Two young Chicagoans who go by the name of Solstis have been steadily disrupting the dance music scene with their uniquely rich brand of melodic bass, and I'm here for it. The duo make a grand departure from the unapologetically feelsy tones that ushered them into notoriety on their latest single "Open Your Eyes." It's the heaviest record to date in the Solstis catalogue, and it arrives with undeniable gusto. Just look at the waveform on SoundCloud and you can see just how relentless this track is without even playing it. But you definitely should, because it absolutely slaps.
Solstis first made their sound known in a big way through winning Electric Forest's 2015 Discovery Project (c/o Insomniac) for their original track "Forever In Silence." Releases on tastemaking channels MrSuicideSheep and Trap Nation raised the duo's profile, and they've been on an upward trajectory ever since. Melodic bass is a sub-genre I've been dying to see brought back into the forefront since the spotlight was somewhat taken by its lighthearted, synthier cousin future bass in 2017. With equal parts heavy, head-nodding bassline and soul-stirring melody at the forefront of tracks like the viral hit "Echoes," Solstis could be the one. A darkly heavy cut like "Open Your Eyes" can be the special sauce in a mostly anthemic melodic set – just ask Porter Robinson about his "Fresh Static Snow" (Live Edit). The parallels between the two tracks are notable. I look forward to catching what magic this pair can create live with their increasingly diverse arsenal of tunes.
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