Subtronics Ushers in a New Era in Latest Album, ‘TESSERACT’

Diving into euphoric sounds with the production of the future, Subtronics’ new album, TESSERACT, sets the tone for what’s next in electronic music.

Today is a day of celebration for all bass heads around the globe: the much-anticipated album TESSERACT from Philadelphia producer Subtronics has finally hit all platforms. Given he has a following that has grown by the millions over the past few years — as well as multiple other successful releases like his debut album Fractals — this sequel album has caused a stir in the bass community since its announcement earlier this month.

Subtronics’ sophomore album dives into multiple dimensions outside the classic heavy dubstep sphere, catapulting the fanbase into a whole new world of his production style and evolved sound design. Most will not expect the twists and turns on this genre-bending album. The range, functionality, and seamless execution of each track defy the laws of physics. TESSERACT definitely lives up to its name.

Listen to TESSERACT on Spotify or your favorite platform, grab tickets to the conjoined tour, and read on for a deeper dive into the album!

Stream Subtronics – TESSERACT on Spotify:

TESSERACT begins with “Cottage Gore,” which exudes Subtronics’ signature sound.

The creeping intro features an eerie music box melody that builds into a classic heavy, grimy journey. What starts as a seemingly innocent world turns into a wall-to-wall dubstep environment, setting the tone for the world build of TESSERACT. The second tune, “Only Star You See,” featuring Caitlyn Scarlett, stopped me in my tracks, as I did not expect a vibe of drum and bass to be featured in this one. The gorgeous vocals pump up the listener into a smooth yet high-energy rollout that dives into Subtronics’ new genre-bending element. It was a pleasant surprise that it was executed professionally versus just being an experiment of a song.

“Amnesia” depicts an elevated version of a classic Subtronics tune, featuring a completely unserious sample that transforms into a maxed-out dubstep tune. The soundscape quickly builds up into something familiar with updated sound design, complete with the meme-ified sample – and despite having a silly sample, this one still carries a massive amount of depth within the sound design.

“Afternoon Coffee” is another dive into a new era of the artist, featuring the rising appearance of UK rap in the US by rapper Ronzo. What starts as a smooth hip-hop beat with a piano riff is paired with ear-catching lyricism and dignified wubs. This track was a personal standout on the album as it blends hip-hop with more experimental styles of electronic music. Similarly, “Parabola Paradox,” featuring Kwengface, delivers a more intense vibe, highlighting the aspects of UK grime and flipping it into a dubstep ride. The high-energy feeling and heavy rap element that Subtronics put into the limelight is something I’ve not seen often outside of UK producers.

“Alien Communication” dives into the more spiritual and cosmic elements of the album’s message. The tune features lots of sound design and mysterious vocals, as well as exemplary build-ups that feel like sounds inspired by futuristic styles, with a pumped-up bassline. Meanwhile, one of the most anticipated tracks on the album, “Asteroid,” featuring a collaboration from Excision, highlights when two great minds come together within the dubstep realm – just pure, heavy, grimy madness.

One of the most mysterious tunes on the album, “Dreams (Plasma Reflex),” features anonymous artist Crooked Bangs. It dives into the new era of Subtronics’ plays with house music. Despite being unfamiliar territory, the tune still honors Subtronics’ message of diving into different dimensions and building worlds through sounds.

Another haunting melody arrives with “Insidious,” which sees Subtronics tap in renowned vocalist Grabbitz. The tune is just as creepy as it is beautiful – a slow build-up into a powerful punch-out drop, still honoring the smooth vocals. This tune stands out on the album, combining minimal, echoing vocal sampling and an undeniable snare effect that blows through the roof.

Previously released single “Mind Pluck” offers a blend of different frequency modulations as HOL! joins in on the fun. Then, Subtronics’ second single with Rezz, “Black Ice,” showcases both artists’ powerful production prowess with experimental sounds that lead into a sickening house-filled groove. The penultimate track, “Omnidirectional,” is a song that lives up to its name. There are multiple journies this one encapsulates, from heavy riddim to breakcore to deep dubstep, for an intense yet well-detailed soundscape.

The closing tune, “Buried Alive,” brings Jem Cooke into the mix and tugs at the heartstrings with the gentle intro and intimate vocal styles, launching into a sensual breaks style, completely outside of the normal Subtronics zone. This track surprised me the most, becoming the unsung hero of my selection. It’s heartbreaking, ethereal, and also extremely heavy and energy-packed. This new era of deep house/breaks blends/minimal bass matched with the classic speaker-breaking dubstep we know and love is an ode to the boundary-breaking world electronic music can become.

Subtronics – Tesseract – Tracklist:

Cottage Gore

Only Star You See (feat. Caitlyn Scarlett)

Amnesia

Afternoon Coffee (Slide) (feat. Ronzo)

Parabola Paradox (Slap It) (feat. Kwengface)

Alien Communication

Asteroid (feat. Excision)

Interface Wheel

Dreams (Plasma Reflex) (feat. Crooked Bangs)

Reality Distortion

Insidious (feat.Grabbitz)

Quantum Queso

Mind Pluck (feat. HOL!)

Black Ice (feat. Rezz)

Omnidirectional

Buried Alive (feat. Jem Cooke)

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