Au5

Au5 (Austin Collins, born September 18, 1992) is an American producer based in Denver, Colorado. His work spans chillstep, drumstep, dubstep, future bass, melodic bass and wider EDM; within the drum-and-bass/jungle family his output most directly touches drumstep and melodic bass textures. Born in New Jersey and now operating out of Denver, he is primarily active as a producer.

Collins began music training on classical piano at age four and started producing as a teenager. He first gained wider attention with label releases beginning in 2012. In January 2013 he won a Seven Lions remix contest, a milestone that increased his profile on the electronic music circuit. He has released music on Monstercat and worked with vocalists and producers across the scene while building a touring profile that includes festival appearances such as SXSW and tours with artists including Liquid Stranger and Infected Mushroom.

Au5’s sound is built around strong melodic writing and layered sound design. His classical-piano background shows through in chord progressions and harmonic structure: tracks often use extended chords and clear lead melodies over pad beds. Production techniques he commonly uses include detailed wavetable and FM-style synthesis for evolving lead timbres, long reverb and delay chains to create atmosphere, and multiband processing on basses and pads to keep clarity in dense mixes. Percussion frequently combines syncopated drumstep patterns with half-time dubstep hits—fast break elements folded into slower, melodic arrangements—so kick/snare placement and transient shaping are deliberate parts of his mixdown work.

Bass design in his tracks tends toward pitched, harmonically rich low-ends rather than single-note sublines: layered sub and mid-bass parts with saturation and dynamic EQ to sit under melodic content. He often sculpts space with airy pads and granular or chorused textures, then contrasts them with sharp, formant-like lead patches. Vocal collaborations — for example the Monstercat releases that feature singers — are mixed to sit prominently in the midrange while preserving the synths’ harmonic content. The result is a melodic bass aesthetic that bridges chillstep and future-bass sensibilities with heavier dubstep and drumstep rhythmic elements.

Specific releases and collaborations tied to Au5’s profile include several Monstercat singles. Notable titles he released on that label are "Halcyon" (a collaboration with Fractal), "Snowblind" (featuring Tasha Baxter), and "Crossroad" (featuring Danyka Nadeau). Those tracks illustrate two recurring practices in his work: collaboration with other producers (co-produced material like "Halcyon") and songwriting with featured vocalists ("Snowblind," "Crossroad"). He gained prominence with label releases beginning in 2012, and the Seven Lions remix contest win in January 2013 provided another concrete early-career marker.

On stage and on tour, Au5’s role is exclusively production-led rather than as an MC or live instrumentalist; his performances and DJ sets showcase finished productions, remixes and collaborative tracks. He has played festivals including SXSW and has toured with acts such as Liquid Stranger and Infected Mushroom, which places him in direct working and touring relationships with bass-oriented and psychedelic-electronic artists.

Documented connections in his career include the Seven Lions remix contest win (January 2013) and collaborations with Fractal, Tasha Baxter and Danyka Nadeau on Monstercat releases. Those concrete credits map to his broader reputation for melodic, synth-forward production that moves between chillstep, melodic bass and heavier dubstep/drumstep elements. He continues to base his production work out of Denver, Colorado.