Music is constantly shifting and evolving. Cassette tapes from 30 years ago seem light years away from the live music we stream today from our mobile devices. Experimentation, research, and creative mixing have given rise to genres and sub-genres that over time have multiplied and developed to give us new, unique sounds rich in detail.

Since emerging in the 60s, electronic music has greatly evolved to encompass a variety of different styles. However, it appears one style seems to be taking the current music scene by storm – and it’s called Future Bass. While its name has us thinking about the future, this genre is in fact all about the present. Its origins stem back almost a decade but it has been increasingly gathering momentum, finally reaching maximum amplitude in 2017.

The secret to success with this genre resides in its unique ability to accommodate a variety of patterns and beats generated by synthesizers and other electronic instruments. Future Bass, while born from the musical genres of Trap and Garage, is free from musical constraints. It has provided many artists – such as Kaskade or Ookay – the opportunity to experiment with different sounds and styles, incorporating only one element – a hard, strong bassline.

Many remixes are characterized by a significant presence of Trap beats, the occasional hard style sampling, and harsh, detuned synthesizers. Other commonly used features include gradual tonal increases and vocal effects.

Few artists have embraced the influence of Future Bass as much as Slushii or Marshmello, who have positioned themselves as some of the most influential DJs on the scene, producing hits such as “Twinbow,” a collective collaboration between the two.

Like many musical genres, only time will tell if Future Bass has come to stay or if it’s just a phase but regardless, it’s clear that the summer of 2017 has already found its sound.