It’s the end of the month and that means it’s time for another edition of Focus Five. As always, we’ve rounded up our top five favourite new finds for your listening pleasure. We’ve got hard hitting trap from aedfx and Haan808, future beat producer Afosamuriiast, murderous midtempo from SWARM and a remix master by the name of Ticklish. Find out why you need to be listening to these artists.
aedfx.
Hailing from St. Louis, aedfx. is occupying that perfect position between trap and bass music. His signature sound pairs stripped down, heavy-hitting trap with inventive sound design. He’s already worked with FUXWITHIT favourites L*O*J and Jon Casey on ’emergency’ and ‘unwind’ respectively. Both of which feature expertly tweaked vocal bends and booming bass. With a new EP on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time before aedfx. is well known. The first, aptly titled single ‘woah,’ gives listeners a taste of what’s to come and it sounds phenomenal. The slow burning track blends mystical melodies, with some serious bump and his signature stellar percussion. It introduces a deeper range of emotion to his work while still staying true to the dark bounce vibe he’s become know for. Expect a big 2018 for aedfx.
-C
Afrosamuraiist
If you were to throw a hip-hop backbone, R&B flavour, a touch of trap, sprinkle in some world music and bake it all into a Future Beat formula, you’d have something pretty close to what Afrosamuraiist has been cooking up. The London based producer has been slowly creeping onto our radar for the past few months. The joyous ‘Lotus,’ and the exotic ‘Deewani’ caught my ear a while back, but it’s the consistent stream of release in the past two months that really made me a fan. From the mimosa and sun soaked vibes of ‘Drank’ to the futuristic yet nostalgic vibe on ‘Yuh!,’ it seems everything he touches turns to gold. Oh and if you’re looking to just straight up vibe out, his latest ‘Odori’ will have you feeling like you’re meditating in an ancient zen garden. If you like your music, smooth and rich with just the right amount slap, Afrosamuraiist is your new treat.
-C
Haan808
I’m not sure how I’ve been sleeping on Haan808 but his latest ‘Bad Boy’ certainly woke me up real quick. Released via Mad Decent’s Good Enuff label, the track puts his skills on full display. Encapsulating his personal style to perfection, ‘Bad Boy’ blends hazy and mesmeric textures with brutal bass and metallic synths. If that wets your appetite be sure to check out his sinister edit of QUIX’s ‘Sweet Thing’. Haan808 is a lowkey Soundcloud boss, having worked with heavy hitters like Montell2099, Sango and Ozzie and has even had a song remixed by the legend Mr. Carmack. New Zealand’s bass music scene is on fire right now and Haan808 is definitely one of the artists fanning the flames.
-C
SWARM
Midtempo is quickly becoming the dominant sound and style of the moment, and whenever something peaks in popularity it leads to both blah, boring cookie-cutter copycats, and fresh, inventive fire. The latter definitely rings true with Floridian fright foreman, SWARM. Often cast aside as simple, plodding, un-progressive and sound design-centric, midtempo isn’t for everyone. That said, SWARM slays the stereotype with mind-blowing movement, stunning switch-ups and yes, soul-shaking sound design. His tracks ooze with unease, through a variety of sounds, showing off incredible musical ability. While his most recent tracks are a cinematic scarefest, a look back through his catalog reveals a brooding bootleg of Malaa’s ‘Pregnant.’ Capable and captivating, we’ve got our eyes firmly locked on this midtempo terror.
-OJ
Ticklish
Berlin bootleg boss Ticklish has been rebooting classic R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop for over half a decade. His playful recastings of your favourite tracks from yesteryear includes the likes of Toni Braxton, Brandy & Monica and newer cuts from Drake, Cardi B and others. While much of the originals’ allure remains in his reboots, the German adds his own genius with a distinctly future feel, titillating (or better yet, tickling) your groove bone. That said you can also hear his love affair with footwork in his productions, as going back to 2013 that’s where his story started. High energy and heaping with heart, Ticklish has found my fancy and filled it with brilliant, bouncy bootlegs. Be sure keep an eye on him to find out what track he takes on next!
-OJ
Listen to our top picks from this month’s Focus Five below.
Words by Colin & Oggie James.
