Ace Aura

About

Also known as: Eric Seall

If you've ever heard a dubstep track that somehow feels emotional rather than just heavy, there's a decent chance Ace Aura had something to do with shaping that sound. The McKinney, Texas producer is widely credited as a pioneer of melodic riddim, a style that strips back the rhythm to something minimal and precise while loading up on lush chords, melodies and experimental textures. It's a niche he carved out with releases across some of the most respected labels in bass music, including Monstercat, Ophelia, Disciple and Never Say Die. His fifth EP Gem World made serious waves when its title track found its way into DJ sets by Skrillex, Slander and Nghtmre, among others. He has shared stages at Red Rocks, the Hollywood Palladium and the Mission Ballroom, and collaborated with artists like Subtronics, Crankdat and Seven Lions affiliate Nytrix. The Melodic Riddim Vol. 1 sample pack he put together with Chime hit number one on Splice and stayed there for four straight weeks, which tells you plenty about how much other producers want in on the sound he helped define.