Odakai's “Smoke” Is Where Hip-Hop Meets Modern House

Every DJ knows the feeling. A house set is locked into its groove when suddenly a hip-hop break changes everything. The energy shifts, the crowd reacts, and for a few moments the dancefloor feels completely different. That exact moment became the inspiration behind Odakai's latest single, "Smoke".

Rather than chasing a specific subgenre, Odakai set out to create the kind of record he always wished he had in his own sets. Influenced by modern house music and the swagger of hip-hop, "Smoke" blends elements of G House, Bass House, and Tech House while carrying the bounce and attitude that made artists like Odd Mob such an important influence on his sound. The track also draws from memories of his college years at Ohio State, when rap edits and house remixes became the soundtrack to football tailgates known as Block. Looking back, he says "Smoke" is exactly the kind of record his younger self would have loved to play.

That ability to blend influences has defined Odakai's musical journey. He first fell in love with electronic music after seeing ILLENIUM perform at EDC Las Vegas shortly after graduating college. Early on, artists like Kygo inspired him to start producing, but over time his taste evolved toward house music while still taking inspiration from artists as different as ILLENIUM, John Summit, and Odd Mob. Instead of limiting himself to one style, he jokingly describes his sound as "House on Shuffle," a reflection of his love for exploring every corner of the genre.

Live music continues to shape that philosophy. Festivals like EDC, Hangout, Electric Forest, and Hulaween have each left a lasting impression, while performing annual sets at Crystal Mountain has made mountain venues one of his favorite places to DJ. It's also why Tomorrowland Winter sits at the top of his dream festival list. Combining electronic music with skiing would unite two of the biggest passions in his life, alongside his goal of one day becoming a ski instructor.

Odakai believes DJs are only part of the experience. Reading the crowd, making eye contact, and sharing the moment matter just as much as selecting the next record. That same mindset also shapes his production process, where emotion always comes first. Ironically, one of his least time-consuming productions, a "Swag Surfin" remix, became his biggest streaming success, while songs that took months of work sometimes reached far fewer listeners. It was a reminder that great music can't always be measured by the hours spent making it.

With performances coming up at community-driven events like Seattle Paddle Rave, Fremont Fridays, and Mountain Top Stoke, Odakai continues building a sound that refuses to sit inside one lane. More than anything, he hopes "Smoke" earns a smile, a nod, or becomes that unexpected moment in someone's DJ set when the entire dancefloor suddenly comes alive.

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