As I have stated many times on this blog, the Milwaukee music scene is as diverse and vibrant as any other big city’s music scene in the country. Although most people would associate Milwaukee with the raucous, high-energy Hip Hop made by artists like Certified Trapper, AyooLii, or Chicken P, Milwaukee Hip Hop goes way beyond that. There are artists making music for all types of music fans in this city, and so many of them are making riveting music that one would probably never associate with Milwaukee. One Milwaukee-based artist with a sound and style that makes them stand out massively is Wynter Bates. They are an artist with a sound and style that makes them unique in the Milwaukee music scene and within the landscape of Alternative R&B and Hip Hop as a whole. They make riveting Neo-Soul and R&B music that is just as inspired by Syd and The Internet as it is by Solange. Wynter Bates has an extensive history in making music; they studied at the prestigious music school at Columbia College Chicago, and have worked as a music and vocal instructor in the years since. A few years ago, Wynter Bates decided to start putting out music, first by releasing a variety of awesome covers and then by releasing their own songs. 2023 was a big year for Wynter, as they dropped a bunch of covers on Soundcloud, and also put out a few very good singles. One of these singles was titled ‘spinnin,’ which has three versions(an original and two remixes), all of which are high quality(I actually wrote about one of the ‘spinnin’ remixes a few months ago, so please go check out that piece after reading this one if you have not yet). In addition to making excellent music, Wynter Bates is also heavily involved in the Milwaukee DIY music scene. They have helped organize multiple artist showcases in the Milwaukee area, not only creating a platform for themself but also for some of the other amazing artists in Milwaukee who do not get enough praise. Wynter recently released their first single of 2024, which is titled ‘sounds of rain,’ featuring O.K.P. I wanted to briefly highlight this new Wynter Bates single below, as it is another example of why Wynter Bates is so special. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Wynter Bates and their new single, and also comment the names of some other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out.

‘sounds of rain’ is a light and delicate R&B track that feels retro and modern at the same time. Somehow, this song makes me think of multiple different eras of music, which I think is really cool. There are elements of the instrumental that are reminiscent of slow 1980s New Wave Pop, 1990s Neo-Soul, and modern Alt-R&B. The melody for this track feels so simple and complex at the same time. The song is driven by cozy and ethereal synths with a variety of tones. Some of the synths have a bass-heavy feeling, some of the synths have an electric guitar feeling, and some of the synths have a beeping keyboard feeling. This complex melody is complemented by various sound effects(such as luscious backing vocals and chime sounds that come in and out), which make the melody feel so full. This melody is put on top of a soft R&B beat that drives the song along so nicely and gives it a smooth rhythm that makes it soothing but also sort of makes me want to dance. As cool as the instrumental for ‘sounds of rain’ is, the best thing about it is definitely Wynter Bates’ vocals. Their tone is so pretty and dynamic on this track, and it makes the song feel so warm. Wynter also demonstrates their range on ‘sounds of rain,’ hitting some high notes that really make the track pop. The vocal performance from their feature O.K.P is super nice as well. His low, sultry tone contrasts Wynter’s well, giving the some a darker texture that makes Wynter’s voice even more impactful. ‘sounds of rain’ is the latest great track from one of Milwaukee’s best R&B artists, and it makes me pumped up to see what else Wynter does in 2024.  

*** A second version of ‘sounds of rain’ featuring Dom Francois just came out today which is equally as good. Please check out that version too!