Heard It Here First

In one of the most anticipated dubstep collaborations of the year, Zeds Dead and GRiZ bring the good, the bad, and the ugly to life in “Ecstasy of Soul”, released through Zeds Dead’s label, Deadbeats.

“What is something people are not ready to hear?” quickly became one of the most identifiable phrases in the festival scene this past year, despite being the pre-drop vocal of an unreleased ID. To close out an abundant 2022 marked by successful releases and touring, Zeds Dead and GRiZ pull themselves up by their bootstraps to finally give fans the collaboration they have been relentlessly requesting. The wild-west-themed banger was initially created for the first ever Zeds Dead b2b GRiZ set at Goldrush Festival in Phoenix, AZ last fall. Since its debut, this crowd-pleaser has had a chokehold on the live dubstep community and has evolved into Zeds Dead’s fifth official release of 2022, titled “Ecstasy of Soul”.

Just this year, Zeds Dead has released several timeless singles through their iconic Deadbeats label and through their sublabel, Altered States. Showcasing their unwavering versatility, the duo actively displayed their ambient, downtempo techniques in tracks like “In My Head” and “I Took A Ride”, while paying homage to their bass-heavy roots in bangers like “The Machines” with collaborator, Blanke. Zeds Dead’s 2022 Deadbeats tour has brought their sonic masterpieces to life on stages at The Brooklyn Mirage, Mission Ballroom, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Echostage, and beyond, even touching ground in London and Toronto. This impressive run has given a platform to dubstep heavyweights like A Hundred Drums, SuperAve, sfam, HEYZ, NotLö, Floret Loret, Chee, and tons of other top-tier on the rise talent.

Our favorite saxophone-wielding bass wizard, GRiZ, has also had a prosperous year, amidst the releases of his tranquilizing Chasing the Golden Hour, Pt. 4 album, and gritty Bangers[7].Zip EP. Magnifying his melodious side, GRiZ offers soothing, synth-heavy tunes with funk-infused choruses in tracks like “Your Light” and “Airplane Mode” featuring Chrishira Perrier and ProbCause in CTGH4. In contrast, his Bangers[7].Zip installation and 2022 features alongside CloZee, Big Gigantic, LSDREAM, and TVBOO demonstrate just the opposite. Dubstep-dominated heaters like “FUNKONAUT”, “MEGAZORD”, and “Open Your Mind” fueled GRiZ’s headline sets and reinstilled his signature sub-smashing sound that we keep coming back for.

The ever-growing demand for GRiZ’s sold-out, multi-day curated events like GRiZMAS, Another World, Triple Rainbow, and Space Camp has allowed the producer to spread the wealth beyond the music and into his community. This December, his 12 Days of GRiZMAS charitable event series fundraised $200,000 for music education in Detroit. As an added treat for fans, he also upgraded his stage design and audiovisual set into a more immersive experience, which he debuted at Triple Rainbow. There’s nothing better than showing love, spreading love, and getting funky to GRiZ in the name of charity!

Today, Zeds Dead and GRiZ join forces for “Ecstasy of Soul”, a supercharged dubstep anthem that samples the renowned theme song from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Opening with an instrumental-guided introduction, operatic female vocals elegantly ride a synth wave into a slow-building, snare-saturated crescendo. The iconic line in question, “what is something people are not ready to hear?” is proposed, followed by an unmistakable reply, “GRiZ, yeah, Zeds Dead!”

The floodgates burst open, as the dubstep dons unleash a swarm of bass insanity. Zeds Dead wreaks havoc on the drums while GRiZ mans the laser beam FX. Spiraling synths and menacing bass send the listener through space and time, all while the kicks maintain a steady tempo that conducts this headbanger’s symphony. “Ecstasy of Soul” is a profound collaboration in which you can distinctively hear the unique twists and turns that both producers embed into the track. The second verse of amped-up intergalactic bass converges the wild west into the cosmos, as our space cowboys guide us with their futuristic dubs and chopped, oscillating synths.

Here is what Zeds Dead had to say about “Ecstasy of Soul”:

“We were doing a big back to back set in Arizona and wanted to create something super epic for the intro. We tossed around a few ideas and finally decided to try something with a version of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme. Something about the wild west and the new frontier seemed to be calling our name. GRiZ is the best and this was a lot of fun to work on, it brought us back to our old remixing days. We’ve been playing it at every show since and it’s gotten the most insane reactions. Stoked to finally put it out!” – Zeds Dead

“Ecstasy of Soul”  is the grand finale of 2022 dubstep and exemplifies peak production skills orchestrated by two of the most legendary, inspiring producers in bass music. Fans from all ends of the electronic music spectrum can get down to this epic tune, and we are so lucky to finally be able to add it to our libraries. If you haven’t gotten to hear “Ecstasy of Soul” live yet, you can still catch Zeds Dead b2b GRiZ at HiJinx Festival in Philadelphia, PA on December 29! 

Be sure to stream “Ecstasy of Soul” below and share your thoughts on this masterpiece in the comments!

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