"Next Gen 3" isn't a casual title — it's the third instalment of a series Crucast runs specifically to spotlight new talent, and the label knows exactly what it's promising when it says fresh blood. Crucast started in 2016 as a YouTube channel for bassline mixes, driven by Lazcru, before growing into one of the UK bass scene's most recognised brands — the jump from hobby channel to touring imprint is part of its own origin story.
That grassroots start shows in the tracklist. No name here is a headliner: Kontraband and Titus1 open with "Up The Tempo," and from there the record runs through Kanetaker, Wulflock, Digital Koala, Jack Junior, Venz, NLMT, Elvin (UK) and Thorpey, closing on "Fast Lane." Nine producers carrying out Crucast's original pitch: give space to artists without a long discography yet, betting on the sound before the CV.
The tempo confirms the identity. Five of the nine tracks sit exactly at 140 BPM — the speed Crucast has turned into a house signature — and the rest move between 132 and 137, never dropping out of classic bassline/UK garage range. Minor keys run through eight of the nine tracks (Bb, D, C, B, Eb, D, Eb, E), leaving "Up The Tempo" in Db major as the only bright opening before the record gets serious. The run times say something too: eight of the nine tracks clock in under four minutes, built for the floor rather than a long home listen.
What "Next Gen 3" documents, then, isn't a one-off release but a method — the same one that took Crucast from a homemade channel to, as the specialist press has put it, one of the most well-renowned dance music brands in the UK. Here it's simply applied again, batch after batch.
Sources: DJ Mag · Red Bull