With the internet awash with so many bedroom producers & artists, it's often hard to sift through the countless emails, soundcloud links, twitter DM's and Facebook requests, to find that one gem that just gets you in your zone. Although, with that being said, the internet has helped helped launch so many careers in recent times that it's a proven breeding ground for talented people!
One such person who I happened to get put onto, was Texas native Dre Kiken. The Austin teenager had amassed a healthy number of plays on his Soundcloud by the time I'd got around to listening to his music, and with good reason too, the kid clearly has talent. Whilst the atmospheric, soulful side of the music world has become a tad overpopulated recently, it still doesn't detract from Dre or his music. Whilst comparisons to the likes of Spooky Black & Blackbear may be given upon first listen, it seems that Kiken has put his own touch too it. You can hear that Texas influence within the instrumentals he sings over, and if anything that's a bonus. The music world is overrun with mediocre vocalists churning out mediocre material, but everything about this Clout EP oozes something special. This project may only be five tracks deep, but in those five tracks Kiken will have you in so many zones. The production for a start is on point, those atmospheric snare hits, and spaced out synth lines had me feeling the wave, and when thats mixed in with the smooth tones of the Austin crooner, it makes for a wavey combination (don't sue me Kanye!).
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You can stream the impressive Clout EP above, and be sure to keep your eyes and ears locked to EARMILK for everything Dre Kiken in the future!