DUMBO

No Tourists’ ‘Dumbo’ is not so much a song as it is an immersive experience. The instrumental, which starts out relatively indistinct, gives way to a gorgeous beat that sounds truly international—it seems to sit right on the border between both grime and trap from the UK and North America. The result is a high-energy, aggressive piece that doesn’t let up for the entirety of the song; no wonder they say a warning at the beginning: “Imma murder the beat/just one minute”––this song goes hard.

No Tourists are actually a collective based in Toronto, comprised of five independent artists and two producers; the fact that there are so many minds at play here is what sets the song apart from other similar groups—you can truly feel each artist bringing his own ideas to the beat, and the result is delightfully different. 

A quick glance at the group’s Spotify page shows that the listeners are primarily based in Canada, with a few based in London; ultimately, though, No Tourists have the type of sound that could appeal to a listener practically anywhere. They seem poised to take on a larger fanbase—they feature in several “Ones to Watch” playlists, from COLORS to The Eh! List––so it’s not a question of if they will blow up, but when. If anyone asks, just say you heard them here first.