Written by: Oliver Heffron
Photo Courtesy of Asa2times
Asa2times is crafting a unique sound between psychedelic rock and hip/hop. The latest release, “Speed Racer (Live From Hollywood” showcases the Chicagoan rapper/singer holding down the track with a barrage of intimate vocal melodies over solely the harmonious strums of a reverberated guitar in a live performance of three upcoming tracks off his upcoming debut album Movie: Psychedelic Trap.
“Live from Hollywood” highlights the successful formula of Asa2 Times' recent releases “Pasadena Flow” and “Amsterdam,” which utilize the spacey minimalism of longtime producer and significant other Shake & Bake to weave dreamy portraits of late-night affection and contemplation. It also highlights their music’s translatability to the live stage, as Asa and Shake have been perfecting their sound through live performances to entertain fans during the pandemic. “With my music, we’re creating a new genre called ‘Psychedelic Trap,” Asa said in his recent interview with Nuance (soon to be released), “It’s a wave, It’s like Tame Impala mixed with Kanye mixed with Travis Scott mixed with Future.”
Photo Courtesy of Shake & Bake
Asa broke into the Chicago drill scene with the 2018 release “Whip,” a record that blew up in the Chicago club scene and caught the eye of major labels in Los Angeles. Since then, Asa and Shake have been cooking up a unique blend of psychedelia and rap as their lives took a mirroring path: “We kinda elevated our music as we moved to LA and experiencing different things with psychedelics, LCD, mushrooms and just watching and learning the experience.”
After working in the Chicago Drill scene with artists like King Louis and Valee, Asa2times has reinvented his sound with Shake & Bake to create music that aims to spread positivity about psychedelics, pushing back against the dominant narratives which negatively miss the healing aspects of tripping: “What we’re trying to get across is being positive and creative with the drugs instead of negative with the drugs. I think it’s a big misconception and misunderstanding about LSD and mushrooms and how they can help you rather than be negative to you. So we’re trying to shed light on that.” Asa also sees this shift in his music as an opportunity to corner his own unique genre: “I’m trying to be the king of that music mixing the two genres of hip-hop drill music with psychedelic music.”
With the insistence of partner Shake & Bake, Asa2times has allowed his vocal talent to shine on recent releases, synthesizing his unique melodies and cadences over her wavey instrumentation to create cinematic tracks of psychedelic trap which embody the idea of “psychedelic trap.” Combining this musical breakthrough with Asa and Shake’s commitment to creating cinematic musical videos or “mini-movies,” Asa2times is set to break out this summer with a slew of videos and the debut album fittingly titled Movie: Psychedelic Trap. Having spent the pandemic crafting this unique sound and perfecting his sound in a live setting, it’s safe to say Asa2times is a dangerous artist to watch, especially in concert.