Button Bashers Episodes 2-5: The Producers
Button Bashers is a monthly hip hop-related event, created to scope out South Africa's most talented beatmakers to build a community in a space where ideas and skills are nourished and honed. A sample was handed out to 4 producers who will have one week to flip/rework the track and to play their version at the event. A winner will be decided on the night. This month features Damascvs, Kay Faith, Hawkword & Sumo Jac, a selection of Button Bashers alumni that showcase the variety of styles represented at Button Bashers.
One half of hip-hop duo The Word Is Uhh, Damascvs is a rapper and producer who views music as a spiritual undertaking. Layering chopped up drums, sampled loops and analog synths he creates an audio palette that is both danceable and meditative. With an organic feel and natural swing, his beats move like a living, breathing creature. Going back to his underground hip hop roots, he approached his rework by building on top of loops from the original sample. Repitched and chopped, these loops were layered with a bassline and melodies played on his Roland Juno-60, a vintage analog synthesizer. To give the track some extra groove he also added some boom-bap drums. The result is a dreamy and slightly eerie, head-nod inducing track.
Hawkword are a production duo whose sample-heavy, hip hop infused, jazz influenced future beat sound was born four years ago. The name comes from their self-admitted awkwardness combined with the fact that they featured bird sounds in their first track ‘Hawk Swoops Again’. With releases on numerous labels including On A Break, Tokyo Women, Soultrade and Pop On Demand Music they’ve built a loyal online following. By not taking themselves too seriously their tracks come across as natural and slightly playful. Approaching their rework from the cut ‘n paste angle, the chopped the sample up and rearranged it to form the foundation of their track. Adding strings, organs and dirty lead synths on top of broken drums their version is a bouncy flip of the original.
Kay Faith is an audio engineer and producer who has become the go to name for recording hip-hop in Cape Town. Having worked with the likes of Reason, Kwesta, Da Les, Tweezy, Youngsta, Ejay and Psykobeats her ear for mixing and mastering is critical yet fresh. Kay is a lover of local hip-hop and is passionate about elevating the music from her surrounding artists. Having taught herself finger drumming she entered the world of production, with her recent debut mixtape ‘In Good Faith’ featuring her ranger as a producer as well her friends from the Cape Town hip-hop scene. Her rework saw her take the sample and slow it down to give it a slightly more laid back feeling, adding some booming 808s, heavily swung drums and fat bassline.
DJ and producer Sumo Jac has a long history in bass music, having explored its numerous sub-genres over the course of his almost decade long career. From drum n bass to dubstep and now grime, his love for sub-heavy music is evident. His most recent release ‘Sumo Jac and Frenz Volume 1’ is a 6-track, collaboration driven EP featuring TehSynes, Adam De Smidt, DPlanet and Omar Morto and explores the sounds of grime, house and garage. A member of Cape Town’s Lit Squad he helps curate events that aim to bring good vibes through soulful music. For his rework he sliced the sample into tiny slivers and used these bits to create new sounds out of which he built the basslines and melody. With two distinct breaks, the track goes on a sonic journey with the listener never sure what to expect next.
With each producer bringing a different style and approaching the sample from a different angle, it’s not going to be an easy decision for the judges. Keep your eyes on this page to find out who won the battle.
Click here to find out how each producer approach their flip.
These videos were produced and first appeared on Red Bull.