Soundclouds of the Underground: Project Runway Edition

ABOVE: BEN AQUA. IMAGE COURTESY OF CHRISTA HOLMES

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 most new and 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 deep 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.

New York Fashion Week has officially begun, so the city is overflowing with models, editors, and chic stars on the prowl for the next big look. Its pace often unpredictable, Fashion Week can churn out the newest trend in an instant, whether it be the coming season’s hottest color or its hottest new track—if the right song is played on the right runway, magic can take place. Alexander Wang’s use of DJ Sliink’s “Put Cha Back Into It” in his show last year, as well as Zebra Katz’s “Ima Read” being on the playlist for Rick Owens’ Paris presentation, helped these respective cuts transition from underground treasures to bona fide hits. For today’s installment of the feature, we select three songs for which we’d like to see a similar Fashion Week fate.

Ben Aqua: “Reset Yourself”

 


 

Who: Praised in equal turns for his visual and musical works, the Texas-based Aqua’s peculiar style is both high energy and refreshingly difficult to define. Aqua integrates genre seamlessly (and dramatically), as his music contains an intense amalgamation of club, booty bass and electronic elements.

The Song: “Reset Yourself” is a sharp, sexy and strange song that maintains the perfect speed for a futuristic catwalk. The tuneful track packs an element of surprise while maintaining its strategy, a chic, low-pitched vocal driving the song forward as topsy-turvy synths and snares help build its vigor.

Current Project: “Reset Yourself” is part of Aqua’s recently released EP of the same name, which you can take a look at here.

Glasspopcorn: “Dubs”


 

Who: Art-world darling Glasspopcorn is a multi-talented Internet teen whose effortlessly unique music has found fans in production powerhouses like Clams Casino and Lex Luger. The young, bold rapper waxes on everything from his Twitter feed to Ed Hardy, and although he’s on the younger side, his music arguably stands superior in its inventiveness to many of his older contemporaries.

The Song: A track more choice for a chilled-out presentation than an upscale runway show, “Dubs” finds Glasspopcorn meditating on a number of generational issues: Girls (“What’s the perfect emoji to ask her on a date”), purpose (“Wondering what there is to life but computers and iPhone 5s”) and life goals (“Wanna tell good jokes like Homestar Runner) are just a few of the subjects he brilliantly touches on.

Current Project: Keep up with Glasspopcorn via his Facebook page.

O/W/W/W/L/S: “DRONE BOYZ”


 

Who: Brooklyn DJ/Producer O/W/W/W/L/S is best known for his work on Azealia Banks’ Fantasea mixtape, for which he produced three of its standout tracks: “Us,” “Atlantis,” and “Chips.” The young talent’s work with Banks is merely a facet of the spectrum wherein he operates—other tracks, like this summer’s “So Froggy,” take a much darker turn, emulating a rave-space sound.

The Song: No Fashion Week playlist would be complete without an ominous deep house cut, and “Drone Boyz” gives us that tenfold. With oscillating, industrial-sounding synths operating over snares and big bass, O/W/W/W/L/S’ dark, subtle track provides the perfect soundtrack for some chic, seriously edgy clothes to walk down the runway. 

Current Project: Keep updated with O/W/W/W/L/S by tuning into his Soundcloud.

Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.