As I was fiendishly scrolling through Twitter the other day, I saw a video from one of dubstep’s biggest artists, Subtronics, playing out an infectiously funky tune during his performance at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater. The song, which I quickly discovered was made by the man of the hour Cool Customer, had me bopping my head while laying in bed. I knew I had to check him out and listen to more; I was instantly hooked.
With only a cool 4 tracks on his discography, he has been quick to make an impression with some of bass music’s most predominant artists, such as LSDREAM, Peekaboo, and the aforementioned Subtronics. All of these artists had very high praise for the quality of production, creativity, and flow from Cool Customer.
His newest release and the track that got me hooked, In Your Face, which was recently released on Cyclops Records, has so much swagger in its production. The track is guaranteed to make you move. The track starts off with the basics of the beat, slowly teasing the synths which explode on the drop. The synths are simply funky AF. They are bright and full of personality while still maintaining some of the grittiness that bass music is known for. The track has the best flow I have heard in a tune in a while, one that will keep you constantly moving. The production is extremely clean and complex at the same time, the drop having so many flavors building on top of each other. The bridge in between the first and second drop is also great, adding a needed break from energy all the while keeping the same uplifting character the song brings. In short, this track is one of the most refreshing tracks I’ve heard in bass music in a long time.
Other tracks in his discovery keep the same level of quality and fun. The song Take Em’ Back showcases Cool Customer’s abilities in full display as well, presenting an influence for lofi hiphop in its build up and cool downs. The drop is equally as funky and catchy as In Your Face, with an equally groovy synth pattern and other wonky sounds to create a great drop. His track Check It Out might be the wonkiest in his discography so far, with a main melody that seems like it will fall out of the 4/4 structure, but doesn’t due to the skill Cool Customer possesses in production. The track is still very much a funky bass anthem at its heart, taking some inspiration from LSDREAM and even some DnB artists such as Mefjus hinted throughout the track. The outlier in his discography is hands down The Walled Garden, which is a much calmer and almost therapeutic song. From samples of a vinyl spinning and kids laughing in the background to the serene piano melody played throughout the track, this track creates a dream-like atmosphere not found in other tracks in his discography. The drop is equally as tranquil while still adding hints of quirky synths to give it that Cool Customer flavor. And the synth arpeggio near the end of each track is *chefs kiss*.
The fact that Cool Customer can only boast a 1,500 monthly listener count on Spotify is almost a crime. The main word I can think of to describe Cool Customer’s sound is character. Sonic character, I believe, is what makes or breaks a producer in this day and age. There is so much bass music put out today, but if one is able to identify the artist behind a track simply by listening to the song, that artist is set for success. I hope you enjoy Cool Customer’s music as much as I did, and I really hope he gets the recognition he deserves as it is truly deserved.
Check Cool Customer's music below!
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