Hi8

Editors’ Notes Since its founding in 2014, AC Slater’s Night Bass label has become a stateside haven for bass-heavy sounds from across the pond. On Hi8, the LA musician twists UK garage, grime, and bassline into sleek, punchy fusions of transatlantic club styles. No-nonsense house grooves imbued with 2-step’s wiggle muscle their way—playfully!—to the dance floor, while rousing refrains recall hip-house’s way of keeping the mood light and the energy lit. As always, Slater’s sound design is a thing to behold: The low-end wallop of “Attitude” could go toe to toe against dubstep’s burliest basslines, yet bubbly tunes like “Every Pigeon Is a Dove” display a grace that’s rare in bass music. Even when he’s shredding subwoofers, Slater’s touch is refreshingly nimble.