Heard It Here First

At Heard It Here First, we’re always on a mission to bring you the freshest sounds from up-and-coming artists that should be on your radar. The good folks over at Para Presents have done just that with their second compilation release, Paranormal Sounds Vol. 2.

Operating out of Washington, D.C., Para Presents has been known for throwing some of the most well-curated events in the region in collaboration with The Gradient Perspective and Closed Sessions. Over the last year, they have brought in names like Caspa, Hamdi, Resonant Language, Khiva, Thought Process, The Glitch Mob, Minnesota and many more to venues in D.C., Baltimore and Richmond. They even hosted their own takeover at Elements Music & Arts Festival for the second consecutive year.

Para Presents is also a music label, highlighting some of the area’s top talent as well as sounds and styles that are trending upwards. Their first compilation, Paranormal Sounds Vol. 1, released on Halloween 2022 and featured 12 tracks that covered the diverse spectrum of bass music.

Paranormal Sounds Vol. 2 offers something a little different with six tracks that explore the elements of breakbeat-focused bass and club music. Each artist brought their own styles to the overall theme of this compilation. For all of the DJs out there, Para Presents has graciously made each track a free download on SoundCloud!

To kick things off, we have one of our favorite up-and-comers Lavier and his warehouse heater “Shame”. The HIHF guest mix alum brings an energizing flow with powerful kicks and bass that will have you constantly moving from the start. Brooklyn-based Mikayli keeps the energy up with “Disintegrate”, an addicting drum and bass track that features the catchy vocals of Charmae. For those that were at Submersion Festival in October, you may remember seeing Mikayli perform an incredible, last-second b3b at the Woods Stage with Tunic and Krook

Next up is Nic Baker—the Philadelphia-based project comprised of Vide and Inspect3r—and their hit “Don’t Touch The Mic”. I love the vocal samples and bass line movement in this one. These guys have been crushing it in their respective lanes and their Nic Baker project is no different, having just played a show with Lab Group and Skeler in Chicago right before 2023 concluded. If you’re in the Baltimore area this week, they will be playing an open-to-close set at The Rockwell on Thursday, January 11.

Kicking off the second half of the compilation is an entrancing collab from London-based KABLE and Texas-based Packet Loss. “Twisted Basslines” is the perfect blend of chill and heavy. I need to hear this one on a proper sound system ASAP. This sets us up for “Grind”, an insane banger from Washington, D.C.-based Shreztah. The versatile artist makes his second appearance on the Paranormal Sounds compilation series. His ability to blend old-school breaks, jungle, techno, and low-frequency bass is mesmerizing and makes him a great fit for this particular compilation.

Rounding out Paranormal Sounds Vol. 2 is Baltimore-based Yert and his track “Ruse”. A true champion of sound system music, Yert leaves us with a track that will have you floating. The angelic vocal samples and hi-hat flow work so well in this track, carrying us off as we come to the end of our journey.

Overall, this is a very entertaining compilation from beginning to end. Para Presents did a great job at providing something new and original, while also allowing these artists to fully express themselves. Give these artists a follow and make sure you’re staying up-to-date with all of the exciting announcements coming from Para Presents.

What did you think of Paranormal Sounds Vol. 2? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

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