REGNUM ULTRA

Coined 'astral bass' by modus himself, the production he touts on his sophomore album presents a strangely appealing blend of melodic bass and cinematics.

REGNUM ULTRA is another refreshing, cohesive full-length record that has sprung from the colour bass underground. It's not the pure rainbow-esque colour bass that saw prominence through the late 2010s - it seems that much of the scene's producers have, in some capacity, moved away from that sound, modus included - but rather it is a natural evolution. The presence of the colourful mix is still there, certainly (as the cover art will have you know), but the more typical melodic bass elements seem to come out more, particularly through the album's midsection like in "What It's Like To Fly", giving the soundscape a tougher, smoother flow.

That's not to say that the sound I have just described is necessarily new. Chime's Aetherborne, all the way back in 2023, proved that colour bass could act as the mould for an intrepid journey of a full-length record - meanwhile, much of modus' blending of melodic and heavy bass music seems distinctly inspired by complextro veterans like Au5. But it would be unjust to call REGNUM ULTRA derivative - influences can remain influences, and ultimately the style of 'astral bass' that modus employs is, in fact, rather unique.

It must be said that the term 'astral bass' seems very apt. The sound design is intricate, yes, but modus rarely stops to boast it, allowing the tracks a more spacious atmosphere that would otherwise not be afforded to them. He deftly avoids much of the traps the genre of colour bass has often set historically in this regard, traps that would otherwise have you believe that you must execute the most elaborate sound design possible (for the sake of elaborate sound design). The answer to avoiding them, for modus, seems simple: give the 'astral' idea room to breathe in the mix. In that newly found room, modus is able to find space for the album's own identity in its songwriting - the vocals scattered across the tracklist would be of note here, but the more obvious highlight is the orchestral elements.

The addition of orchestral elements is, naturally, the key player in achieving that cinematic sound. At times they are more prominent than even the bass music, allowing builds to swell into grand climaxes rather than merely gearing up another drop. There's a begrudging acknowledgement between modus' instrumentation and his firing synths - in the first portion of the album it is the heavier bass elements pushing forward whilst the orchestration complements it, whereas the midsection sees a more hopeful, quieter, and more optimistic mood take over, giving both sides of the sound an opportunity to work symbiotically, in tandem. Vocals from Miss Lina, Sekai and Seairy also make cameos here, their lyricism and tone equally hopeful, as if coming to terms with the harsh reality presented in the album's opening segments like "Primum Temporis" or "Warped Up (Beyond All Recognition)". Here, now, the orchestration is allowed to come out more, soundtracking REGNUM ULTRA whilst the colour bass provides the more vivid, dynamic sound design, until "The Final Frontier" brings those orchestral elements to the fore. There is always experimentation with such instrumentation, though - the closer "All Will Be Fine" is mellow; its only motif is the muted piano, with smooth organic progression over its five minute runtime.

It is certainly true, though, that REGNUM ULTRA finds its strengths in its cohesiveness rather than its technical elements. Having a unique style carries it a long way, to be sure, but what carries REGNUM ULTRA over the finish line is its commitment to its narrative and atmosphere. modus' fantastical narrative is deeply imbued with themes of overcoming obstacles, of learning how to love yourself and those around you - occasionally the album can be a little hard to follow, but its movement through its galactic setting is intentional enough to keep it on the tracks. REGNUM ULTRA is much more than the sum of its parts, both in style and in story - in truth, its parts are relatively weak without those two elements.

But because those two elements are there in compelling fashion, I have to say that REGNUM ULTRA is a very convincing sophomore album from the underground talent. Even without the additional spacey mixes and orchestration, this Au5-esque style of dubstep was in need of more attention and more quality that modus provides. With those spacey mixes and orchestral elements, though, modus has created something of his own, of cosmic magnitude.

Listen on Spotify here.