Insomniac Music Group launches new imprint, BREAK ROOM 

Insomniac is launching its newest imprint from the Insomniac Music Group umbrella, BREAK ROOM, a hub for bass music fans to escape the monotony of the world through unruly, boundary-pushing trap, hardwave, and experimental bass music.

The inaugural single comes at the hands of LA-based producer Hex Cougar, a trailblazing force of nature known for blending beauty with a beastly edge. He's pouncing on the collab tip with genre-blurring talent VARI, the Tulsa-grown producer known for his impeccable sound design that fused harsh, glitchy textures with cinematic melodies.

Their new collab "Ultra" is a striking hardwave offering tethered to a moody, single-line vocal hook that is pitched up and distorted above frenetic drum lines, futuristic melodic ripples, bombastic low-end, and raucous synth leads that veer and pan in every direction. It's the first track off his Hex Cougar's forthcoming EP on the label. Hex has enjoyed continued support from RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, Illenium, Diplo, Skrillex, Porter Robinson, DJ Snake, The Chainsmokers, and Jauz. He recently issued his 16-track 'Alter/Ego Volume III' compilation released via his own label by the same name.

“VARI sent me the original idea for this track in 2023 & I was immediately hooked by the chords/melodies, which gave me a nostalgic, almost Nero sort of vibe. I reworked the drop to give it a heavier, anthemic feel and decided to layer a breakbeat drum loop behind the main trap drums to give it a feeling of flow and constant movement. After sending the track back and forth a few more times, I think we finished the main body of the track in only a couple of weeks. The whole process flowed easily and felt natural, and it’s probably one of my favorite tracks to date. It’s loud, euphoric, aggressive, and kind of symbolizes me falling back in love with heavy electronic music after a long period of feeling like I had maybe outgrown the genre,” Hex Cougar says.

VARI adds, “Hex had reached out to start a track, as he was working on a new EP. Once we found the initial demo I had, he took it and turned the energy up to 11. After going back and forth, I think the track perfectly walks the line between heavy/glitchy beats and the melodic/ethereal aesthetic we're both known for.”

Hex Cougar, VARI - ‘Ultra’ is out now via Break Room.

ABOUT HEX COUGAR

Hex Cougar has built a unique fanbase over the past 8 years with his sinister and mysterious persona. His ability to produce emotionally-charged and genre-bending music has earned Hex Cougar over 100 million streams across platforms to date, where the LA-based producer has also been supported by the likes of Diplo, Skrillex, Porter Robinson, DJ Snake, The Chainsmokers, and NGHTMRE, among many others. His resume includes lauded remixes for Baauer, RL Grime, Illenium, Alison Wonderland, KRANE, and Sia along with numerous originals tallying millions of plays across platforms. In early 2020, Hex Cougar released his highly-anticipated debut EP, Under The Light Of A Dying Moon, which was accompanied by a fully immersive, 9-and-a-half minute short film of the same name. Preceding the EP, Hex Cougar released 2 hit singles ‘Hourglass’ (with AWAY and josh pan) and ‘Sacrifice’ (featuring Ruby Red) - all told, the package has earned over 7,000,000 streams to date. Hex Cougar continues to build his persona as a tastemaker in the electronic music industry through his label, Alter/Ego. Launched in late 2020, Alter/Ego seeks to bring eclectic, complex underground electronic music to light.

ABOUT VARI

Tulsa-based DJ & producer VARI adopts assorted styles of dance music into his tracks, harnessing wave’s melodic and moving leads, harsh industrial basses, and bouncy trap drums to curate a cohesive sound that’s inimitably him. The producer’s uniquely glitchy melodies have garnered the support of heavy hitters such as RL Grime, NGHTMRE, Slander, and Mat Zo, going on to release songs with each artist’s respective labels. Cinematic and striking, VARI secures his spot in the next wave of innovators.

About Break Room

Shattering reality since Q424, BREAK ROOM is a movement led by Insomniac Music Group. The record label and event series are dead set on breaking up the monotony of everyday life. At its core is a community whose mission is to disrupt the status quo. A generation that was born to break the rules. A society that’s here to wreak havoc. The music itself is rebellious and defiant, mobbing around breakthrough sounds in trap and hardwave—creating an escape via bass music that falls on the aggressive fringes of the genre. Be ready to disconnect with BREAK ROOM.

About Insomniac Records

Insomniac Records operates under the umbrella of Insomniac Music Group. More than merely just a record label, Insomniac Records is a destination where fans from all walks of life can discover and enjoy choice selections from a roster that includes some of the best DJs/producers from the global stage. On top of the 200 releases since 2016, Insomniac Records has also curated its premier EDC compilation series, featuring four EDC Las Vegas and EDC Mexico master soundtracks. Signing a roster of notable talent, including Dombresky, Noizu, SIDEPIECE, John Summit, Vintage Culture, James Hype, Habstrakt, J. Worra, Matroda, LP Giobbi, Biscits, and beyond, Insomniac Records continues to foster unique talent it firmly believes in. The unparalleled track record of success has pushed Insomniac Records to the forefront of established dance music platforms.