Rewind: On This Day in 2018, No Mana and i_o Released "Bad Things"

On November 27th, 2018, the mau5trap linchpins dropped the massive techno collaboration on deadmau5's label.

Author:: Jason Heffler
Publish date:: Nov 27, 2020

The EDM community is still reeling from the death of Garrett Lockhart, who to friends, fans, and fellow music producers was affectionately known as i_o.

Following Lockhart's tragic and sudden passing, a deluge of tributes flooded social media from many of his contemporaries, including deadmau5, NGHTMRE, and REZZ, among many others. One of the artists to pay homage to the prodigious producer was fellow techno artist and mau5trap linchpin No Mana, who called him a "partner in crime" and a "brother" in a poignant thread dedicated to his late friend.

On this day in 2018 (November 27th), No Mana and i_o released their collaborative track "Bad Things," a pulsing techno bomb that went on to appear on the former's Melted Candy EP. Close friends and frequent collaborators, No Mana and i_o had a unique and strong bond, which the two producers showed in a dual Reddit AMA to celebrate the track's release at the time.

When a Reddit user asked i_o what his favorite No Mana track was, he replied "none of them," wryly saying that "they're all trash." Their dynamic seemed to be one of playful deprecation, born out of a deep mutual respect for each others' respective artistries. "aside from me being a dick to him all the time he's seriously an inspiration," No Mana wrote on Twitter following Lockhart's death. "i'm so torn."

You can listen to "Bad Things" below.