As electronic dance music has exploded, radio has been saturated with dubstep's wobbling bass and anthemic keyboards. But in hip hop, producers like Clams Casino (Mike Volpe) and AraabMUZIK (Abraham Orel-la na) have been gravitating toward darker tones. The recipe sounds simple: hazy synths, haunting samples, and avalanches of reverb. But the two have each forged their own styles. Volpe's murky sounds have helped NYC rapper A$AP Rocky and Toronto singer the Weeknd cultivate vibes that are as distinct as they are debauched; Orellana-also an A$AP collaborator-scored a hit with his album Electronic Dream by mashing together MDMA-drenched club tracks and the boom-bap of hip hop.
展开▼
