For the last three years of my life, I have been obsessed with all things music. What began as a hobby quickly became a passion, and since 2012 I have developed a love for making and listening to music. Everyday, I would search for new artists who inspire me with their amazing talent. I’d listen to them and think to myself, “I wanna be able to do that someday.” But above all, the biggest inspirations to me were the producers who were roughly my age, yet releasing tracks that sounded as outstanding as artists years and years ahead of them.
The following ten tracks on this list are all songs from artists under 20 years old. These artists constantly innovate and inspire musicians of all ages with their incredible ability to create new and different music. The tracks I’ve chosen demonstrate each artist’s ability to create art unlike anything else. These songs aren’t necessarily their most popular works, but I feel they show off the capabilities and uniqueness of each artist best. Here are my picks for the “10 Under 20” playlist:
Sam Gellaitry- “Powder”
Sam Gellaitry is a 19-year-old producer who is constantly innovating and changing the game with every track he releases. He is signed to the record label Soulection, who claims to produce “the sound of tomorrow.” With nearly 120,000 Soundcloud followers, Gellaitry is one of the most unique and popular artists they have. His track “Powder” was the first song that I ever heard from Gellaitry, and upon listening to it, I was instantly in love. This song is one of many examples of his intricate, well-produced sound, and I always find myself listening to it on repeat time and time again because of it’s loud, punchy lead. If you’re looking for a loud, different track to hype you up, “Powder” is a must.
Tennyson- “With You”
Tennyson is a brother and sister duo out of Canada aged 18 and 16. Their music is heavily jazz inspired, and though their tracks are not as synthesized, they are equally as fun and bouncy. Their song “With You” depicts a beautiful scene of rushing water backed by cute vocals, jazzy drums and complex chords, and I love it for its constant change-ups that keep the song interesting.
Brooks Brown- “Tension”
If you know anything about the local music scene in Kansas City, chances are you’ve heard the name Brooks Brown. He is a student at Blue Valley North and an amazing artist. Over the past couple years, he has gained more and more fame through many music networks, and his song “Tension” is one of his most popular. It’s a slow trap song with a simple, catchy lead. Brown’s creativity and skills as a producer are prevalent in this track, and the song’s simplicity makes it very replayable. Like Gellaitry’s “Powder,” this song is another must if you’re ever in the need for hype music.
Mura Masa- “Lotus Eater”
Alex Crossan, or Mura Masa, is another 19-year-old who is years and years ahead of his age. He has been releasing music on his Soundcloud page for two years now, and with every new release, his tracks have become better and better. With his part-trap, part-house style, Crossan has reached over 160,000 followers on Soundcloud. In his most recent EP, “Someday Somewhere,” Crossan demonstrated his ability to create intriguing songs filled with beautiful vocals, lo-fi synths and great sounds that span multiple genres. His song “Lotus Eater” is an earlier release, yet still holds the same qualities that make his new EP stand out. It was the first song I heard of his and is still one of my favorites of his to date.
Swell- “Sing to Me ft. Peter Collins”
With only 10,000 followers on Soundcloud, Swell is a much smaller and newer artist than others on this list. However, his newest EP, “there’s still us,” has exploded because of one song: “i’m sorry”. The song, which is a simple beat layered with odd vocals and unique percussion, was the first song released off of the EP and has surged past 700,000 plays in just one month. Then, Swell released “sing to me ft. peter collins,” another song from the same EP with a similar style. Personally, I find this one to be better produced and composed, which is why I included it in this list.
Spire- “A Million Miles Away”
Spire is another smaller artist on this list; however he is one of my all-time favorites. He creates jazz-inspired compositions and “cute” sounds make his music calm and relaxing. His simple synths are layered with natural sound and real instruments in a beautiful way, and his song “A Million Miles Away” is a perfect example of this. When I first heard this song, I suddenly stopped what I was doing and replayed it at least four more times. It is such a calming and happy tune, and as I listened to it the first time, I couldn’t stop myself from slowly swaying side to side to the lovely chords. If you’re ever wanting to just sit back and relax, this is the perfect song to do it to.
Flybear- “The Hook”
I recently stumbled upon the artist Flybear, and I was immediately blown away by his work. His song “The Hook” starts with just an old-school piano and then transitions into a catchy hook that the title references. It has been stuck in my head for weeks, and what is even more amazing to me is that the creator of these clean, beautifully produced tracks is only 19 years old.
Saturn- “Looking Glass”
Next up is the youngest producer on this list, Saturn. At just 17 years old, Saturn has racked up nearly 50,000 followers on Soundcloud. His tracks have been featured on EDM.com, Mad Decent and many other notable labels and networks. His remix of Cashmere Cat’s “Kiss Kiss” is one of his most famous works and was released when he was just 15 years old. However, I find that his newer track “Looking Glass” is much cleaner and more professional sounding.
MEDASIN- “Null”
At just 18 years old, MEDASIN is gaining a lot of popularity for his cool and different sounds and has recently surpassed 50,000 Soundcloud followers. His music sounds like it was derived from deep house and then cut and chopped in unusual ways. His track “Null” is my favorite example of this deep, choppy music, and when I first heard it, I was amazed. I had never heard anything like it and still haven’t to this day.
Weird Inside- “Hopeless”
The last artist featured on this list is 19-year-old Ani Bharadwaj, or Weird Inside. Ani has been releasing tracks on his Soundcloud page for over a year now and just dropped his first EP “as we know” on February 11. His song “Hopeless” is an older track, though it demonstrates his ability to make weird and ambient soundscapes so well. It was my second song of his that I had ever heard, and after listening to it on repeat for a day, I’ve become hooked on Weird Inside.