30 Songs That Indirectly Influenced Trap

“Trap” is a term that many producers have an issue with. In Atlanta, trap has a completely different meaning; its roots are real and embedded in t

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Complex Original

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“Trap” is a term that many producers have an issue with. In Atlanta, trap has a completely different meaning; its roots are real and embedded in the hip-hop culture. The start of this electronic hybrid really started in 2012 with Flosstradamus’ remix of Major Lazer’s “Original Don," and has spun in dozens of directions since.

We don’t have a problem with this genre, its popularity, or even the name. What we DO have a problem with is the people that have no background or knowledge of the genre that have latched onto the current wave without educating themselves. We're not speaking on the beginnings of trap as it relates to rap; you should look to Daniel Disaster for those answers. But we were listening to songs that had these elements before it got named and popularized, and we’re going to give you a proper history on the 30 trap records that happened before you called it trap.

Aphex Twin - "Ageispolis"

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(Apollo, 1992)

Kraftwerk might be considered the genesis of electronic music, but Aphex Twin is truly the father of the modern iteration of electronic dance music. Certainly not the most accessible, his debut studio album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 was a masterpiece far ahead of its time; so far ahead it was dubbed "Intelligent Dance Music," a backahanded compliment to his music as a whole. Just a year before releasing the seminal work, he was quoted explainig what he called his own music, braindance: "Braindance is the genre that encompasses the best elements of all genres, e.g traditional, classical, electronic music, popular, modern, industrial, ambient, hip-hop, electro, house, techno, breakbeat, hardcore, ragga, garage, drum and bass, etc." And just look at his track "Ageispolis." The use of stuttering high-hats in electronic music was not seen regularly, but it was seen in funk, jazz and other drum-based dance music in the past. With this singular track, Aphex Twin laid the groundwork for once again mixing the elements of dance and electronic and this one specifically for trap.

Hudson Mohawke - "Cbat"

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(Warp, 2011)

This Glasgwegian producer is appearing all over the place now. Whether it's his TNGHT project with Lunice being bandied about as the "the next big thing" or lending his talents to help out with the production for Kanye West's "Mercy," the LuckyMe collective founder is a big reason behind the trap craze we see now. "Cbat" was originally included on HudMo's 2011 Warp Records release, but the track has now taken on a new significance. With it's bubbly bass lifting the light snares, quick hats, and cellphone samples, this little beat represents a more artistic extension to the ringtone rap fad that took over mainstream hip hop for much of the last few years. In addition to laying the groundwork for his TNGHT project, this is track still finds it's way into trap-heavy sets and it's surely had a big influence on dance music.

Joker - "Snake Eater"

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(Soul Motive, 2008)

Joker's Purple WOW sound is directly influenced by the southern rap styles of today, but this track right here? You could put this one out today and have the trap kids in a tizzy, not realizing that they're bouncing to a five-year-old banger. Joker's been a don on the beats for while, and the way he worked that sample atop this 808 slap is just beautiful.

Girl Unit - "Wut"

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(Night Slugs, 2010)

Despite being released two years ago, this massive yet ethereal chilled out beat has all the makings of a trap anthem. Again heavy kicks peppered with light snares and fast hats, this track beautifully borrows from the world of R&B and hip-hop. With the soulful, Kanye-esque vocal sample chops and cuts and warm bass, this one just might set the mood. Despite much of today's trap trend towards the big party starters and bass bangers, tracks like this show the exponential potential of this sort of broken beat madness. As trap matures and grows as a genre, tracks like this and that of the future beat style, will start to pop everywhere, but this one has already set the mold.

Waka Flocka - "O Let's Do It (Heroes x Villains Remix)"

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(Free Download, 2010)

Dubstep'd as it may be, ALT-natives group Heroes x Villains first flipped this Waka joint back in 2010 proving that mixing southern hip-hop and the sounds of electronic bass music would be a match made in heaven. Despite keeping Waka's original bars, this one is an almost entirely original production. Echoing and repeating "Waka" chants, this brooding beat insets some wobble bassline, but not too much to over shadow the original's trap elements. As trap has continued to grow, it's become clear that while early remixes like this might have been odd choices in the past, southern hip hop and dance music are truly meant to be.

TNGHT - "Higher Ground"

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(Warp / LuckyMe, 2012)

While there certainly is a valid argument to say this isn't proto-trap, just look at the kind of buzz this was getting in 2011. Rather than be apart of any specific genre, this duo's music was billed as heavily experimental hip-hop beats and the word trap was only associated with names like Lex Luger, Gucci Mane, and Waka Flocka. After playing together at SXSW, the duo has taken that hype and turned into legitimate praise throughout the blogosphere. More importantly, their TNGHT EP has found it's way into nearly every trap and bass DJ's rotation. The EP as a whole wasn't everyone's cup of tea but it's hard to discount the affect this track has had on the development of trap.

Caspa - "Fulham 2 Waterloo"

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(Dub Police, 2011)

This track isn't really trap at all and it's still essentially a dubstep track, but given the context of it's release it's an important one to note . At the time we hadn't heard the kind of snare rolls in bass music, but Caspa has always had strong hip-hop flavor to his releases and we can see him pushing back towards that flavor with this one. It's connection to trap is pretty clear with the context before you Check out other releases from around that time and you won't hear anything like it. It was definitely part of the inital push towards the trap sound we hear today.

DNAEBEATS - "Octagon"

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(Seclusiasis, 2012)

Hypnotic and forboding, DNAEBEATS' released "Octagon" at the tail end of 2011 just before the trap craze kicked off and he was definitely on to something with his this one. Even the vocal sample simply says "808, 808," of course a reference to the signature Roland TR-808 synth, the synth that made this whole thing possible. Snare rolls and lush pads stir together to make a a mysterious beat straight of the cauldron. Now the more popular side of trap has definitely not gone this way, but peeps at Pelican Fly and LuckyMe have definitely taken some of this sound and helped forge the future bass/future trap scene.

David Heartbreak - "Cloud 9"

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(Free Download, 2011)

Even though he is more known for his Moombahsoul series, Brooklyn-born producer David Heartbreak has made it his mission to defy boundaries and genres. Constantly experimenting, incorporating new influences, Heartbreak's open-mindedness can be inspiring. Playing the track now up against other releases and you can see he was truly ahead of the curve.

S-X - "Bricks"

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(Free Download, 2011)

Released in January of 2011, S-X really saw a lane when he took elements of southern hip-hop and cinematic soundtracks to make tunes like "Bricks." It's most definitely not one of those club-ready beats, but listening to it, you know a rapper is just waiting to spit all over this one. Perhaps it was a sign of the direction in hip-hop as well, and producers like S-X had not yet made that change to being front and center like guys like Baauer.

Silencer - "Dirtbag"

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(Underground Unit, 2009)

Grime isn't something that has gotten a lot of love stateside, but the sound has been around for a minute now over in the UK. The sound is very MC-oriented and hip-hop flavored, and this track from Silencer is definitely in that vein. As far as trap goes, just listen to this one and you can hear the light hi-hats rippling throughout this slow-riding track. Snares hit with enough tender power to get the point across and really give this it's swag. We might sound a bit crazy trying to describe this, so just listen to it and it's clear why this one is on the list.

Matty G - "My 808"

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(Dub Police, 2010)

Dub Police's Matty G always brings an understated power to his tracks. Understated in the sense that you never know just how hard his track hits until you've heard it on a big system. This might not be called trap, but it could be. Again, referencing the 808 as the title suggest, Matty G was mixing the sounds of southern hip-hop with his grimey bass music from the start. For those working your future bass sets or even perhaps a break up between the high-energy bangers, Matty G's "My 808" is that track to have.

Krampfhaft - "Spit Thunder"

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(Saturate, 2011)

Dutch producer Krampfhaft has been on my personal radar for quite some time now and his music is just wild. It's diverse, it knows no bounds, and it flutters and it sometimes flops. This daring producer released this gem "Spit Thunder" two years ago, but you can hear elements of trap in it. A pre-cursor to what would become trap and future bass, Krampfhaft has made his name sticking his sound to the far left. But now people are catching up and his music is less crazy than it first sounded. That's not an indictment on him at all, in fact it's the opposite. As competition greatens, competitors tend to mimic each other and Krampfhaft was definitely on to something.

Salem - "King Night"

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(IAMSOUND, 2010)

Salem's chopped and screwed style was the epitome of trap in 2010. This whole release was filled with snare rolls, triplets, and high hats. It's like Clams Casino meets Lex Luger, but two years before anyone was paying attention to either of them. It wasn't danceable at ALL. Every track on this album had a drawn-out vibe that blew our minds.

Teeza - "DoomzDay"

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(Free Release, 2010)

Teeza is one of those names that most people aren't familiar with. There's no bio for this UK producer on either his soundcloud or Facebook page. And while he seems to care more about music than his marketing, he's been dropping incredibly relevant tracks for the past few years. "Doomzday" came out in 2010 and certainly has more of a grime vibe, but it's easy point to the staggered snares and see the influence. This track was certainly an underground hit. So underground that we can't find anything except emcees rhyming over the track on YouTube.

XXYYXX ft. Ruddy P - "Eclipse"

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(Self-Release, 2012)

This was released via the XXYYXX Bandcamp page in January of LAST year. This uplifting tune sounds like a trap beat stuck in a sunrise, and it was released right around the time Flosstradamus' "Original Don" came out. The self-titled album to come out a couple months afterwards has TONS of trap influence. They were taking this sound into their hands months earlier, though.

Virgo - "Sad Song"

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(A.R.M.Y Bullet, 2006)

Virgo's one of the UK grime scene's producers that has embraced a futuristic hip-hop take within his tracks. The way he layered the synths and percussion on this one are so essential, and that 808 is dropped properly enough to provide dope slap without getting too into the way. Just strip a lot of this away and you essentially have a trap skeleton.

SRC - "Goomba VIP"

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(Butterz, 2010)

There's actually a lot going on in this track; you've got the mid-tempo headnodding drums, with a vintage batch of video game sounds thrown in, including a pretty obvious chiptune jack. SRC's a beast with the way he turned this one into a funky, low-riding anthem. Anyone who was connected to their NES at the hip should be rocking to this one right now.

Kromestar - "Noiz"

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(Origin Audio, 2012)

The electronic trap we know now was certainly bubbling as this track came out, but it was the first time we heard these elements from a dubstep producer. It's the perfect mesh, and stays true to Kromestar's gritty vibe. A dirty trap tune with dubstep synths. We're still baffled when we hear this record, and wish for more tunes like it.

Starkey - "Watching"

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(Seclusiasis, 2012)

This tine was was released officially through Seclusiasis on their Street Bass Bootlegs 2 complilation. To say this record is slept-on is an understatement. It's a brilliant display of electronic vibes and trap drums.

Rustie - "City Star"

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(Warp, 2011)

The Glass Swords album by Rustie was one of those records that had producers and DJs buzzing, and all of the talk was deserved. There should be no question whatsoever that tracks like this were pivotal in pushing producers to pull those sounds from the deep south into electronic music. Rustie is from Scotland, and tracks from this album were used in commercials for Adidas and in video games. We can only assume this record was directly related to fellow Glasgow resident Hudson Mohawke to get signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D. music label.

MRK1 - "Neva Argue"

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(Food4DaBrain, 2007)

This track by Virus Syndicate was released originally as a stand-alone instrumental (also called "Neva Argue") by MRK1 in 2007. This is another one of those tunes that might be questionable as far as a traditional trap record is concerned, but undeniable if you are looking for influence. This was YEARS ahead of its time.

Paper Diamond - "AirLift"

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(Mad Decent, 2012)

Paper Diamond popped quite some time ago, and signed to Pretty Lights Music along with Gramatik and Eliot Lipp. You might remember Paper Diamond under his previous alias Alex B. He's from Boulder, Colorado, and has released GIANT tracks since we can remember. This one is a blippy banger that came out through Mad Decent, but wasn't noticed quite as much as the bigger tracks that really pushed this wave of music.

Lunice - "Guardian"

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(Free Download, 2011)

We've been looking to Lunice for his musical output for quite some time. He's the other half of the group TNGHT with Hudson Mohawke, and has been playing shows for more than five years. His career popped on a serious level in the past two years, as he's done official remixes with Diplo, Azealia Banks, Theophilus London, Elephant Man, and many more. The pitched snares in "Guardian" are insane.

Doshy - "Suspiria"

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(Rwina, 2011)

This track from German producer Doshy came out three years ago, and was certainly forgotten about. There is no doubting that it holds weight and is comparable to the trap that has come out in the past six months. It's one of those deeper songs that the average DJ or producer probably doesn't know, and should.

Space Jesus - "Fly (Crunk-Junt)"

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(Self-Release, 2012)

We first laid our ears on this track about a year and a half ago, and today realize it's a great example of how you can take wonky dubstep stylings and combine them with trap. There's a cameo from Two Fresh in this video as well.

Kuedo - "Truth Flood"

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(Planet Mu, 2011)

True enthusiasts might remember Vex'd from their "Lion VIP," but few likely know that one half of this British duo (Jamie Teasdale) went on to produce his own music under the moniker Kuedo. This was one of many early pushes against dubstep in order to find a more melodic and creative outlet for bass music, and the drums certainly have that trap feel.

The Two. Fifteens - "Extra Cheese Slapp"

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(Free Download, 2011)

The Two. Fifteens are duo of brothers who experiment in all areas of bass. They got acclaim under a different moniker within the hip-hop scene, but once they started adding herbs and spices into this project, their influences shined through. They make tracks for the speakerboxes in your car, which is right up the 808 trap alley, although they layer in dub aspects and ethereal vibes that add way more layers than your normal track soundtrack would.

Dolor - "Inkhorn"

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(Free Download, June 2011)

Dolor is a bit of a quandary to us. He made a stack of incredible records, then disappeared. "Inkhorn" is one of those tunes. Its simplistic, featuring not much more than a couple well-placed synths, a disgusting baseline, and those trap drums we now have embedded in our heads. Outside of his recent signing to Ninja Tune, we aren't quite sure where he's been since 2011. This is one of the last tracks placed on his SoundCloud, and it's over a year old.

Kingdom - "Let You No"

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(Night Slugs, 2011)

Listening to this, we're wondering why this trap movement didn't spin out of control earlier. The 808 bass, the triplets, the rolling hats. This could be played in a set today, and nobody would know the difference. Kingdom is from Los Angeles, and certainly overlooked in this music game. He also recently contributed a mix for Diplo & Friends… we're taking too long to give him the notoriety he deserves.

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