Antonio: The idea came out of the Chicago compilation album actually. I came up with the idea to get some new and upcoming artists together on an album which would feature brand new music from them. My goal was to showcase new talent and the diversity of our city.

Antonio: In the first stages of getting the features together, Avery (Smiirk), mentioned to me that we should just start an artist collective so that we can consistently showcase chicago based producers and brand new music. I loved the idea and we ran with it.

Antonio: Our main goal collectively is just to be an outlet for new and upcoming artists to showcase their hard work. I feel great minds can accomplish great things and if we all help each other out we can grow as one.

Antonio: The current roster represents artists I felt have been consistently putting out quality music and actively growing their fan base and brand. It’s good to have artists all on the same page and all very driven to accomplish similar goals. Some of us have known each other through playing shows together and some of us were complete strangers. We all share the same passion for the chicago music scene and our own musical endeavors though!

Antonio: Yes! We are always seeking new talent! Right now we have a lot on our plates with the upcoming release but after Feb 1st we will be releasing tracks regularly from artists on the roster, as well as any other chicago based artist looking to showcase their music!

Here is some info about the artists:

Over the past year and a half Ascencion has taken his productions to a higher standard with a few successful remixes including a Dillon Francis remix that garnered support from the likes of Dapp, Crankdat, and a few other artists and blogs. His passion has shown through his work and he strives to break barriers in his style. In 2016, he will be releasing many new originals and collaborations defining his skills and asserting himself as a contender in the bass music scene.

Axilon, the Chicago based DJ / Producer duo consisting of Skyler Shores and M.D.P. Known for their heavy hitting original productions and energetic live sets that leave no genre untouched, the duo has seen a widely successful 2015 having played multiple major music festivals and regularly playing alongside top national artists. Their future house remix of Sir Mix A Lot’s Baby Got Back became a viral vine success with over 350,000 loops, and their future bass remix of How Deep Is Your Love has seen similar success with praises from many major EDM blogs. With a monthly residency at Chicago’s notorious Porn & Chicken, and upcoming tour dates at venues across the Midwest, the up and coming duo shows no sign of slowing down their rapid success.

Bite Me, the self-proclaimed prodigy to Dracula himself, newcomer Bite Me has exploded onto the scene with guns blazing and fangs bared. Chicago-born, 20-year-old Bite Me (real name Kyle Johnson) is giving industry vets a run for their money with his undoubtedly unique take on the tried-and-true trap genre.

BoDega, a new name to an old face. A self-taught guitarist since a childhood, Bo has been producing since 16, finally settling into Ableton as his weapon of choice for some years . His sound is the derivative of many years of musical wave riding, often referencing his Hip-Hop, Blues, and Metal roots. Having kept much work personal and choosing only to perform with it, his smooth and entrancing music will definitely find you off your ass on and on your feet. Like the hashtag claims #BoGotBeats

Hi Five is a long time musician since the age of 8, that has been steadily honing his production skills over the past three years. His style usually consists of a fusion of groovy house and heavy bass music. He recently released a track with his long time collaborator, Xonic, entitled ‘No Pain’ featuring an iconic Drake sample: ‘One thing ’bout music, when it hits you feel no pain.

Jsquared are two artists based out of northwest Indiana. The name Jsquared came from the mix of Josh Ravesloot and Josh Ramos together bringing a dynamic mixture of rap,dub step ,electric hip hop, which is the style of music we now call trap today. The pair started playing locally in 2012 then over the years have had the chance to play with many big name artist as well as play festivals such as: Summer Set Music festival and North Coast Music Festival. They also put their own small tour together playing throughout the West Coast.

Having roots in New Orleans and Chicago, KTRL is redefining the music scene with their unique sound loosely described as Bass House. With a catalogue of released music on a multitude of labels such as EDM.com, Buygore, and Trap Sounds and garnering support from artists such as Oliver Heldens, Dr. Fresch, Buygore, Party Thieves, and more, KTRL is one duo that is rapidly rising in the national circuit.

SMIIRK started out in his journey to DJing at the age 11. He took 4 years to hone his skills and won a chance to DJ at North Coast Music Festival, being the youngest to play at that festival. His 2015 was incredible with having appeared at Backwoods and Dancefestopia festivals. Now, he is taking that same drive to his production skills. With a little over a year of producing, he has seen his soundcloud likes increase and has had his music heard all over the world. His music style is Future Bass/Chill Trap but he loves all genres.