Miami-based DJ and producer duo Silent Addy and Disco Neil are the hottest party-starters in the States right now. With their label, Bashment Sound, dropping two of the biggest songs in the Afro sphere of the last few years, the pair dive deep into their origins and intentions.

Some songs are built for streaming. Others are built for the dance floor. For Miami-based DJ and producer duo Silent Addy and Disco Neil, the two are inseparable.

The pair have spent years honing their craft in clubs across the diaspora, exploring which beats move a crowd and discovering how energy can carry records across the globe. That experience helped shape “Shake It To The Max”, the Moliy-led smash hit that sparked viral dance challenges and has now surpassed one billion streams worldwide.

Now they’re building on that momentum with “Ballerina”, a new single featuring Nigerian superstar Rema and Jamaican dancehall heavyweight Skillibeng. The track began thousands of miles from where it would ultimately be completed. “We made the beat in Miami, then we linked Skillibeng in Jamaica, where he essentially created the song,” Disco Neil explains. “Once we listened back, we loved it, and knew we needed a good feature to take it to the next level. We had a discussion about it, and Rema was someone that came up straight away.” 

Silent Addy recalls how the collaboration came together. “We were actually in Paris for Fête de la Musique and had DJ’d an event the night before we left. Rema pulled up with his manager — we were standing in the VIP section with him, just chopping it up. I said, ‘We have to make some music this year.’ So when this record came together, he was one of the first people we thought of.” 

For Disco Neil, the connection reflected years of shared musical history. “We play Rema’s music all the time in our sets, and we even did events with him in Miami back in the day. The relationship has always been there, so this really felt like a full-circle moment for us. And when he sent the verse back he went absolutely crazy — he brought this dope balance of bars and melody. He really took the time with it — we went back and forth with different versions and he was very focused.”

The finished cut captures the bubbling energy that defines Bashment Sound. That sense of movement also runs through the video for “Ballerina”, directed by Miklas Manneke and produced by We Own The City. “We shot part of it in Miami with Skilli, and Rema recorded his part in Africa,” Neil explains. “When everything came together, we were so happy with the result. It’s artistic, it has a vibe — watching it back honestly gave me goosebumps.” 

Even before Bashment became a label or creative platform, it was about parties. Both DJs had been active in South Florida’s nightlife for years before officially joining forces around 2017 to throw events together. “We’d both been DJing for a long time in South Florida,” Addy says. “We grew up near each other and had a lot of mutual friends. When we started throwing parties together, we realised it could grow into a whole brand. We started with Bashment events, then Bashment merch, and now we’re doing Bashment Sound, the label as well.”

Miami itself shaped its sound. “South Florida is basically the Caribbean,” Addy continues. “You’ve got a lot of Jamaicans, a lot of Trinis, a lot of Guyanese and Haitians. We’ve always done dancehall events, but sometimes it’s a more open format — we might play Latin music, Afrobeats, different sounds depending on the mood of the night. But the core foundation has always been dancehall.”

That foundation is most visible in Bashment’s own events, where the culture surrounding the music comes alive.“The parties are our foundation,” Addy explains. “This is the key part of our ecosystem. It’s where we share the music, share our culture and test our records the right way. That’s the staple of Bashment. Not everybody can jump on a plane to Jamaica, but when people come to our parties, we want everyone to feel like they’re stepping into that Kingston energy — you’ll see people whine, and shout, and buss a blank! That’s what it’s all about. You hear the horns, see the dance routines, pick up a beef patty — it’s not your average party. Everything is super intentional, from the artwork to the promotion.”

The global reach of dancehall became especially visible with “Shake It To The Max”, the Moliy-led single the duo co-produced that went viral and amassed over a billion streams. “The beat and melody are very simple, but they’re infectious,” Neil explains. “You listen to it, and you just want to bop your head and play it again. There are also things in the universe that have to align for a breakthrough to happen, but I think it’s just a good, fun record that anybody can get behind — no matter your age or background. Dancehall is a genre that will always bring people together.”

What surprised them most was the song’s longevity. “Nowadays a lot of songs are here for three months, and then they’re gone,” Neil continues. “But with that record, we had organic moments spread out throughout the year. It was a blessing to have something that resonated like that, especially now when it’s harder to make things stick.”

Rather than chasing viral moments, the duo are focused on building something longer-lasting through Bashment Sound itself. “Right now we just want to make more music,” Neil says. “We’re focusing on releasing singles that bridge gaps across the world and bring people together. That’s really the overall goal.”

That vision also extends beyond records. “The big goal is Bashment festivals,” Addy says. “Where can we book dancehall and reggae artists in places they might not normally tour. Imagine a Bashment festival somewhere like Japan! We want to do whatever we can to put on for our culture.”

After more than a decade in music, both artists understand that moments like this rarely appear overnight. Behind every packed dance floor and global record sits years of quiet work — late nights in studios, endless DJ sets and a deep belief in the culture they’ve been championing since the beginning. “These moments we’re having now are a product of endless sessions and thousands of hours of work,” Neil reflects. “You keep putting the work in without knowing what the result will be — and eventually the preparation meets the opportunity.”

For Neil, that perspective is what keeps everything grounded. “Every once in a while, I tell Addy we should just take a minute and be thankful,” he says. “Because this doesn’t happen for everyone.” With Bashment Sound continuing to move between continents, dance floors and cultures, that gratitude sits alongside pride and justified confidence. The mission that began in Miami clubs is now travelling the world — one riddim at a time.

Words – Amrit Kambo