Despite the constant hate that SoundCloud receives, it is still by far the best platform for music discovery. Every month we find a slew of new artists that completely amaze and win us over. With this in mind, we decided to launch a new feature that brings our monthly finds to the forefront. Today marks the first edition of Focus Five, a collaborative feature from Colin & Oggie. Each month we’ll be showcasing five fantastic new finds and let you know why you need to be listening them. This month we’ve got a nice cross section: from multi-genre producers, to cinematic future beat-makers and wall-shaking bass producers. Check the list below and let us know your favorites.
Gladez
You know the feeling where it seems everyone you follow is suddenly reposting that one artist? Last month that artist was Gladez. It started with ‘Mile High Club’ but happened again with his ‘Olé’ remix. While the former caught my attention, it was the latter that put me on notice. Flipping a track that massive is no easy feat but Gladez’s remix of ‘Olé’ not only did the original justice but took it to new heights. If aggressive, wall-shaking bass music is your shit, Gladez is your guy.
-C
MEMBA
My introduction to NYC duo MEMBA came with their most recent release ‘Middle Man‘ and while I was blown away, I only became further flummoxed by their slew of head spinning sounds. They say their production style sees “world-influenced exploration of rhythm,” but I’m not sure what world they’re referring to, because even in this golden age of electronic music, I’ve never heard anything tweaked quite this way. The vocals from Asher Don in the aforementioned track are excellent, but it’s not a one off for MEMBA, who are undeniably adept at building beds for ballads and bops alike. Explore their awesome range in curated playlists of their own productions ‘Dutty‘ and ‘Calm.’
–OJ
nine plus
I first came upon nine plus with his phuture collective release ‘Into The Sun’. The pairing of stunning and intoxicating vocals with an aggressive and massive trap energy was spellbinding. In the span of a month he’s since released two more exceptional tracks that not only highlight his talents but also his versatility. ‘This Way?’ draws inspiration from Sam Gellaitry without feeling too similar. It’s groovy and uplifting with just the right amount of bounce. ‘End Game‘ finds itself between the two. A deep space slapper with just a touch of upbeat undertones. With just over a thousand followers on SoundCloud, it’s still early days for the producer, but we expect those numbers to explode in the near future.
-C
samsin
Every so often you hear a song that completely mesmerizes you; where music shifts from the background of what ever it is you’re doing and becomes the only thing that exists for a short period. This is what happened the first time I heard samsin. ‘Spectrum’ entered my ears and invited my mind into another world. Cinematic, entrancing and foreign yet familiar. It was like taking a trip to an exotic locale that also instantly felt like home. There’s a thread of magic that runs through Samsin’s music; an intangible energy and beauty that you just feel. Don’t believe me? Just listen to ‘Forest Floor‘ and ‘Augment’.
–C
underscores
It’s not often you come across an artist that 1) is capable of producing quality chill funk and aggressive bass cuts and 2) finds it unnecessary to divide those sounds into two distinct projects or monikers, but that’s the case with underscores. You never quite know what you’re going to get from him, whether it be the most metallic and mean bass bangers like ‘the city with no wind‘ or fun funky and groove of ‘twisted lines‘, there’s always the underlying quality of underscores. There’s dozens of options to illustrate his musical majesty, but let us offer these two awe-inspiring, enigmatic instances: ‘pause’ and ‘the niche market,’ a mashup of 84 (EIGHTY FOUR!) sounds and tracks, video below.
–OJ
To make exploring these exceptional artists even easier we crafted a special playlist for you below.
Words by Colin & Oggie James. List is in alphabetical order.
