CLUB CLANDESTINO | FEBRUARY 17 | OCEANEN

Producer / DJ / dancers Hitmakerchinx and DJ Aaron are two of the most prominent figures in flexing, a branch of the dancehall and reggae styles developed in Brooklyn’s Caribbean neighborhoods. The tradition of flexing combines elastic contortions and ballet-like fluidity with disjointed, “broken” movements and facial animations. The music associated with it has grown into its own genre with club beats and obscure samples – today known as FDM. In the FDM world it is not uncommon for artists to be both dancers and producers – or as Hitmakerchinx puts it “you can’t learn this style unless life is embedded in it”.

Brooklyn-based DJ Aaron has been active on the FDM scene for 14 years. He danced on Madonna’s Workshop tour, in Skrillex’s “Red Lips” video, and has been featured in various commercials for major companies. His dance troupe, The Next Level Squad, is known for improvised, gas mask-clad performances on New York City’s trains and subway stations. 26-year-old Hitmakerchinx is from Brooklyn but is based in Los Angeles. As one of the brightest stars on the flexing scene, he danced on Rihanna’s Anti World Tour and recently released the EP Sound of 7ife.