Cities Aviv

For over a decade, Cities Aviv has treated hip-hop less as a genre and more as a haunted frequency to be twisted into new shapes. First emerging from the Memphis hardcore scene, Gavin Mays carried that raw, abrasive energy into his solo work, starting with the landmark 2011 mixtape Digital Lows. His productions are dense, disorienting collages of static, warped soul loops, and vocals buried deep in the mix—a sound so singular it landed him on Michael Gira’s notoriously discerning Young God Records for 2014’s Come to Life. Operating largely through his own DOPICO imprint, he remains furiously prolific, building a catalog that feels like a continuous broadcast from a corroded, subterranean future.