On February 14, Fifty Grand tweeted, “My peers spoil me w incredible music. fuuuckk. the underground is blessed. All the best shit comes right from my sc feed” and I like to think that overwhelming moment of admiration was either the impetus for his Friday Night contribution or written in medias res.
Formerly of Hollywood, Fifty Grand recently relocated to Connecticut and though the trans producer expressed having a difficult 2014 on Twitter, the “VOCATION MIX” is an exercise in recuperation. Bookended by the emotional depth of Jeff Buckley and a Ricky Eat Acid instrumental, Fifty Grand’s mix is a tour through his vision of trap, in which dismissing it as a simulacrum of Lex Lugar will only reveal your inability to see beyond shallow signifiers. Fifty Grand is an auteur in trap, bringing the same emotive complexity that Buckley left in his wake. Trap in its raw state is characterized by its callous indifference. It’s a cold world out there, deal with it. Fifty Grand treads through the anxiety underbelly that indifference is shielding. At times it is a subtle texture to the cacophony, while the I Don’t Know Why collection is a provocative departure that finds the artist in their smallest state, and in a previous skin.
The “VOCATION MIX” collects like-minded cohorts from the streaming community and celebrates their visceral imprints. The type of productions that offer warm pockets in that cold world.
Fifty Grand offered the following statement on his “VOCATION MIX”:
This is a mix that showcases the best of Soundcloud, beginning and ending with two of my favorite emotional pieces. The majority of the artists listed are friends of mine, and the ones directly responsible for inspiring me on a daily basis.
“VOCATION Mix” Tracklisting:
01 Ricky Eat Acid, “Sitting By The Church With Dan”
02 Myrror ft. Cosmastly, “Fuck Da Lamez”
03 Instupendo, “Alone Time”
04 Strngr, “Water”
05 Kali Uchi, “Sycamore Tree (Drae Da Skimask remix)”
06 Tundra God, “Depressed Clouds”
07 Loud Lord, “Kush”
08 Kip, “FLCL Binge Tonight”
09 Blvcsvnd, “MOVE”
10 Dylan Ross, “The Pondering Muse”
11 josh pan, “we’ll never know what we want”
12 John Mello & Misogi, “精液”
13 Hellion ft. Fleece, “WHERE R U”
14 Fifty Grand ft. Loud Lord, “A Different Place”
15 Jeff Buckley, “Calling You (Live at Sin-e)”
