Bossfight and hayve bring the heat with a heavy bass track titled “Deadlock.” Released June 26 via Monstercat, this track combines the best of Bossfight and hayve’s respective styles to create something uniquely clean, innovative, and rhythmic.
How Bossfight Found a Following
EDM icon Bossfight first gained notoriety for chiptune-influenced dance music. His album released in 2012, Caps On, Hats Off, demonstrates his mastery of the genre. Tracks like “Milky Ways,” which has over 13.2 million streams on Spotify, fuse the harmonic flavor of video game OSTs and the energetic grooves of electro & house.
By 2015, Bossfight was experimenting with more mainline EDM, catching on to the influx of glitch-hop and drum and bass of the mid 2010s. These singles, along with the Bronco Space Program EP, feel ahead of their time. Bossfight’s attention to detail in percussive fills, ambient space, and melodies makes these releases truly memorable. This level of cleanliness and interest continues to ooze from recent releases like “Deadlock.” In many ways, their recent music also seems to push production techniques in an engaging, futuristic way.
Bossfight on Monstercat
In 2017, Bossfight started a series of releases with Monstercat, beginning with the song “Subside” featuring Ephixa. Since then, Monstercat has featured his work in the official Rocket League soundtrack and several compilations. In 2021, Bossfight earned a place on three of the five top-voted Monstercat releases of the entire year. Monstercat featured these tracks in the Best of 2021 compilation album. Heavy-hitting dubstep-inspired pieces like “Shadow” demonstrate his mind-bending sound design and how it has evolved.
“Deadlock” is Bossfight’s fourth release with Monstercat this year alone. Stylistically, the track shows similarity to the other recent drops, like “Powerplay” with Pegboard Nerds. Many fans know Bossfight for the power and expertise in his collaborations. “Deadlock” continues this tradition.
Cover for Rocket League x Monstercat Vol. 4
hayve’s Drum & Bass Origins
Finnish & Israeli EDM power duo hayve have gathered millions of streams over the past few years. Spanning drum & bass, drumstep, and more, the duo released on both NCS and Monstercat. The duo shines with their clean drum production and intricate rhythmic motifs. Tracks like “Red Light” and “Isolation” with Protostar demonstrate the power of their punchy drum breaks and chopped-up basses.
Just like with “Deadlock,” every hayve track is touched with a bit of magic. Whether it’s in the way the snare interacts with bass growls or the hype that the buildups bring, the duo finds a way to leave their signature touch. Even while traversing a wide range of BPMs and stylistic choices, the production value remains high.
hayve via Monstercat Wiki
How “Deadlock” Stands Out
“Deadlock” brings the heat within the first few seconds of the track. Beginning with orchestral hits and neuro growls, hayve and Bossfight make it clear that their styles will mesh cleanly. Both of them show an affinity for cinematic buildups in their earlier productions, and “Deadlock” continues the pattern. As the artists introduce choppy synths and choir samples, the track continues to build energy. The harmony switches between minor modes as the percussion leads up into a pre-drop sample featuring the title of the track.
The first drop features signature Bossfight growls with hayve’s iconic rhythmic interest and development. Each section ends with either percussive fills or a reduced arrangement, leading smoothly into new flows.
Bossfight via Insomniac
By the time the second drop hits, listeners receive a brand-new rhythmic feel. The drum arrangement switches up to emphasize beats one and two, and the choir samples regain some prominence in the mix. Washed-out hardstyle kick sounds appear in the background, along with shiny-sounding growls and aggressive screeches.
An EDM Collaboration Made in Heaven
Overall, “Deadlock” feels entirely pristine: every inch of the mix is ironed-out. Bossfight and hayve create space for every single screech, vocal chop, and growl while maintaining a sense of fullness. The kick and its related sidechain are short and punchy, leaving space in the drops for the artists to branch out into bass sound design. The massive-sounding snare, similar to the one in Bossfight’s “Shadow”, complements the other drums well.
The general atmosphere of “Deadlock” features classic EDM drama in the buildups and breakdowns. Bossfight and hayve have created a track that hits equally hard at a festival or in headphones. Thanks to their well-rounded and compatible stylistic backgrounds, fans will surely eagerly await more releases from Bossfight and hayve.
