10 of the most exciting new names in bass music

“Where are my ladies at?” That’s not a cry for the dancefloor or the festival field. It’s one for the stages, and in this case, the bass-driven ones. What better stress relief is there than banging your head to a stream of bottom-heavy bass? The DJ/producers profiled in this (by no means exhaustive) round-up know that release better than any.

From Canada to Mexico, the United Kingdom to Australia, and of course the United States, these ladies are emanating the bass rumbles from and to the far corners of the globe. They represent only the tip of a very large glacier, and they are reshaping the landscape of bass music.

Based in: Kent, UK
Originally from: Kent, UK
Recommended If You Like: Mampi Swift, Phantasy, Friction

Bump into Mollie Collins on a drum ‘n’ bass dancefloor and you could very well mistake the fresh-faced 22-year-old for a raver. See her flex her skills on three decks and that same raving energy explodes from her sets into the crowd.

In a few short years Collins has gone from underage raving to DJing at Creamfields, Eskimo Dance and Nass Festival as well as a three-hour set at London’s XOYO. “360˚ drum ‘n’ bass” is what Collins brings. She walked away with the Best Breakthrough DJ at the Drum & Bass Awards in 2017. And in 2018 Kiss FM tapped her for the drum 'n' bass show on the popular station after Hype stepped down from his show.

Collins’ DJing experience has come in handy for her original productions. Her just released single, the bombastic and happy 'Lost & Found' featuring Leah Guest, out on jump up don Macky Gee’s label, Down 2 Earth Musik, went right into the Top 10 in the Dance Charts in under 24 hours. Now she turns her attention to her own label, Right Good Records, which launches in April.

“When I first started there was a lot of hate around me as an artist,” says Collins. "The biggest challenge was to let it slide and carry on with what I wanted to do and achieve. The next focus now is the new label for fresh Mollie Collins material and to showcase some of the best up-and-comers and get their amazing music heard.”

Based in: Mexico City, Mexico
Originally from: Mexico City, Mexico
Recommended If You Like: Doctor P, Dirt Monkey, Funtcase, Flux Pavilion, Cookie Monsta

Mexican audiences are among the best in the world. Everyone knows that. But when one of their own, Jessica Audiffred closes out the wasteLAND Stage at EDC Mexico, the reaction is bordering on dangerous. Audiffred, who has worked incredibly hard against every obstacle for her position describes her sets as, "A mix between melodic, skankier old dubstep vibes and filthy drops. I love the energy of simple melodies that make your body move and the powerful vibe from really harsh tunes.”

Besides making the rounds at EDC Vegas and Orlando as well as Mexico, Audiffred was tapped by Flux Pavilion for his Circus Records in 2017. Insomniac Records also claims Audiffred as their own and she herself has a label, A Records. This all feeds into her goals for releasing more music and expanding her reach globally.

Most recently she has remixed Born I and Arius’ 'G Chain' and released her own track, 'Wasted', on Circus. “Circus Records are the reason why I started to love dubstep in the first place,” says Audiffred. “It’s a challenge to feel that my work is at the same level as many producers I admire."

Based in: Los Angeles, USA
Originally from: Sydney, Australia
Recommended If You Like: Skrillex, Zeds Dead, Halsey, Tove Lo

GG Magree takes the dreaded word “influencer” and actually uses that platform to be productive. Sure she spins tunes for Louis Vuitton and Chanel but she also has her own multifunctional Yeah Pussy brand featuring everything from clothing to management to record label. She produces and she sings, and she does it well, the five million plays of her certified smash 'Frontlines' with Zeds Dead and NGHTMRE can attest to that fact.

She just released 'I Wanna Lose You' on Yeah Pussy about which she says, “I was so excited and nervous for this track to come out. It’s my most vulnerable work and defiantly shows a deeper side of me.”

The song is a different, more pop vibe for Magree who you’ll find headbanging with the hardest of the trap contingent more often than not. But singing is second nature to her and she does it over her DJ sets too. She’s working on evolving that into more live components in her DJing.

Based in: Los Angeles, USA
Originally from: The Bay Area, USA
Recommended If You Like: Habstrakt, Jauz, Ghastly, Wax Motif

Wenzday has experienced life on both sides of the stage. For many years from below and now, above. She has been an EDC regular from back when it was still in Los Angeles and in 2018 she DJed on the Wa$ted art car at EDC Las Vegas.

Her DJ sets are a reflection of her productions which, according to Wenzday, “Can range from house to dubstep.” A producer first, Wenzday has been tireless in the studio, not only getting her productions on par with her peers but also having them be representative of her as a person.

She has gotten a lot of love from France’s Gold Digger Records, which she was a supporter of before becoming an artist on the label. Around the same time as her appearance at Beyond Wonderland, Insomniac Records’ imprint, In/Rotation, will be releasing her four-track EP, 'Heartbreak House'.

It’s her own label and clothing line, 40oz Cult, run alongside her brother, Dack Janiels and best friend HAMI, where she has the most creative control. And 40oz Cult has grown in leaps and bounds. “We have had some amazing takeover shows, the most recent being in LA with Space Yacht,” says Wenzday. “The event was a huge success and it feels amazing seeing the reach our brand has and how our friends and fans connect with the vision we have.”

Based in: Adelaide, South Australia
Originally from: Adelaide, South Australia
Recommended If You Like: RL Grime, What So Not, Slumberjack, Alison Wonderland, Flosstradamus, UZ, NGHTMRE

The bass rumbles Godlands is making are being heard all the way from Southern Australia. She has already conquered the festival circuit Down Under with appearances at Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival and had two singles out on Dim Mak, last year’s low-slung '2 Clips' and the just released banger 'Valour' featuring BOI. If you’ve caught a recent dose of Godlands’ high energy, high impact DJ sets, you’ll have heard her fire remix of What So Not which will be available soon.

“Every Spotify play is an achievement to me,” says Godlands. “I’m trying to learn to not be so critical of myself. I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to my own music or how I perform because I know in my head how I want it to turn out.”

This is pushing Godlands further creatively. Determined to collaborate with more artists, this feeds into her building her knowledge base and in the process, expanding her global footprint. As she says, “I’m really keen to stretch not just my creative collaborations, but also my frequent flyer miles.”

Godlands is making her way Stateside this month for her first show, taking place in Los Angeles where she already has a home with Dim Mak. “Dim Mak is the first electronic label I had heard of when I started out,” says Godlands. “It became one of my favorites. Bloody Beetroots ruled my life at the time. Cornelius is who made me want to get into electronic music. Now it’s come full circle. To be part of that team is literally a dream come true. Life is crazy.”

Based in: Los Angeles, USA
Originally from: San Francisco, USA
Recommended If You Like: NGHTMRE, Ghastly, Wooli

Welcome to the Quackhouse. This is where you will find Ducky. Hanging around clubs since she was well below legal age, Ducky has soaked up many influences, some of which showed up back in 2005 on her Myspace. Those lo-fi productions are a far cry from her more current releases, the most recent being the multi-faceted, pop-flecked 'I Still Believe in Love' EP, released for Valentine’s Day on Quackhouse.

Ducky’s music has found its way onto compilations from Dim Mak, Astralwerks, Deadbeats, Bite This!, Twonk, and the mix accompanying HARD Summer 2018. For her appearance at that festival, Ducky says, “I debuted an all-original DJ set I had produced from scratch in the six days leading up to the festival. I love taking on insane challenges and doing something different.”

“Straight bangers with intensity, energy and joy,” is what Ducky describes her sets as. Coming this year is going to be a live show that will be moving in a more melodic and emotional direction—without losing any of her signature danceability. “I get to play these major international festivals, the ones I went to when I was a baby raver,” she says. “I dreamed about being on those stages. I get to make and play music as my career. It’s insanity.”

Based in: Los Angeles, USA
Originally from: Toronto, Canada
Recommended If You Like: 1788-L, REZZ, Gesaffelistien, Boys Noize, TYNAN, Blanke, Alon Mor

A fresh Los Angeles transplant, Canadian WHIPPED CREAM has been a North American presence for some time. Her gig schedule is packed, whether it is festival appearances or major club gigs with some of the heaviest hitters.

Nothing holds back her production, which is elaborate, orchestral, and intricate, much like a soundtrack. Her recently released remix of ZHU’s 'Desert Woman' provides a singular take on that intricate track. It precedes her own song, 'Time', which is upcoming and “one of my favorite records I’ve made to date,” says WHIPPED CREAM. This is a major statement considering the range of respected labels that have released her music from Nest to Dim Mak, Big Beat, and now, Diplo’s Mad Decent with the dark and cinematic 'You Wanted It'.

“People connecting with my project so much that they get tattoos on their bodies is incredible,” she says. “Just being able to connect with other people is a huge accomplishment to me. Some of my biggest inspirations have reached out to me about my work and that is truly the most humbling thing to me. I am just scratching the surface right now.”

Based in: London, UK
Originally from: London, UK
Recommended If You Like: Rupture, Paradox, Loxy

Mantra has been holding down the drum ‘n’ bass fort on all fronts for a long minute. From physical music distribution in the good old/bad old days, to her consistent club night and label, Rupture in her hometown of London with partner Double O, her experienced DJing, a Rinse FM radio show, and her knowledgeable original productions, she is the whole package.

Her latest, 'Nocturne' is part of the Rupture compilation, 'The Fifth Column', being released toward the end of this month. While Rupture is her main home, her releases are also found on A.K.O. Beats, Repertoire and UVB-76, to mention a few labels. It’s the success of the 13-year strong Rupture brand that is the most admirable.

Says Mantra, “Rupture has grown in such a beautiful, organic way. There’s been no business or marketing or advertising plan, just us working on intuition, following the music, booking artists and releasing music we love.”

Mantra can hold her own, or jump in with a wide range of peers, both in the studio and on stage. “I lean toward the breaks-driven side of drum ‘n’ bass,” she says. “From dub-wise half-time to tear-out amens. I played in Poland back-to-back with Loxy recently and it was incredible. He’s been my favorite DJ for years so to get to play B2B for three hours was a real honor.”

You can still spy Mantra her mom role with her five-year-old and 18-month-old sons. “There have been so many times when I have the urge to make music, particularly on a weekend morning. But with two little boys filled to the max with energy, my time to create is pretty much limited to evenings. On the other side, having children has been my biggest motivator to push myself and do as well as I can.”

Based in: Los Angeles, CA
Originally from: The Pleiades
Recommended If You Like: Daedelus, Space Jesus, Ivy Lab, Bleep Bloop, Lapalux, EPROM

Inclusivity is one of the many things you will feel during Huxley Anne’s sets. A staple of the beat scene, both domestically and abroad, Anne makes sure to bring not just a mind-tickling and limb-rustling selection of tunes, but also a sense of safety and welcome for anyone in her presence.

She did this when she was on the recent Temple of Noom tour with Space Jesus with remarkable results. Says Anne, “One fan reached out to me saying the words I said during my set gave them the confidence to come out as bisexual to their friends. If I can change one person’s life like that, help one human being feel more comfortable and honest in their own skin, I’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible.”

This is not to take away from her music, which speaks for itself. Anne released her album 'Illium' via the innovative Los Angeles bass music label, Doom of Doom. And she is prepping a follow-up EP for spring release. Among her collaborators: Dalena Tran, Radka Salcmannoya and Kaley Tukes. Along with the EP will be Anne’s first self-directed video.

This is another step in Anne’s creative path where she finds, “Figuring out how to navigate an industry where artists are often taken advantage of, where women are often disrespected, and where things move so quickly, it can be hard to follow everything if you are locked inside a studio. I’m learning it’s more of a balancing act than anything else. Respecting my creative space, and simultaneously stepping into a leadership role with my project as a whole is what helps me move forward.”

Based in: Toulouse, France
Originally from: Les Mureaux, France
Recommended If You Like: The Glitch Mob, Bonobo, Bassnectar, Beats Antique, Emancipator, Tipper

Festival queen, CloZee has hit them all: Shambhala, Lightning in a Bottle, Electric Forest, Envision, Bonnaroo and this year she’ll be at Coachella. You can still find her headlining her own tours. Last year she landed at numerous venues across the globe, in support of her full-length album, 'Evasion' on Gravitas Recordings and Midnight Escape Records. Otodavo Records, Glitch-Hop Community and Digital Whomp are among the other labels privileged to release her music. Currently, she’s promoting, 'Ceremony', her collaboration with Liquid Stranger, featured on his album, 'Infinity'.

CloZee’s organic beats and bass sound draws from her world traveling experiences. In the process, it takes the listener along on the trip. “Travel the world through music,” is how CloZee describes her DJ sets. This descriptions fits her original productions as well.

“It’s an everyday challenge: to keep being passionate about music, keep the flame and inspiration to pursue my way in this very tough industry,” says CloZee who is working on creating an eye-catching live show. “I never thought I’d have a career as a solo artist. I hated to be in the limelight when I was younger. I still do, but my passion to share music with others helps me.”

Lily Moayeri is a music journalist who also covered television, art, fashion, and other facets of pop culture. She is a major contributor to the textbook The Guerrilla Guide to the Music Business. Find her work aggregated at Pictures of Lily and follow here on Twitter here.