Flying Lotus and Afta-1: Two of the Best Producers You've Never Heard

If you're like me, then you're probably sick of the same generic trash you're hearing on the radio today. I had been in that same boat with so many of my peers for the longest time, yearning for the music we grew up with, or even music from our parents' time. Mostly all that was on my iPod and iTunes was old school stuff and my personal favorite, 90's music...until one fateful night.

It was one October I believe, when I was in my room listening to music and reading up on something. I was listening to my iTunes to try and block out my roomates' noise. On my campus because of our network, all of our iTunes are shared. I happened to click on someone's library out of curiosity, and I saw the name Afta-1. The name stuck out to me, so I listened to all of the songs by this artist. And that's when the musical Euphoria began.

Afta-1's music sounded like a mix between light hip hop and electronica. It didn't sound wild or crazy--it was just right. Very soothing, very chill, no vocals needed. I listened to as much as I could before this person closed their iTunes. I had fallen in love with his sound and I couldn't get enough. I needed more. It was after that when I began youtubing him to hear anything else that I hadn't heard by him, and indeed there was more. What I found on YouTube still wasn't enough, so I purchased his album, Aftathoughts Vol. 1.

Aftathoughts Vol. 1 is Afta-1's first album,you can get it for $10 on iTunes. He's completely underground, which explains half his awesomeness. The other half is just that he's a very talented producer. Aftathoughts was what I had found on that person's iTunes, and I wore that album out like it was nobody's business. I listened to it before going to sleep at night, while doing my homework, and to block out my one roommate's constant yakking when I was trying to have a nap.

On June 13th 2010, Afta-1 came out with his sophomore album, Form. I have yet to purchase it but I have sampled it, and it doesn't disappoint. The electronic sound is gone, but it's still his original sound with an urban type feel. Light hip hop at it's best. Just right for chill time with the right person or chill time by yourself. Form is also about $10 on iTunes, and you will be getting your money's worth if you purchase it.

But it doesn't stop there folks. Previously I had said that i had found more by him on YouTube. These tracks that I found are not one either one of the albums mentioned, but rather on a series three mixtapes I recently discovered called Love Is Real, Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4. I recently went on a binge and went searching all over the web for these mixtapes, desperate to find these extra songs that I loved so much. The mixtapes are very difficult to find, but if you do a Google search, they should come up on a later page. They don't feature just his music alone but music by a lot of his friends as well, doing remixes of their songs and others, with mostly that same chill type sound. Check Afta-1's music out and I promise you you won't be disappointed with what you find.

Amongst all my searching for all things Afta-1, I stumbled upon another underground producer being mentioned on YouTube comments by the name of Flying Lotus. I got curious one evening and did a search on him as well. I loved what I heard. Like Afta, his music rarely consisted of any lyrics but you really don't need them. And just like I did with Afta, I went on a mad binge and searched for any and all things FlyLo and I listened to them while cooking, cleaning, homework, you name it.

Flying Lotus came into the game much earlier than Afta-1, releasing his first album,1983, in 2006. From there he went on to release several more albums and his latest, Cosmogramma, was released on May 3rd, 2010. Flying Lotus' sound is a little more hard than Afta-1's, and is more hip hop influenced. If you've ever heard of J Dilla or his music, then you could say he almost sounds like him. FlyLo's latest sounds more electronic than his previous works, so if you're going to try him out it's best to start with his older albums.

There is one song in particular that I absolutely adore from his L.A. EP 3X3 release called Endless White, and it's the most relaxing thing I have ever heard. Once I heard it, I listened to it every night on repeat and it helped me to fall asleep. I don't have 3x3 yet, but I do have Los Angeles, 1983, and July Heat. There's also a bunch of random music by him floating arond on YouTube as well. Search for a song by him called It's A Secret.

So for all my music lovers out there who miss real music and wonder where it has gone, you just have to look a little harder for it because most of the good stuff is underground. These two producers will give most mainstream rappers and producers a run for their money. If you've already heard of them and have their stuff in heavy rotation on your playlists, then you have good taste. If not, what are you waiting for? Grab your oversized earphones, kick back, and get ready to travel to musical nirvana.