Martron Steps Away from the Mainstage for CU Selects 03

Los Angeles Producer Shifts Signal Chain Toward UK Garage and Cold Berlin Aesthetics

Martron, a Los Angeles-based bass music producer and classically trained composer, delivered a 45-track studio mix for the third edition of Change Underground Selects in March 2026. The 60-minute feature highlights a departure from mainstage electronics toward UK Garage, cold Berlin techno textures, and unreleased dubplates. Recorded following a relocation from New York to the West Coast, the selector spotlights underground producers alongside his own physical audio reconstructions.

The evolution of the Los Angeles producer from a classical composer to an underground selector reflects a complete overhaul of his creative signal chain. A pivotal moment in 2012 at New York’s Terminal 5, watching a lineup featuring Skream & Benga, KOAN Sound, Tokimonsta, and Skrillex, shifted his trajectory toward sound system culture. While early productions accrued over 3 million streams and backing from mainstage acts, recent output favours raw club dynamics over commercial formula.

A catastrophic hardware failure in 2025 served as the turning point for this technical shift. A total hard drive crash destroyed a nearly completed extended play initiated in mid-2024, forcing a complete reconstruction of session files. Out of that technical reset came the Resurgence project, driven by raw work ethic and a desire to dismantle polished arrangements in favour of warehouse grit.

Discussing the structural arrangement and dynamic balance of the production “By My Side,” the artist outlined how classical principles inform current studio workflow:

“Nothing really dictates how I approach making music, I just go with the flow. If I had to identify those principles in ‘By My Side,’ I’d say the key things it thrives on are its dynamics and its structural arrangement. The way things are stacked and taken apart is make or break… knowing when to pull back and when to let loose.”

Recalling the impact of hard drive failure during the creation of the Resurgence project, the producer reflected on the necessity of artistic perseverance in the face of lost studio data:

“Resurgence came as a result of that hard drive failure… I had a different EP entirely I was working on since the summer of 2024 but after what happened to my laptop combined with what was going on personally at the time, I wanted to do something different. To me, whether you’re just starting out or massively famous, a solid work ethic and grit need to be in place.”

Martron CU Selects 03

For the CU Selects 03 session, the selector steers away from commercial festival tracks to curate an hour of sub-bass pressure and technical precision. The 45-track selection blends dark UK Garage syncopation, cold Berlin techno pulses, and heavy bass edits, giving equal weight to emerging producers with minor followings and established underground figures. The tracklist acts as a showcase for an evolving aesthetic, balancing the late-night atmosphere of “Tonight” with the heavy sub-bass drive of “The Truth.”

In the studio, the producer avoids automated slicing plugins in favour of manual wave editing. By cutting vocal samples directly on the timeline, human timing variations are preserved that automated quantization destroys. Processing relies heavily on Ableton stock plugins for spatial color and transitions, paired with iZotope Nectar 3 for surgical octave shifts and vocal formant manipulation.

Emphasising a commitment to raw emotional expression and creative authenticity over fleeting industry trends, the composer shared a philosophy on modern artistic direction:

“Because being authentic and expressing raw emotions is what I consider ‘cool.’ Art requires some form of authenticity and raw emotion, whether you’re hidden or fully exposed… authenticity and raw emotion are my preference.”

Looking ahead at the continuous evolution of creative output across classical composition and heavy bass engineering, the West Coast figure emphasised the fluid nature of artistic identity:

“I’ll never forget my roots and like to utilize them consistently and I’m never gonna tell anyone this is where my project is ‘permanently.’ Artists change, they grow and learn everyday, so does their art. At the end of the day, if it represents me, that’s all that matters.”

CU Selects 03 mix technical structure

The CU Selects 03 mix architecture moves through rapid genre shifts, linking bootlegs from Jukaa and Cerdin with original dubplates and remixes of Bronze Whale, Chris Lake, and Tiger Drool. By combining modular synth textures, heavy sub-bass weight, and crisp vocal chops, the recording captures the energy of warehouse acoustics within a controlled studio session environment.

The complete 45-track sequence stands as a definitive document of a West Coast studio transition, bridging the gap between orchestral arrangement techniques and heavy dancefloor dynamics.

Listen to all CU Selects episodes on Change Underground.

CU Selects 03 Tracklist

1. Martron – Intro
2. Martron – The Truth
3. Martron – Ghost Mode
4. Fimigurrero & EsDeeKid – TARTAN (Klo Flip)
5. wakeup – knowmyname
6. Young Miko, Riri – Modley Dub
7. Martron – ID
8. Bronze Whale & Sofasound – Moving Our Bodies (Martron Remix)
9. Scorsi – No Turning Back
10. Martron – Talking
11. Bronze Whale & Martron – Blooming (Martron Remix)
12. Chris Lake – Savana (Martron Remix)
13. RHR, Skrillex, Me Jesmay & Lucas Swatch – SYRINX
14. Ice Spice – Princess Diana (Jukaa Bootleg)
15. Cesco – GITP
16. THEO AZUR – Reveal
17. Martron – ID
18. YOSHI – TODO (Alexis B Remix)
19. Jon Cass – GOT2GO
20. BLVZE & RICO 56 – GO OFF
21. JPKy – you
22. LAUTRE – Tell Me
23. fold & cu.rve – No Business
24. Anti Up – Chromatic (Cerdin Remix)
25. Moss – On My Way (feat. Ngaiire)
26. Martron – By My Side
27. SQUIRED – WATCH ME TAKE IT
28. Martron – Feel It
29. Martron – One More
30. Maneki – BACKSEAT
31. Foramic – SNF
32. Martron & 2Sum – Power
33. Martron – The Rhythm
34. Killmatter – BALENCIAGA BARBIE
35. Tiger Drool – TIGER (Martron Remix)
36. Bellorum – My World (Martron Remix)
37. QUIX – Gunning For You (Martron Remix)
38. Asper – Vibe Check
39. Virtual Riot – Sh*t’s On F*re
40. Martron – No Fear
41. Martron – Tonight x Always
42. Martron – Again
43. Martron – Heart & Soul