“Daydream” is the addictive new single from Chicago-based ensemble AFROFUTURISTICS and their incoming debut EP The Enigmatic. The song arrives through a psychedelic and abstract video, now playing exclusively through a premiere on Everything Is Noise.
The AFROFUTURISTICS ensemble blends the idioms of cosmic jazz fusion and experimental hip-hop, the collective defined by its massive, multi-layered brass and woodwind section, which serves as the melodic and harmonic engine of the project. Their sound is an explosive collision of the improvisational fire of 1970s jazz-funk and the heavy, atmospheric pocket of instrumental hip-hop—creating a sonic landscape that is as rhythmically disciplined as it is harmonically expansive.
Fresh off winning Best Hip-Hop Group in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2025 poll, the AFROFUTURISTICS collective is currently preparing for the release of their debut EP, The Enigmatic. The Enigmatic was recorded at Maynott Studios with Eric McWhorter and mixed/mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Rollin Weary at Deluxe Studios. The record was completed with design/photography by Katia Jackson/Katia Sentry Photography, Erik Vecchione/Azure Taurus Designs, and photography by Annmarie Vecchione.
The psychotropic “Daydream” video was produced by Scott Free, who writes, “In putting together the video piece for the song ‘Daydream,’ I felt the slow sections would be most powerful with extreme close-ups of the band members, recording very slowly to try to catch the space between the conscious and dream states. To contrast that with the loud, hip-hop, orchestral sections, I used Jasmine Cross’s blue recordings of the band, moving them thru psychedelic montages. The entire piece was tied together with Abdoulaye Conde’s incredibly vibrant, West Africa-motif paintings – but again moving through them as if in a dream.”
AFROFUTURISTICS’ tenor saxophonist Keith Wakefield, who drops a massive solo on the track, writes, “Erik brought in the outline of this tune. Karl was determined to create a great beat. This was the first (only) time I saw him sit down on a traditional drum kit just to feel the meter of a song. I think my parts were all one or two takes at the most because my parts were intended as scratch (temporary) tracks including my tenor solo. But once we had filled it out with all of the other harmonies it sounded so good, we just left it. We were and continue to be extremely happy with the finished product.”
Guest soprano saxophonist Luc Mosley, who also provides a slamming solo, adds, “I enjoy the different phases of ‘Daydream.’ By the end of the song, I feel like I’ve been on a journey. Soloing on this tune made me envision a ship being swayed by the sea.”
Everything Is Noise writes in part, “…AFROFUTURISTICS are refreshingly coherent and bold, even as they skate along the lines of psychedelia. They never lose their way, providing a beacon of direction and adventure for listeners to indulge in. And if all that is a bit too heady for you, then you can just enjoy the melting bass line in the track’s core, or the transcendental atmosphere that ‘Daydream’ is coated in.”
Watch AFROFUTURISTICS’ “Daydream” video first on Everything Is Noise now at THIS LOCATION.
The Enigmatic will be released through Big Bonkey Records on CD and digitally on August 14th. Find preorders at Bandcamp HERE and digital presaves HERE, and watch the video for “These Things Happen” HERE.
AFROFUTURISTICS plays live throughout Chicago with regularity and is currently booking new hometown shows in support of the record, including a release show for the record on August 29th. Additional upcoming performances will be announced in the weeks ahead.
AFROFUTURISTICS Live:
8/29/2026 Le Piano – Chicago, IL * The Enigmatic release show
10/10/2026 Art of Events Fall Music Festival – Chicago, IL
AFROFUTURISTICS was founded in the Summer of 2024 by bassist and composer Erik Oldman (Sons Of Ra, Mare Crisium) and rapper/producer Karl “Brother Tone” Isaacs (Sands Of The Hour). Originally conceived as a vessel to interpret the works of Sun Ra, electric-era Miles Davis, and Fela Kuti through a modern beat-making lens, the project rapidly expanded into a specialized, horn-section-forward vehicle for original composition.
The group’s signature sound features tenor saxophonist Keith Wakefield (Sons of Ra), trumpet and cornet player Scott Free, and the versatile woodwinds of Luc Mosley (Graphics, Grappler Zorn, Mucca Pazza) and Eli Wilson. Together, they drive the melodies and dense harmonic soundscapes for the band’s fusion-heavy explorations. This core lineup was solidified during the 2025 recording sessions for The Enigmatic, which features the additional textures of Guinean folk artist Abdoulaye Conde on Kora
The ensemble’s compositions are often punctuated by the razor-sharp lyrical artistry of MC Brother Tone. The project’s arrangements are further enriched by collaborations with veteran underground hip-hop crew Sands Of The Hour with MC Levi Stress and rapper Artie Slaw.
AFROFUTURISTICS:
Brother Tone – beats/MC
Keith Wakefield – tenor saxophone
Erik Oldman – bass, synths
Scott Free – trumpet, cornet
Luc Mosley – soprano saxophone
Eli Wilson – baritone/tenor saxophone
photo by Annmarie Vecchione
https://afrofuturistics.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/afrofuturistics
https://www.instagram.com/afrofuturistics
https://www.tiktok.com/@afrofuturistics
https://www.youtube.com/@afrofuturisticsofficial
https://www.instagram.com/big_bonkey_records
The post AFROFUTURISTICS: “Daydream” Video By Jazz Fusion/Hip-Hop Group Featuring Sons Of Ra Members Premiered At Everything Is Noise; Debut EP, The Enigmatic, Drops August 14th first appeared on Earsplit Compound.