Conscious Creators 011: Super Future previews upcoming ‘Equilibria’ EP with a highly-cerebral downtempo mixtape via SSKWAN
The world of EDM is vast and diverse. From the commercial realm to the underground, electronic music is always moving at hyperspeed. But how can fans sift through all the noise to seek out the more substantive, meaningful, consciously-attuned musicians? Introducing: Conscious Creators, a focused writing series dedicated to highlighting artists who continually devote themselves to creating music that upholds CE’s mission.
These are the industry tastemakers committed to bypassing the surface-level gimmicks in favor of something more substantial. Their art encourages alignment with the self, affirmational living, shadow and light work, self-healing and self-love, living authentically, practicing intention. These are the creatives dedicated to leading their audience into a conscious awakening.
Perhaps only a daring few can make it until the 7am hours at a grueling August camping festival these days. For the lucky thinned crowd of fighters at Sound Haven, who were able to watch Super Future (aka Nick Rowland) take to the UFO stage for his downtempo debut at sunrise, it was a magical moment that cemented the Michigan-based artist deeper into their hearts. For everyone who missed the inaugural affair, they were rightly kicking themselves for falling asleep too early. By divine grace, Rowland later softened the blow, assuring fans that the set was “the first of many to come.”
See, Nick Rowland has set himself down a highly intentional downtempo turn over the past one or two years—although it’s been largely kept largely underwraps, contained to his Sunday Bass extended mix volumes on SoundCloud. On the surface, the CE 2021 Artist To Watch was on pursuit of the heavier side of bass, running around with Wreckno on their Hypernatural EP tour just before lockdown, then pumping out seismic tracks like “Bad Shit” with Ravenscoon and “Ned Flanders,” a decided fan-favorite from the early Super Future catalog.
Far beneath this exterior, though, Super Future was priming his musical project for a major sonic shift, which the bass music scene is just on the cusp of seeing play out in real time. For his “Superhuman” fanbase, or anyone remotely paying attention, this hardly comes as a surprise since Rowland would consistently update the world (via his Instagram Live Story) each step of the way along his spiritual-creative journey.
In fact, exactly a year ago to the date, Rowland revealed in our Wide Awake Radio 005 podcast that he’d had something special in the works that was supremely different, supremely spiritual, and completely downtempo-driven. He was speaking to an EP project, of course, which Rowland can now publicly announce will be released on Wakaan’s new downtempo imprint.
“I have always looked to WAKAAN as the leading edge of music creation, and so I’ve had my sights set on becoming a WAKAAN artist. This is still true today, however, something changed the day I watched Liquid Stranger (with ingenious dramatic flair) at Wakaan Festival announce the brother label, SSKWAN.”
– Super Future
Just as well, Super Future’s project idea was still in its early stages of conception at that time—a mere point of thought inkling its way along to manifestation. As he began talking openly and intentionally about developing something greater, Rowland spent countless hours combing through the EP’s deeper messages and teasing out motifs—which were centered around his own spiritual awakening and raising the collective consciousness. In the studio, Super Future was toying around with new sounds and carving out production pathways in service of this mission.
Needless to say, he wasn’t even beginning to think about shopping labels yet. Still, Rowland admitted that he had already set his sights set on SSKWAN, which itself hasn’t even made a full circle around the sun. Launching in August 2020, the infant imprint was coming to light around the very same time that Nick was carving out his downtempo direction.
“When Liquid Stranger came out with that announcement, I knew the music in my head had a home. I’ve always been looked to for my sound design and my unique ability to bring beauty to bass, so I shot my shot with MIZE. That first attempt at heart-opening downtempo was a huge success in my eyes artistically, and our combined fan bases were equally ready for this new sound, and I was immensely proud that SSKWAN was the label to release it because of who ran it and what it showed people.”
— Super Future
Alongside MIZE, Super Future made his SSKWAN debut with “Satori” this past February. It was a long-time coming for the rising bass producer, as one can by now deduce. The ethereal collaboration between these two rising bass stars in the making also marked SSKWAN’s first release of 2021—what is proving to be a breakout year for both Super Future and the Wakaan run-off label.
Whether it was by mere chance or the stars aligning, or by the power of Nick’s pure intention, none of that matters in the grand scheme. In either case, it seems as though Super Future has some things figured out about the divine timing of the universe and he’s ready to share that message with the world.
“Downtempo music is not only just ambient and meditative, it can have the same bite and flavor that makes WAKAAN so interesting!”
— Super Future
Returning for his sophomore SSKWAN release with the 54-minute “Equilibria Mixtape,” Super Future takes a deep dive into serene sonic soundscapes, ethereal measures, and healing tribal bass. The space is filled out with full-bodied natural tones, organic sound sampling, a reprising of chirping birds at sunrise, the wispy woodwind textures of a bamboo flute, and soothing Himalayan song bowl melodies to round everything out.
Reaching a climactic peak around the midpoint, the “Equilibria Mixtape” is topped off with a wildly commanding spoken word break from psychedelic mystic Terrance Mckenna, whose philosophical musings leave an undeniable mark for those willing to listen. Here, the audience is challenged to return to “authentic experience of the body.” Only through the psychedelic experience, says Mckenna, can we “build a future that honors the past” and “honors the planet.”
Perhaps best of all, the “Equilibria Mixtape” announces Super Future’s forthcoming EP by the same name. Inspired by the emotional pain and confusion of the pandemic, Super Future returns to SSKWAN with his Equilibria EP. Equilibrium is one instance of balanced forces or bodies, and equilibria stands for many equilibriums in a dynamic, complex balance. Graduating with a chemical engineering degree, Super Future applies his learned academic experience to reflect on an earth-shattering year: The only way forward is to accept what we’ve been dealt with and to find a way to live in balance with them.
In connection to the heart-opening ideals that SSKWAN represents, Super Future channels these feelings, spiritual empowerment, mindful listening, and emotional tensions into cathartic bass energies. No wonder then that Super Future comes in as CE‘s next Conscious Creator.
Super Future’s project will begin rolling out soon, but for now fans can get an earful of what to expect from the “Equilibria Mixtape” he did exclusively for SSKWAN. Pre-save Super Future’s Equilibria EP on the available platforms below.
Super Future – Equilibria Mixtape
About Super Future
From one of the hottest up-and-coming cities of the Midwest, you’ll find artist Nick Rowland, captivating the music scene of Grand Rapids, MI with the vibrant look and sounds of his alias, Super Future.
On his wave as a truly unique electronic musician, Super Future is riding the momentum of his inaugural years performing at major festivals and co-headlining national tours. Masterfully blending a wide range of music from the bright and ethereal, to entrancing downtempo, to deep and heavy freeform, and even virtuosic guitar solos, Super Future provides listeners with an engaging spectrum of sound that becomes a journey with every live experience.
While his fanbase of “super humans” know Nick Rowland for his mesmerizing sound design, they also admire the introspective and psychospiritual-themes that Super Future musters from deep within his soul and brings to surface with his art. Nick delivers a conscious, metaphysical experience and message to his audiences while masterfully keeping the energy high with trap and bass.
Stream his latest collaborative EP with good friend Wreckno, HYPERNATURAL, or find him on big stages and streams across the bass music world to hear the forward-thinking sound Super Future is always creating! This Future is looking Super.
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Information seeker. Dog lover. PhD drop out. College professor by day, EDM photographer by night.
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