Thomas Tsuruda snapped. Again.
One year after his earth-shattering album Unlimited Data, the masterfully humble bass music phenomenon has pushed the envelope yet again with his self-mixed/mastered EP titled Fubar. As the title subtly suggests, this body of work is most assuredly “fucked up beyond all recognition”. While the EP contains the distinct flavor of Tsuruda we’ve come to know and love, the LA-based producer has ventured further into the deepest darkest reaches of experimental bass music and brought us along for the ride.
Whether he’s slaying unconventional grooves on bumps like ‘Prologue’ and ‘Run It’ or exemplifying the richest aspects of halftime on ‘Little Mac (feat. Mr Carmack)’ and ‘Dragon Of The Darkness Flame’ (which samples an old Japanese anime called Yu Yu Hakusho), Tsuruda commands sound waves with the boldness and respect of a shōgun. Having gone from uploading mixes of straight Carmack to living with the legend himself, it’s evident in both their collaborations and solo work that the forward thinkers have been rubbing off on each other. ‘Hammer’ is driven by a familiar Carmack-y flow with a cacophonous Courteous Family spin. ‘Kimchi Crisis’ embodies Tsuruda’s signature liquid lofi drums intricately woven through atmospheric effects alongside monstrously thick basses wrestled into place between staunch fills. The man even stylishly samples an Apex Legend character known for dropping toxic gas on the aptly named ‘caustic’.
Each track is like it’s own canvas; unique and sits well alone, yet tastefully tied to all the rest. Tsuruda has yet again illustrated his mastery in diverse, meticulously crafted bass music and we simply cannot get enough of it. Fubar has the character of a tastemaker, the innovation of a pioneer, and the execution of a perfectionist. His tunes have been rinsed by dons like Noisia and Ivy Lab for years. He makes the heaters Bassnectar fans don’t even know they like yet, paving the way for producers to stumble over each other trying to catch up. Tsuruda is slowly making the weird, normal, for all those that can hang. He’s dragging us across the floor with unapologetically rule-breaking, yet elegant sound design that gives distortion a whole new meaning. And he has some of the dopest merch & cover art to boot!
Don’t miss Fubar and be sure to check his tour poster to see if he’ll be coming to a city near you.
