Frequency Of The Week No. 4: Derlee
-Written by Kevin Madert
My experiences with Bandcamp have been somewhat of a mixed bag. It’s a fantastic place for independent labels, low-key artists and bedroom producers to share their work, yet much like Soundcloud your music exploration can quickly derail into a black hole of falsely advertised accounts and underwhelming tunes. If you stay focused and go in with a plan you can find some really neat stuff, and that’s how I came across this week’s FotW: Derlee.
A self-described “chill-hop/soul beatmaker,” the young producer hails from just north of Pittsburgh – Gibsonia, to be specific. His sound finds a home somewhere between the sample-heavy style of RJD2 and the lush and immersive tendencies of trip-hop acts like Emancipator and Bonobo; easy to listen to and almost disarmingly repetitive. His earlier works had a decidedly hip-hop bent – between 2007 and 2011 he released six albums, a mixtape and several collections of tracks all beat-focused and making heavy use of rap vocals.
On the last of these albums, Light From The Green Lamp, Derlee seemed to have honed his direction. The focus began shifting from the vocals to the compositions as a whole, and comparisons to Girl Talk became less accurate. Since that it’s been nothing but chill sailing; with the vocal element all but eliminated, his ear for beautifully layered soundscapes has shone through on a multitude of full-lengths and LPs. My personal favorites are the “Mellow Morning” series, which can be played on repeat for hours without any need to switch things up. As heartfelt as it is forward-thinking, it’s syncopated music with a soul – something rather rare in the days of automated beat machines and ghost producers.
All of Derlee’s music is, always has been, and always will be Name Your Price on his Bandcamp, so you really don’t have an excuse for not checking him out. His most recent offering, Sounds of the Silver Lining is an EP overflowing with faux lo-fi beats and bright, airy samples; a perfect soundtrack for your continuing denial of the end of the summer season.
Connect with Derlee on all sorts of social media: