My Spotify Wrapped: explained

or, Trying To Get You Into Dubstep Maybe

//intro//

Once upon a time, in 2010, on the SparkNotes “SparkLife” website, there was a regular poster called Metalhead865 who managed to land a bit of an audience writing about bands he liked. They were basically all Jesus bands, but he was in high school, it was his thing at the time. He had a regular feature called “the Hit List” where he'd spotlight five of his favorite songs from an underappreciated band, and it got a little bit of attention.

Fast forward to now: that poster has been reborn nearly 15 years later as a sapphic AMAB nonbinary dumbass who's trying to make themselves known on Substack. (My life is weird as hell.)

My tastes have changed, but my love for music that people never recognize when I mention it is the same, so I'm gonna go through the top artists and songs on my Spotify Wrapped this year and hopefully convince you to listen to them.

Here's the image. I'm gonna do a little something about each one in descending order.

//artists//

05: Zomboy.

Who? Josh Mellody (what a great name) is a classically trained musician who just happens to prefer making dubstep, and I've been a huge fan of his ever since getting into EDM in high school. Even his older stuff never really sounds dated, and he's kept that momentum going all the way up to now with his ear for mixing massive melodic hooks and brutal bass sound design.

Album to check out: The Outbreak

Songs to check out: “Terror Squad”, “Project Z”, “Lone Wolf”

04: Delta Heavy.

Who? More British EDM, but instead of headbanging dubstep, Ben Hall and Simon James specialize in pop-focused drum and bass for super late nights. They have a few albums and EPs under their belt, and they've brought some INCREDIBLE variety to the table, but it all comes back to those hooks. No matter the genre, they'll get stuck in your head.

Album to check out: No Gravity EP

Songs to check out: “Nocturnal (feat. Grafix)”, “Work It”, their remix of Bad Company UK’s “Dogs on the Moon”

03: Juelz.

Who? Julian Ching is young as hell, but he's already making a mark on the EDM and hip-hop worlds. His turbocharged sound design mixes in-your-face basses, infectious vocal samples, and a hefty dose of energy for good measure. Juelz is one of several artists proud to call Sable Valley Records home - a perfect place for further listening if you want to hear even more inventive bangers.

Album to check out: Floorspace

Songs to check out: “EGO! (TAKE IT BACK)”, “Defqon Bounce”, his remix of Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction”

02: Mr. Bill.

Who? Bill Day is a musical genius, but he doesn't seem to care. Under the name Mr. Bill, he's graced us with plenty of original music and collaborations that put a complex spin on what you'd expect from dance and bass subgenres, as well as years of music tutorials to help new producers learn how to design sounds. And the original score for the Nicolas Cage horror comedy Mom and Dad. Dude's busy, but he stays humble, and I love him for that.

Album to check out: Mechanomorphic

Songs to check out: “Useless & Nasty (feat. kLL sMTH)”, “Sad Pro”, “Roughhousin’ (with Esseks)”

01: Noisia.

Who? What do I even say about Noisia? How Nik Roos, Thijs de Vlieger, and Martijn van Sonderen are three of the most unhinged and overpoweringly talented sound designers out there? How they've been ahead of every heavy electronic music curve since their formation? How I almost cried when they split up, but was so relieved to learn that the three members formed several of their own projects (Sleepnet, Thys, and Zonderling, for example) and continue to make insanely creative music? If you crave weird noises you can still dance to, Noisia will not disappoint.

Album to check out: Outer Edges

Songs to check out: “Machine Gun”, “Dead Limit (w/ The Upbeats)”, “Stamp Out”

//songs//

05: Zomboy - “Lone Wolf”.

What? I tried my best not to list songs under the recommended ones for each artist that I would just repeat here, but for Zomboy I cannot help but gush about “Lone Wolf” - it's just so god damn GOOD. The bass hits are dirty and melodic in a way I've never really heard before or since, and the pacing and structure gives it a fun cinematic energy. I don't know if this song will convert non-dubstep listeners, but if you love it, it's a perfect gateway drug.

04: Ocean Grove - “MY DISASTER”.

What? I'm genuinely shocked OG didn't make it onto more of my list this year. They're a bunch of Australian weirdos who make a heavy yet fun take on nu metal, completely free of irony. “MY DISASTER” is only my second favorite from their new album ODDWORLD (behind the absolute masterpiece “CELL DIVISION”), but it's still a perfect blend of everything I love about OG - snarky yet sincere vocals, crushing guitar riffs, and so many hooks.

03: Excision & Juelz - “JUMP OUT”.

What? I never expected Canadian dubstep heavyweight Excision to end up releasing a collaboration with Juelz, let alone one of my favorite tracks of the year, but it works SO well. It mixes that staple Juelz energy and production style with an ear for sheer bass brutality, and it's all over in just over two minutes. Every minute of this thing is a thrill ride and the final drop cranks up the noise and just SMACKS you in the face. It's fucking brilliant.

02: Mr. Bill - “Pleasure Seeker VIP”.

What? For non-EDM fans, a “VIP” is just a remix of your own track. The original “Pleasure Seeker” off Bill’s excellent Phantasmagoria album is a chill and atmospheric dubstep groove with an infectious lead melody. This version keeps the melody and throws out the chill, replacing it with pure energy and amped-up club-focused fun without overstaying its welcome. Listening to the original and the VIP back to back is a perfect way to understand Bill’s range as a musician.

01: Delta Heavy - “No Gravity”.

What? We've been over why I love Delta Heavy, and this is all of those reasons in a single song. There's that incredible synth melody. There's a noisy but never off-putting bass drop that flips into pure melody the second time. There's a brilliantly mixed-in vocal sample. Most of all, I love that it's got pop songwriting chops and production, but still manages to feel exactly like its title and lyrics - this song feels like being loved so hard you fly straight up into outer space to explore new worlds. It's so hard to put down.

//ending//

So that's the list! I'm hoping it gets at least one of you listening to something new. Clearly I lean pretty hard towards EDM, but I want to keep writing about music I like, so let me know what else you wanna see.

Thanks for reading. Stay saucy, babes.