Guest Blog: GRAVITAS RECORDINGS Introduce You to ‘World Bass’ and Austin-Based Charity BEYOND THE GRADE

Gravitas Recordings is an Austin, Texas-based record label that reps electro, bass and dubstep artists all around the world. The label’s newest release is the upcoming compilation album Circulate Vol. 1: Curated by David Starfire & SOOHAN (stream/pre-order here) which drops on August 15th, and, as the name suggests, is compiled by the pioneer of the global bass genre David Starfire – photo left – and electronic dj/producer SOOHAN – photo right.

​Even if you’re not very familiar with the label, artists, or genres, the Circulate… release​ is also awesome because 100% of the net proceeds from the album are donated to Beyond the Grade, which is a grassroots, not-for-profit, Austin-based charity that provides after school music education for underprivileged children. Today, in a very cool Guest Blog, members of Gravitas are here to take us through the process behind the newest album, the choice to support a local charity, and a rundown on what exactly world bass is.

Check out Circulate…’s newest single, a David Starfire remix of “Vesper Star” by Beats Antique:

Gravitas, World Bass, and Beyond the Grade

– Doing good with good music is our mantra and way of life over at Gravitas Recordings. We want to share great music while also making social change. On August 15, we are releasing our newest benefit compilation, Circulate Vol. 1: Curated by David Starfire & SOOHAN, to continue our mission to spread goodness with music.

During the beginning stages of this compilation, David Starfire and SOOHAN were leaning in the direction of supporting a cause that brings music and arts back to schools that may not have that privilege. While doing initial research on different non-profits, we decided we wanted to support an organization that was smaller and more grassroots in comparison to one that had big, corporate sponsors. We knew that one of our team members, Keli Marks of Bassline Drift, volunteered as a beats and Ableton Live instructor at a non-profit in Austin, Texas. After reaching out and doing more research on the organization, Beyond the Grade, we found it was the perfect charity to support in this cause.

Circulate Vol. 1 is two-fold. It was created to support Beyond the Grade, which provides musical instruments and lessons to underserved children, and to also advocate the global bass music community that is growing around the world. Typically, when people think of electronic music, they think of the typical genres such as dubstep, house, trap, etc. Many people hesitate when they hear the genre “world bass.” To sum it up quickly, global bass is electronic bass music mixed with a world music basis. Artists such as Beats Antique and CloZee are most well-known for their world bass sounds, as a reference.

Keep an eye out for the entire collection releasing on August 15th via Gravitas Recordings.

This compilation is a global focused dance record that exposes listeners to many new rhythms and cultures of dance music. From traditional Finnish folk songs to new styles of African dance music, listeners will experience a wide variety of global sounds unlike they’ve ever heard before. To get the perfect balance of unique and innovative sounds, David Starfire and SOOHAN personally reached out to artists from around the world to bring this project to life. There are 13 tracks on this compilation that feature artists from all over the world: United States, Finland, Ghana, Canada, Hungary, Angola, Poland, France, the UK, and more. This compilation provides these artists from around the globe the opportunity to have their specific culture heard.

Along with providing these artists with the opportunity to have their culture heard, it also provides the opportunity for listeners to expand their musical palettes and cultural awareness. This global bass compilation was created with the understanding that people are interested in being educated about music from around the world and hearing sounds that are outside of the norm.

We have already released our first two singles with An-Ten-Nae’s “Kayu” and Beats Antique’s “Vesper Star (David Starfire Remix).” We are going to release one more single next week in anticipation for Circulate before the official release on August 15th. 100% of net proceeds will be donated to Beyond the Grade. We hope you enjoy the variety of cultures that will be represented within our compilation, and help us keep music alive in Austin!

Here’s the first single from the Circulate… compilation, An-Ten-Nae’s “Kayu.”

Check out the single art for then “Vesper Star” Remix: