AONENINE Drops "GANGWAYS" Mixtape, Alongside "QUARTER POUNDER//PALM ANGELS" Video

“GANGWAYS” is a ten-track mixtape from AONENINE, produced, mixed and mastered by himself and Kid Snow, bar “SADBOI” produced and featured on by T.1ne (BiG T).

The double bill video, promoting two non-consecutive songs on the mixtape “QUARTERPOUNDER” and “PALM ANGELS”, takes us on a GCLO dripped journey from one side of AONE’s style to the next, polarizing elements of his artistry with visual effects and experimental transitions.

Heavily inspired by the visual effects of Greentea Peng’s ‘Mr. Sun’, “QUARTERPOUNDER” rolls us smoothly from Canary Wharf to stormy skies in West London suburbs and back again with suave, continuous transition. The very polished and slick videography and trippy skies are characteristic of the beat itself, spacey ambient synths rising above subtle, heavily processed drums and spongey rolling 808s, leaving AONE to go round for round over the top.

Then before we know it, we’re subtly ushered toward the darker side of AONE’s style, “PALM ANGELS”, a faster, harder delivery accredited by Kid Snow’s signature sound; big, pounding 808s and sharp, snappy drums. This change in style is shown through similar stylistic changes in the video, directed by AdamK. The smooth, windowed transition of “QUARTERPOUNDER” is axed for glitchy, choppy transitions and experimentation with a number of visual effects and camera techniques as AONE raps, joined by his boys between neon lights cutting across graffiti streaked walls.

Throughout the project, coming together since the start of our first lockdown in March, the Man of Mystery takes us through his many faces, showcasing different aspects of his capricious style across the ten tracks. Not to say that this project doesn’t define AONENINE’S sound throughout, mysterious and passive, autotuned vocals punctuated by crooning adlibs whispering like voices of temptation on his shoulder.

The mixtape champions a number of brazy features, from pitch puppeteer FRAZER pulling the heartstrings on “P – GRAPHIC” to MANIDM bouncing over spacey synths and layered melodies in “STRAWBERRY JAM”. On his creative process and choosing artists to work with, AONE said after finding initial inspiration for the tape, “I’d approach artists I personally find wavey and the more I went to the studio and got closer to the end product the more I’d be inspired lyrically.”

“GANGWAYS” is more than a mixtape. It’s the defining work of a very different sound climbing its way up the stairs of the underground UK rap scene. Inspired by his own growth, AONENINE has taken his sound to the next level and he’s only just getting started. The gates are open.

Keep your eyes out for another video for “MONEY CALLS (ft. LEN)” coming soon. In the meantime, watch the video for "QUARTER POUNDER//PALM ANGELS" below, and stream "GANGWAYS" here.