Underground electronic music is, by its nature, difficult to find.

Relegated to basement shows and the fringes of major streaming sites, some of the genre’s most talented artists have little more than a few hundred backers. So when an experimental producer has won support from more than 17,000 SoundCloud followers, created a first-class mix for i-D, and spun a set at electronic music’s mecca the Boiler Room, it’s time to pay attention.

U.K. musician Deft is one of the underground’s young elite. Skillfully negotiating a path through a range of genres including hip-hop, house, garage, and footwork, the eclectic musician first made a name for himself through his diversity.

Fresh off the back of his latest EP, Blackest, however, Deft—born Yip Wong—has decided to follow a new path. Straddling the line between cinematic hip-hop and half-time beats, the producer has finally settled into a more consistent style.

“Writing in numerous genres makes it difficult on the professional side of things,” Wong tells the Straight on the line from a Portland grocery store. “A lot of labels only sign music from one particular sound, and it makes it quite difficult for the booking agents too.

“After working on Blackest, though, I think my music has settled down a bit. You have an expectation of what you’re going to create, and you know what your audience is looking for. That’s a leap forward for me.”

Halfway through his first tour of North America—an eight-date road trip that will take the producer across the continent from New York to Vancouver—Wong has just completed the final portion of the U.S. leg. Playing tracks like the distinctly U.K.–sounding “Vapid (Pt. 2)”, “Promise Me”, and “The Night Time”—each combining elements of English genres ambient and jungle—the producer was initially concerned that his music would not connect with audiences on this side of the Atlantic. He needn’t have worried.

“People have been reacting to my sets really well,” Wong says. “One guy liked the performance so much that at the end of the show in Kansas City, he came up to me and said that he’d made something. He brought out a machine that looked like a strange electronic sewing kit, and he presented me with this weird pouch. It was very, very strange. I never anticipated that someone would be knitting whilst I was playing. But it was flattering that he was really into the music.

“It’s been great to see how the underground electronic scene is functioning in North America,” he continues, “because in the U.K. there is such a huge stereotype around the continent. In England, Canada and the States are just seen as having an EDM ethos—the big festivals, and bro culture.

“Being here has really opened my eyes to all the people that are really working hard and pushing nuanced and interesting music. It’s been an enlightening experience.”

Deft plays at 560 Seymour as part of the New Forms Festival on Saturday (October 8).

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