Clams Casino

‏Clams Casino (a.k.a. Mike Volpe) is an accomplished producer and songwriter outta Nutley, N.J. His sound touches on a myriad of musical styles but Clams’ hypnotic, laidback approach could best be described as chillwave with a heavy hip-hop influence. SPIN summed it up nicely: “Drums and synths yawn and stretch and sigh, always tilting toward the sublime, not in a pretentious way, but like a smart, modest, confused kid who’s understandably anxious about today’s state of effed-up affairs and wants more.” A handful of tracks quickly caught the attention of the underground and more were soon scooped up by critically acclaimed emcees like Soulja Boy and Lil B. The Rainforest EP (Tri Angle), Clams’ first official release, adequately captured his penchant for melding techno, chillwave and hip-hop into a mesmerizing platter of shoegazing sounds ideal for contemplating the cosmos or simply chilling with a cold drink on a hot, lazy summer day. (Friday, 7:15-8:20, Blue Stage) –text: Mike Scales