Soundclouds of the Underground: Pump Up Edition
ABOVE: FATHER
These days, music truly lives online, with an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the newest and most exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute their music to fans and friends across the globe. In this weekly column, expert Internet sleuth Alex Chapman goes into the depths of the music-sharing site, in hopes of shedding light on emerging acts, as well as sharing some digital diamonds in the rough.
When you need to get pumped up, music usually makes for some good adrenaline boosting. The right song can make you feel like the king of the world and arm you with the confidence needed to take on whatever might lie ahead, be it a crazy night or basketball game. Below are some tracks that if we played basketball (or any sport, for that matter) we’d want to hear while walking out onto the court.
HXV: “Made It” (feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Rome Fortune)
Who: Though they have a new shorthand version of their name, Atlanta-based Heroes X Villains have long been a staple in the world of EDM, their chaotic, club-banging trap music finding its way into a slew of DJ’s sets. It’s their keen eye for new talent (like fellow Atlanta artists Rome Fortune and Cash Out) that helps the duo reinvent themselves time and time again.
The Song: “Made It” is a stadium-sized heater that works on the scale of big tracks like “New Bugatti” and Travi$ Scott’s “Upper Echelon,” with a rattling kick and fat synths upping the ante of Lil Uzi Vert and Rome Fortune’s already energetic vocals.
Current Project: Stay up to date with HXV, Rome Fortune and Lil Uzi Vert via their Facebook pages.
OG Maco: “Unleash The Kraken”
Who: OG Maco has experienced a swift rise to fame thanks to his weird and hilarious hit “U Guessed It,” which can currently be heard at clubs across the world (and even on Chris Brown’s Instagram). But Maco’s screamo-like delivery has a life that extends beyond the standout track. For proof that there’s truly nobody like this emerging rapper, listen to his recently released mixtape Live Life 2.
The Song: A track off the aforementioned tape, Maco’s aggression ebbs and flows–one second he raps in triplets with a half-sing tone reminiscent of Future, but by the end of his phrase he’s resorted to a shout System of a Down would be proud of. The result is a track that gets the blood pumping again and again.
Current Project: Keep up with all the OG Maco fanfare on their Facebook.
Who: Another artist whose hit has helped accelerate his career’s success (although, it’s not the end-all-be-all of his talent by any means), Awful Records head honcho Father struck gold with “Look At Wrist,” a hard-hitting ode to fancy watches. The talent and his new Atlanta sound show no signs of slowing down.
The Song: “Tell You No” is a dark, brooding banger that kindly tells those who are broke to keep it moving and is done in collaboration with Key!, who is also featured on “U Guessed It.” The hypnotic track speaks to Father’s consistency with eerie party jams.
Current Project: Find more of Father’s music and tour dates on his Facebook.
Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.
