A hardcore two-piece out of Spanaway, Washington, ©asi, or casi, released their first EP EVERYBODY’S SECRET in April of last year after a handful of singles. These guys bring a heavy energy live that I didn’t expect after having listened to their EP in preparation for the performance. I’m not even really sure how I would categorize them. The best word salad I can come up with is a sort of hyper-anti-pop FL Studio rap that reminds me vaguely (and I do mean vaguely) of something off of Death Grips’ Money Store, less in production but more so in the raw energy that’s brought with the sound.
Live, I felt the vibes shift completely. I mean, that’s almost true for every artist, a live performance isn’t something that can be staged and meticulously refined like a studio recording, but it felt almost like I was seeing a separate band perform. The guitar felt like it held a heavier and greater presence, while the samples from the backing tracks felt like they moved away from the front of the sound. That, along with the vocals, really pushed and molded everything into a hardcore show that was amplified by the vocalist’s interaction with the audience. That dude knew how to work a crowd, and the energy from the pit felt palpable.
Regardless, I still really enjoyed the EP. Some standouts for me were their most popular release, WOKE UP IN A BAG. The peaking and distortion of the vocals hit hard with the 808s on backup that pulls a repetition that’s kind of addictive but doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s all heavy on production, like I said, in contrast to their live performance, but it’s done well. There’s another hard shift in sound with the final two songs on the release, LIVE (orange) and NUTHIN LIKE, that lean into the pop/anti-pop sound. It’s a welcome mellowing out and a good way to close it out, but the change does come a little out of left field.
As far as I’m aware, they’re slated to drop some new music this week, so keep an eye out for it, and keep an eye on them.