by Looking to uncover your favorite new artist? We’ve got you. Focus Five Volume 90 highlights a UK-based DnB standout, a Tokyo-based producer with some wild club sounds, a bitbird-backed artist bringing the groove, a Korean wave artist packing heaps of emotion in his works, and a trap and bass producer bringing the bounce. Get familiar with all five below.
Omadhaun
Hailing from Bristol, U.K., Omadhaun is the next up-and-coming producer you need to know about. Combining a variety of vibes and flavours, his new project, ‘Hornets’ is a fresh take on DnB, utilising eclectic Jungle rhythms and different timbres from across the world. It’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before… and yet somehow feels so right and familiar. The intro track ‘Hornets’ has a plucked section which feels both Middle Eastern & Hispanic, before the Bristolian decides to blow your head off with some pointy bass lines.
To say that Omadhaun has a unique sound would be an understatement; he’s almost incomparable. The production quality is up there with the best, something even Billain would be proud of. One minute you have some of the cleanest string sections ever featured on a DnB track in ‘String Theory’ & then you suddenly get thrown into the Bristol rave scene with some crazy jungle drum patterns and Reese basses that will melt your face. This new project has been signed to Inspected, so it’s only a matter of time before he blows. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell your friends, ‘I heard him first’.
Oyubi
The Tokyo-based producer Oyubi first caught my attention last year with the release of the Sin Jyuk Guen EP, a mesmerising and hallucinatory project in collaboration with Kush Jones. Close to the phenomenal TREKKIE TRAX crew and co-founder of his own club night and label called Turing, Oyubi is responsible for another of my current favourite tunes, ‘Letzgo’. His latest EP titled Since I is yet another brilliant work—an unpredictable explosion of creativity that flirts with both personal listening and the club dimension. Once again, the analytical mastery Oyubi brings to the programming of these sound structures sheds its electronic nature the moment it escapes the headphones and reaches human eardrums, transforming into a hedonistic, and sensual energy.
Tej
Hailing from San Francisco, Tej landed on my radar a few weeks back with his bass-driven tune ‘more_time.wav’ that uniquely blends the groovy elements of house with a more futuristic, trap-leaning second half. This interesting combination led me further down the Tej rabbit hole, and I was highly impressed by the artist’s distinctly captivating sound. His latest project, (some sort of mania…), is riddled with exciting cuts, with ‘right_here_(right_now).wav’ standing out in particular. With his last two projects coming out on bitbird, it’s obvious some bigger names in the scene have already taken note of Tej, but it’s time to get him a bigger following!
Xyn
Hailing from Seoul, Korea, Xyn is an artist within the sonic spectrum you need to know about. From euphoric melodies, eternal storytelling from his arrangements alone, to integrating pure emotion in each track, we heavily suggest keeping him on your radar. His most recent singles are truly elegant in nature. ‘When I’m Gone’ provides a touch of hard wave while still presenting itself as a mellow entity. While ‘I Don’t Wanna Wake Up’ integrates a fun hip-hop feel while still stepping into a vast open space in the following sections of the track.
zero point
With the tagline “Less noise | More bounce” zero point is working to bring the bounce and swagger back to electronic trap. ‘Who’ is the perfect embodiment of the minimal yet banging trap and bass sound I’ve been wishing there was more of. ‘Who’ is the ideal introduction to the artist, showcasing his production mastery and infectious style. Keeping the momentum going, he just dropped another banger with our friends at Presently Lifted with ‘Shake’. The track offers a similar infectiousness and knock, with a touch of added grittiness. For something a little more vibey, may I recommend ‘Drift’ alongside ‘PANDO!’
