dnss

Honing his talents with complex reworking of modern rap hits, producer dnss flexed his versatility through the late 2010s and early 2020s, moving between futuristic trap, warm R&B, and drifting pop with ease. Debuting with a bass-driven rework of Future's "Move That Dope," brilliantly titled "Hey Santa Claus How Can I Get a Dope from You?" (2016), Korean producer dnss came into rap via unconventional means -- the remix. Tackling tracks from Migos' "Bad and Boujee" to Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," dnss' glistening reimaginings incorporated lashings of electro-funk and bubblegum trap, taking inspiration from both modern electronic producers and rap groups like the Neptunes. Eventually, he turned his production talents toward the present. Across 2017, dnss lent his talents to artists like JUHWI ("iwannabill") and OLNL ("SNOW"), as well as producing instrumental tracks like "REVOL" and "morigesh." After moving into 2018 with the Anderson .Paak edit "outofcont," dnss took a brief hiatus from producing. He returned in late 2020 with the collaborative EP EDIT VOL. 1, a joint venture with fellow Korean producer swelley. Building on both producers' editing skills, the EP featured futuristic reworks and mashups of popular hits, including Roddy Ricch's "The Box," Lil Wayne's "6 Foot 7 Foot," and 50 Cent's "In da Club." This proved a stepping-stone to the producer's own solo debut; dnss' first album, DANSES01, arrived just a few months later. Shifting his talents to airier pop and R&B sounds, DANSES01 saw the producer expand his repertoire alongside artists like k.vsh, Han Yo Han, jeebanoff, and Meego. ~ David Crone