Los Angeles – Two of the most rivetng figures in the L.A. underground – hardcore hooligan BASECK and Evar Records boss AURA T-09 – channel the chaotic and beautiful energy of heaving warehouses, sweaty summer all-nighters, and cruising desolate industrial wastelands in search of a rave high on their latest EP for EVAR Records.
Longtime collaborators and mutual muses, Cali natives and veteran renegade ravers, Aura and Baseck are uniquely poised to tap into the light and dark spirits of the City of Angels… and they do with this absolutely riveting Bladerunner-level trilogy of epic heaters. “West Coast”’s suite combines all of Marci and Derrick’s shared influences and all the tools in their arsenal into one master opus – jungle breaks, hyperspeed electro, spiralling acid trance lines, punchy analog drums, movie-level sound design, and Aura’s addictive vocals: chopped-up, soaring, reverbed to a haunted degree.
“West Coast (Electro Mix)” sets the stage for the speaker freakers with a spooky G-funk keyboard squeal atop a dark cinematic bed – Death Row Records meets Terminator – before launching into 158bpm electro beats shot through with breakbeat chops, cyber-sexual chaos, and a heady dose of incredible panning tricks that airdrops you straight into the warehouse. An absolute movie at 4:37 minutes – a breathless hyperspeed trip that will leave you craving the next pill.
The Trance Mix taps into Aura’s love of angelic melodies and dynamic contrast turning the gangster melodic hook into a shimmering pad that lures you into the clouds before a throbbing 160bpm gabber kickdrum pummels you back down into the earth. A 6-minute rollercoaster ride of velocity shifts and galloping hard acid suited for marathon Full Moon desert parties and other rave rituals.
Tapping into the West Coast’s unsung jungle/drum ‘n’ bass history, the “West Coast (Jungle Mix)” hits harder than R.A.W. on 4 turntables, a nasty mid-’90s style amen rinse-out highlighting Baseck’s absolute genius at chopping breaks while Aura invokes classic Goldie productions with her sultry diva-isms. This one compresses the spirit of a hundred ’90s rave renegades and a thousand different records into just under 4 minutes – a true love letter to the Los Angeles underground past, present, and future.
