The story about the artist who quickly became a widely-known name, and achieved a level of what many would consider success, isn’t new to dance music. But when an artist like Levitate, also known as Connor Tho, begins to gain notoriety, it’s hard not to be interested. He’s collaborated with some of the best in dance music, and in an area full of talented producers and DJs, Levitate is rising to the top. The Seattle-based artist is setting an incredible pace for 2016, and we’ll have all eyes (ears*) on what he has in store for the rest of the year.
The rise of Levitate isn’t a huge surprise to those who’ve been following the Northwest-native’s brand of bass tunes. Last year, Levitate released the GODSTATUS2 EP, as well as several singles, including a huge collaboration with Bassnectar. That tune, Chasing Heaven, featured on the bass figurehead’s most recent album, Into The Sun. In a little less than a year, the song has more than 670,000 plays on Soundcloud, and many more in mixes, live-sets, and on mp3 players around the world. Chasing Heaven is one of the best tunes on the album, and it’s reception likely played a role in Levitate’s return to Bassnectar’s upcoming album.
That return comes on June 17th, when the album, Unlimited, is released. You can pre-order the album here, and get four of the tracks on the album immediately. According to Bassnectar’s official site, Unlimited is meant for a more personal listening, rather than the intended group enjoyment of Into The Sun. The album is “a bit deeper and more downtempo”, and we’re excited to see how that translates into the latest Levitate and Bassnectar collaboration. Levitate will get a chance to play the new tune live alongside Bassnectar this summer, when he performs at Bass Center 2016 in Colorado. He’s part of the ‘Bass Center Late Nights‘, with the likes of Liquid Stranger, ill Gates, The Librarian, and more.
The new tune follows Levitate’s most recent work, the Darknet EP, which was a collaboration effort with fellow Northwest-favorite Justin Hartinger. The three-track work is some of our favorite Levitate tunes to-date, and his ability to thrive both as a solo producer, and collaborator, are being showcased on a regular basis. The EP was coupled with a Northwest tour, which featured stops in Bellingham, Pasco, and Seattle, including a release party at Q Nightclub on May 14th.
It’s been another great year for the Northwest dance music scene. The creation of the Anomaly Music Collective, and fantastic releases from dozens of the PNW’s best artists, has raised the bar for Northwest producers. There are more than few artists throughout Washington, Oregon, B.C., and beyond, who’re living up to those rising standards. But, not many are doing it as impressively as Levitate. He’s working with the best in the business, the best in the PNW, and is elevating dance music in the Northwest.
Let us know what you think of Levitate’s sound spreading farther than the PNW, and how excited you are for his collab on Bassnectar’s new album! Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!
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