Heard It Here First

One of the beauties of bass music is witnessing artists with unique talents combine their individual efforts together to form a duo. Notable two-headed units such as Shades, kLL Bill, Integrate, and Bricksquash have emerged as some of the best acts in the bass world. Black Carl! and Saka, two promising producers, have joined forces to introduce ‘Rush Hour‘  and just released their EP of the same name on Zeds Dead‘s Deadbeats. The pair have been throwing down sets together for the last two months as part of their Rush Hour Tour, with a handful of dates still to come as the year comes to an end.

Black Carl!, out of Birmingham, Alabama is having a red hot year. Carl is known for his heavy-hitting experimental arrangements and exuberant stage presence. He has built a one-of-a-kind catalog of raw music that annihilates sound systems. This year he performed at major festivals such as Okeechobee, Ubbi Dubbi, and Sonic Bloom.

Hong Kong-born, Los Angeles-based producer Saka is a rising superstar making waves with his intricate left-field sound design of diverse variations. 2022 has also been a massive year for Saka. He released his Anti-Hero EP earlier this year, off the Gud Vibrations label, which includes the speaker-rocking anthem, “Shaolin.” One of my favorite songs from this year, each time this tune was played out in a live setting the crowd reaction was absolute madness. Saka hit the stage at Ultra, Coachella, and Lightning in a Bottle, as well as massive tour stops across the states supporting heavyweights such as Subtronics, SLANDER, and Mersiv.

“Heaven on Earth” is an intoxicating house banger with ethereal vocals throughout to kick off the EP with a club vibe. The title track, “Rush Hour,” then changes up the experience opening with the sound of swords clashing before the chaos that is crunchy bass and blaring synths. The energy progresses with the next effort, “Brutal.” Carl and Saka link with Protial to unleash an absurdly hefty all-around heater. Last on the EP is “Red Dragon,” closing out the project in a heroic fashion. Imagine marching through the red dragon’s lair on this beastly track. The ominous sound design over a stomping rhythm makes this one an atmospheric monster.

Here’s what Black Carl! had to say about the new work:

 “When Eric and I first met, we joked that we should make a song called “Rush Hour.” Three years later we got to play the biggest tour of our careers, we’re putting out the Rush Hour EP on DeadBeats, and Zeds Dead played our title track at Red Rocks. It’s hard to believe, but we’re so thankful for the support of our fans, friends, and family who got us to this point.”

The release of the “Rush Hour” EP arrives as the two are nearing the end of their tour of the same name. The remaining dates for their tour include stops in Asheville, Mobile, Virginia Beach, Houston, and Columbus. For fans on the east coast, Black Carl! is doing a solo set at The Crown in Baltimore, Maryland this coming Friday. Check out the full EP linked below and let us know your thoughts on the project in the comments below or on our socials.

Support Black Carl! on socials: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify

Support Saka on socials: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify

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