Houston-based producer Calcium has every bass lover on the edge of their seat with the four-track Degrader EP, out now on Bassrush Records.
The first time you listen to a track from Calcium, there’s no doubt that you’ll be blown away by the no-holds-barred mentality he brings to the riddim scene. His presence for the past few years has been a whirlwind of sending out heaters, including his fan-favorite Skull Vault EP that featured heavy tunes like “Crusher,” as well as collaborations with others like PEEKABOO, Dion Timmer, and Kayzo. His signature sound of ground-shaking bass levels and clever sound design methods that add flair to each tune has made him a festival staple, including an appearance on Excision‘s current run of shows.
Now, Calcium is breaking into 2022 with his debut on Bassrush Records by releasing the Degrader EP – a four-track collection that showcases a blend of his signature sound with new-school elements added into the mix. If you’re looking for some new tunes that have a fresh take on modern bass music, this EP is for you.
From start to finish, there is a sense of curation and individuality brought into the journey of the Degrader EP with plenty of bone-crushing bass and a touch of melodic, genre-bending elements. Speaking about the release, Calcium said “the whole idea of this EP was to kind of go back to my roots with each song… but at the same time, mashing together new Calcium sounds with vibes that are deeper and darker than I normally go.”
“Breach” kicks off the EP with quite the cinematic entrance. Calcium layers in head-bopping melodic synths with an ominous feel over a grinding bassline that will have you gasping for air. The title track, “Degrader,” comes in strong with an eerie intro, that drops straight into a drop with a wall-to-wall sound design that’s stunning. “Warp” is a standout track on the EP. This one has an alluring sense of production value that shows off some of his hip-hop influence in the intro before hyping up the energy with different textures of bass samples and clever rhythmic elements in a swing-time fashion.
Wrapping up the collection is the tune “Trigger Happy,” which leaves no room for empty space as this one reaches the absolute maximum of what Calcium’s potential as a producer is. Creating a blend that pairs heavy dubstep flair with vocal twists on top of soaring and diving frequencies, this track is fit for a sound system.
With quite the delivery of four innovative tracks on an iconic label, Calcium’s presence in the scene brings a fresh new outlook of carefully curated production that makes his sound stand out for years to come. Listen to the Degrader EP on Spotify or your favorite platform, and let us know your favorite track in the comments!
Stream Calcium – Degrader EP on Spotify:
Calcium – Degrader EP – Tracklist:
- Breach
- Degrader
- Wrap
- Trigger Happy
Follow Calcium on Social Media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud
