TULSA-BASED LOW-END ARCHITECT VARI COMBINES STRENGTHS WITH NEW ZEALAND-BRED RISING STAR CORTR ON THEIR NEW SINGLE FOR NGHTMRE AND SLANDER’S LABEL, TAKING THE SHAPE OF THEIR SKULL-CRACKING HARDWAVE COLLAB.
American producer VARI and New Zealand-born, Vancouver-based artist CORTR join forces on “MIND,” a blistering trap single arriving September 12 via NGHTMRE and SLANDER’s Gud Vibrations imprint. The pair fuse their distinct styles into a track engineered for peak-time impact.
Built from CORTR’s initial idea and refined in-tandem with VARI for more than a year, “MIND” opens with climbing arpeggios and cinematic atmospheres before vocal chops ricochet from airy whispers to pitched-down growls. The tension erupts into a skull-rattling drop of crunchy basslines, jagged synths, and squelchy fills, surging toward a bouncy 4x4 climax that threads trap aggression, wave textures, and rave-inspired chaos.
Speaking to the seamless process working together, yet the painstakingly careful procedure of fine-tuning the track into what it is today, VARI says, “‘MIND’ is a track that began as a very straightforward ‘banger,’ and over the course of +1 years morphed into a combination of multiple ideas and styles into the final track we have today. Working with CORTR was extremely smooth and our musical ideas felt right at home together. Very excited to finally get it out, and I can’t think of a better home for it than Gud Vibrations.”
Sharing his excitement around debuting on a label he holds a deep admiration for, CORTR shares: “From first hearing SLANDER and NGHTMRE’s music 11 years ago, and now releasing this absolute anthem on their label, it’s a full circle moment.”
Since 2020, VARI has carved a unique lane within Gud Vibrations, with releases like “MOVELIKE” and “SPLINTER” gaining media support while his DJ sets have landed on stages at EDC Las Vegas, Starbase Festival, and Avalon Hollywood. Beyond the label, he has released on Sable Valley and Insomniac’s BREAK ROOM, with support from RL Grime, Illenium, Alison Wonderland, Joyryde, and more.
CORTR brings a different lineage to the collaboration, blending his love for alternative rock with bass music. His tracks have received spins on BBC Radio 1, Sirius XM, iHeartRadio, and George FM, while tastemakers such as Illenium, RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, and Steve Aoki have championed his music. Career highlights include performances at Rhythm & Vines and Vancouver shows, his single “Bleeding” charting No. 3 on NZ iTunes, and his remix of Bring Me The Horizon’s “Can You Feel My Heart” surpassing 4.2 million streams on Trap Nation’s YouTube channel.
Together on “MIND,” VARI and CORTR deliver a cohesive statement of raw energy and intricate design. The single embodies Gud Vibrations’ ethos: merging personal influences with bass music’s evolving future, primed to ignite underground dancefloors and festival main stages alike.
US-based DJ & producer VARI has been combining the most interesting components from wave, trap, dubstep, and industrial bass with his glitch-heavy sound design, amounting to a refreshing, innovative take on bass music. His unique sound has garnered support from heavy-hitters such as Illenium, Alison Wonderland, RL Grime, NGHTMRE, SLANDER, and Joyryde. Hot off of his most recent releases on Gud Vibrations, Sable Valley, and Insomniac's newest imprint BREAK ROOM, VARI is poised to continue breaking into the scene as a fresh and experimental act in the bass music world.
Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand and now based in Vancouver BC, CORTR has solidified himself as one of the most exciting emerging artists in the bass music scene. Combining his childhood love of alternative rock with his passion for electronic music, his high energy emotionally fuelled sound continues to propel him forward. Making his international debut in Vancouver in 2024, CORTR has played shows and festivals across New Zealand including multiple headline shows, performances at Rhythm & Vines, and numerous shows with international artists. His music has been played by the likes of Steve Aoki, Alison Wonderland, Illenium, Slander, NGHTMRE, RL Grime and more with airtime on BBC Radio 1, Sirius XM, iHeartRadio, Evolution Radio and frequent appearances on leading New Zealand station George FM. With multiple record label releases under his belt across Dim Mak, Quality Goods Records and Tribal Trap, CORTR has also been the subject of numerous blog write ups by Run The Trap, Urban List, FUXWITHIT and more. Showing no signs of slowing down, his single “Bleeding” topped NZ Itunes charts at #3 and his remix of Bring Me The Horizon’s “Can You Feel My Heart” has accrued over 4.2 million streams on it’s Trap Nation Youtube upload. You can find CORTR making appearances in some of Spotify's biggest playlists: Bass Arcade, New Music Friday Cratediggers and New Dance Beats, as he pushes forward with new music. Partnered with Converse All Stars & Jagermeister NZ.