2hollis/Photo: 2hollis
Like a ghastly apparition from the smoldering cauldron of Soundcloud rap and hyperpop, 2hollis returns to Chicago, for a sold-out show on January 31 at Metro, nearly a year after his last headliner show at Schubas. Since then, he has rocked crowds at Lollapalooza and days after opened for Ken Carson at the Salt Shed, bringing a younger crowd into a moshing frenzy. His musical trajectory is freeform, ranging from soulful longing ballads over electroclash to impassioned EDM melodies that mesh with a hardcore version of witch house. Through it all, he uses an impressive restriction of energy to edge the energy of his crowd.
Born in Chicago, the L.A.-based artist moved to the West Coast with his family at ten but still carries a Midwest punk mentality and passion for making Detroit techno, which he practices during downtime on his tours across Europe and North America. His newest album, “boy,” released early summer of 2024, might be slightly less danceable than some of his previous releases, but it presents a piece of music ripe for performance. It demonstrates a refined version of trap and dubstep as he moves closer to gabber and hardstyle on songs like “crush,” “gold” and “trauma.” “3” displays his craft of pure electronica, and begs the question if he really is an industry plant or nepo baby, benefiting from his connections to Skrillex (who co-founded the electronic music powerhouse label Owsla with 2hollis’ mother). 2hollis vehemently rejects this claim, citing influence from online tutorials and deep dives into niche music forums, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that his dad was also a drummer for Tortoise.
At just eleven years old, 2hollis began experimenting with music-production software right as Drain Gang formed halfway around the world in Sweden. The collective with members Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor and later collaborator Yung Lean paved the cloud rap genre and heavily influenced 2hollis’ style. On some of 2hollis’ early creations, previously released under the name Drippysoup, his young voice raps over glitched distorted kicks, sometimes even releasing projects with medieval jaunty tunes and themed lyrics. Since those initial experiments, he has grown into a unique sound combining intimate storytelling, narrative percussive structure, a wide range of extraterrestrial synths and, as an homage to his favorite game, Minecraft samples.
Sometimes compared to a Justin Bieber meets Skrillex for the Discord generation, 2hollis has joined the Opium Boys in recent years in both aesthetic and collaboration (including a credit on Playboi Carti’s album later this year). His hair, California Sun gold, falls in little curls well past his shoulders with roots just long enough to show he doesn’t care. His lean almost-tall scrawny frame and choice of heeled shoes almost give him the appearance of hunching over, his nonchalant attitude revealed in sagging pants. He chooses a muted color palate, opting for bright whites or golds against dark blues and blacks in his artistic direction. Expect an energized audience.
2hollis plays Metro, 3730 North Clark, Friday, January 31. Doors at 5:30pm; Show at 6:30pm. This show is sold out. More info here.
