Side projects and existing artist duos are typically a dime a dozen. It takes something special between two already existing producers to start co-creating something that goes a step further than a one-off collab.
Too often we see forced collaborations and side projects with little to offer. BLAAP is quite the opposite. Tyler Coombs, better known as Of The Trees, and Freddy Todd IV, better known as Freddy Todd, are both accomplished producers and artists in their respective lanes with a considerable amount of success in both of their solo ventures. Both have enjoyed decorated careers and together, they’ve been making a ton of insane tunes. All of which have become highly sought-after IDs in their sets.
Denver-based producer Of The Trees is an artist who embraces everything true to being an artist. He makes what he wants without hopping onto the next trend, takes his craft seriously, and interacts with his active fan base. His music is full of nature-esque foley meshed between rugged basslines, cheeky sample work, luscious chords, and hip-hop head nods.
Detroit native Freddy Todd is the epitome of thinking outside of the box. Pushing musical boundaries comes naturally to him, and his catalog proves that. If you dig through past projects you’ll find a melting pot of sonic output consisting of glitchy, funk-driven basslines, keytar chords, and some alluring downtempo. Together, the possibilities seem endless.
Maybe you remember a series of strange Instagram stories on their pages around the beginning of 2021. This is where everything began to come to fruition. Shortly after the series of cryptic and tastefully bizarre story posts, Of The Trees had confirmed that he and Freddy Todd were indeed cooking up a side project.
Enter BLAAP
Since 2021, they’ve performed just a handful of BLAAP sets including their debut at Cervantes, The Untz Festival 2023, a Halloween show in Miami, DEF Detroit, Lost Lands, and most recently, a show at the Ogden Theatre that served as a release party for their debut album – VOLCANOLOGY.
VOLCANOLOGY is the power duo’s debut album, released right at home on Of The Trees’ label Memory Palace. Clocking in at just over twenty minutes, VOLCANOLOGY delivers a diverse listening experience while touching multiple bases and flexing variety.
Kicking off the seven-track album is the self-titled track “VOLCANOLOGY (INTRO).” This track perfectly sets the stage for the project. Of The Trees’ deep chords resonate throughout, met by some vocal samples and a funky drum beat familiar to Freddy Todd’s signature style.
Flowing in next is the second tune on the tracklist, “LIFE CONTROL”. A hypnotic trip through the BLAAP galaxy, welcoming you with a foreboding undertone and rippling basslines. This track begins by floating you through the intro and build-up leading up to a gentle release and otherworldly atmosphere. The latter half of this track picks up the intensity and releases the building tension from the first half beautifully, resulting in a substantially heavier synth.
Next up is the first single released from the album, “BLAOWP”. This tune starts with a spacey undertone layered underneath a chopped Mac Miller vocal cut from “Polo Jeans” and some light percussion. Suddenly, at the sound of a few lasers, you’re instantly beamed into this banger. The bassline is a gritty and glitchy ear scratch carried with the same sample throughout, and a fat snare that truly hits the mark. Both styles are apparent in this high-energy single with the only downside being its playtime – just over the two-minute mark. It’s one of those tracks that leaves you wishing it was twice as long. The good news is that it raises the replay value because you’ll want to keep coming back to this one.
“HERE I IS” switches things up a bit. Going into this one, you may think it’s going to lean far on the side of hip-hop based on the intro. Well, the drop would like to have a word. Galactic ambiance, hip-hop percussion, and a high-energy verse via MotorKam fuse together for a bouncy track with all the bells and whistles. This track is immediately getting blasted properly on my next car ride.
Up next on the tracklist is “FANCY SHAMPOO.” A step back into the realms of bass, this one plays around quite a bit. The first half of this tune is very bass-heavy with a focus on the subs while the latter half becomes a bit more unpredictable and intricate, almost making it feel like two completely separate tracks.
The next track off of the album is incredibly special. “GLADIUS” not only serves as the second single off of VOLCANOLOGY, but it also marks a massive milestone for both Of The Trees and Freddy Todd being able to collaborate with NOLA hip-hop legend Curren$y, and Boston-based rapper Cousin Stizz. The blend between Curren$y’s signature flow, Cousin Stizz’s energy, and BLAAP’s peculiar sonic presence goes above and beyond in highlighting the versatility that the duo possesses.
Rounding out VOLCANOLOGY is the long-awaited and reworked track, “MUSHROOMS.” Beginning with a trancelike melody, Wreckno starts rhyming effortlessly along the glitchy soundscape. Every artist’s styles come together flawlessly in this tune; Of The Tree’s signature synths, Freddy Todd’s glitch-funk, and Wreckno’s flow all wrap this up into the perfect closer.
A BLAAP set is pretty high on the must-see list for so many of us and this has only added fuel to that fire. Of The Trees kicked off the “Moonglade” tour over the weekend at Red Rocks where both he and Freddy Todd performed individual sets, as well as a BLAAP set for their release party at the Ogden Theatre the week prior. These guys have been reaching some incredible heights, and with Freddy Todd on support for the tour, we’re hoping to see some more BLAAP sets from them pop up in the near future!
Side projects and existing artist duos are typically a dime a dozen. It takes something special between two already existing producers to start co-creating something that goes a step further than a one-off collab.
Too often we see forced collaborations and side projects with little to offer. BLAAP is quite the opposite. Tyler Coombs, better known as Of The Trees, and Freddy Todd IV, better known as Freddy Todd, are both accomplished producers and artists in their respective lanes with a considerable amount of success in both of their solo ventures. Both have enjoyed decorated careers and together, they’ve been making a ton of insane tunes. All of which have become highly sought-after IDs in their sets.
Denver-based producer Of The Trees is an artist who embraces everything true to being an artist. He makes what he wants without hopping onto the next trend, takes his craft seriously, and interacts with his active fan base. His music is full of nature-esque foley meshed between rugged basslines, cheeky sample work, luscious chords, and hip-hop head nods.
Detroit native Freddy Todd is the epitome of thinking outside of the box. Pushing musical boundaries comes naturally to him, and his catalog proves that. If you dig through past projects you’ll find a melting pot of sonic output consisting of glitchy, funk-driven basslines, keytar chords, and some alluring downtempo. Together, the possibilities seem endless.
Maybe you remember a series of strange Instagram stories on their pages around the beginning of 2021. This is where everything began to come to fruition. Shortly after the series of cryptic and tastefully bizarre story posts, Of The Trees had confirmed that he and Freddy Todd were indeed cooking up a side project.
Enter BLAAP
Since 2021, they’ve performed just a handful of BLAAP sets including their debut at Cervantes, The Untz Festival 2023, a Halloween show in Miami, DEF Detroit, Lost Lands, and most recently, a show at the Ogden Theatre that served as a release party for their debut album – VOLCANOLOGY.
VOLCANOLOGY is the power duo’s debut album, released right at home on Of The Trees’ label Memory Palace. Clocking in at just over twenty minutes, VOLCANOLOGY delivers a diverse listening experience while touching multiple bases and flexing variety.
Kicking off the seven-track album is the self-titled track “VOLCANOLOGY (INTRO).” This track perfectly sets the stage for the project. Of The Trees’ deep chords resonate throughout, met by some vocal samples and a funky drum beat familiar to Freddy Todd’s signature style.
Flowing in next is the second tune on the tracklist, “LIFE CONTROL”. A hypnotic trip through the BLAAP galaxy, welcoming you with a foreboding undertone and rippling basslines. This track begins by floating you through the intro and build-up leading up to a gentle release and otherworldly atmosphere. The latter half of this track picks up the intensity and releases the building tension from the first half beautifully, resulting in a substantially heavier synth.
Next up is the first single released from the album, “BLAOWP”. This tune starts with a spacey undertone layered underneath a chopped Mac Miller vocal cut from “Polo Jeans” and some light percussion. Suddenly, at the sound of a few lasers, you’re instantly beamed into this banger. The bassline is a gritty and glitchy ear scratch carried with the same sample throughout, and a fat snare that truly hits the mark. Both styles are apparent in this high-energy single with the only downside being its playtime – just over the two-minute mark. It’s one of those tracks that leaves you wishing it was twice as long. The good news is that it raises the replay value because you’ll want to keep coming back to this one.
“HERE I IS” switches things up a bit. Going into this one, you may think it’s going to lean far on the side of hip-hop based on the intro. Well, the drop would like to have a word. Galactic ambiance, hip-hop percussion, and a high-energy verse via MotorKam fuse together for a bouncy track with all the bells and whistles. This track is immediately getting blasted properly on my next car ride.
Up next on the tracklist is “FANCY SHAMPOO.” A step back into the realms of bass, this one plays around quite a bit. The first half of this tune is very bass-heavy with a focus on the subs while the latter half becomes a bit more unpredictable and intricate, almost making it feel like two completely separate tracks.
The next track off of the album is incredibly special. “GLADIUS” not only serves as the second single off of VOLCANOLOGY, but it also marks a massive milestone for both Of The Trees and Freddy Todd being able to collaborate with NOLA hip-hop legend Curren$y, and Boston-based rapper Cousin Stizz. The blend between Curren$y’s signature flow, Cousin Stizz’s energy, and BLAAP’s peculiar sonic presence goes above and beyond in highlighting the versatility that the duo possesses.
Rounding out VOLCANOLOGY is the long-awaited and reworked track, “MUSHROOMS.” Beginning with a trancelike melody, Wreckno starts rhyming effortlessly along the glitchy soundscape. Every artist’s styles come together flawlessly in this tune; Of The Tree’s signature synths, Freddy Todd’s glitch-funk, and Wreckno’s flow all wrap this up into the perfect closer.
A BLAAP set is pretty high on the must-see list for so many of us and this has only added fuel to that fire. Of The Trees kicked off the “Moonglade” tour over the weekend at Red Rocks where both he and Freddy Todd performed individual sets, as well as a BLAAP set for their release party at the Ogden Theatre the week prior. These guys have been reaching some incredible heights, and with Freddy Todd on support for the tour, we’re hoping to see some more BLAAP sets from them pop up in the near future!
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