Once described as the “The Beatbox King of Austin” by Mayor Kirk Watson, Ben Buck has been an omnipresent sight in the Texas music world. Known to join a multitude of touring artists in impromptu beatbox performances, he has beatboxed alongside artists such as Ghostface Killah, Freddie Gibbs, Bushwick Bill, Aceyalone, Skyzoo, RA The Rugged Man and Czarface.
When not hosting or performing, Buck also runs and operates “Speaker Bump Presents”, a Austin based cassette label that has made tapes for artists such as Paul Wall, Termanology, Homeboy Sandman and Vel 9. As of 2020 Speaker Bump has produced over 120 projects to cassette, with thousands of handmade tapes put into circulation across the country
Releafs and HollowEarth are a production duo specializing in dark bass heavy electronic music. Instead of DJing they play each song live by triggering samples and loops and adding additional instrumentation like guitar and keys.Their collaborative album “Portals” came out in 2024 and is a combination of downtempo, UKG, instrumental hip hop, phonk and other strands of bass music all filtered through a distinctly Texas voice.
When playing live their sets can go anywhere as song gets flipped, mangled, and improvised on top of often with the help of special guests.
Driftside is a live electronic duo featuring John Daugherty (pedal steel guitar/electronics) and Jake Kirkby (drums). Their sound is an eclectic blend of ambient-adjacent styles, seamlessly weaving elements of post-rock, trip-hop, and jazzy soul into a cohesive and immersive experience. Combining the sample-driven techniques of artists like Burial and DJ Shadow with the dynamic drumming reminiscent of Questlove's groove, Driftside creates a unique tapestry of psychedelic instrumental electronic music.While the tempos and rhythms might shift fluidly from track to track, the duo’s core mission is the same: to strike a balance of tranquility and rhythm while delivering a deeply immersive sense of groove.