Barely Alive Launches Killed It! With Debut Compilation Spotlighting Brostep’s Next Generation

THE 18-TRACK PROJECT UNITES BROSTEP VETERANS, ESTABLISHED NAMES, RISING ARTISTS, AND UNDERGROUND TALENT WHILE GIVING THE GENRE A DEDICATED NEW HOME

After establishing Killed It! through a series of BARELY ALIVE releases over the past year, the duo are officially opening their label to a wider community of artists. Arriving Friday, August 7th, the 18-track ‘Killed It! Vol. 1’ compilation marks the imprint’s first multi-artist release, bringing together underground producers, rising acts, established names, and longtime figures from across the modern brostep landscape.

The compilation represents Killed It!’s evolution from a home for BARELY ALIVE’s own music into a broader platform built to support the genre’s next generation. Celebrating the raw, high-energy sound that made brostep a defining force throughout the 2010s, the label pairs those foundations with sharper production, modern sound design, and emerging artists bringing their own perspectives to the style.

For BARELY ALIVE, the release also signals a larger role as curators and champions, using more than a decade of influence to elevate new talent and give the full spectrum of brostep a dedicated home. Spearheading this expansion is Vishal Bhanderi, director of label operations at NIGHTMODE, former A&R and label manager at Disciple, and founder of artist management company To Be Fair, bringing a wealth of experience to Killed It!'s next chapter.

Opening the compilation, BARELY ALIVE join forces with Cyclops on “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO DUBSTEP,” a title that doubles as a mission statement for the project. Centered around eccentric vocal samples and intense sound design, the track channels the unpredictable energy of classic brostep through a modern production framework. Its surging drops and crowd-commanding arrangement are primed to ignite festival stages and leave audiences roaring.

Rising French artist and versatile producer Bizo provides another standout moment with “Good Times.” Infectious piano progressions, powerful lyrics, and heavy brostep drops place listeners in a time machine back to the genre’s golden era while retaining the precision and impact of current bass music.

Across the remaining tracklist, Smiles Only, Edison Cole, K1N, elden, Marcix, LOST FRIEND, sapphi, Ganimed, KING WORM, Shming, AUDIOWEAPON, Empty Stomach, rickster, SAMPLE BANDIT, Phaceless, altair, and more explore nostalgic throwbacks, experimental sound design, melodic contrasts, and relentless bass weapons optimized for moshpits and late-night raves.

Speaking on the compilation, Killed It! shares, “We wanted to kick off the label’s next chapter with bangs, growls, and lasers. ‘Killed It! Vol. 1’ is a heartfelt statement from a community of artists bringing their own perspective to brostep and an introduction to the sounds audiences can expect to hear much more from in the future. These artists have a lot to say, and they are only getting started.”

The label launch extends one of BARELY ALIVE’s most ambitious campaigns to date. Earlier this year, the duo completed their 15+ date “OVERDRIVE” headline tour, bringing immersive 360° staging, laser production, unreleased music, and nostalgic brostep throwbacks to venues across the United States. They followed with their seven-track ‘100% NO AI' EP, a human-made statement that returned to their roots while advancing the style through contemporary production and collaborations with Ragga Twins, PAV4N, Dani King, Luci, Casey Cook, LOST FRIEND, Edison Cole, TYNAN, and Madyx.

BARELY ALIVE have carried that momentum onto major stages throughout the summer, including a B2B with Kompany at Rampage Open Air in Belgium and an upcoming appearance at Excision’s Denver High Roller event. Bass Canyon on August 14th and Lost Lands in September remain ahead, giving the duo multiple opportunities to showcase the revitalized sound and introduce music from the emerging Killed It! community to some of bass music’s largest audiences.

With ‘Killed It! Vol. 1,’ BARELY ALIVE are doing more than launching a label. They are passing the torch while ensuring brostep’s roots remain firmly intact, creating a platform for the artists shaping its future and reconnecting listeners with the energy that made it one of electronic music’s most influential movements. As brostep surges back into focus, Killed It! is setting out to become the genre’s definitive home for its past, present, and future.

ABOUT KILLED IT!:

Killed It! is a community of artists channeling the carefree excitement and rebellious energy of bass music. Founded by BARELY ALIVE and Vishal Bhanderi, the label provides a home for artists with a shared vision for the future of the genre, where ideas can be developed to their fullest potential and presented to the next generation of festival-goers and everyday listeners alike.

ABOUT BARELY ALIVE:

In 2013, two childhood friends from Massachusetts named Matt and Willie teamed up to pursue their dreams in music and quickly took the dubstep world by storm. Known for their high-energy sound and technical precision, BARELY ALIVE spent the next decade cementing themselves as staples of the scene, touring globally and delivering a relentless stream of heavy-hitting releases.

After mastering their craft as producers, this inventive duo turned their attention to technology, setting out to create a robotic assistant. In a bizarre twist of fate, they fused their consciousness with artificial intelligence, only to perish in a freak accident. Today, their legacy lives on through their animatronic surrogate, WATT, who continues to create and perform at an otherworldly level.

Now in 2026, BARELY ALIVE are ushering in a new era, bringing brostep back with a modern, explosive edge while pushing the boundaries of live performance. Their Overdrive 360 Laser Experience Tour delivers a full-sensory experience, combining cutting-edge visuals, immersive production, and the signature chaos fans have come to expect. With a revitalized sound and one of the most ambitious live shows in bass music, BARELY ALIVE proves they are not just part of dubstep’s legacy. They are actively reshaping its future.