While the world of global bass (and the world in general) is huge, it's interesting to see how tiny it can be based on connection. I didn't know about ZAiiO before getting hit up about her Bon Voyage mixtape, but then realized that we'd featured a remix of one of her tunes by Hungarian producer Stas back in February. I got put onto her by the homey Lenkemz, so really thats two direct connects that I'd not realized existed, and digging into Bon Voyage more, I realized how deeply intertwined this big-yet-tiny world can be.
Bon Voyage is a project that the Casablanca-born, London-residing ZAiiO has been crafting since 2013, recording parts of it at The Agafay Studio in Morocco. With so many vocalists taking the time to really spread their wings and get put on, ZAiiO seems to be soaking up so many sounds and incorporating it into her overarching personal style. Her story is even interesting; I don't know too many MCs who started out doing hip-hop karaoke and turned that into pursuing the art of rhyme with original lyrics.
On Bon Voyage, you get a mixture of a number of sounds that DAD rocks with from producers we've definitely highlighted in the past. Not too many projects can go from an homage to hip-house like the DJ Mood-produced "Le Cool" with the twisted trap sound of The Ninetys-produced "Follow Me," which find ZAiiO spitting in three different languages. DAD darling HARIKIRI contributed four tracks to this, from the moombahton-influenced "Guilty Pleasure" to the bouncy turn up of "Drop It." ZAiiO's also worked with Howie Lee, who contributed three tracks to the project (we'd say you should really dig into "Power Money Fame" if you want something that takes its cues from the vogue/house scene).
All-in-all, ZAiiO's curated a project that speaks to the heart of what we're about here at DAD: wearing influences on our sleeves while forging ahead with unique styles. It's based in hip-hop, but pulls in so many styles from the world over, representing the future of music–not dance music or hip-hop music, just music in general. It's the future, now.
