Soundcloud is a vast ecosystem, where derivative and inaccessible music floats among true talent, and where artists find and feed off on another. It can be draining to click through track after track looking for something special, but it is precisely this discoverability that allows the best and brightest to find not only and an audience, but each other.
A compelling collaboration I have been watching blossom is that of 16yrold and Divine. Hailing from Cleveland, 16yrold had made his name off of unique remixes of drill hits and trap anthems – and yes he is 16. Divine, from the town of Salem, OR, has been mixing her own brand of spaced out hip hop vocals over complex, layered instrumentals. Separately, they both have cultivated a dreamy, trap-influenced sound that sounds like a post-breakup lean-induced fever dream – but in a good way. It makes sense these two geographically separate young producers would work together, gathering each other fans to create a dreamy, blissed out fanbase.
After several songs together, 16yrold and Divine have put out a full EP, alternating tracks and sharing credits on many. The sound can broadly be called “electronic pop”. However, there is significant diversity, from the slowed-down and chopped “Gatorade” to the club-ready “Lemonade” remix.
The another standout track is “One of Those Nights” which takes an often overlooked Weeknd track and gives it an echoey, slow-churned vibe.
Rating: 8.5/10