Electronic dance music contains multitudes of subgenres, some of which are fairly recent to the modern music world. The future bass genre, which developed only about a decade or so ago, has cemented itself as a category of music that will continue to touch lives long past the 2010s.
But what is future bass and how did this genre come to be? We'll explain exactly what this genre is, define some key characteristics, and share some pioneering works of famous future bass artists so that you can enjoy this amazing corner of the electronic music world below.
Understanding Future Bass
Future bass is a subgenre of electronic music, characterized by textured synthesizers. Think basslines, trap-influenced drums, and a complex melodic sound. The term for future bass emerged in the 2010s, and was popularized by the likes of Cashmere Cat, San Holo, Flume, and Mura Masa. Producers Hudson Mohawke and Rustie are credited with pioneering the genre.
Future bass tends to be in 4/4 time, with high BPMs ranging from 130 to 170. The genre contrasts a heavy bass and sub bass sound with glittery melodic leads and pulsing synths, often built with soft or active square waves.
What are Some Examples of Future Bass Tracks?
The best way to understand the distinct sound of future bass is to listen to some famous, vibrant future bass tracks. Here are three standout compositions from the genre:
After Light by Rustie
Rustie's album Glass Swords released in 2011 is largely credited with defining early future bass sounds. Notice how in After Light , you can feel the emotion baked into the building synth chord progression, before becoming immersed in the drop, with wobbling bass, trap snare, and ear-catching vocal chops:
You and Me Remix by Flume
Flume's remix of You and Me by Disclosure and Eliza Doolittle is credited with bringing the future bass sound to the masses. Bringing in syncopated melodies, textured sound design, and strong pulsating bass drops following melodic synth buildups.
Light by San Holo
Light by San Holo is a classic future bass track, with groovy synths, trap drums, and vocal chops that all build up to a resounding drop complete with plenty of sub bass:
The Key Characteristics of the Future Bass Music Genre
Now that you've listened to some future bass classics, let's define some of the key characteristics of the future bass genre:
Trap Drums, Halftime Meter, and Fast BPM
Future bass tracks tend to have fast BPMs, ranging between 130 and 170, though the downbeat is often expressed in half time, which may make it feel as though the tracks are slower than they are. The drums take heavy influence from trap, with metallic hi-hats, snares, kicks with punchy transients. As in trap and dubstep music, the snare is often placed on beat 3.
Bass Sound Design
Bass sounds in future bass are the star of the show, often driving the drop or chorus of the songs by creating dark contrast against the brighter melodic elements expressed in synthesizers or vocal chops.
Minor and Jazz Chord Structure
One idea that's somewhat unique to future bass within the electronic dance music umbrella is that it often incorporates more complex chord progressions, such as the jazz turnaround chord sequence or a ii V I progression.
The inspiration behind lyrical content in future bass music might also hold more emotion than what you might find in adjacent electronic sounds. Using 7th and occasionally 9th chords, some future bass music uses lush, euphoric soundscapes to widen out their tracks.
Heavy Automation, Compression, and FX
The use of FX and unique sound design highly contributes to what makes future bass music standout from similar genres like melodic house.
For example, the transitions between sections of future bass songs use heavy automation, using pulsating volume and compression to contribute to the groove of the track. Most future bass tracks have an aggressive sidechain, that emphasizes certain drum hits like the kick or the snare while ducking out chords or the bass temporarily.
In the case of future bass artists like Flume, you'll also find the use of unique samples like metallic sounds and non-musical elements used in place of traditional samples. Vocals are often chopped or heavily processed with tuning plugins or other effects. FX in future bass is front and center: you'll hear risers, impacts, and other sounds almost as loud as the vocals at times.
Synth Usage
In future bass, synthesizer use is widespread whether that's from the underlying chords or melodic lines. Future bass uses heavily modulated chords, building upon sawtooth and square waves with frequent oscillator modulation to build a wide, dynamic sound.
Some future bass music incorporates complex harmony by slightly detuning the pitch of certain elements within the mix. Synthesizers are commonly arpeggiated over the course of a future bass song to build energy before or after a drop.
The Magic of the Future Bass Genre
As music producers, it's inspiring to know that a new subgenre of the vast umbrella of electronic dance music emerged not too long ago. Future bass has left a measurable impact on the music landscape of today, normalizing and enticing listeners with the syncopated use of vocal chops and creating fusion between the emotion of dense, jazz-infused synth chord progressions and hard-hitting snares, kicks, and basslines.
Believe it or not, there are also subgenres of future bass if you want to go even further with your musical exploration. Subgenres like Kawaii future bass and J-future core continue to build on the elements outlined by future bass, but with their own sonic twists.
One thing is for sure, the movement sparked by future bass artists is not going away anytime soon. Have fun exploring the future bass space and using it to inspire your own creations!
