It's Monday, and so time for a new BBB!
ENJOY 💙💙
—
NEWS
Trampa finally speaks on 2021 allegations
Last week, the Bass music world got a surprise bombshell update on one of its most talked-about cases of the last few years. Out of the blue, ex-producer and Never Say Die head honcho Skism took to social media to talk about the sexual assault allegations made against one of the Dubstep label’s predominant artists, Trampa, real name Rikki Moore. In the 2-part video, Skism - real name Tommy Petais - explained, with email / DM screenshots, that the person making the allegations against Moore continually requested to work with him “in the days, weeks, months, years after this alleged incident”. After detailing this, he said “you guys can make up your own minds about what you think that timeline looks like to you, or what you infer from that … but ultimately when something becomes a war of whose screenshot is better, I feel like it’s my duty as the owner of that digital property to at least tell you that they are absolutely genuine”.
Petais then confirmed what many Dubstep fans had heard since the news broke in 2021 - that fellow producers 12th Planet and Gammer were also involved in the incident. Whilst they chose to provide a statement about it, Moore decided not to. Petais said Moore's reasons for not posting “are very personal to him”. And for anyone that has questions about Moore posting his own statement: “that’s irrelevant, read between the lines and just see that this really affected him in a massive way”. He ended Part 1 by saying that Moore effectively “cancelled himself” by not giving any form of update post allegation. Behind the scenes, everyone was “satisfied” with Trampa’s explanation regarding what he’d been accused of.
In the second part of the video, Petais contextualised his own position within the allegations, as someone who toured with Trampa for several years, and was on his management team. Petais made clear that “if I had been presented with anything that would suggest that this [incident] happened, I would’ve condemned those actions and disowned Rikki as a friend of mine”. Petais then dispelled the myth that the case had anything to do with Never Say Die dissolving - “[Moore] wasn’t involved in the company … he wasn’t even signed exclusively”. He ended by saying “I’m not gonna be talking about this again, I don’t feel like I need to, I feel like I’ve said what I needed to say to get it off my chest”. Skism made this post “with Trampa’s blessing … to say what I need to say, for my own self, for whatever I’m doing”.
Part 1 link: https://www.instagram.com/skism_uk/reel/DWiGrsojffK/
Part 2 link: https://www.instagram.com/skism_uk/p/DWiGA1BmNka/
Then, 3 days later, Trampa himself posted on social media for the first time in almost 5 years. In his written post, Moore mirrored a lot of what Skism mentioned in his video, stating within that: ‘I want to be clear. I deny the allegation’. He admitted that he was ‘embarrassed that my silence has affected so many people and that someone felt like they had to address the situation for them to be able to move forward’. He then explained why he didn’t give a statement when the allegation was made, writing ‘I didn’t have the strength to fight publicly … it felt pointless to make a statement that might only draw even more attention to the situation’ in light of being removed from lineups, and his mental struggles from ‘years of constant travel, pressure and anxiety’. He went on to discuss the situation in the context of his family and friends, saying ‘I chose my family because I felt that my career was potentially already over’. He acknowledged the need to talk about the situation himself, saying ‘I don’t believe I can truly move forward without finally putting my perspective out there’. He ended the post by saying he doesn’t know if he’ll return to music yet, and thanked everyone for his support during his years as Trampa.
Post link: https://www.instagram.com/trampamusic/p/DWn9xS9CM5e/
I don’t want to make this post too much longer, but felt it necessary to give enough information surrounding a very important situation within the scene. At this point, I’ll pass it to you guys - what are you making of Trampa and Skism’s posts, and how has it left you feeling about the case generally? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section.
Deadmau5 roasts Svdden Death
If anyone was gonna spoil the fun, it would be Deadmau5. In the afterglow of his highly-praised ULTRA Music Festival debut as VOYD, Svdden Death posted a clip from the performance to Instagram in collaboration with ULTRA themselves. There was a wealth of varied takes on the clip - from ‘This set was crazy’ to ‘This is considered music??’ - but most notable of all was the top comment, from none other than EDM legend Deadmau5, who said ‘What a terrible day to have ears’. Subsequently, Mr. Danny Howland did the right and honourable thing and posted the interaction to X, resulting in one of the Bass scene’s most viral posts in recent memory.
Clip link: https://www.instagram.com/umftv/reel/DWZ38lWDSbq/
At the time of writing, the tweet stands at 31k likes, an unusually monstrous amount for anything shared in the Bass sphere. As one replier to Howland’s tweet aptly said, ‘honestly kinda gotta respect [Deadmau5’s] dedication to being a hater-ass-bitch’. There are some people whose negativity you accept and laugh with because it’s so much a part of who they are, that it doesn’t actually bite as much, and Deadmau5 is absolutely one of those individuals. Fellow producer RAVVA also left a reply, writing ‘I would wear this as a badge of honour. I would frame it and put it on my wall. Legitimately’, which says it all really. It’s seen as an achievement to have shared something so compelling - either good or bad - that Deadmau5 can’t resist giving his thoughts on it. Howland then played into the perceived hate with a follow-up tweet, saying ‘and let’s be real that song fuckin sucks lmao’. So now we all know what to think of that track and don’t have to do any mulling on it, which is great!
It’s always amazing seeing artists from completely different ends of the electronic music spectrum interacting online, and especially when there’s a bit of juice in it. This is absolutely one of the funniest interactions of the last few years, and I’m glad the Moose Man could see the humour in it. More please!
MUSIC
Debut Leotrix album
Yes! Fucking yes! In January, I predicted and hoped that we would be getting a debut, full-length album from the Australian Future Riddim maestro Leotrix, and per news that dropped last week, our prayers will be answered, and very soon I must add - this Friday!
Early last week, Leotrix shared a simple animation reel to Instagram that guided people to leotrix.com, where you could navigate a simple click-through game before a new page said 'MY DEBUT ALBUM COMING APRIL 10TH'. Then a day later, in collaboration with Slander and NGHTMRE's label Gud Vibrations, he shared a reel showcasing a moving version of the artwork for said LP, which will be titled PREDICTION AFFLICTION. So yes, it's actually happening!
Reel link: https://www.instagram.com/leotrixofficial/reel/DWm90Ahqi1B/
I absolutely cannot wait to check this album out, and will likely be doing so on Twitch Thursday night as I'm away on Friday. Virtual Riot and Leotrix albums in one stream? Why the hell not?
Virtual Riot shares tracklist and artwork for new album
We wondered whether there might be more collaborations once the full tracklist dropped, and our speculation was vindicated. Tokyo Machine, Said The Sky and Dodge & Fuski will be added to the already-stacked list of Eliminate, Viperactive and more to complete the 12-track album alongside a few new solo cuts from Mr. Riot. The German producer wrote in his announcement of these details that, as shown by the artwork, he actually 'lit [himself] on fire' for it - appropriate for a project called Burning Out, I think you'll agree. He also called it an 'intensive process', so I hope he's okay!
As mentioned above: hoping to check the new Virtual Riot and Leotrix albums in the same stream on Thursday. See you there!
Wavedash & Syzy ID
An ID I haven't heard yet, but which I have to shove in the direction of you all. This is a pretty logical linkup I think - two acts hailing from the Dubstep underground originally, who've risen to more mainstream recognition, and match gnarly sounds with Pop influence. This makes a lot of sense, and I'd love for you guys to check it out and let me know what you think of the combined sound, even though I've yet to lend it my ears. I look forward to this track's inevitable release!
ID clip: https://x.com/gurgx3/status/2040635321646493799?s=46&t=TEbbHyZ3OlICtgts4_3J0g
Chef Boyarbeatz to change name soon
It's always great to see a producer be so sure of what they want for themselves artistically, even if it means moving on from what you've built for over a decade. Dubstep producer / DJ Chef Boyarbeatz took to social media last Thursday to let fans and followers know that his current tour, 'The Last Recipe', is his 'final solo headline outing as Chef Boyarbeatz'. Directly after that he looked to the future, saying 'I'll be continuing music under a new project that will be revealed further down the road'. So thankfully there's some future joy to be had amidst the present sadness. He also acknowledged that he hasn't felt connected to the 'name or direction' of the project in a while, and that he's been pulled in a different direction 'for quite some time now'. And so it's out with the Chef and in with Chef 2.0, whatever that will be called!
Do you guys have a favourite Chef Boyarbeatz track? I think I'd have to go with June 2024's 'Fuck Off' - monster cut. Let me know your picks in the comments!
Emalkay's 'Fabrication' turns 15
We're in a year where a lot of legendary Dubstep tracks are turning 15, but few are more iconic than this absolute gem. In celebrating 'Fabrication', Emalkay wrote on Instagram that the tune was directly inspired by legendary London venue FABRIC, hence its title. He added that 'not a set has gone by when I've not played it since, the thing somehow still goes off!' (yeah bro no shit it's LEGENDARY) and rounded off the post by sharing an anecdote about Skrillex (pictured), which I'll leave to your discovery through the link below. Svdden Death, Nitepunk, Hamdi, Spag Heddy, The Others and more all bigging the tune up in the comments just says it all.
Post link: https://www.instagram.com/emalkayofficial/p/DWjfSBJDIzy/
Here I am, virtually clinking with you all to a song that helped shape the genre we all love today in a huge way. ALEXA, PLAY EMALKAY FABRICATION.
Big Bass releases of the week
As well as everything mentioned above, there are a few other notable releases to highlight from last week. Most interestingly on the projects front, perhaps, is the launch of Convexity's new jazz / Bass fusion label TELEFUZZ and its first compilation of the same name, featuring underground gems like euphee, Devath, REKON, lingoturbo and more. Flux Pavilion & Doctor P released the deluxe 'Ultimate Edition' of their 2025 self-titled album, consisting of a few originals on top of the original LP. EPs-wise, Kill The Noise and Bro Safari dropped their debut multi-track project as Kill Safari, and INFEKT put out his latest project on his very own Port Zero, titled ORGANIC DUBSTEP.
Singles-wise, let me point you in the direction of solo cuts from Caspa, Chime, MUZZ, WINK, MUERTE, COPYCATT and Saka; and collaborations from Of The Trees & LYNY and Jiqui & cozy kev. Happy listening! 💙
DISCUSSION
What was the best Bass album of 2025?
As I mentioned in my Extra Nawties March ’26 post mid-last week, the Yearly Favourites 2025 lists are nearing completion, and should be with you all soon. Of course, within that video series, I will be giving you my Top 15 Bass Albums of 2025, and that list in particular has had me thinking a lot about what the general consensus on this topic was. Which Bass LP did people broadly think was the best of last year? I don’t feel like I have any kind of solid intel on that - maybe you guys could help me?
SPOILER: I will not be including Skrillex’s F**K U SKRILLEX … or Space Laces’ Vaultage 004, which might be marketed as albums but, talking brass tax, these are glorified mixes more than anything right? Don’t get me wrong, they’re both bloody brilliant, but there aren’t any full tracks on show in either of those projects. It felt wrong including them when there were so many fully-fledged albums to choose from, and both would’ve placed very high on the list if included.
All of this to say I’m getting the discussion going pre-video by asking you all what your favourite Bass album of 2025 was - and please give some reasoning for your choice! Is it something conventionally Bass and quite popular, like the Pendulum, Zeds Dead or Modestep album? Or is it a project with a bit more Pop influence, like the Knock2, MPH or Fox Stevenson LP? Maybe it’s a collection less mainstream, like the LYNY, Control Freak or Skybreak, or something more enduring like the Billain, The Bug & Ghost Dubs or Opal Winds? Or possibly you’re counting the Ninajirachi and Jane Remover LPs as Bass? I wanna hear all your thoughts below please.
FUNNIES // COOL STUFF
Some FUS appreciation
1 year since the release of Skrillex's F**K U SKRILLEX ... ?? Are you mad?! I can't fathom that, but there were some cool things to come out of this anniversary. Firstly, an Australian collective called Cult Figure Club essentially turned all the snippets from the project into full tracks by blending the final FUS versions with leaked original ID versions. I've listened to a fair few of them, and whilst the production of course isn't really there, they do make for some decent concepts. It can be streamed on Bandcamp here: https://cultfigureclub.bandcamp.com/album/reimagining-fus-as-full-length-tracks-a-skrillex-fan-project
And on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXzRUJp6DtE
And to go with that, some recognition of the mixtape from none other than DJ Smokey, who played a big part in its formulation.
underscores = goated
Just a fantastic couplet of tweets, and made even better by the fact that the follow-up tweet got more likes than the first one.
Flux Pavilionspirational
It's always good hearing stories like this from people in your field that you look up to and aspire to be. What a journey he's been on.
Sounds good to me
You're going B2B with your mate and tell them which tracks to play, doing nothing else. How do you think that pitch goes down?
—
Did I miss anything from the last week in Bass music? Let me know below! 😌