Music Essentials: Flosstradamus

While Flosstradamus took the dance floor in 2012 with the prominence of trap and EDM, the duo — consisting of J2k and Autobot — have long been stalwarts of electronic music. The mid-noughties saw the group flaunt their production skills in the mash-up/bootleg fad, presenting hip-hop reworks to chart hits such as “Overnight Star” — a remix of Twsita’s “Overnight Celebrity.” With a back catalog at Vice Records, Fool’s Gold, Mad Decent’s Jeffrees and Green Label Sound, the Chicago natives continue to push the envelope with their bass-led genre, reinterpreting the sounds of juke, trap and Jersey rap via the Nomads EP with DJ Sliink, in addition to countless mixtapes and remixes featuring the likes of A-Trak, Diplo, Juicy J, Flatbush Zombies and Mykki Blanco. In between shows, we caught up with the club kings in New York on their #IRLTOUR for our Music Essentials series. As expected, the boys were armed with a bevy of USBs and hard drives — all neatly categorized — while launchpads and controllers are essential to their energetic sets, which are fueled by the dismantled coffee maker on display. Rounded up by pieces of rose gold accessories, we see the music necessities to one of club music’s most diligent groups.

Photographer: John Ong