[PREMIERE] Hex Cougar Launches His New Label With Lemay Collaboration, “Aubade”

It always feels like creating your own label is the next step for an EDM artist. Especially in an industry where individualism and the grassroots approach are so heavily lauded, having full control over your own music is about as indie as it gets. For Hex Cougar, the path to creating Alter/Ego, his fresh label, has been a long journey and the debut single is finally here, his own collaboration with Lemay, “Aubade.”

The word ‘aubade’ is defined as a poem or piece of music appropriate to the dawn or early morning, though it’s unclear from the tone of the song if the definitely totally fits. The first-time collaboration between long time friends Hex Cougar and Lemay employs eerie horns and haunting chords to seemingly “call forth the sensation of a chilling dawn, before erupting into full daylight with seared bass synths and inescapable drums.” But it’s more like descending into madness if you ask me.

Hex Cougar says about his new label, “Alter/Ego is a project I’ve been working on almost all year, and I’m incredibly happy to finally be showing it to everyone. Even more excited that I get to launch it with a collab with my friend Lemay – we’ve been wanting to work together for a while, and I was grateful to have him on my show in LA earlier this year, so it felt like the perfect time. I wanted this label to be more of a community, a place where any kind of music can live as long as it’s forward-thinking and unique, and the group of artists on the compilation absolutely embody that for me. Can’t wait to show you everything else in store.”

“Couldn’t be more stoked on how this song turned out,” Lemay remarks about “Aubade.” “Everything happened so fast that I still really enjoy listening to the song which is rare for me. I’ve been looking up to Hex for a while and it was a pleasure to finally work with him. Each song on the comp is amazing and very unique in their own right. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air in the EDM game. Excited to be apart of Alter/Ego and watch the label grow.”

“Aubade” is the first single from the label, only officially announced last week, which is intended as a home for any artist pushing the boundaries of electronic music’s genres. However, it also serves as a precursor to the planned 13-track compilation, Alter/Ego Volume I, which releases October 29th, featuring a hand-picked selection of some of the best underground producers bringing their own styles and sounds to the likes of trap, future bass, wave, indie electronic, and more. Having already successfully carved a lane all his own, it was Hex’s natural next step to create a place that like-minded producers could come together under one umbrella, and he proudly presents this new platform to do so.

Check out “Aubade” from Hex Cougar & Lemay, the debut single on Alter/Ego, below!