Generation I – the Debut Compilation from arrival.–Showcases the Next Great Wave of Bass Music Artists

Written by: Dan Warren

When I think about the New Year and what it represents, I often feel a sense of hope and brighter days ahead. For many, the start of the New Year is an opportunity to usher in new beginnings and start something fresh. This is especially true in the underground electronic music space. New artists land on the radars of promoters and enthusiasts; new events that provide new experiences are announced; and new fans are born from discovering new music.

Four months ago, a new label – arrival. – announced themselves to the underground bass music scene with flying colors. Founded by Maximilian Vanegas with the help of current A&R Managers James Church and Gregory Ross, arrival. was established to “celebrate boundary-pushing art” in the forms of releases, events and other notable collaborations. 

Shortly after the label was announced, it quickly gained exposure after announcing an eye-catching launch party, which took place in early November at The Black Box in Denver. What would end up being an incredible, sold out event, arrival.’s debut show featured some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in the glitch hop world, including BackLeft, Fika, hokey boi, Absolem, and smokeA:M.

The momentum that arrival. gained from its debut show has carried over into the early stages of 2025 with the release of its first compilation album, Generation I. This 15-track album primarily focuses on the glitch hop realm, showcasing a strong serving of talented, up-and-coming artists with each track varying in complexity and sound design.

As Vanegas states: “Our intention with this album and future iterations from the Generation series is to create a sonic time capsule that captures where the glitch hop and neuro bass scenes currently are, and where they’re going. Our intention with the label, in its simplest form, is to share sounds. If we can reach people and deliver art in a way that inspires them to contribute back to the scene, whether it’s lending their ears, time, or creativity, we’ve done our job.”

It’s worth noting that, while the label is focused on working with cutting-edge producers, arrival. is also prioritizing the visual arts in everything they are doing. For example, the label commissioned Cumulus Frisbee for the launch party flyer design – this is the same designer that created the cover art for Jade Cicada’s Pressure Gamut album, which was released at the beginning of 2023. For the event itself, they brought on the ultra-talented visual artist, VJ, and neuro.studio partner Seity as the chief visual curator. He also had the honor of performing with Kuhlin at The Fillmore in Denver, which kicked off Night Two of Tipper n Friends at the end of November. 

The label also provided a glimpse of their global reach, commissioning Hong Kong-based design studio Blankfield Works for the Generation I album art. Additionally, they tapped Arkitekt for custom animations to be paired with each song on the album. When the music is both cohesive and complex, the visual art associated with it should follow suit; arrival. has already shown how impactful that can be.

Diving into Generation I, the album kicks off with one of the five artists from arrival.’s debut show, Fika. The Denver-based hitman went all gas, no brakes on his track “Operate,”  giving listeners a hefty snapshot of the mind-bending journey that they’re about to embark on. Asheville-based Ginseng gets us moving even more on the next track, “Peach Wraps.” This filthy steppa/halftime hybrid is a real honker, which you’ll learn is a pretty common theme on this album.

The headliner from arrival.’s debut show, BackLeft, is next with this track, “Knock Yourself.”  This one takes you on a gangster’s journey with its incredible basslines. Another artist from the debut show, smokeA:M, picks up the pace with “Angre.” At just under two minutes, this track will certainly make you sweat. J.LANG rounds out the first third of the album with “Like This,” an absolute mindmelter of a tune that showcases the brilliance of in-key snares and sound design.

It’s no surprise to see Harriburg, PA’s very own Sqonk on Generation I. He quickly burst onto the scene in 2024 with incredible, consistent releases and energy-filled performances. His track “Brain Sludge” is the latest in his ever-expanding goldmine of heaters. Speaking of epic 2024s, Washington, D.C.-based crawdad sniper has been on quite the legendary run. With notable performances at Rendezvous, Tipper n Friends at Orion, Infrasound Equinox, Sound Haven and more, the future is very bright for this guy. His track “Spirit Donk” appropriately finds its home on arrival. – this one has been sending crowds into a frenzy.

Another Mid-Atlantic talent on the compilation is Maryland-based Limbus Luna, who takes us over the halfway point of the album with “Everyday.” Self-described as ethereal bass music, Limbus Luna has been building (and releasing) an arsenal of boundary-pushing tunes. He’s set to have a big 2025. Absolem is another artist from arrival.’s debut show that provides rich elements on his track “Basilisk.” Be sure to also check out his track “Got Your Money,” which had listeners buzzing in the latter half of 2024.

Up next on Generation I is ESOK, who has quickly emerged as one of my favorite, refreshing projects coming into the scene. He made his debut at House of Yes in Brooklyn last April supporting K.L.O. and Duffrey as well as an additional supporting set for Resonant Language’s headlining show in Vermont. His track “TENA” is an intergalactic thrillride. Psydell blew me away with “Disintegrating,” which honestly could be two tracks in one. The transition from a dark and heavy vibe to a more pleasant, hopeful vibe is spectacular.

Shep. is another name that is currently sitting on a boatload of heaters. His song “Run It” was actually the opening track in his 2024 Unreleased Promo Mix. Be sure to check out the entire mix to see what else this promising talent has in store for us. Maxfield is one of the most musically-gifted artists whose sound knows no bounds and his track “Goodins” perfectly encapsulates that. This one was featured in his fan-favorite “Taking Flights” 2024 Uptempo Mix. Again, be sure to give the entire mix a listen – it’s next level.

Nearing the finish line of Generation I, San Diego-based hokey boi provides listeners with yet another stimulating sensation in “Lesson Learned.” The fifth and final artist from arrival.’s debut show took off in 2024 with a strong cadence of stank-face-inducing bangers. Be on the lookout for more in 2025. And with that, we’ve made it to the finale of Generation I with “Skelepathy” by EOS. The Denver-based artist had a relatively quiet 2024 on the release front after a beast of an album release in 2023 with Fleeting Peripheries. That being said, this track is a good sign that we’ll be hearing a lot more from him in 2025 and we can’t wait to hear what else he’s got cooking.

Generation I is a launchpad into the next frontier of bass music. While there are common elements heard throughout the album, arrival. did an excellent job at showcasing different styles and techniques within glitch hop from artists all over the country. One thing is for certain: arrival. is here to stay for the long run, shining the spotlight on what’s in front of us right now and what’s to come. We’re looking forward to following their journey as they continue to take off in 2025 and beyond.

Generation I is streaming on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. Be sure to give arrival. and all of these gifted artists a follow across socials!

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