Mojave is a collaboration between Bay-area trap artist DILIP and Dutch producer Inimicvs. Coming together just last year, the two have proven to be a force to be reckoned with. DILIP started out making very classical instrumental trap, but in the past year has produced for famous rappers such as Lil Pump, Lil Uzi Vert, and Soulja Boy. You can tell DILIP’s influence easily throughout the songs in this piece as the vocal work is absolutely stellar, adding rich layers throughout. As a return to the more instrumental side of things for DILIP, and a potentially ground-breaking release for Inimicvs, there was a lot riding on this work. Make no bones about it, this is an extremely well-crafted cohesive unit that is sure to turn heads.
The first song on the EP ‘Bee Hive’ has a very mischievous air to its beginning notes, almost signaling trouble is coming. The phrase ends and the next begins with the vocals “what” repeated, which is fitting as it leaves the listener hanging on every note, wondering what could possibly be about to hit them. As stated above, the vocal arrangement is perfection, sliding gracefully in and out at the right moment, adding just enough, but not taking away from the instrumental side at all. Vocals from ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ are included, giving the audience a taste of something familiar, while also making it extremely fresh. This is a song that makes it very difficult not to move.
Next comes ‘Deported,’ which showcases their technical side of production. The first half of the song gives the listener an adventurous feeling, while the 2nd half devolves into a much more bass-heavy feel with a pronounced low-end. This song had me listening multiple times to discern if the notes being played were from bells or if it was just the note organization, which is a huge nod to the sound design and beat structure. Crisp is almost not worthy of an adjective to describe this song. It’s only a minute and a half in length, but you’ll surely wish it were longer.
The last song in this collaborative work is ‘Guap,’ which has a very warm tropical feel, with a bouncy flair. With roughly thirty seconds left in the song, there’s a distinctive vibe shift, giving it a much darker feel. This is in stark contrast to its beginning, and makes for a much more exciting experience overall. My favorite part of this song was how the vocals were arranged to flow from the right side of someone’s headphones to the left, turning a listener’s ears from mono into stereo instantly. This is an exceedingly satisfying technique that both grabs the listener’s attention and adds complex depth. Attention to detail and tight, creative accents are prevalent, making this piece very unique and ear-pleasing.
Mojave is a major success for these two artists and hopefully signs of some very big things to come. But, don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself below!
