Trap and Bass Essentials Vol. 17 featuring So Dope, F.O.O.L & more

Back with our seventeenth edition of Trap and Bass Essentials, We Rave You is excited to feature world-class artists absolutely dominating the electronic music scene. Inviting no other than So Dope, F.O.O.L, Waveshaper, Maddy O’Neal, Hidden Axis, and Medyk, be sure to update your playlists with these innovative and high-energy singles below. 

The trap and bass scene has definitely been on fire recently and what better way to celebrate this than to highlight a few artists absolutely riding their own waves in the music scene? Back with our seventeenth edition of Trap and Bass Essentials, We Rave You is featuring world-class artists So Dope, F.O.O.L, Waveshaper, Maddy O’Neal, Hidden Axis, and Medyk.

So Dope – “Ruckus”

Stemming off an emotionally driven EP, “Alone in My Dreams,” and a collaboration with mysterious Lo-fi icon, Shiloh Dynasty, So Dope is creating a new space
for himself with his latest single, “Ruckus.” To date, So Dope has proven to create tracks that vary in style from soulful R&B, to hard-hitting trap songs, all while catching the eyes and ears of Alison Wonderland, Zeds Dead, Steve Aoki, Memba, NGHTMRE & SLANDER and DIPLO. The genre-less talent is now focused on his dark side era. Self-releasing on his own label, JustUs, So Dope takes us on a energetic ride with his latest single.

“In my last EP, I gave people a piece of my heart while still making music that you can dance to. Throughout those tracks, I wanted to tell my journey as an artist thus far. With Ruckus, my intentions were to create something that could hold up at a festival or rave with a head- nod to OG trap, Drum and bass and Reggae. My goal is to always create art that makes you feel something.”

Always staying true to his musically diverse roots, So Dope doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

F.O.O.L &  Waveshaper  – “Encounter”

There is nothing more thrilling than two musical masterminds uniting to create something special. This is exactly what F.O.O.L and Waveshaper – two of the leading pioneers in electronic and wave – have done in their new electrifying single, “Encounter”. This is the optimal track to be paired with the reveal of F.O.O.L’s inaugural album MACHINE, arriving on Friday, November 10th.

Kicking off with a hypnotic synth progression, “Encounter” ascends into a riveting bassline that will lock in its audience for the remainder of the song. This bassline is riddled with interstellar effects and crisp percussion, transforming into different phases of mood and energy throughout. F.O.O.L and Waveshaper forge a gripping voyage in “Encounter”, meticulously weaving spellbinding buildups, breaks, and emphatic drops into one another. As F.O.O.L  shares:

“I discovered Waveshaper back in 2015 after finding his album ‘Exploration 84’ on Spotify, and I have been a fan of his music ever since. His diverse productions of the synthwave genre inspired me to create more of it, so he’s played a big role in me getting back into producing more synth-like stuff again. In ‘Encounter’, we gave our all to tell a captivating story through sound.”

Maddy O’Neal – “Mind Over Matter”EP

Denver-based, electro-soul maven Maddy O’Neal is in full control over her artistry, freeing herself from any previous expectations and ascending even further up the bass music hierarchy. Following a massive 2022 that saw Maddy O’Neal release her acclaimed sophomore album Ricochet, the producer is keeping the momentum going with her new EP Mind Over Matter – a 4-track package whose malleable, eclectic presentations reflect the project’s central narrative of taking control over your own reality. Vibrant, diverse, and brimming with collaborations alongside other inventive artists, Mind Over Matter retains O’Neal’s signature feel-good bass style as it expands her sonic purview and showcases her ability to excel in any sound she chooses.

Maddy O’Neal unveils the full Mind Over Matter EP, featuring the single “Wide Awake.” A collaboration with singer-songwriter Torii Wolf, “Wide Awake” is a genre-blending masterclass, smoothly oscillating between hard-trap and bass music while wrapping itself in a lush, grandiose presentation. The track kicks off with an epic, heart-thumping horn section before bringing into stuttering, industrial drum percussion. A slew of breakbeats then build up towards the track’s tectonic drop, which combines trunk-rattling 808s, dubstep wubs, and infectious melodies for a thunderous section of electronic music bliss. Next, Torii Wolf begins their verse, elevating the track into a heavenly atmosphere with their angelic vocal delivery and transcendental lyrics. Lavish, impactful, and filled to the brim with immaculate sonic details, “Wide Awake” is an illuminating display of a producer at the peak of her powers – and a perfect representation of Mind Over Matters’s free-flowing, liberatory journey.

Hidden Axis & Medyk – “Matrix” 

There are those who simply release songs, and then there are those, like Hidden Axis and Medyk, who reveal universes. “Matrix”, is a melodic bass experience that strikes the chords of profound and emotional resonance. “Matrix”, their latest joint venture, is more than just a track – it’s an emotional odyssey. Taking cues from the eponymous movie, the song encapsulates the trials of a sensitive overthinker, trying to navigate an alternate reality of her own creation, a personal ‘Matrix’. This reality, often skewed towards the melancholic, reflects the perils of wearing one’s heart on the sleeve, of being “too much.”

Both artists, with their unique backgrounds and undeniable talent, have crafted “Matrix” as a homage to everyone who’s ever felt the overwhelming sensations of sensitivity and overthinking. This release is not just a song, but a resonant message that tells its listeners, “You are not alone.”

Photo Credits: Aurelia