Bassrush

With the imminent release of his apocalyptic Z3R0 H0U2 album on Black Sun Empire’s Blackout imprint, the one and only Gridlok delivers a political manifesto in the form of an aural missive from outer space. Tech-driven funk and dirty grooves reign supreme on this killer project that features collaborations with heavyweights like Optiv, Mindscape, BTK, Hive, AK1200, and the label bosses themselves, Black Sun Empire.

Having called Amsterdam home for the past year and a half, the San Francisco native continues to lead the charge for the North American drum & bass massive while also expanding his influence and sound at the global, if not intergalactic, level. His first album project since 2013’s collaborative Project Trendkill LP with Prolix, the album also marks his first solo outing since Void in 2009. It’s a welcome return to the long-form as his ever-evolving sound continues to serve as an outlet for his restless energy and apocalyptic vision of the state of the world that lends itself to cinematic narrative form.

For a sense of the kind of funky tech-tinged soundscapes the San Francisco native is preparing to unleash on the album, check the sick hypnotism that “Vault Dweller” brings below. From the dizzying swirl of analog atmospheres sure to sweep you into the vortex on through to the percussive pressure that keeps things bubbling aggressively throughout, you can definitely feel the pulse of the BSE crew in the tune’s DNA as an extra-terrestrial aura seems to hover and haunt the edges throughout.

The full album drops May 26 on Blackout so prep your bugout bag now as this alien beast is set to take no prisoners.