LA is a city ripe with talent and passion. There hasn’t been a person I’ve met who isn’t on that dream chase hustle, one that often includes suffering through a day job in order to fund their dreams and nurture their talent (and… pay rent). If there’s a city that’ll both challenge and nurture your art, LA is it.
Let’s be real, there’s no shortage of talent in LA. From the LA-natives to the LA transplants, the city is ripe with people at the top of their game. The city is full of both aspiring and established musicians, writers, actors, and… *drumroll* producers (of the musical variety).
Music production is the craft of marrying the technicalities of sound engineering and the fluidity of what makes art, well, art. They’re the masterminds behind each song, having tirelessly worked with vocalists and samples to perfect the sound and make-up of your favorite song. Up until recently, producers have taken a back seat as far as mainstream music went. With the rise of EDM and collectives (Soulection, HW&W, to name a few), producers are finally getting some long overdue attention and appreciation.
Without further ado, here are five LA based producers you should be paying attention to.
1. Linafornia
Photo credit: dana washington
I heard about Linafornia through a blog that I run. A pal put me on game with Linafornia’s beats and gahdamn Linafornia’s beats are something we need more of on the airwaves.
Linafornia is an LA native (Leimert Park, to be specific) and is killing it in the LA beat scene. Her craft is reminiscent of what I love about hip hop production - heavy sampling, organic beat-making, and plenty of scratching.
Check out Linafornia’s Yung LP Cassette Mix.
2. Astronautica
Photo credit: Jack Strutz
Astronautica is an LA native who dropped her Gemini EP earlier this year. She got on my radar because… I’m a gemini too (#corny). Her sound is more closely aligned with EDM but I wouldn’t box her in just that genre.
There’s a sweet beauty to her style. I feel oddly validated by my own being and am in sync with myself when I listen to her jams. It’s crazy how music can do that for someone.
She’s a part of HW&W and is on the Alpha Pup Records roster. You can catch her playing at The Ace Hotel in DTLA where she spins pretty regularly.
Check out her latest release - Gemini Remixes
3. TOKiMONSTA
Photo credit: Steve Stills
I’ve been following TOKiMONSTA for a while. She went to the same college as me! (I tell everyone this...) But to be clear, I had no idea who she was when I was in college.
TOKiMONSTA has had quite a year. She released a new album Fovere back in March and has been all over the festival circuit (Coachella, Outsidelands, Camp Flog Gnaw, to name a few).
Her sound crosses multiple genres, from electronic to hip hop, you’re bound to make a connection to TOKiMONSTA’s music. I’ve yet to check out her live sets but if they’re anywhere near the caliber of music she’s released, I know I’m bound for a good time.
Check out TOKiMONSTA’s latest track with Lil Uzi Vert
4. Kittens
Photo credit: unknown
Kittens is my go to when I’m craving that electronic vibe. Her sound is not restricted to an electronic production but traverses over to the trap and hip hop realms. She’s one to focus mainly on the beat production and really lets them stand on their own.
She’s a part of Athletixx, an LA based collective that tears up the club scene all over the nation. She’s played at some heavy hittin’ festivals such as Coachella and HARD Day of the Dead. When she isn’t out on tour, you can find her headlining at your favorite LA club. Or napping with her cats on snapchat.
Check out Kitten’s Hard Day of the Dead mix
5. Softest Hard
Photo credit: Angel Pacheco
Softest Hard is an LA transplant whose music will give you reasons to bump it. She came by way of the east coast having lived in Vermont and North Carolina. For reasons unknown she made her way to LA and for that I am grateful.
Her mixes are guaranteed to get your party poppin. I can’t sit (or stand) still with a Softest Hard mix playing. She’s done b2b sets with Skrillex and is an established producer in her own rite with releases such as Cant Find U and Its Only Me.
Check out her latest release, Ultimate Dance Mix
