Presenting: ‘Unraveled’, the 4-part tale from WUMP co-founder, Scatz.

“In this collection I pushed to really embrace this idea I’ve been toying with of storytelling through bass music. The four tracks are intended to connect together in sequence which will begin the stitching together of the entire tale. ‘Unraveled’ is comprised of an overlying story of espionage-esque drama with plot twists, romance, and all kinds of action.” – Mitch Bilodeau (Scatz)

We’ve certainly got something a bit different for you with this EP, which leads us through futuristic cityscapes and vacant underground tunnels as the story unravels through danger, romance, conflict, and excitement. It’s always a treat to dive inside the mind of our co-founder, Scatz, because it’s impossible to predict where the twists and turns will take us. This time, we’re invited feel the rise in blood pressure as we explore the shadowy, action-packed plot of an infiltration mission by two characters that are ultimately revealed to be more than just platonic partners (spoiler alert).

‘Unraveled’, while broken up into four tracks, ignores conventional structure found in bass music, and instead more closely follows the traditional Three-Act Structure found in film, novels, and other fictional narratives, which consists of: 1.) the Setup 2.) the Confrontation 3.) the Resolution. Through Scatz’ iconic progressive style of glitch hop/midtempo bass music, the story unfolds and envelops the listener, flooding the mind with images and emotions.

The story begins with “Flow Like Fire”, which acts as the Setup to our tale (Act 1)- establishing the overall mood and grounding us in this futuristic, neo-noir cityscape. Ingeniously placed vocal snippets amidst the surging waves of tension set the stage for the adventure, as we learn these characters have got “nothing to lose.”

We’re led into “Fake Passport” which continues the Setup, but wastes no time in building the tension of the plot as we move into the Confrontation (Act 2). This part of the story holds a really interesting dichotomy between textures, which seems to represent the dance between a.) the obstacles and b.) the masterful overcoming of said obstacles. In a fashion that reeks of avant-garde sexiness, our two main characters maintain the bouncy optimism through gritty textures as the powerful bass kicks drive the plot ever forward. Piano riffs act as dialogue between our two spies- sometimes playful, sometimes desperate and tense- which hints that these two have a more complex relationship than just spy partners.

At this point in the story, we’re given a glimpse into this deep relationship with “The Heist”, which acts as a flashback to a simpler time for these two characters. The beautiful piano melodies and male/female vocal samples evoke intense emotion, as the characters are revealed to be lovers. Tension builds back up as the drum n bass sections take us back to the current timeline, this time with a deeper understanding of the stakes.

Now that the plot has thickened with this pivotal realization, we’re brought to the dramatic conclusion to our tale, fittingly titled “Terminus.” Right from the start of this chapter, we feel the ominous atmosphere suggesting that a boss battle is imminent. “Terminus” is as dark as it is exciting, and serves as an unpredictable Third Act to our tale.

Artwork by Scatz.