VACÍO Essentials

Though he raps in his native Russian, VACÍO has interests other than shaping a distinctly local identity with his music. His 2019 album 88 made his reputation for fascinating, crossover sounds that traverse trap, emo, jazz and warped, brooding electronics. His lo-fi bops have also embraced this fluidity and freedom to move between soft-voiced, R&B-inflected meditations and more kinetic pop. And in collabs with the likes of ANIKV and LAUD, his haunting vox invade dreamy indie pop and dance territory—often with heartbreaking rhymes.