By: Anand Harsh

For the better part of a decade, we at TheUntz.com have thought of ourselves as a launchpad for underground artists. By extension, The Untz Festival, which just completed its third annual event at the beginning of the month in Mariposa, California, has served as a breeding ground for the next big things in bass. No greater evidence can be found for these acts' burgeoning success than to be found gracing the lineup of arguably the biggest bass-focused event west of the Mississippi.

Bassrush, the venerable low end promotion team headed by Insomniac Event's bass specialist Anthony Merino, mounts its biggest event to date at San Bernardino's NOS Events Center on July 20th and 21st. Some of this year's Bassrush Massive artists will be very familiar to attendees of The Untz Festival as it features artists like CharlestheFirst, Chee, Esseks, NastyNasty, Proko, SweetTooth, Tsuruda, and Yheti alongside legendary veterans like 12th Planet, Cookie Monsta, and Pendulum.

Sure, past headliners EPROM and CASPA have been staples of Insomniac Events for years, but it's still wild to see artists whose tracks we've been sharing on The Untz since their career's infancy, like Freddy Todd and CloZee, emerging into the spotlight from our little corner of the industry.

Tastes are changing across the electronic music spectrum, bass fans are getting more discerning about their DJ's, and the scene as a whole is embracing innovative experimental sounds. I would have had a hard time believing even 24 months ago that some of the craziest slimepunk purveyors out there would find themselves performing one of the prime events for the biggest, most established EDM promoter in the country. Yes, Space Laces just dropped one of the heaviest, most-anticipated EP's of the year, but it is far more accessible than the SHADES record due out next month from the aforementioned EPROM and Alix Perez (also performing a solo set), which forays boldly into uncharted territory. It's also super rad seeing a seasoned drum & bass vet like Dela Moontribe from the iconic Moontribe collective playing alongside DNB gods Andy C, Dieselboy, and Matrix & Futurebound.

The Untz Festival, it follows, is living up to our mandate: serving up new and exciting artists and delivering cutting-edge tunes to fans who want something a little off the beaten path. If these acts catch hold in the broader scene, find bigger audiences, and make their way up under the brighter lights, then we've done our job, and bass fans are better for it. And kudos to Bassrush for recognizing the real deal when the hear it.

Get your Bassrush Massive tickets now: bssrush.co/Massive