by Your favorite monthly music discovery feature is back. Focus Five Volume 72 features a rising Argentinean producer, a dancefloor weapons dealer, a wave creator, a diverse Polish duo, and a Brazillian-based producer wowing us with a wide array of sounds. Check all five below!
bauti
Little is known about bauti. The artist hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. His SoundCloud bio simply reads “17”, which I presume is his age. And he burst onto the scene at the start of the year with one of the biggest debuts I can remember in a long time. ‘check’ landed in my SoundCloud feed with a simple but impactful artwork and a short lowercase name I’d never heard of. When I pressed play, I was immediately captivated. The single-word namesake vocal is hypnotizing and as the deep bass, ominous soundscapes, and snappy drums hit I was hooked. That was even before we got into the real drop (it just keeps getting better). The track has been steadily gaining ground, landing in Spotify’s coveted Trap Mojito playlist, and was a must-include when I put together my recent guest mix for HeardItHereFirst.
Proving the first track was no fluke, last month bauti followed it up with ‘ONFIRE’ a fittingly titled torcher alongside alti. The track possesses a similarly dark and dirty aesthetic while taking things deeper. If you’re still not fully convinced bauti is one of the key artists to watch for 2024, peep the ‘SHOWCASE 2K24‘ mix he put out and try to doubt me. bauti is truly just getting started.
-C
Hoax
When you see big players such as Hospital Records betting hard on a new artist, you know you’re in for a treat. That’s why I feel I don’t deserve much credit for this month’s pick, but at least I hope I’m doing my part by putting Hoax on your radar. Class of ’00, based in Bristol, Hoax has a history of releases on imprints including Onyx, Pick ‘N’ Mix, and Wub Club before joining the Hospital family back in April. He’s no stranger to delivering dancefloor weapons as proven by the success of his 2022 single ‘Crowd Control’, but with his latest two releases, he flaunted the realm of possibilities of his sound. Rumbling basslines and immaculately crisp productions are the main ingredients that Hoax smartly mixes in ‘Sparkly’ and ‘Outlaw’, in the latter case in tandem with an infectious vocal flow provided by Degs. It’s a fresh sound that will delight the ears of those who are into the new-gen drum&bass movement. Also, don’t forget to check his SoundCloud page for some extra flips and dubs.
-AA
rivoices
With the wave environment continuing to rise and obtain strength from listeners around the world, artists such as rivoices are pushing the movement with grace and passion. Serenading us with crisp, organic, and magnificent tones. Taking your breath away with every given moment, making you feel like you’re truly floating through an unknown space. The amount of detail and careful placement of each element in his works is simply remarkable. As if you were transported into a Denis Villeneuve film making you the main character of his next big picture.
One of his recent pieces, ‘damaged’ is a gritty, dark, and euphoric adventure. The space being filled with such character and emotion will leave tears in your eyes. The drums, melodic structure, and slow-paced rhythm will completely hypnotize your spirit like never before. And incorporating that vocal just gives the tune even more swing, aura, and attitude! You can listen to this one over and over again for hours on end.
His newest track is a collaboration between himself and almogfx! Another fantastic musician who has some serious talent in their own right. This one will immediately send shivers down your spine and make you shut down in the best ways. The gorgeous yet haunting environment wraps you in a blanket of protection and perseverance. It’s an everlasting feeling you won’t ever want to let go of due to its sheer raw power. Both artists complement each other beautifully. And tying it all together with such a soft and angelic vocal really gives it body and another layer of purpose. Breathtaking beyond belief. The wave scene is constantly improving and evolving with every given moment, and thanks to artists such as rivoices, it’ll go even farther than ever.
-JD
TESSERACTS
TESSERACTS first landed on my radar with ‘Way Back,’ a minimal yet grungy collaboration alongside Ankou released via Inspected last summer. As an avid follower of Ankou, I figured any fellow collaborator would be worth keeping an eye on, and since then the Polish duo have impressed with the quality and diversity of their releases. From foundation-shattering halftime, to electric complextro, to high-octane drum and bass, TESSERACTS continue to showcase agility in their productions and certainly deserve a broader audience. More recently, the duo unveiled yet another of their multiple facets with ‘Injure Them’ via Inspected. In the track, the duo tapped Gravity for a hip-hop/grime leaning cut that showcase their ability to highlight vocals over an exhilarating beat. The beat is riddled with bass and carries dynamic swagger throughout, but it’s the contrast with Gravity’s smooth vocals that really make this track a standout. With just over 2k followers on SoundCloud, it’s about time more people started watching out for TESSERACTS.
-SC
tchonga
Sometimes all it takes to stumble upon good music is seeing a goofy picture and clicking on it. As a guy who has a soft spot for raccoons, I had to satisfy my curiosity when I saw tchonga‘s profile appear in my sidebar. Boy, I didn’t know what I was in for. This Brazillian-based producer quickly found his way into a half dozen of my playlists immediately. Every track I’ve heard exudes an ambitious level of production. The coarse synths and crisp drums all throughout his discography make for some exceptionally clean production that makes me feel like I need a shower after listening.
My first introduction was the track ‘better place,’ a Billie Eilish edit with wildly experimental beat structures and exuberant bounce. I thought I was in for a future beats journey here as the tracks kept playing, and then ‘Disruptor’ hit me like a truck moving at 174 mph. This one is a pure drum and bass stinker and cemented this man’s place in my library. ‘Jinn’ comes out the gate sounding like an Arabian trap anthem with some of the most ear-tickling drum patterns I’ve heard in a while. Tracks like ‘invictus,’ meanwhile, would fit right in on an episode of The Future Beats Show or Soulection. The instrumentation really captures the essence of the old SoundCloud beat producer wave, a la Sam Gellaitry or Medasin in their early years.
The fact that this producer is sitting under one thousand followers on SoundCloud right now feels criminal. I’m no stranger to being stunned at the latent talent hiding out on the Internet, but holy hell tchonga, you’re built different. I can’t wait to hear whatever it is you’re cooking up next.
-BG
Written by Alessio, Braden, Colin, John, and Steph.
