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aussie drill

Aussie Drill

Australia · 2010s
IntenseDarkEpicDancingSad
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Description

Aussie drill is the Australian take on drill rap, fusing the dark, minor‑key production and sliding 808s of UK drill with local slang, Pacific Islander and Western Sydney street culture, and distinctly Australian accents.

Typical tracks sit around 135–145 BPM, with syncopated hi‑hats, counter‑snares, and gliding 808 basslines beneath ominous piano, string, or choral stabs. Vocals are baritone‑leaning, aggressive, and often chanted by crews, with call‑and‑response ad‑libs and postcode shout‑outs that emphasize group identity and territorial pride.

Lyrically, the style centers on loyalty, everyday struggles, rivalry, and social realities, but also includes aspirational and reflective moments. The sound rose quickly via YouTube and streaming platforms in the late 2010s, turning local crews into national talking points while drawing scrutiny from authorities and mainstream media.

History
Origins (late 2010s)

Aussie drill emerged in the late 2010s as Australian crews adapted the sound design and rhythmic language of UK drill—already an evolution of Chicago drill—to local contexts. Western Sydney and Melbourne’s outer suburbs, with large Polynesian and multicultural communities, became focal points. Viral videos and DIY visuals on YouTube accelerated visibility.

Breakthrough Moments

ONEFOUR’s run of singles (e.g., Spot the Difference, The Message, In the Beginning) around 2018–2019 put the scene on the map, pairing UK‑style drum programming with Australian slang and crew‑based storytelling. Melbourne’s HP Boyz (Engineers) and Queensland’s No Money Enterprise (German) broadened the sound across the country, while Hooligan Hefs injected a party‑ready, club‑leaning spin that still referenced drill sonics.

Media Attention and Scrutiny

As videos amassed millions of views, the scene drew intense media coverage and increased police scrutiny, with some live shows canceled and filming activities restricted. Despite that, streaming platforms and social media kept momentum high, and collaborations with international artists helped spotlight the sound beyond Australia.

Consolidation and Diversification

By the early 2020s, Aussie drill solidified as a recognizable subculture within Australian hip hop. Artists diversified topics and production—folding in melodic hooks, Afroswing‑tinged rhythms, and reflective storytelling—while preserving the hallmark sliding 808s, minor‑key textures, and crew‑centric delivery.

How to make a track in this genre
Tempo, Rhythm, and Drums
•   Aim for 135–145 BPM; 140 BPM is a common sweet spot. •   Use UK‑drill style drum grids: snares land on beat 3 with ghost hits, rolling 1/16–1/32 hi‑hats, and occasional triplet or stutter fills. •   Layer a tight, punchy kick with an 808 that slides between root and b7/b6 tones using portamento.
Harmony, Melody, and Sound Design
•   Favor natural minor or Phrygian flavors; keep chords sparse and tense. •   Build motifs from short, ominous phrases: detuned piano, low strings, choirs, bell stabs, or filtered pads. •   Use atmospheric ear‑candy (vinyl noise, sirens, risers) to frame drops and transitions.
Bass and Low End
•   Program long 808 notes with slides into targets on downbeats or phrase endings. •   Sidechain the 808 subtly to the kick; carve space with EQ to avoid masking the vocal.
Vocals and Writing
•   Deliver in a firm, chesty tone with clipped consonants and crew ad‑libs for call‑and‑response. •   Write lyrics around loyalty, everyday realities, postcode pride, and social commentary—use authentic Australian slang and references. •   Structure: 8–16 bar verses, chantable hooks, and occasional back‑and‑forth exchanges between crew members.
Arrangement and Mix
•   Keep intros short (producer tag + 2–4 bar motif), then drop straight into the hook or verse. •   Prioritize vocal clarity; keep melodic elements minimal so the voice and 808 dominate. •   Use subtle reverb/short delays to maintain aggression without washing out articulation.
Main artists
Influenced by
Drill
Drill is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged on Chicago’s South Side in the early 2010s. It is defined by stark, menacing production; booming 808 sub‑bass with frequent pitch slides; skittering hi‑hats; and sparse, minor‑key melodies built from pianos, synth pads, strings, bells, or eerie soundscapes. Vocals are typically deadpan or urgent, with ad‑libs punctuating lines. Lyrically, drill foregrounds raw street reportage—survival, trauma, crews, and contested territory—often delivered with bleak realism. Tempos in original Chicago drill tend to sit around 60–75 BPM (often felt in double‑time), while later UK and New York scenes adopt 130–145 BPM grids with off‑kilter snare placement and distinctive sliding 808 patterns. The overall aesthetic prioritizes weighty low end, rhythmic tension, and an uncompromising mood.
Grime
Grime is a fast, raw, and minimalist form of rap-driven electronic music that emerged from London’s pirate radio culture in the early 2000s. It typically runs at around 140 BPM, with skeletal, syncopated drum patterns, stark sub-bass, and icy synth stabs that leave space for agile MCs. The genre’s vocal style emphasizes rapid-fire flows, internal rhymes, and wordplay that reflect urban life, competition, humour, and social commentary. Grime inherited the DIY energy of UK garage and jungle sound systems while foregrounding MC culture as the main event, building a distinctive British rap identity separate from U.S. hip hop.
Hip Hop
Hip hop is a cultural and musical movement that emerged from Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities, centering around rapping (MCing), DJing/turntablism, sampling-based production, and rhythmic speech over beats. It prioritizes groove, wordplay, and storytelling, often reflecting the social realities of urban life. Musically, hip hop is built on drum-centric rhythms (from breakbeats to 808 patterns), looped samples, and bass-forward mixes. Lyrically, it ranges from party anthems and braggadocio to political commentary and intricate poetic forms, with flow, cadence, and rhyme density as core expressive tools. Beyond music, hip hop encompasses a broader culture, historically intertwined with graffiti, b-boying/b-girling (breakdance), fashion, and street entrepreneurship, making it both an art form and a global social language.
Gangsta Rap
Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop defined by its gritty, street-level storytelling, first‑person narration, and unflinching depictions of crime, policing, poverty, and survival. It foregrounds a hard-hitting vocal delivery over sparse, heavy drum programming and sample-based grooves. Musically, it draws from the foundational elements of hip hop—looped breaks, funk basslines, and turntable aesthetics—while emphasizing menace, swagger, and cinematic detail. Lyrically, it alternates between reportage, braggadocio, social commentary, and personal testimony, often sparking controversy for its explicit content and political provocations. From mid‑1980s origins through the 1990s mainstream, gangsta rap reshaped both the sound and business of hip hop, influencing fashion, language, and global perceptions of urban America.
Trap
Trap is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged from the Southern United States, defined by half-time grooves, ominous minor-key melodies, and the heavy use of 808 sub-bass. The style is characterized by rapid, syncopated hi-hat rolls, crisp rimshot/clap on the backbeat, and cinematic textures that convey tension and grit. Lyrically, it centers on street economies, survival, ambition, and introspection, with ad-libs used as percussive punctuation. Production is typically minimal but hard-hitting: layered 808s, sparse piano or bell motifs, dark pads, and occasional orchestral or choir samples. Vocals range from gravelly, staccato deliveries to melodic, Auto-Tuned flows, often using triplet cadences.
Afroswing
Afroswing (often called Afro-bashment) is a UK-born fusion that blends the syncopation and feel-good bounce of afrobeats and dancehall with the cadence and street sensibility of UK rap and grime. It typically sits at a mid‑tempo groove, features warm 808 bass, sparse plucked or mallet-like melodies, and highly singable hooks. Vocals usually mix melodic rap with light Auto-Tune, weaving UK slang, Jamaican patois, and West African pidgin/vernacular into conversational, charismatic lyrics about nightlife, romance, hustle, and identity. The overall mood is bright, accessible, and rhythmically infectious, designed as much for radio and playlists as for clubs.
Uk Hip Hop
UK hip hop is the British incarnation of hip hop culture, characterized by local accents, regional slang, and production aesthetics shaped by the UK’s sound system heritage. While it draws on the core elements of American hip hop—MCing, DJing, sampling, and breakbeats—it sounds distinct due to its emphasis on dub-style bass, reggae and dancehall inflections, and a gritty, observational lyrical lens on British life. From the outset, the genre developed alongside the UK’s pirate radio culture and club scenes, absorbing influences from electro, breakbeat, jungle, and later garage and bass music. The result is a spectrum that runs from classic boom-bap and conscious rap to darker “road rap” narratives and more experimental, left-field productions.
Uk Drill
UK drill is a dark, hard-edged offshoot of hip hop that emerged in London in the mid‑2010s. It is characterized by sliding 808 basslines, sparse minor‑key melodies, skittering hi‑hat rolls, and heavy, punchy drums programmed in a cold, half‑time groove around 138–144 BPM. Vocals are delivered in deadpan, menacing flows that draw on London road slang and, at times, Jamaican patois cadences. Lyrical themes often depict street realities, territoriality, and social pressure, set against an austere, cinematic soundscape. The genre’s sound design emphasizes tension—detuned pianos, eerie pads, choral stabs, and dissonant textures—while maintaining a head‑nodding bounce that makes it club‑potent despite its bleak tone. Developed by crews across South and East London, UK drill translated the template of Chicago drill through the lens of grime and UK road rap, becoming a globally influential style that reshaped drill scenes from New York to Sydney.
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