PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT: Hasin, Younique, NINAJIRACHI & Wreckah

What are the elements that make-up a banger song? Yes, an artist’s vocals and lyrics are hugely influential in making or breaking a track, however as is often the case, the production and engineering will often be left vastly unnoticed and underappreciated. Considering this, we are excited to debut our brand new ‘Producer Spotlight’ segment which will cover 4 producers in the Australian hip-hop, new wave and R&B scene who are helping to put Australia on the map.

In Volume 1 we’re exploring a diverse range of talents from various genres of music here in Aus. Sydney’s Hasin is producing some of the best Afrobeat tracks you’ll hear, while NINAJIRACHI brings uber hype with her EDM mixes that draw from both hip-hop and electronic influences. Hailing from Melbourne, Younique’s ability to merge multiple genres on one track still has me in awe, and from Brisbane, hip-hop producer Wreckah is certainly one to keep an eye on this coming year.

Hasin

You can catch Hasin regularly cooking up some of the most vibrant Afro-fusion and R&B tracks you will hear in your life. The Sydney-based producer frequently collaborates with Obi Fit, and will always seamlessly flow Obi’s voice with a tailor-made beat that allows listeners to vibe out whilst entirely relating to his thoughts and emotions conveyed through the instrumental. ‘One Body’ featuring Obi Fit and Project Peters, sees Hasin produce a slowed melodic Afro-infused track that is unique from any of his productions thus far. Hasin also worked with Australian R&B pioneer Timomatic on his 2021 album entitled ‘Bitter Sweet’, a project that incorporates elements of Afrobeat, R&B and new wave, an indication of his true versatility as a producer. With his extensive experience, Hasin has cemented a name for himself within the Australian scene.

Younique

Younique has an impeccable talent for fusing multiple genres on one track that makes his sound and style iconically unique. A frequent collaborator of Melbourne hip-hop and reggaeton artist Jalmar, Younique has a deep understanding of what makes a modern latin-infused hip-hop beat. A personal favourite of mine, ‘La Fiesta’, utilises horns and bass to flow the track in and out of 2 genres. He has also dipped into avenues of trap and dark R&B, and has even covered EDM and house tracks to reflect his multitude of influences. Add the artist and producer’s latest track ‘Funk’ featuring Jalmar and Mookito to the queue to unlock a funky futuristic sound.

NINAJIRACHI

Having worked with the likes of Cult Shotta, lil golo and 1300, there can be no doubt that NINAJIRACHI is a producer who has the production nous and ability to bring her incredible sound to authentic-to-themself talents. Just one listen of her remix of 1300’s single ‘Smashmouth’ will reaffirm the appeal of her thrillingly hyper EDM sound to the Australian scene. Frequently collaborating with fellow producer Oh Boy, NINAJIRACHI produced ‘NRG’ for Cult Shotta and lil golo, one of my favourite tracks of 2021. No matter what beat NINAJIRACHI jumps on it’s guaranteed to be a head banger accompanied by an inarguably necessary gabba. Also producing for herself, her sound is a futuristic disco fusion with hip-hop and dark R&B elements that always knows how to meet the mood. The Central Coast born producer’s eccentric sound and influence of EDM is a festival must.

Wreckah

One of Brisbane’s best kept secrets, Wreckah, is a producer whose influence on the scene over the past few years cannot be understated. Having produced for Goodna rappers Lisi and Th4 W3st, Wreckah specialises in elevating hip-hop here in Aus, particularly for Pasifika artists, which he achieves impeccably by balancing both classic hip-hop and old-school R&B elements to ensure the instrumental resonates with the artist’s identity. Having worked on Lisi’s 2021 album ‘Perspective’, Wreckah proved to have a knack for looping R&B vocal samples on hip-hop tracks and his flair can be heard on ‘No Time’ and ‘Baby we on’. 2022 is the year for expansion for this young producer, and we’re here for the whole ride.

Words by Violet Murphy