The future is super for Super Future (a pun used all too often, but also true).
Nick Rowland aka Super Future, a producer dedicated to sharing his thoughtful creations and mindset within the realm of bass music, just dropped an enthralling Equilibria Mixtape via SSKWAN. The hour-long mix delves into unreleased gems from his forthcoming EP due out on the label this Thursday, August 26th and beyond.
This conscious mix goes hard in an unconventional sense, tapping into tasteful, mindful and even meditative experimental music exploration. Resonating soundscapes and ethereal, bass-laden beauty glimmer throughout, as heavy moments balance the soft, at one point reducing down to a mere heartbeat.
The Equilibria Mixtape celebrates a milestone accomplishment for Super Future, undoubtedly manifested, but also earned through hard work and dedication to the craft. He discusses the current state of the project with us below, as well as working with WAKAAN & SSKWAN, finding the yin to his yang, and so much more.
Listen here and scroll down to read our interview with Super Future!
Super Future – Equilibria Mixtape
For those who aren’t familiar with the project, please share what Super Future stands for and means to you…
I love when people ask this because it has never changed since its inception and it’s only becoming more true by the day. “Super Future” is the perpetual journey to a better future through sound and feeling. Persuing this is always an act of making life more positive as we go forward. A lot of people know me for my music in the heavy/experimental/trap/twerk space, but this most recent body of work is finally REALLY showing people the yin to my yang. I’ve always had a bit of a soft and more intentional side musically, but SSKWAN is giving me a real platform to let heart-opening music shine. The “Super Future” ideology is always looking ahead to a better tomorrow and is now growing with a community of people who resonate with what it sounds and feels like, which I’m incredibly thankful for. The plain and simple answer is that we’re here to make our tomorrow better, brighter, and more impactful every day. In 2022 we’re going to not only use sound to convey this but also give it a big visual component as well! I’m a futurist by nature so I’m always excited for what the tomorrow holds.
It seems your artistry has shifted in recent years, can you elaborate on that journey?
Like lots of people in my lane of dance music, I really loved the novelty of dubstep and bass and the experimental when it hit the internet and live show scene. To be honest though, I’ve been craving the other side of that, but with the same level of creativity, sound design, and flavor. I’m all about balance and I love sexy chill music just as much. My wife has a lot to do with that too haha. Lots of areas of my life have spiritual components, and in almost every sort of healthy spiritual approach, there is the pursuit of balance. Now that SSKWAN has arrived on the scene thanks to Liquid Stranger and his team, there is a new sense of novelty that I want to be part of… the kind of experimental dance music that speaks to the heart and brings deeper emotions to the forefront. As I grow in life and as a musician I see how important that is, especially after having a year like we just had. 2020 pushed me to the point of making something healing for everyone, instead of just more bass and trap music. That’s where the ‘EQUILIBRIA’ EP comes into play.
What do you hope listeners take away from your Equilibria EP and accompanying mixtape?
There are messages in the mixtape that are not found in the EP, namely the Terrence McKenna speech on the need for us to find wisdom together by turning inward, to our natural wisdom, instead of external sources. I love that so much… and I truly believe in that message. The ‘EQUILIBRIA’ EP will give people the sonic component to that sentiment. I hope the way I strung that mixtape together really reaches people emotionally. I hope it’s transformationally healing. I hope they hear the beauty and the hard work I’ve given to them, and I want them to feel something in music that they have never felt before. It’s very visceral and yet beautiful. Already strangers and friends have told me that listening to it made them process things, cry, and feel healed somehow. That’s exactly what I hope people take away from both the mixtape and the EP…. and of course, there’s always something there for the people who still need the feeling of powerful bass. It’s definitely in there but in a more intentional way. That’s the beauty of my mixes, there’s always going to be a journey through both extremes. The art is in how one designs the ride. All of it is unreleased Super Future that extends beyond my EP so I hope that gives people even more to be excited about.
How has it been working with WAKAAN / SSKWAN on this unique sound and vision?
In my eyes, WAKAAN & SSKWAN have been the ones setting the curve for experimental. I can’t just make sounds that have been made already, it’s not in my DNA. I’ve always respected them for the vision of uncompromising experimentation on their platforms, so I’m thankful to be a part of their ranks. The music they have released since the inception about 6 or 7 years ago has always been the gold standard in my eyes. They have not pandered to what’s popular on radio, or fads, and I respect that because in order to be something novel and amazing you can’t. They are becoming their own brand of what’s popular in our sliver of music culture just by defying the existing “laws” of music. I’m totally here for it. It’s funny to me that hip hop producers and poppy future bass producers are using samples and production ideas from the sound of these experimental realms to make their music stand out! Just because we set the bar on creativity here. I love their team and their camp of artists too, several of them I consider good friends. You can expect more from me on both sides of their growing music empire in the coming years, and also on their curated events.
Through the pandemic and lockdown, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned as an artist?
Wooof, that is a big question. Who of us hasn’t had to reformat our whole existence as an artist after a year like that? Narrowing it down to just the artistry is tough, but I’d say some of the biggest adaptations and learnings were (1.) how to connect with your community through tools on the internet (streaming and becoming accessible) (2.) How to take time to hone in your skills and become truly original as an artist (3.) creating more streams of revenue from your desk, for instance, teaching remotely, discord, merch and mastering music, and (4.) how to persevere through a VERY tough year and still have the attitude and gratitude to take you to the top.
What else can we expect from Super Future, as one of our Artists to Watch in 2021?
A very Super Future! Haha definitely oversimplified there but true… and thank you for choosing me to be one of YourEDM’s “Artists to Watch in 2021” that was a very cool honor after such a long year. Definitely more originality and growth since I’m always working on that. I’m VERY excited about the visual and interactive components to the Super Future universe that my team and I are building for 2022. I’m writing EPs that I hope land in the house of WAKAAN & SSKWAN, certainly more downtempo music like ‘EQUILIBRIA’, EPs with other prominent bass and experimental labels that I can’t name here yet, plenty of work with old and new collaborators, definitely more fun “Ass Throwers Anonymous” party bangers with my good homie Wreckno (and YES there is a sequel mix to our first amazing ATA Vol.1 probably sooner than you think), festival sets all around the country, some touring next year, and tons of really dope merch! So much to be stoked about right now. All I can say is that my community of “Super Humans” will hear about it all first so hit my Discord or Facebook group to lock in 😉
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