With DEF CON 23 winding down in Las Vegas, Nevada, we present our selections from the official soundtrack to the world’s oldest and largest hacking festival. 18 tracks were compiled by the righteous folks at Gravitas Recordings in honor of DEF CON 23, and their mission to preserve internet freedom. We’ve chosen seven juicy cuts from the compilation which resonate most with us, but you can listen to the entire soundtrack here at GravitasRecordings.com.
All 18 tracks are available for name-your-price purchase with 100% of the profits going to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a 501© not-for profit dedicated to protecting freedom and privacy on the internet.
Mechanical Pressure & Cara Leigh – Inception
When viewing the entire soundtrack as a whole, it’s easy to see why “Inception” is the first track. Beginning with a chillingly dissonant piano melody, the entrance of a dark churning bassline captivates the listener and brings the track to life. Layered with the beautiful vocals of Waterloo’s one and only Cara Leigh, “Inception” is an ethereal venture beneath the depths of one’s consciousness, setting the mood for the entire compilation.
Liquid Stranger – Play (ft. Jazzmin)
Time and time again I’m blown with the sheer range of emotions Martin Staaf (aka Liquid Stranger) is capable of instilling upon his audience. From the grittiest uptempo dubstep, to the smoothest downtempo reggae (and literally everything in-between), the weather Swedish producer has proven capable of setting moods before most of us were even born. “Play” certainly displays the softer side of Martin’s music, showcasing swingy tribal percussion, atmospheric brass, and deep, mesmerizing vocals from Jazzmin. These elements, combined with enticing Rasta vocals, ensure that “Play” secures a slot in our list.
AMB – 333 226
Since his arrival on the scene 4 years, AMB has making great strides to advance a subsection of bass music he refers to as AMBstep. “333 266,” which combines dreamy atmospheric soundscapes with a simple yet energetic beat is indeed a perfect rendition between ambient and dubstep. While an all around relaxing track to listen to, the cut possesses an unmistakable groove that entices extremity movement regardless of present mood and it’s this careful management of energy that solidifies the song as one of our favorites.
Morillo – Elephant
Los Angeles based producer Morillo has been all over the place lately and we absolutely love it. From bone-chilling “R&Bass” slow jams to eerie psy-dub bangers, the eastern influenced music of Zach Morillo makes a statement in whatever direction it takes. “Elephant,” an uniquely antiquated trap anthem full of pounding 808s, celestial bass stabs and Arabian synths is no different. Trust us, “Elephants” is a certified heater on this compilation that will make you feel like you’re throwing up trap hands alongside heady Egyptian pharaohs.
Zebbler Encanti Experience & LOEJ – G2G (ft. Stephen Webber)
If you’re unfamiliar with Zebbler Encanti, or his live shows aptly labeled as “experiences,” I regret to inform you that you’re missing out. A visual artist and jockey who has received professional acclaim for his work with EOTO and Shpongle, his own musical project (Zebbler Encanti Experience) has been making waves within the bass community for its use of syncopated visuals with brain-melting midtempo glitch. However, even without visuals, “G2G” is a force to be reckoned with. A raw, disjointed bassline is mashed with scratched psychedelic vocal stabs, which is somehow all kept in time beneath a broken-beat kick-snare pattern. A prime example of chaos in motion, Zebbler never seems to disappoint.
Ahab & Mars Pluto – Plastic Lion
This rapid and heavy cut absolutely mashes up the place on the heels of Zebbler. The words wet and thick immediately come to mind, and the track runs through two genres flawlessly; first a brutal, bastardized drum and bass then a hardy reggae swing, each saturated with bass. After the initial build, the hits keep coming without break or pause – a brutal low-end demolition designed perfectly for stadium speakers. A shock to the system to be sure, this powerful song is a weapon
Somatoast & Zonra – Occam’s Butterknife
The final cut off the official soundtrack to DEF CON 23 is “Occam’s Butterknife,” an incredible display of the “squishy” sub-genre of downtempo bass music that has gained prominence in recent years via artists such as Bogtrotter and Tipper. Pressing play doesn’t just place the listener at the beginning of a track, but rather at the start of an immersive sonic journey into the minds of the composers. Full of atmospheric tension, spatial disorientation, and fierce climax, “Occam’s Butterknife” recaps the compilation is just 5 short minutes. While I can only imagine as to the significance of the track’s title, the fewer assumptions I make the better.
The connection between internet freedom and electronic music is inherent. Much of the music presented in the Gravitas’ compilation exists in the underground, and any underground art or counter-cultural content which exists today depends on the freedom of the internet for strength and exposure. The internet allows for rapid file sharing which, although it often hurts the bottom line of artists, affords them a degree of exposure which they could not achieve in the corporate-controlled music industry.
Though exposure here equates to unlicensed reproduction of copyrighted works, the fact remains that the open internet has spawned dozens of careers and collaborations, especially in electronic music. Most importantly, the open internet makes the music fan’s experience more fruitful and immersive, allowing fans like you and I to find more music than one could listen to in an entire lifetime. By purchasing these tracks you’ll help preserve the freedom of the internet for our generation and others to follow.
Connect with Mechanical Pressure:
https://www.facebook.com/mechanicalpressure?fref=ts
https://soundcloud.com/mechanical-pressure
Connect with Liquid Stranger:
https://www.facebook.com/liquidstranger?fref=ts
http://liquidstranger.com
https://soundcloud.com/wakaan
Connect with AMB:
https://www.facebook.com/ambmusic?fref=ts
https://souncloud.com/amb
http://www.ambmusic.net
Connect with Morillo:
https://www.facebook.com/morillosound
https://soundcloud.com/morillomusic
Connect with Zebbler Encanti Experience:
https://soundcloud.com/zebblerencantiexperience
https://www.facebook.com/zebblerencantiexperience?fref=ts
http://www.zebblerencantiexperience.com/
Connect with Ahab:
https://www.facebook.com/AhabMusic
https://soundcloud.com/adam-jilek
Connect with Mars Pluto:
https://soundcloud.com/marspluto
https://www.facebook.com/iammarspluto?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
Connect with Somatoast:
https://www.facebook.com/somatoast
https://soundcloud.com/somatoast
http://www.somatoast.com/
Connect with Zonra:
https://www.facebook.com/zonrasounds
https://soundcloud.com/zonrasounds
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