The Los Angeles-bred duo share Through Time And Space.

Vindata is Branden Ratcliff and Jared Poythress, two relative newcomers to the world of electronic music. They met in Los Angeles eight years ago, working day jobs (Jared at Circuit City, Branden at an insurance agency) and dabbling in hip-hop production on the side when they were introduced to electronic music — namely, Justice’s Cross. “We were both blown away by the artistic risk they took,” says Ratcliff. “They went back in their musical repertoire, added their own twist, and were able to create something entirely different from anything else out there.”

Since then, they’ve been adding their own twist to EDM, their technicolor dance tracks influenced by the hip-hop, R&B and gospel of their youth. “We were intrigued by electronic music so much that we wanted to be part of it,” says Poythrees. “But we didn’t really know how to make it, so we spent a lot time exploring, gathering techniques, and experimenting with sound design.”

After a few years of experimentation, the duo released a couple of EPs before being discovered by Skrillex, who brought them on tour and signed them to his OWSLA imprint. Their debut EP for the label, Through Time And Space, is out today (and streaming below).

The EP is reminiscent of contemporaries like Cashmere Cat and Sweater Beats, and features up-and-coming vocalists (including Compton collaborator Anderson Paak) on five of its six tracks. The vocalists bring a soulful, human element to their music, which they are hesitant to classify.

“I think the word ‘genre’ is a dying term. Nowadays, It’s almost a social faux pas to use it and box an artist in,” says Ratcliff. “Everyone’s grabbing influences from everywhere. The internet has enabled artists to be inspired beyond the regional, ethnic, and stereotypical boundaries of yesterday.”