ATSIC S05E28 - Trapport

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Below, you’ll find the tracklist with the artists and their hometowns. You can follow along easily or just listen on the Mixcloud app.

This week, I sent DJ Dice 2.5 hours of the best 2024 Canadian trap music. He decided to mix it all, so this episode is the first 55 minutes of that trap mega-mix. Part 2 is coming next week. Since trap episodes take longer to collect music for than boom bap, the results are always top-tier and span a longer time period than the typical episode does—artists have to bring serious bars to make the cut for ATSIC.

This mix is loaded with those bars, and it’s also the first time an episode hasn’t started with a Wu-Tang track! We still got a Wu feature, though—“Step” by Ocean Wisdom & Method Man just landed a few tracks in. We switched things up a bit to keep you guessing.

The mix opens on a solemn note with "Without a Trace" by Factor Chandelier and Codefendants, setting a reflective mood. K.Stone’s “Mercy” then shifts the tone with a harder edge from the young Saskatoon emcee, who really shines in the second verse.

Edmonton stars Saint Laurent and Kryple link up for “What I Do,” a natural collaboration where Saint brings the melody and Kryple comes with sharp, clever bars.

The mix gets eclectic with "TOTORO," an anime-inspired track by Sinners Club, DEVIOUSTRIP, LVNoMad, and Shudipon. Most of these guys appear to be popular in places like Jakarta and Helsinki, except LVNoMad, who's repping Edmonton and was the artist that landed this on the radar. Don’t know much about him but I think he’s a YEG’er.

Drezus delivers with two tracks from July—“Cover My Shoulders,” where he stakes his claim as an elder deserving respect, and “War Paint,” a more aggressive follow-up. Both are big, shiny, standout tracks, and I’m excited to hear his next album.

Calgarians 3LI & LOTUS CHROME team up on “Power,” a hype track reminiscent of Ye’s “Power,” but with fresh energy. DillanPonders continues to march onward (his new album is called “Onward We March”) with “I Changed,” reflecting on personal growth. It’s good to see him thriving, especially considering his intense marathon streak (90 days 90 marathons and counting, I think).

Diztrikt Apolo’s “Parasite” and Lofsky & Tremayne’s “Big Shiny Tunes” bring introspective lyrics and self-assurance to the mix, while Myndset and Alja’s “Draggin’” evaluates the indie artist grind. Aaron King’s “Alive” stands out with its lyrical punch, taking aim at the system and gatekeepers.

The tongue-in-cheek “Flex Track” by Myer Clarity, D.O. Gibson, and Astin Clark pokes fun at the typical flex tracks, while Haviah Mighty’s club-ready “Double the Fun” keeps her rising star status intact.

On “So, I…,” devan. and RaytheNihilist share their relentless work ethic, followed by the West Coast track “Insiders” from Rozmo, Kid Lithium, and Sirreal, showing that consistent quality pays off. 613tino’s “Dice” is a nod to both life’s gamble and, coincidentally, to DJ Dice himself.

We close with “Mob Time” from Koncept tha Truth, Deezy tha Don, and Jason Packs, a gritty track addressing the haters, and Obe G & Young Stitch’s “Nothin’ to Lose,” with Stitch as reliable as ever.

If you want to see behind-the-scenes footage of the making of this episode, check out the videos below. I stream on Twitch while I’m putting the episodes together, and sometimes I even jump on the controller myself. It’s a vibe, and I always appreciate people coming through to share their thoughts on the new music.

After the music, I’ve got a new episode of Fly in Formation, where I talk with Donny Sage & K.STONE, the latter who stood in last minute for originally scheduled guest Alchemy the Linguist. We talked about their new collab effort Siren City, the Lethbridge & Saskatoon indie rap scenes, bringing the reality of the streets into their music, and a bunch more. You can also find the interview on YouTube in the FiF playlist, along with past episodes.

One thing I want to stress: I buy every track I play on ATSIC, unless an artist sends it to me directly. Streaming pays next to nothing, so it’s crucial to support independent artists by buying their music, tickets, or merch. This helps them keep making music instead of having to take on extra shifts at their day jobs.

Season 3 of Fly in Formation is well underway, with 30 interviews since January this year. I took a break for the summer, but I’ll be back soon with weekly interviews from artists across Canada. Be sure to follow on Twitch so you can skip the ads and join the community in chat while I’m gaming or working on my own music.

Independent shows like After the Smoke is Clear need support, too. If you like discovering new music without having to navigate algorithms, consider donating through PayPal. Every dollar helps me buy the tracks I feature on the show, supporting both ATSIC and the indie artists I play.

If you can’t donate, that’s cool—just spreading the word to a friend helps a ton. Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting, whether financially or by sharing the show.

Stay up.