We’ve passed a milestone, friends. This week is the 20th entry of Push Play. Here is a playlist in honor of continuing tradition. Press play and enjoy.
1) “Hungry Ham” by A$AP Ferg feat. Skrillex and Crystal Caines
Born Darold Ferguson Jr. in Harlem, New York, A$AP Ferg initially sought a career in fashion. He most notably designed belts for his line Devoni Clothing, worn by the likes of Chris Brown and Swizz Beatz. He later went on to pursue music, encouraged by high school friend A$AP Rocky, who later put him on as part of the A$AP Mob. Consequently, Ferg encouraged Crystal Caines to pursue music production. Her debut project and Ferg’s second studio album are set to release soon.
2) “You & Me” by The Hunna
As one of the newest English boy bands on the scene, The Hunna is a four-piece group composed of Ryan Potter, Dan Dorney, Jermaine Angin and Jack Metcalfe. They dropped their first single last year, produced by Tim Larcombe, whose credits include Lana Del Rey and Halsey. They just ended their tour with Coasts, and are looking to release an album soon.
3) “Baby” by KINGDM feat. Kevin Garrett
KIGNDM is a London- and Los Angeles-based “soulful electro/funk” duo that creates what they call “Music For The People.” Their only other track “Can’t Get Over You” has received massive attention on SoundcCloud. Kevin Garrett is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter on tour with the X Ambassadors and Skylar Grey as he prepares for the release of his first album.
4) “Breathe” by Jeremy Zucker
Currently unsigned, Jeremy Zucker cites himself as a “producer, songwriter, artist.” Zucker was raised in New Jersey suburb, where he “focused on creating unique, REAL music.” He writes and produces all of his music, much of which can be accessed on Soundcloud.
5) “Time Wind” by M83 feat. Beck
M83 has been a well-known name of the ambient pop movement for some time now. The two Frenchmen, Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau, released their first album in 2003, and have been leaving massive marks on the music industry ever since then. This track features Beck, the alternative rock singer whose 2014 album Morning Phase beat out Beyoncé at the Grammys for Album of The Year. This collaborative piece is so 80s it will feel like slipping into a John Hughes movie.
6) “Movements” by Pham feat. Yung Fusion
Dawid Phan Ngoc (Pham) was born and raised in Nysa, Poland, and began his journey with music production at the age of 16. Pham cites his passion for drawing and dancing as major influences on his music, along with the works of Flume, Flying Lotus and J Dilla. This track’s feature artist, Yung Fusion, is an 18-year-old unsigned artist from the Cayman Islands whose work is quickly gaining heat online.
7) “Gold” by Brika
Brika, a 21 year old from Miami, took her first steps into the music industry in 2013. The singer-songwriter’s debut album, Voice Memos, came out the following year and has since received millions of plays on Spotify. An ex-boyfriend’s father is actually partially responsible for helping her get into the industry, who signed her to his independent label after hearing her sing in his in-home studio.
8) “Once In A While” by Timeflies
Rob Resnick and Cal Shapiro formed as electronic duo Timeflies in 2010 after performing at Tufts University as The Ride for a few years. They met at a college party, when the future vocalist of the group, Shapiro, freestyled over producer Resnick’s beat-boxing. One of Shapiro’s old housemates is attributed to increasing the guys’ exposure when he sent one of their first songs “Fade” to music blogs, and is now, consequently, Timeflies’ general manager. This single is the first thing they have put out since their third studio album last year.
9) “Wet Dreams” by Saya
Little is known about this young vocalist other than that this, her debut single, peaked at No. 1 on the Global Viral 50 Spotify charts April 3. The track was co-written by her and Ally Sou, a singer-songwriter. It was produced by Derek Hoffman, who owns Fox Sounds out of Ontario, Canada.
10) “Haze” by PRXZM
Nick Ortega and Emma Maidenberg are self-proclaimed “Indiana University students by day, professional bass droppers and neighbor annoyers by night.” In late March, this track became No. 3 on Spotify’s United States Viral 50. The majority of their club bangers can be found on their rather popular SoundCloud page.
Two weeks from now, when this column turns 21 weeks old, I’ll be back with a celebratory list of lit tracks.