- 18+ derive their aesthetic from sex and the internet. The LA-based duo make a skeletal mix of trap and R&B, defined by explicit rap lyrics that resemble confessions on OkCupid. It's hard to gauge if statements like, "Fuck the past, from the back" are meant to be subversive or farce. But whatever your reaction, you get the feeling that Samia Mirza and Justin Swinburne don't care. They get reworked by two artists with similarly unapologetic approaches on their latest remix EP.
The EP is a split between Babyfather (AKA Dean Blunt) and GAIKA, who each rework a track from 18+'s Collect album from 2016. Blunt takes on "Drama," turning its beat into a slow, smoky roller and handing the mic to DJ Escrow, the MC from last year's BBF Hosted By DJ Escrow. Escrow's raps set the scene: he's headed to the rave, looking for Mirza—"Yeah, man, dial her in, text her or something"—who he's keen to take home. GAIKA distorts "Glow" into a glitchy smear heavy on bass. Where the original's sweet acoustics felt like a love letter, this remix ensure it's burnt and disposed of.
TracklistA Drama (Babyfather Meditation Mix VIP)
B Glow (GAIKA Zicatea Dub)