The tape reads Biography. Pop it in. Rewind. Press play.

A whiskey-voiced narrator starts speaking as the hazy images come into focus. “It’s 2010. Zeds Dead is about to play one of their first shows in the basement of a dive bar in Toronto. Behind the brick walls and the unfinished ceiling exposed wires hang freely. The air smells of booze, smoke, and sweat. A crowd is lined up outside, flasks hang from their back pockets and cigarettes from their lips. Abandoned drinks rest on the lip of the dj booth while joints get sparked in the corners.

The tiny room is packed. Nobody quite knows how to describe the music yet. When Hooks and DC start their set the earth trembles. The air becomes charged and almost sexual. Everyone goes crazy. You feel the music in your bones. Your marrow shakes. You don’t know what they will play next but you know it might just change your life. Everybody at those early shows could tell – these guys are gonna be big.”

Fast forward a few scenes. The narrator continues.

“It’s 2013. Zeds Dead is killing it. They’ve got an enormous catalogue that includes remixes for some of the biggest artists out there, and releases with the most credible labels in the game. They’ve accumulated hundreds of millions of views online. They play tours of over 70 dates to hundreds of thousands of people. Fans love their shows, critics love their creativity, and heads love their production. They’re big. Really big.”

“The date’s not important. The place is Toronto, Canada. Teenagers Zack Rapp-Rovan and Dylan Mamid are introduced – they hit it off immediately over a shared love of classic hip hop, music production, and digging through crates. They join forces and call themselves Mass Productions aka MP Records. Dylan becomes DC and Zack becomes Hooks. They work out of DC’s often smoky garage. Critiquing, dissecting and swapping samples. They grow with every tune. They get on a level where their combined sound is unified and strong. MP releases an LP of hip hop instrumentals called Fresh Beets. It’s a pivotal moment for the duo.”

“It’s 2009 and hip hop is in a coma. Hooks and DC are about to have an epiphany that will change everything. They thirst for something new. They want to make people move to their sounds and not just bob their heads, but to grind, heave, shiver, stomp, and dance to their music. They want to capture the ecstasy and comradery of house, the heart pummelling thrill of Drum and Bass, the beauty of ambient music, and the heaviness of electro – all in one sound. They want to push boundaries. To challenge themselves and their listeners to”– The movie cuts out. Ribbons of static shimmer across the blackness. Someone has taped over this part. A scene from Pulp Fiction flickers on screen. Butch and Fabienne are sitting on top of a Harley Davidson.

FABIENNE: “Who’s motorcycle is this?”

BUTCH: “Zed’s dead, baby, Zed’s dead.”

Zeds Dead

Fusing a love for SUBwoofers and elecTRONICS brings us Subtronics. Since emerging on the heavy bass music scene, Subtronics has gone on to release with Never Say Die, NSD: Black Label, Disciple Roundt Table, SubCarbon, Deadbeats, Kannibalen, and more, and to collaborate with GRiZ, Space Jesus, Ganja White Night, SQUNTO, Boogie T, and other notable producers. Fusing his unique blend of cutting-edge sound design with hard-hitting dubstep & riddim - and a dose of “spaced out wook trap vibe” - Subtronics seeks to push the envelope and pin the needles in modern production.

On the live front, Subtronics has built a rabid following with his high energy sets showcasing his technical skills, full of chopping and double and drops. Relentlessly perfecting his craft, Subtronics has toured North America and performed internationally, as well as gracing festival stages such as Electric Zoo, Camp Bisco, Lost Lands, Big Dub, Bass Canyon, Elements, and more.

When not producing “angry robot noises,” you can find Subtronics at home in Philadelphia spinning poi, doing dabs, and leading his devoted ever-growing band of followers in the ‘Cyclops Army.’

Look out for Subtronics coming to wreak havoc in a city near you - it’s the Year of the Cyclops!

Subtronics

Berk Alkanat, AKA Tape B, is a bass music producer that has a wide range of styles but is known for his unique and nostalgic approach to how he does things. With plenty of original heavy hitters, Tape B has been drawing a lot of attention through his classic OG dubstep and hip-hop remixes. Already showcasing a keen attention to detail and a fantastic array of genre-bending experimentations, he has steadily climbed the proverbial ladder of “artists you need to start paying attention to immediately.” He has caught the eye of forward-thinking platforms like Deadbeats, UKF, Subsidia, Wakaan, and Wubaholics, and has been supported by artists such as Zeds Dead, Excision, Peekaboo, Sully, SubDocta, Of The Trees, Wooli and countless others.

Tape B

The epic three-way collaboration from 3 of the world’s biggest bass music artists. First debuted during their b2b set at Decadence in Denver this past NYE, “Word Scramble" has developed into an urban rave legend. A visceral blend of high-octane basslines and meticulously crafted synths, this long-awaited ID proves why these three artists stand in a league of their own. The track comes as Zeds Dead’s second release since their highly-acclaimed 2025 album “Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness”. Catch Zeds Dead and Tape B going B2B during the Deadbeats Miami Music Week party on March 26th.

Word Scramble

Zeds Dead x Subtronics x Tape B