As August comes to a close, it means summer is nearly over. Not to worry, you know we’re always bringing the heat with Focus Five. This month’s edition is wide-ranging as per usual. We’ve got Himmel and Ike blending trap, future bass and future beat sounds for a stunning journey, Kotek bringing a myriad of bass, Petticoat packing a Wave Racer meets TNGHT vibe and a dark bass mastermind named vide. These are the 5 artists you need to know this month.
Himmel
DMV-based Himmel is yet another producer who’s been skating on the edge of our radar for some time. With his tracks constantly reposted in our SoundCloud stream and few spots in our FUXWITHITFRIDAYS playlist, I felt it was due time to properly shine the light on this talented beat-smith. Himmel occupies a perfect position between future beat and trap. His music is filled with rays of sunshine, distorted soul, glimmering keys and slapping 808s. It possesses a majestic, even regal undertone with no shortage of bump. With releases on Jadu Dala, Phuture Collective, below the surface and collabs with Chromonicci, umru and stripess, Himmel has some of the best out on his side, and you can add us to that ever-growing list of supporters.
–C
Ike
There’s something special about connecting with nature. Watching the sun set, hiking a mountain or strolling next to a stunning lake evokes a set of emotions and a sense of connectivity that predates recorded time. A feeling that we are all one with the earth. Because of its organic nature, it’s hard to synthesize the feeling, to distill it into a new form. But it’s not impossible. Salt Lake City based producer Ike has achieved this simulation musically. Each work embodies the feeling of reconnecting with the earth. He pulls natural elements like the sounds of flowing water and birds chirping and pairs them with serotonin spiking synths or deep breaths. This allows each song to simulate both the sound and emotional pull of being outside somewhere special. His last 3 releases ‘Comfort,’ ‘Duck Pond,’ and ‘Goldfish’ personify this to perfection. Whether you’re trying to enhance the joys of the summer or survive the winter blues, Ike will be sure to add a little extra sunshine in your life.
–C
Kotek
Coming off two killer collabs with the likes of Gramatik and Rezz (their second venture), this sensation’s stock is well on the rise. Hailing from the Canadian west coast (quickly becoming the best, bass coast), Kotek first caught my ear with the interstellar dream funk dazzler ‘Aurora’. His brilliance is on full display there as he delivers deft drum work, resplendent riffs and a sublime soundscape, all woven together in a fantastic future bass banger. This must’ve caught the ear of Rezz as she tapped him to take part in ‘Ascension’, one of the least earthbound bangers in Rezz’s rancorous catalog. And really this is where things started to explode for Kotek as originals ‘Red Shift’ and ‘Tangent’ teased the tremendous talent he controls. For my money, no one’s had a bigger August than Kotek with the aforementioned collabs, his own fire original in ‘Reconfiguration’ and my personal favourite, his remix of The Funk Hunters ‘Say Something’. It’s all there: dazzling design, funky fat bass, and punchy percussion. No wonder it won the remix contest. After the waves he’s made this month, we shouldn’t be surprised when a tsunami of support comes rolling in.
–OJ
Petticoat
If any of the above weren’t on your radar, there’s pretty good odds this talent hasn’t even made a blip. Despite coverage from Indie Shuffle touting ‘Pompous’ as something Hudson Mohawke fans will love (I definitely do), California’s David Halsey aka Petticoat still only has 59 Soundcloud followers at the time of writing. Maybe the world isn’t ready for his fast paced sci-fi, future fantasy feels, but I for one love the rush of energy his tracks exude, and not just because I’m reminded of Wave Racer (particularly in the aforementioned production). Following up that debut original, Petticoat has unleashed ‘Ointment’ and ‘Ooze’, two tracks that utilize seemingly endless instrumentation, pulling from countless genres and styles. They bump, bang, sparkle and shine. They feel raw, yet are obviously polished for maximum sonic sensation. If you’re in the market for masterful, musical madness look no further than Petticoat.
–OJ
vide
It feels like we could have a lost dog in this feature almost every month. The collective is at the forefront of bass music and vide is the latest pup to turn our heads with his deep barks. Most recently he made waves with a wildly wonky remix of RL Grime & djemba djemba’s ‘Valhalla’. Anytime an artist can take on a classic and make it their own, deserves some major respect. vide also flexed his skills earlier this year with the brain-bending treason EP. A four track trip into the deepest and darkest dungeons of bass music. While many have explored that direction, it’s vide’s ability to tie in enthralling and even at times, stunning soundscapes, to contrast the insane energy and enhance its impact that really stands out. Oh and let’s not forget about the wonk monster ‘trash’ that he crafted with sfam. If bass music is your shit, vide is your dog.
–C
Stream the Focus Five: Volume 7 playlist below.
Words by Colin & Oggie James.
