18+

18+ is the enigmatic New York and Los Angeles-based duo comprised of Justin Swinburne and Samia Mirza, known for their genre-defying blend of experimental electronic, hip-hop, and pop. Emerging from the internet’s shadowy underbelly in the early 2010s, 18+ rose to prominence with self-released mixtapes that mixed vaporous beats, sardonic wordplay, and explicit lyricism dissecting identity, sexuality, and digital modernity. Their 2014 debut album, "Trust," released on Houndstooth, showcased their compelling interplay of male and female voices layered over sparse, bass-heavy production that drew comparisons to artists like Dean Blunt and The xx, but with a distinctively subversive, post-internet edge.

Mirza and Swinburne’s visual artistry, critical of mass media fetishism and consumer culture, runs parallel to their music through provocative videos, multimedia installations, and glitch-heavy companion materials. Over the years, 18+ has cultivated a cult following for their uncompromisingly intimate yet ironic aesthetic, marked by live sets that blur boundaries between performance art and club experience, confirming their status as both provocateurs and innovators in the evolving landscape of experimental music and contemporary art.