5 Essential AYYBO Bootlegs You Should Know

Heralding from Anaheim, California, Aaron Bonnema, professionally known as AYYBO, has dominated social media feeds and DJ’s Rekordbox’s with dark-driving tech house that he artfully infuses with splashy playful hooks. The DJ/producer has proven prolific on TikTok with several viral clips. Since Aaron swiped his mom’s VHS camera at an early age, he has been making his own videos and indulging in his love of cinematography and design. His combined love of production and video marks AYYBO as a double threat and allows him to showcase the importance of having fun while staying true to your artistic vision.

He constantly strives to create a fully immersive experience with his music and has been releasing a torrent of edits and bootlegs since 2016. Although before 2022, he was doing so under the alias Bonnema. His big break came just last year with tracks like “Hypnosis,” which skyrocketed to over 1.4 million streams in just thirty days and now sits at over ten million. The track went on to be re-released as “Right or Wrong (Hypnosis)” with vocals from Pitbull. Although it was only released a few months ago, the re-release has reached over fifteen million listeners on Spotify and is incredibly discoverable with well over thirty thousand Shazams.

Other prominent releases include “Move Like This,” and “Bass Glide,” both emphasizing dark house grooves. Consistently showcasing heavy-hitting basslines across his productions, AYYBO’s artistry translates best on the biggest speakers possible in a live setting.

As he begins to take over the scene, Gray Area decided to dig through his catalog of edits and bootlegs to bring you five essential tunes.

1. Channel Tres - Controller (AYYBO Bootleg)

Taking the tracks pre-existing, more classically minded, Detroit-style house beat, AYYBO turns up the tempo resulting in arrhythmic funk with an ever-present bouncing bass. With AYYBO’s bootleg, Tres’ silky laidback war cry of “I am the Controller,” becomes a rallying dance floor requirement—you can’t help but move. Since its September 2022 release, the bootleg has shown signs of exponential growth on SoundCloud and garnered support from Louis the Child and longstoryshort.

2. ACRAZE (feat. Cherish) - Do It To It (AYYBO Bootleg)

With hundreds of thousands of streams across YouTube and SoundCloud, AYYBO managed to take one of 2022’s most inescapable house music anthems and take it to another level. After layering the original with an edgier consistent bass warble, the festival anthem instantly became a club essential. Catching the attention of Steve Aoki, the bootleg was named the 18th Best Remix of 2022 on Aoki’s annual SiriusXM countdown.

3. PinkPantheress - Pain (AYYBO Bootleg)

This reimagining of fellow TikToker and up-and-coming Gen Z’er PinkPantheress embodies fun. The track, from PinkPantheress’ debut mixtape To Hell with It, samples the 2000 UK Garage smash hit “Flowers.” The bootleg feels like a modernization of the original 2000’s release streamlining the production for today’s sensibilities. Combined with the airy jazz-imbued vocals of PinkPantheress, the result is smooth-buttery house.

4. Creeds - Push Up (AYYBO Edit)

Released only two months ago, AYYBO’s signature tech house heartbeat permeates through the very essence of Creeds’ monolithic techno hit. Dropping the beats per minute and wrapping it around Creeds’ iconic hook, “I got that good stuff that you want…let me be your pusher, pusher, pusher, ey,” AYYBO has created another hypnotic production ready for repeat listens.

5. TOKiMONSTA & Channel Tres – Naked (AYYBO Bootleg)

The original is funk-inspired pop-house, and the bootleg is moody, driving dark tech house. We’re beginning to think that Channel Tres’ vocals are the perfect fit for AYYBO’s production style. The two aesthetics blend seamlessly to create something haunting and instantly danceable. It ebbs and flows in a state of melodic bass bounce, conjuring the spirit of the TOKiMONSTA original as an underground warehouse rave essential. Dripping in sweat while hanging on to every bass thump—it’s intoxicating.