Browsing Tag

Cloud Rap

Benzluene reached the top of the trap-metal game with ‘Away’

Benzluene’s latest single ‘Away‘ is an intoxicating synthesis of emo, trap, industrial metal and post-grunge which allows agony to oscillate through the rhythmically seductive atmosphere that descends to the same murky depths as Deftones while bringing in the future of trap metal.

The production, a collaborative effort by flower and @fluffysome, is a masterclass in genre-fluid experimentation; dark, intrepid, visceral, and cutting – ‘Away’ is an auditory exploration of emotional extremes. The sludgy hooks and the constant shifts in vocal style and tone amplify the impact of the lyrics, making each word hit with the force of a bruise.

Benzluene’s vox cruise between softly relayed harmonies and visceral screams, dampened by layers of effects, maintaining a euphonic quality even at their most strident, ensuring the intensity is always delivered in swathes of catharsis.

Even the most eloquent people struggle to relay the pain of a disintegrating relationship, but through the sonic visualisations, that almost primal pain becomes universally understood. ‘Away’ stands as an allegory of agony, expressed through a piercingly unique sonic signature, which cuts to the core of the emotion.

If you cut Away open, you would reveal the anatomy of an alt-rock earworm. It’s a Tour De Force that will resonate with fans of trap metal and beyond.

Stream Away on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SmokeFace Player – The Best Food In the World: Grab an Old School Hip-Hop Bite

SmokeFace Player’s latest single, ‘The Best Food in the World‘, is a gritty homage to old-school hip-hop, infused with a modern twist that is resonating with the new generation of rap fans.

The track, a standout from his LP ‘Whatever Happened to Making Demos’, showcases the artist’s deep-rooted connection to the genre’s golden era, while simultaneously sharpening his sound with a contemporary edge. With a voice that echoes the depth of Biggie, the rawness of DMX, and the uniqueness of Tyler, The Creator, SmokeFace Player’s conviction is only matched by the volition of his rhythmic precision.

The track is a lyrical journey through popular culture references and pains, delivered with a salacious wit that has compelled thousands of rap fans to continue turning to SmokeFace Player’s untraditional approach to lyricism. Eschewing the typical thematic constraints, he opts for a stream-of-consciousness style, weaving together disparate elements with an ingenious coherence. This lyrical tapestry is not just a display of his skill as a wordsmith, but also a nod to the improvisational roots of hip-hop. He’s clearly an artist on the rise; watch this space as he continues to make his indomitable mark on it.

Stream The Best Food in the World on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ArkAngel47 flowed into the heart of memory in his alt-hip-hop track, nostalgia

ArkAngel47’s latest single, nostalgia, crashed into the alt-rap scene like a rogue wave, unapologetically dismantling the boundaries of the genre on February 8th. The raw, unfiltered plunge into the depths of memory, wrapped in a soundscape that defies easy categorisation, is an unconventional fusion that grips you from the first beat.

Imagine grime’s gritty pulse, new wave’s introspective echo, and alt-hip-hop’s rebellious spirit colliding around lyricism that balances candour and volition. Hit play and feel the push and pull of time as North West London’s grittiest poet waxes lyrical with melancholic wisdom. Nostalgia is beyond reminiscence; it is the dissection of the essence of the psychological phenomenon; an exposition of its sweet allure and sharp bite.

Musically, the track is a beast of its own making. The beats morph and twist before flooding into a melodious flow and glitching like a dream half-remembered as the backing vocals resonate as ethereal whispers from bygone days, adding layers of haunting depth to the track.

Mixed and mastered with the sharp ear of Kult Eviction at Kabin Studios, nostalgia is a testament to ArkAngel47’s raw talent and vision. With plenty more genre-fluid releases locked, loaded, and ready to drop throughout 2024, ArkAngel47 is one to watch.

Watch the official music video for nostalgia on YouTube, or add the single to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

3NSTY haunted the trap genre with his latest single, rip/vip

https://soundcloud.com/prodsne/wake-n-bake?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=4C6C9B9C1D7946469FB721EE9468A6AD&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Bringing an eerie baroque, and almost honkytonk, touch to the trap genre is the latest single, rip/vip, from artist and enigma 3NSTY, who has gained a cult following for the resonance in his lyricism that predominantly traverses themes of alienation and depression.

With the horror-esque sound effects atop the artfully dark piano keys beneath his mumbled with relatable malaise rap bars, the track drips visceral melancholy as it ingeniously explores the juxtaposition between the two anacronyms. Anyone with a proclivity towards ennui and dejection will know that the two statuses are equally desirable when you’re psychologically scraping the barrel for serotonin.

rip/vip is now available to stream on SoundCloud along with the LP from which it was taken, Insomnia. 

Follow 3NSTY on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The UK’s most promising name in trap Ocean Stokes affirmed his viral potential in his bitter-sweet earworm, Reason

Here to put Southampton, UK on the trap map is the up-and-coming trailblazer Ocean Stokes on his collaborative track with LC, Reason.

The hooky effect of Reason, especially on the smoothly distorted trap and harmonised vocals, was no happy production accident. Stokes knew how to get the hooks razor-sharp in his charismatically confessional hit that proves that romance isn’t dead; it’s just taken a brand-new walls-up form in 2022.

At 19 years old, Ocean Stokes is already proving that he’s got viral potential with his guitar loops, intricate piano melodies, trappy 808s and vulnerably unfuckwithable high-vibe vocal style.

The official video for Reason premiered on February 25th; you can check it out by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Glitch Hop Meets Cloud Rap in Trukadi’s Latest Single, Pick and Choose

After his 2019 debut, the Californian alt-pop artist, Trukadi, hasn’t failed to make an impression with his antagonistic lyrics and experimental beats. His latest single, Pick and Choose, is a distortedly electrifying 1:43 minute hit of glitchy cloud rap with hints of Midwest Emo.

The explicit track carries the indie melodicism of a Post Malone single, but Trukadi made sure Pick and Choose hits like no other with instantly magnetic vocals and lo-fi guitars that bring plenty of warmth to the distinct production that marries glitch hop and emo. Love him or hate him, there will be no indifference when it comes to Trukadi’s sound, and there are few greater testaments of talent than that.

Pick and Choose is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BQpid throws away disingenuous pretence in his latest emo trap track, ‘Ceilings’

If there’s one thing that sets Ohio-residing artist BQpid’s sound apart from the rest, it is the depth of his lyrics that throw away any sense of disingenuous pretence. In his latest self-produced single, Ceilings, the atmospherically sallow indie trap melodies carry reminiscence to the likes of Post Malone and Mac Miller but with the dark undertone to Ceilings, he well and truly put himself in a league of his own.

For maximum evocative impact, the 18-year-old artist and producer worked elements of pop and RnB into the vocals in the emo-rap track that brings a brand new level of meaning to the word ‘candid’.

Ceilings is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt trap luminary Lil Big Boy has made his debut with his single, Bitch I Feel Good.

For his debut single, Bitch I Feel Good, Lil Big Boy created a high-vibe hip hop track like no other. The atmospherically gritty production and the inventive use of the spatial effect in the fresh grinding trap beat reels you in hook, line and sinker as the explicitly witty lyrics make it impossible not to warm to the artist.

After the short and sweet cloud rap taster Lil Big Boy gave us with Bitch I Feel Good, we are stoked to hear the rest of his upcoming concept album.

Check out Lil Big Boy’s debut single for yourselves on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jonny Darko has released his highly-anticipated debut album, Symbolica

After releasing his debut album aged 15, Jonny Darko entered the industry as a child prodigy. After a 4-year wait, his sophomore album, Symbolica, proves just how much he’s honed in on his sound that paradoxically resonates as soulfully sweet and mesmerisingly dark.

If you’re not previously acquainted with Darko’s lush synth melodies that add ambience to the energy the percussion brings, the title single is the perfect introduction to Darko’s merging of lo-fi trap with bedroom pop and alt-hip hop.

The Minneapolis-based artist and producer has a unique way of alluding to darkness within his music; nothing feels forced or prosaic. Instead, what you’ll find when you hit play is a truly genuine expression of multifaceted emotion told through meta poetic lyricism. His sound is constantly stunning. If he’s not already on your radar, make some room.

Check out the highly-anticipated sophomore album on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kaiwin has released his latest genre-evading hit, ‘Bitter Taste’, ft. Jay Dior

For his latest release, ‘Bitter Taste’, Dallas-born alt-pop artist Kaiwin collaborated with Jay Dior to create a dynamic hit that crushes genre constraints with pensive looped indie guitars, RnB vibes, fiery trap beats and cloud rap vocals.

Bitter Taste vents the frustration of the relationship pitfalls the average 20-somethings falls into time again; with the up-vibe melodies and the collaborative chemistry that breathes between Kaiwin and Jay Dior, it’s anything but a self-apathy fest.

Along with his mission to climb the charts, Kaiwin seeks to crush the stigma associated with the Asian population and to build an anti-racist community to create awareness and spark movements, if necessary. Given that the major pop acts are apathetic at best when it comes to voicing their opinions, it’s a refreshing change to see an artist as passionate about positive social progression as they are about establishing themselves in the industry.

The official video premiered on June 12th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast