A few months ago, future bass artist Grant Bowtie (signed to the indie electronic label Monstercat) went through a rebirth, and changed his name to simply “Grant.” A lot of Grant Bowtie’s music was upbeat, very feel good, and incredibly easy to bob your head to. Grant, on the other hand, makes a lot more emotionally complex music.
Grant’s first track under his new alias was “Wake Up,” an incredible melodic future bass song with Jessi Mason providing vocals. As good as that song was, though, it doesn’t even touch “Constellations” in terms of quality.
“Constellations” is Grant’s second release under the MCat label, and his third under his new alias. The song is future bass, Grant’s (and Bowtie’s) specialty, but it goes beyond that genre. It reaches deep into the hearts and minds of listeners to elicit nostalgic memories of spending time with someone you love, looking up at the night sky and watching the stars rotate ever so slowly against the blackness of space.
Obviously, someone who hasn’t experienced that (or something like it) won’t fully click with this song, but I definitely did. The wubby (there’s really no other word to use here) synths are still head bob-able, but the depth of their pitch and frequency of their wubs trigger more than just dancing in the listener.
They make the listener think, remember, and love. The melody walks a blurred line between upbeat and melancholic, reinforcing the nostalgic feel the song evokes. Jessi Mason provides the vocals once again. Her voice is lower, almost husky in this track, unlike “Wake Up.” Her lyrics reflect on that feeling of looking up at the sky with someone, and takes it in a direction of bringing in someone new to look with.
Remembering the past, but optimistically going towards the future. “Why don’t we collide like stars and constellations?” Grant seems to be hitting a stride under his new name, and if he continues to collaborate with Jessi Mason, one can bet that the music he releases will increase in quality with each new track. I’m looking forward to seeing what other emotions Grant can make me feel from a four-minute song.
Grant’s “Constellations” can be streamed on Spotify and YouTube. Give it a listen if you’re looking for a dose of melodic future bass and a slap in the face of feels.