Smoke Machine’s Andy Chiu & diskonnected connect with Taiwanese rapper SOWUT for ‘JOY’

Taiwan techno artists diskonnected and Andy Chiu have teamed up with the underground rapper Sowut for his latest track ‘JOY’. The video for the collaboration was overseen by NXWV (NextWave), a fledgeling Taiwan production company wrangling titans on this blend of raw, energetic techno and rap.

Diskonnected, who has built his reputation through the years as one of the co-founders of Taipei’s Smoke Machine, pours his experience into the grimy underlying beat that expertly blends the with the coiled energy of the vocals. The beats are guided by diskonnected’s producing partner Andy Chiu, also of the Taipei based record label, podcast and event company behind the infamous Organik music festival. Understanding how the slick tunes were pulled off is easier when considering the credentials of both members of the beat-making duo.

Diskonnected honed his skills as a regular guest DJ at the local club Korner, now defunct, earning opportunities to expand his music to venues around Asia and Europe.

Andy Chiu on the other hand started his music journey in a rock band before switching to electronic music and has been continuously delivering trippy and melancholic techno ever since, emerging as a key figure in Taipei’s techno music scene.

‘JOY’ is an abbreviation for 'jokes on you,’ but the music is not much about the joke then the rapper’s self-reflection and dialogue with himself.

The raw energetic techno arrangement blends industrial sounds with brutal bass that punishes as the vocals roll over the auditory debris. The vibe of the whole instrumental track is tense, like an uncomfortable walk down a dark alleyway, accentuated by SOWUT’s whispery-rap through the first verse that blends horrifically well. There are a lot of layers and texture to the beat which makes the unusual pairing of techno and rap seem as natural as can be. With the serious subject that the underground rapper talks about, it’s not hard to imagine why there would be such a collaboration at first.

‘JOY’ by SOWUT is out now and you can watch the music video below.

[Via LiFTED Asia]