Heard It Here First

Talented up-and-comer DeeZ has been perfecting his craft behind the scenes, resulting in a refreshing take on bass music that blends genres like classic dubstep, halftime, garage, and glitch-hop. With an unlimited range of styles, DeeZ is still able to tie everything back to a recognizable signature sound that has bass music enthusiasts on the edge of their seats. Last week, he put on a true clinic in sound design and genre-blending with the release of his eight-track, boundary-pushing Precursor EP, courtesy of the Street Ritual label.

Over the last couple of years, DeeZ has been quietly, yet consistently moving up the ranks in the underground bass world, releasing high-quality music while also putting on captivating live performances. He has played at popular festivals such as Sound Haven, The Untz Festival, Nocturnal Funktion, and Digital Gardens. He also has played shows alongside high-profile names in the underground bass community such as Supertask, VCTRE, Tripp St., Smigonaut, Keota, Reso, and many, many more. He also has collaborated with several other forward-thinking rising stars like Mickman, Shanghai Doom, Maxfield, Tsimba, Mindset, and the list goes on and on. Be sure to check out the unbelievably gas guest mix that he dropped on Heard It Here First towards the end of 2020!

The Precursor EP is one of the most complete, dynamic, and thought-provoking projects to drop in 2022 so far. The combination of his upbeat, west coast hip hop elements with the outer depths of bass, all while seamlessly transitioning from one genre to the next, paints a captivating picture in the minds of the listeners as they are transported through time and space. The intro track, “Rinse,” perfectly sets the tone for the journey that we are about to embark on, offering a fun, yet gritty glitch-hop intro. Having officially blasted off, DeeZ starts the second track, “Still Spittin,” with a calm, texture-filled intro before smacking us in the face with a filthy, bass-heavy drop that’s complimented by savage vocal samples. This one is just plain rude.

Moving into the third track, “Satellite”, DeeZ switches things up with a blissful, melodic banger that sends listeners into a free fall. Time and space seem to rapidly speed past us as we are now floating. This transitions beautifully into the fourth track, “Ender”, which begins with yet another atmospheric intro before picking up intensity. DeeZ is truly brilliant in the way he allows his audience to catch their breath before jumping right back into a signature upbeat heater, resulting in everyone getting out of their seats once again. Staying in key, the transition from “Ender” to the fifth track “Space Cadet” is once again seamless, providing listeners with a more funky variation that will keep your head bobbing to the very end.

DeeZ then slows it down again for the next track “Too Hot”, which is quite the appropriate name. You could make the argument that this track is the angrier sibling of “Still Spittin”, sucker-punching our entire existence while still hanging onto the pleasing jazzy elements in the background. If “Still Spittin” is rude, “Too Hot” is just straight MEAN. It is quite literally “too hot to handle,” as the vocal sample suggests.

The conclusion of our journey is on the horizon as we move into the seventh track, “Born”. I really like how DeeZ essentially reincarnates himself after going from a smack-you-in-the-face heater to a more calm and melodic landing pad, combining styles of deep dubstep and UK garage. This sets us up for the closing, final track, “Later”, leaving us with the message that this isn’t goodbye, but rather see you next time. A truly beautiful ending to this nearly thirty-minute interstellar rollercoaster. Be sure to keep an eye on DeeZ moving forward, we can’t wait to hear what’s next from this rising star.

What did you think of the new Precursor EP from DeeZ? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

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