New Tune Tuesday (4/14/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Gramatik – Native Son (Ft. Raekwon & Orlando Napier)
The lead single from Gramatik’s upcoming Epigram EP sees the Slovenian teaming with an emerging talent and an established hip-hop legend to craft a too-smooth instant classic. The juxtaposition of frequent collaborator Orlando Napier’s syrupy tones and rapper Raekwon’s incendiary verses atop seriously sensual riffage amounts to some of Gramatik’s best work. The often humble producer seemed almost as excited as we were about the tune: “I’m sure you can imagine how some random kid from Slovenia must feel, realizing he just made a song with a legend.” (via Facebook)
Liquid Stranger – Weather Change EP
A track has to be pretty damn good – or at least pretty damn sample-worthy – to warrant five unique remixes. With a tribal-infused shuffle and just enough of that growling Liquid Stranger low-end edge, “Weather Change” is a little bit of both. The subtle but rumbling midtempo hip-hop tune works on a similar level when reinterpreted as a vicious drumstep tune (Figure), a future trap pinger (Buku), and even a bouncy house number (Rise At Night).
Dance Gavin Dance – Instant Gratification
We’ll be running a full-length review of this one in the coming days, but we can confirm it’s pretty damn good. If you enjoyed Acceptance Speech, you won’t have many complaints.
Kill Paris – Galaxies Between Us
From the shades of purple alien landscape that dominates the cover art to the parade of high-register synths and funked-out basslines that form its ten tracks, Galaxies Between Us is a gleaming exercise in future funk. If we threw Kill Paris in a time machine and sent him 25 years in either direction, his work on this LP would be equally well-received – and it doesn’t sound too bad in the present either. Standout tracks: “Gonna Get High” is laid-back and brassy; “What I’m Feelin'” is trippy trap that slows things to a roiling crawl; “Operate” showcases how the KP formula works just as well with vocals.
Andrew Bayer – Do Androids Dream EP
After drip-feeding us singles over the course of several weeks, Andrew Bayer released today his much-anticipated Do Androids Dream EP. The five-track album is the latest in a long string of quality offerings from Above & Beyond-helmed Anjunabeats, and sees the young London native expanding even further the boundaries he pushed on 2013’s If It Were You We’d Never Leave. Leading the charge is the club-ready “Super Human,” a progressive track with a hard edge and just enough of the small stuff to still feel believably Bayer.
Michal Menert – Jettison
The longtime Pretty Lights Music producer gets extra funky on “Jettison,” the first single from his upcoming album Space Jazz (due out 4/21) . The soulful, airy track is heavy with talent, featuring Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic), Borham Lee (Break Science), and Will Glazier & Daniel de Lisle (Michal Menert Big Band). Our excitement for the Colorado-based musician’s newest full-length – already a mile high – managed to float up a few more notches.