Marshmello is taking it back to where it all began on his new EP, The R∞ts.
Released on the masked artist’s own Joytime Collective last week, the 10-track project sees Marshmello channel the early days of his prolific career, returning to the heavy-hitting trap and melodic bass sounds that launched him to critical acclaim in 2015 with new perspective after nearly a decade of cross-genre exploration.
“This whole EP was a project to show and remind myself, and for everyone that listens to my music, what my roots are and the type of music that made me fall in love with the electronic scene,” Marshmello said in a press release. “I decided to take what that meant to me and put my own spin on it.”
Alongside previously released singles like “Forever” with pluko, “In The Cut” with Viperactive, “Fired Up” with Hamdi, and “Bad Boys” with TRICKSTAR and Lil Jon, The R∞ts features six new Marshmello originals.
Among them are the EP’s lead track, “Just Can’t Stop,” a modern homage to trap’s 2010s-era heyday equipped with wobbly sine wave basslines; “wantsomemusic?,” an anthemic future bass song true to the OG Mello sound; and a fifth collaborative tune in the lynchpin track, “Lights On.”
Featuring hype-inducing lyrics from Canadian singer-songwriter FAANGS, the vocal-driven track features epic synth leads and cinematic builds that set the tone for even more new trap cuts on the back half of the EP in “Run Up” and “Da Da Da (the arp song),” and “Feelings.”
In combination with its previous singles, The R∞ts marks the first full release on Marshmello’s recently relaunched Joytime Collective label. The imprint has previously provided a home for some of the chart-topper’s biggest hits, including “Happier” with Bastille and “Silence” with Khalid, among others.
Last week, Marshmello appeared on popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat’s livestream to share a preview of an unreleased collaboration with the late rapper Juice WRLD.
Listen to Marshmello’s The R∞ts EP below.
Featured image from Marshmello.
