Introducing Seasoned Souls: Kansas City duo defies genre in exacting 4-track ‘Cryptic Defects’ EP

Here at Conscious Electronic, we love all things bass — breakbeat, downtempo, left-field, experimental, dubstep in all its forms, you name it. As the underground bass movement has begun its full ascendancy in the US, we’ve been keeping a finger on the pulse of up-and-coming bass artists the country over. As such, CE‘s Rising Bass Spotlight seeks to turn a focus onto those rising producers who’re developing their craft, garnering their audiences, and turning eyes, ears, heads, and bodies with their commitment to all things low end.

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Hailing from the Emerald City, Kansas City-based Seasoned Souls is the duo project of Hunter Richardson and Billy Hampton. They’ve been DJing together for years, sharing the stage with dance music’s top acts—Everyone from Ekali and Cry Wolf to Troyboi, Slushii, and Mersiv. Recently, they’ve decided to take the leap into production, setting themselves apart in the Midwest Region with their experimental flare which blends future styles into a fresh and unique sound.

Now the pair have decided to unleash their first EP, titled Cryptic Defects, although it’s unclear whether the short-form is a debut project or if it’s the guys just learning and feeling out their sound. Feels like the latter, but either way, Cryptic Effects slaps, shocks, and delights as it takes listeners through unexpected twists and turns. The four-track compilation falls somewhere between experimental mid-tempo and glitch-infused EDM. From melodic orchestrations to gritty bass synthesis, one genre just can’t define Seasoned Souls’ sound on the EP.

Take the electro-charged project opener, “Haze,” for instance, along with the foreboding and cinematic closer track in “Omen,” and everywhere in between. The short, yet poignant project bleeds of a REZZ-adjacent masterpiece that ventures on a clean, crisp adrenaline-inducing journey through Seasoned Soul’s evolving sound.