After spending the past two years reshaping his production approach through firsthand experience with North America’s bass music scene, Nejvex returns to NGHTMRE and SLANDER’s Gud Vibrations with his explosive four-track DON’T BE MAD EP.
Arriving September 4, the release represents a significant evolution for the ICON Collective graduate. Moving to the United States exposed Nejvex to dubstep and drum & bass in the environment where the music hits hardest—on massive festival sound systems. That experience has fundamentally changed the way he approaches production, pushing him toward heavier, more physical records designed with the live experience in mind.
The EP’s title track, “DON’T BE MAD,” sits at the center of that evolution. Inspired by Nejvex’s first rave experiences in Los Angeles, the track begins with intricate sound design before steadily escalating into a barrage of laser-like blasts, mechanical fills, whirring tones, metallic impacts, and aggressive tearout sequences.
Rather than easing listeners into its chaos, “DON’T BE MAD” keeps adding pressure. Rapid-fire drums and distorted bass collide with bouncy club rhythms and punishing drops, creating the kind of production that feels engineered for a festival rig rather than headphones alone.
Across the rest of the EP, Nejvex continues translating years of experimentation into purpose-built club weapons.
“BALOR” delivers a more suspenseful take on his sound, using otherworldly textures and relentless energy to create a fever-dream atmosphere. “EXPERT (VIP)” revisits the lead single from his 2024 Gud Vibrations debut, transforming it into a high-octane drum & bass weapon. Closing the project, “KEEP IT REAL” draws from classic riddim while giving the style a pristine modern treatment, with squelching basslines driving its chaotic groove.
For Nejvex, the transformation began when he experienced bass music live for the first time after relocating to the U.S.
“Moving to the US and listening to bass music live has definitely changed the way I produce music in general. My first time going to a rave was here in LA at Apocalypse and it amazed me how differently EDM sounded on huge sound systems (where it literally feels like the sub is shaking your insides). Before then, I was only listening to it at home. I got introduced to dubstep through the online world and never experienced it live—I’ve also been producing it for the longest time without ever hearing it on large sound systems. So, for these tracks specifically, I really tried taking the live element into consideration. I found myself making a lot more heavy dubstep after going to raves.”
That firsthand experience has become a defining part of Nejvex’s current sound. Instead of simply creating music that works in theory, the producer is now building tracks around the physical realities of a live bass environment—the sub pressure, massive drops, and unpredictable energy that make festival systems such a crucial part of the genre.
The DON’T BE MAD EP also arrives during a rapid rise for the emerging producer. After winning the SLANDER ICON Collective Scholarship, Nejvex made his Gud Vibrations debut with the OUTLAW EP in 2024. He is now set to join SLANDER on their The Voyager Tour, bringing his high-impact production to major venues including Believe Music Hall, Pacha New York, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Big Night Live, Echostage, and Treefort Music Hall.
His momentum has also been fueled by support from some of bass music’s biggest names, including Chime, Ace Aura, Virtual Riot, Au5, Skybreak, and Sharks. His productions have reached festival stages around the world, including Lost Lands, EDC Las Vegas, Beyond Wonderland, Ultra, and Rampage Open Air.
With DON’T BE MAD, Nejvex bridges the gap between the bedroom experimentation that shaped his early production journey and the massive sound systems that are now influencing his creative process. The result is his most aggressive and physically minded body of work yet—a meticulously constructed dose of modern tearout built to be felt as much as heard.
Nejvex’s DON’T BE MAD EP is out now via Gud Vibrations.