In a recent interview with Vibe, DJ Muggs revealed that he is working on Cypress Hill’s next album, and suggests it will be a return to form for the group.

“I didn’t do much on the last Cypress album,” explains Muggs, alluding to 2010’s Rise Up project on which he only contributed two tracks. “What I want from the group—and I know what the people want—is just that sound that drew you into Cypress the first three or four albums. What we are doing is making a dark record that’s really avant-garde. We are not even tripping on who is going to play it or what blog is going to get behind it. We have never given a fuck. We are just going to make a real dark Cypress Hill record.”

“The last few records they just wanted to try something different,” he says. “I pretty much handled all their records, all the production, so I was like, ‘Cool.’ I needed to do things for other inspiration. Sometimes I will leave hip-hop alone for a year. It kind of cleans the palette so I can come back in and want to make hip-hop.”

DJ Muggs brings us his latest video for “Safe From Harm” ft. UK songstress Belle Humble off his January release on Ultra Records.

Bass For Your Face available now.

From Muggs electronic-tinged Bass For Your Face LP.

Muggs continues to toy with dubstep/ dub riddims for his new material, the latest being “Breathe Slow”, with Rahzel.

DJ Muggs is most famous for his work as the backbone of Cypress Hill, responsible for two arguably classic LP’s from the crew, not to mention a more-or-less strong catalog, despite a few missteps along the way. His solo career has been largely defined by his Soul Assassins series of hip-hop compilations, which found him producing tracks for all of your favorite emcees, not to mention a brief dabbling in trip-hop, with his 2003 LP, Dust. So along with a few mash-up projects on the side, it’s not entirely uncommon for Muggs to adapt to changing trends in the world of DJ-based music, making it no surprise that his new album for Ultra Records, Bass For Your Face, meddles in trap and dubstep.

While these genres have been labeled as fads, a seasoned producer like Muggs is almost showing off on Bass For Your Face, by making his attempt at producing them look effortless, enlisting a few def emcees in the process. The album opens with the brooding “Trapp Assassin”, a perfect backdrop for Freddie Gibbs, which morphs from a slow-rolling, drive-by beat into an unapologetic trap breakdown. This follows right into the excellent “Soundclash Business”, which plays like a six act trap manifesto, constantly changing up when you least expect it. He goes from dub to dubstep “Deep Purple” and “Shotta”, latter featuring Rahzel doing his best soundbwoy burial, and channels Public Enemy’s “Countdown To Armageddon” on “Come On London”.

“Safe”, a dubstep opera featuring Belle Humble is a bit reminiscent of Deadmau5′s “Raise Your Weapon”, clashing breathy vocals with unabashed dubstep wobble, and it works. This style creeps up later again on “Unknown” with Romy Harmony.

What separates Muggs from the rest of the dubstep/trap set are his years of production experience. While these genres have been largely associated with younger producers, Muggs seasoned expertise shines through on Bass For Your Face, as does his influence, effortlessly able to enlist everyone from Chuck D to Dizzee Rascal for collaborations. Those expecting this to sound like another Soul Assassins LP will surely be disappointed, but put up against everything else in the dubstep/trap genres, it definitely holds up.

Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs talks about the early days of Cypress Hill and how a joint got them banned from Saturday Night Live forever.

From the forthcoming Bass For Your Face album, out January 15th.

Muggs has been experimenting with some dubstep lately, and now he takes his tracks….. to the trap!! Gangsta Gibbs gets down on this one, taken from his January 15th album, Bass For Your Face.

Dark, aggressive and almost exhibiting a life of its own, the Sound Boy Killa exposes a new side of DJ Muggs we have not seen before, although always expected. As if he is reconstructing the rules of dubstep, the much less hip/hop influenced EP, indulges in emotional and grinding overtones that while overly layered, still feel smooth and organic. It breaths through an unprecedented amount of experimentation existent between the tracks. “People of the Earth” for example showcase a synergy between dubstep and drum and bass while the lighter tracks like “Sound Clash Business” bring in an energy of Trap surrounded by more natural sounding percussion elements. Our favorite however, are the filthy wobbles that continuously flirt with the sporadic manipulation of vocal samples on “Drop the Beat”.

Tracklist
1. Sound Boy Killa
2. Different (Featuring Sunny Cheeba)
3. Sound Clash Busines
4. People Of The Earth
5. Stoned Raiders (6 Blocc Remix)
6. Drop the Beat

DJ Muggs – “Sound Bwoy Killa” [Free Download]

DJ Muggs, the hip-hop producer (platinum albums with Cypress Hill, House of Pain’s smash “Jump Around”—plus a dozen stellar albums of collaborations in the Vs. series, as Soul Assassins and otherwise), the globetrotting hip-hop club DJ (spinning 100+ dates annually) and the experimental recording artist (2003 genre-defying album Dust). Take a breath and get ready for a new chapter in the Muggs story—and forget everything you thought you knew.

With Bass For Your Face (Ultra Music), the Los Angeles producer turns his considerable hard-won skills and discerning ear to dubstep, glitch, dub electronics in 12 original tracks featuring rising stars of hip-hop, a grime legend, a hip-hop god—but also an unknown Finnish singer discovered on SoundCloud. It’s not a typical hip-hop album, or a dubstep collection for that matter. It’s a 21st century hip-hop album built on futuristic dubstep production technique featuring rappers and vocalists operating on the leading edge of the underground. It’s safe to say it could only exist in 2013.

Bass For Your Face is a return to the underground for DJ Muggs, who hopes to connect old school beat fanatics with the raw fundamentals of drum sounds and electronic basslines. “What I tried to do was make this kind of record that real hip hop heads that aren’t really into dubstep would like, and show them the similarities that I found in some of the early dubstep stuff. The stark beats, dark minimalistic shit reminded me of the early hip-hop stuff, the T La Rock stuff, the early Mantronix productions—just kicks, snares and 808s. When I’m hearing that, it’s the same to me – it’s got the same spirit, that underground spirit.”

This is out now on Ultra Records, via iTunes.

DJ Muggs explores the idea that shape-shifting reptilian people will control our world by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate our society in his brand new video for “People of Earth”. Conspiracy theorists believe that many world leaders are reptilians from the Alpha Draconis star system attempting to gain power to run the world.

“People of Earth” is from DJ Muggs’ upcoming Ultra Records debut, Bass For your Face.

See if you can follow this chain of events. Cypress Hill records dubstep EP with Rusko, sans Muggs. Muggs records dubstep tracks solo, sans Cypress. Does this mean the next Cypress Hill LP will be a dubstep record? Time will tell. In other news, Deadmau5′s Cypress Hill collabo, “Failbait”, was pretty dope, by hip-hop standards.

We’re getting off track. Muggs delivers new EP rooted in dubstep and trap styles of production today on Mishka, featuring guest shots from Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids and A$ap Rocky. Also, that cover art rules.