Melodic bass producer MIZE makes his WAKAAN debut with “Thought Process,” a downtempo changeup that reflects his complex sound design and capacity for dynamic creation. “Thought Process” is a stark contrast to recent releases from the label, charismatically shifting from crowd-moving, aggressive bass to thought provoking, deeper dubstep.
“Thought Process” finds MIZE further along in his production journey, this time dipping fans even further into his professed love for downtempo adventures. The track begins with spaced out synths and bird songs dancing off in a veiled sonic distance. 25 seconds in, a swelling bassline creeps in as pungent synths begin to ring out more tangibly. These begin to sputter faster until the first build, when the synths begin to take off in a similar way to a trance track, an early genre influence on Evans. At :50 we find the first drop, a coalescing crash of synths, basslines and hefty production.
“Thought Process” takes bass music fans back to Wakaan’s early days; deep, melodic dubstep that shakes the listener physically and spiritually. During a year like 2020, art that moves audiences is held at a high premium. This track charts its way into that territory. “Thought Process” is MIZE’s debut single, and the first off an upcoming EP due out later this year.
“Thought Process was a tune that came together during a time of immense change and transition in my life. It was a period with a great deal of reflection and introspection, which lead to me writing out and recording my thought process.”
About MIZE:
Ian Evans often pulls from immediate inspiration for his art, so it’s fitting his melodic dubstep project, MIZE, has become so unique and personable.
Evans grew up in the deep south; born in Dothan, Alabama and raised by parents fluent in classic rock and blues. As a teenager, he became obsessed with post 2003-hip-hop and trap (T.I., David Banner), even earning a nickname, “Skittles,” among friends due to his passion for the genre and culture. Through this and his love of video games, which slowly exposed him to electronic music (Matt Darey, ATB), Evan developed a broad, contemporary taste in music that’s prevalent in his career as a producer/DJ today.
In 2012, he began diving into production as ‘ianqt’ (a name pulled from his World of Warcraft account), but in 2017 decided on MIZE, a new moniker to honor his late-grandmother and represent his new focus in Ableton bass production. Inspired by genre-coalescing acts like Tipper and Netsky, the MIZE project is aestheticized by a psychedelic blend of heavy bass music, ambient downtempo, and melodic dubstep with a clear hip hop influence blended in.
His rise has been rooted in successful Soundcloud releases and cultivating an entertained audience via Twitter (where he regularly tweets about music, pop-culture and fellow artists with 12k+ fans), but MIZE is beginning to garner attention from throughout the music industry. He’s played before thousands at festivals like WAKAAN Music Festival and High Caliber, and this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. MIZE’s debut label release was a single with WAKAAN (“Thought Process”), and he plans to follow up with a debut EP later this year. Find MIZE at the crux of Electronic music’s ever-evolving scene, leading a wave of producers inspired by the world around them.
Follow MIZE:
Facebook: facebook.com/mizebass
Instagram: instagram.com/mizebass
Twitter: twitter.com/mizedub
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/mizebass
Label Website: wakaan.com
