Akron, Ohio native Raed Mohammed Asi records his spacey and sunlit mix of pop, R&B, and electronica as daydream Masi, a descriptive alias that debuted commercially in 2019. The singer/songwriter found his footing a few years earlier with SoundCloud uploads that sounded like the work of a Southern Californian rather than that of a Midwesterner. Well-received tracks such as "Marguerite," on which Asi was credited under his first name only, soon led to a slight change of direction as daydream Masi, as well as a licensing deal with major-label Interscope. "Nightlife," "Stardust," and "Hot Mess," heartfelt and variably drifting ballads, introduced Masi between April and July 2019. That August, those singles and four new songs were compiled for the Slow Rage Project, the artist's first EP. ~ Andy Kellman