Albums | Future bass purveyor Maddy O’Neal recruits vocalist MOONZz for inaugural collaboration “Change Of Pace”

Posted by VMan on August 17, 2022

Evolution is at the core of Maddy O’Neal’s creative process. She’s cultivated a brand of future bass that incorporates intricate synth design, glistening electro-soul melodies and funky, pulsating basslines. And yet the dynamic artist is always looking for new sounds and styles to explore – a sonic curiosity that spotlights her unique innovation within the male-dominated bass scene.

Following a breakneck tour schedule that’s seen O’Neal vaunt her hybrid DJ-drum pad live performance at 90+ shows annually for the last five years, the Denver-based beatsmith will continue to showcase this musical fervor on her sophomore album Ricochet which drops Tuesday, September 20.

Her first full-length LP since 2016 and the follow-up to four celebrated EPs, Ricochet will be an immersive, personal experience, pulling listeners into a buoyant journey through a shifting arsenal of styles and soundscapes. The album’s production process features O’Neal playing drum pads, keyboard, and synthesizers, in addition to collaborating with various vocalists and instrumentalists. The result is a bold body of work that peers into the musical auteur’s internal artistic and personal dichotomies. 

In May, O’Neal dropped the album’s first single “Never Fades,” a sparkling, euphoric future bass banger. Then in July, she released “Follow Me,” a trap and reggae-inspired track featuring producer/trumpeter Balkan Bump.

Now, O’Neal unveils “Change Of Pace,” a bouncy, exuberant song that further expands the artist’s sonic palette while still retaining her typical creative panache. Featuring LA-bred vocalist MOONZz (the singer-songwriter project of Molly Williams who featured on Big Gigantic’s “Future’s All I See,” CloZee’s “Hold On,” DROELOE’s “Statues,” and SLUMBERJACK and Daktyl’s “Crucified”), “Change Of Pace” represents a fluid chemistry between vocals and instrumental, surrounding MOONZz’ melodic, celestial performance with ascendant chord progressions, glitchy synths, and a booming, bass-infused beat.

“Change Of Pace” is the first collaboration between the two artists, and their writing process proved to be a natural creative partnership invigorated by shared taste and history (both are CU Boulder alumni).

The single features a genre-melding, trunk-rattling instrumental, combining trap and bass music elements to create a kaleidoscopic, dance-fueled experience. O’Neal’s production is the perfect foil for MOONZz’ vocals, which glide throughout the track and anchor the electronic core with layers of heavenly, triumphant melodies.

“Change Of Pace” is a resounding single leading into O’Neal’s album release, and anticipates an LP that will bring fans a bevy of colorful, genre-crossing experiments. Hot on the heels of her Lollapalooza debut, the bass maestro will showcase Ricochet across the country this year, performing at festivals such as Hulaween, Secret Dreams, Same Same But Different, and Lost Lands. O’Neal’s live performances consist of original compositions, drum pads and an interwoven storyline, ranging from down low grimey bangers to shimmery mid-tempo vocal bass tracks and head nod disco.