maingot. - umami.

More from maingot.

In an epoch of instant uploads, self-releases, and numerous operable streaming platforms, faceless producers and creatives have the opportunity to navigate their own artistic projects through relative anonymity. As a soft rule, it's often those anonymous musicians who have a penchant for churning out hype-free, dialed-in compositions that feel a bit like buried treasure when you first discover it for yourself. Nesting in the center of that dynamic is maingot., and they've come to the table with another fresh iteration of smooth hues and discerning grooves; the umami EP.

Who's under the maingot. mask is irrelevant in a conversation about their musical output, as the mask has been firmly in place since their debut. What is evidentially apparent, however, is their command of rhythm and their stoic knack for charged-up songwriting. Combining subtle glitch palettes with jazz and R&B fundamentals, the 5-song package oozes with the sort of grounded, tangible cadence that makes instrumental music so palatable in the first place. Generous chord phrases stack up against sharp, transient percussion and subdued downbeats, giving each song the characteristics of a modest 4-piece act against a noir backdrop. Whether you're a return customer or a recent convert, maingot. has continued to deliver on their reputable sensuality in sound through the umami. EP, and is poised to continue delivering indefinitely into the future.

lxsh - Flora

Artwork: Justin | @cyberart_by_justin

While it's infusion can be felt throughout numerous contemporary catalogs, jazz as a vehicle for glitch music is often surprisingly sparse of the key inflections and rhythmic shakeups that dominate the better offerings of the genre. Taking a sample-collage approach with an emphasis on happy accidents, the multifaceted producer Ixsh has polished off the finishing touches on his latest collection of lush jazztronica, the Flora EP.

A brassy, fluid blend of neuro synthesis, staccato percussive play, and full blown runs through the pocketed corridors of jazz modes and motifs, Flora paints with wide brush strokes of technicolor hues, preserving the charred, tinny nostalgia of old stereophonic recordings with modern production and transient downbeats. The folding of layered harmonies and blaring horns into new, novel phrases and arrangements pairs graciously with the overt audio fragmentation and spurts of vicious low end, pushing past the natural glass ceilings of traditional instrumental compositions. If you're looking for a fresh and audacious take on the notes between the notes, Ixsh's Flora is sure to leave a permanent and sensuous impression.

not yes - Nod Heads

Hailing from Amsterdam and keen to make a vivacious debut on the North American scene, the producer duo not yes has cooked up a distinct serving of broken-beat bass music.

Forgoing the more abrasive, breakneck energy and heavily-textured mixing fundamentals of their often hyper-precise American counterparts, not yes has found an intriguing balance through lithe, groove-driven production palettes and headnod rhythms on their aptly titled nod heads EP.

Each of the four tracks that populate the EP stand out through their own distinct flavors, and create a concise plate of not yes' particular blend of precision percussion and needle-threaded sound design. They're not too brackish, avoiding the often muddy waters of high-velocity bass music, but they're by no means featherweights; if you're looking to cut your teeth on something with whipcord tension and deliberate composition, then nod heads is undoubtedly up your alley.

Rasp-5 x parkbreezy - Transmitting to Space

Artwork by Onlymotif

Artwork by Onlymotif

Fusing New York streetwise sentiments with the rhythm and soul of the Mile High City, Rasp-5 and parkbreezy blend their vocal and instrumental skill sets into the turnkey record Transmitting To Space. With a centerpiece focus on their partnered songwriting and narrative structures, the EP is a clear maturation from both artists in terms of draw and scope, and furthers the burgeoning roadmap of contemporary hip-hop.

As soon as the needle drops, it's apparent that the production and lyrical standards across both individual acts have been thoroughly upgraded. They manage to hit the Nexus between sultry arrangement and walk-along spoken bars, eschewing the mean muggin' archetype in favor of a suede-laden impact. Between parkbreezy's modern meld of trip-hop and jazz modalities, and Rasp-5's inescapable command over poignant prose and mental imagery, it's a true duet of passion and flavor.   For fans of hip-hop's contemporary experience and yesteryear's instrumental rap power groups, Transmitting To Space is undoubtedly the next stop on your musical journey.