixes of 50 Cent, The Game, Ace of Base, Mack Morrison and Morgan Page is pretty damn good in my books. Actually to be fair, he does more than just justice to these tracks, breathing new life into them and making them club/festival ready. His sound packs just enough deep bass while infusing funk filled soundscapes that feel like Summer, regardless of what your calendar might say. Leave your sunscreen at home cause you need a little SNBRN in your life.
NIGHTOWLS
Little information is available about NIGHTOWLS other than the fact that they stay up late, presumably working on killer remixes and new originals. Their bouncy ‘No Type’ edit was their introductory release but it’s their rework of the Father ft. ILOVEMAKONNEN’s ‘Wrist’ that put them on the map. Combining the simplistic and catchy lyrics with some fierce bass lines makes for an irresistible banger. Proving their consistency the nocturnal producers dropped one of the best Jack U remixes to date. Flipping the track so well they almost make Bieber seem badass. As they continue their evolution they’ve moved to collaborating on originals with JVDAS and Dirty Doses. In only a few months, NIGHTOWLS have unleashed some of the hottest bass house tracks of 2015. Recently they made headlines after their ‘Some Chords’ remix with Space Race was ripped off by Caked Up (and they only steal from the best; see Jackal & LOUDPVCK). All headlines aside, Nightowls are taking over so don’t sleep.
Drezo
Another artist that piqued my interest for his G-House sounds is Drezo. His most notable release is a rework of Lil’ Wayne’s ‘A Milli’ that takes the track into a completely new and dark direction. The remix is so nasty it’s guaranteed to have even the biggest Weezy hater rapping along. Taking on another classic hit in ‘Forgot About Dre’, Drezo has Dre sounding his hardest since the NWA days. What makes Drezo so ill is that his reworks aren’t just simple flips; a new beat under a familiar acapella, but rather a masterfully produced work with a pinch of familiar sound. Other standouts include his ‘Bassline’ remix and originals ‘Immunity’ and ‘Step Back’. 2015 looks to be a big year with the momentum built last year, plus a collaboration with Dillon Francis’ alter ego DJ Hanzel on the way. Count on Drezo to be a name you start seeing on the regular.
Destructo
To explore LA’s house scene and not mention Destructo is like talking about leather jogging pants and not mentioning Kanye West. Gary Richards has been instrumental in the scene both as a producer and as promoter. As the founder of HARD, Richards spent years running events, showcasing up-and-coming talent and building what is now an empire (see Hard Festival, Holy Ship!). Despite the immense success he’s never sold out as an artist. Though his sound may have evolved, he always keeps it forward thinking and hard hitting. His latest release, West Coast, is an incredible G-House EP that combines his signature production with features from West coast legends (Warren G, E40, Kurupt, Too $hort) and some of the young stars (Ty Dolla $ign). The project is an embodiment of everything the West Coast music scene stands for; fusing the past with the present.
AC Slater
One of the OG’s of the bass scene made a name for himself by setting clubs on fire with some of the hottest remixes of real dance floor bangers from Boys Noize (‘Yeah’), to Moby (‘Stars’), and Math Head (‘Turn The Music Up’). AC has just completed a North American tour bringing a fresh bass vibe to the masses with the Night Bass tour. Along with his own record label Party Like Us, AC and his crew continue to release some of the most groundbreaking and forward-thinking bass-heavy dance tracks. With the release of his EP Back to the Floor AC focuses on the music that gets people dancing and lost in the vibe. One of the standout tracks from the EP is ‘Roll Up’ which is a true example of a dance track made for the clubs. For his latest release, AC teamed up with east London producer, Champion to create a low end UK garage style dance track entitled ‘Game of Horns’. This is a must for anyone who appreciates low end horns and ferocious basslines. Get lost in the Night Bass with AC Slater.
Bixel Boys
Yet another duo from the city of dreams producing “underground tunes for big rooms”. The boys are starting to make their way into the mainstream, playing such mega festival as EDC Las Vegas and HARD Summer. They still manage to keep things fresh, exploring sounds ranging from R&B vocals, experimental bass music and bouncy house jams. The duo deliver a high energy vibe far different than any of your typical EDM trends. Bixel Boys continue to flip a number of familiar tracks and take them a completely different direction. From Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ to Keiza’s ‘Hideaway’, Michael Jackson’s ‘PYT’ and the most recent remix of Le Youth’s ‘Real’ which is arguable one of their best yet. The chopped vocals, high hats and energetic synths come together to create a funky house track. Look out for Bixel Boys killin’ it in LA and worldwide.
Like the list? Think we missed some key artists? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook. And don’t forget to check out our playlist below for even more music from the artists featured.
Written by ClassyVlassy & Darryl Vlasak
