Bvss Botz is a dubstep duo comprised of twin brothers Chris and Calvin Portillo. Based in Los Angeles, the Portillo brothers live together, DJ together, and produce music together. They’ve released several projects including singles Drift (streaming here) and Future (streaming here). Their most recent release is a two-song EP titled Heat Waves.
The brothers say they got their start through networking in the LA area, and that their name was chosen based on their love for bass sounds and robotic effects. It’s very fitting – the Heat Waves EP is full of rapid-fire, super-tight riffs and drops and serious basslines that pack a punch.
Heat Waves is the first of the two tracks, starting off deep and spacey, slowly layering in some slightly dissonant digital sounds. The following more melodic section is paired with some great driving, intricate drum beats, along with a killer fill right before the drop at 0:51. At 1:51 there’s an abrupt switch to a much more delicate synth part, followed by another great drum fill and then back into some up-tempo robotic sounds. The track is cohesive but still keeps the listener guessing as to where we might end up.
The intro to You is exceedingly cool, the slow build to the main tempo is really ear-catching. The more involved melodic influence on this track makes it very easy to listen to – no matter how heavy and distorted the song becomes, the melody can still be picked out. In the breakdown between 2:43 and 3:39, the track abruptly changes and nearly becomes a different song with a totally different melody, and Bvss Bots really live up to their name with some super heavy robotic sounds. But we get back to the original melodic tones via some alien synths that echo the beginning of the track. It’s also worth mentioning that these tracks are both mixed and produced at a high level; nothing is muddy or washed out, and each track within each song is clearly discernable from the rest.
IN CONCLUSION…
Heavy robotic sounds, tight drum fills, and spacey synths. You don’t have to be a diehard dubstep fan to appreciate what Bvss Bots are doing on the Heat Waves EP – but experts will appreciate their dedication to expert, high-level production across both tracks. If you’re even a little into dubstep, don’t sleep on Bvss Bots. Check out Heat Waves below:
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BELOW: Listen to their EP Heat Waves and connect wit their website and social media platforms. Please support Bvss Botz by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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