First off, yes I am a fan of Tev95, especially his instrumental albums Loop Language and Crime Loops so when I heard he had a new project I was excited. Then I found out it was not going to be hip hop and I was nervous, but realized he has some diversity, what I wasn't prepared for was an almost pop electronic sort of EP he created with Admiral Grey, entitled "Deluxe EP." Admiral Grey is Kesha with a 70s style underground voice and much more talent, meaning she can sing and write songs that will embed themselves into your brain. But how did this pair do creating an EP together, well if you keep reading you shall find out and I'm sure you want to know, so here it goes.
Tev95 kicks off "It's Good" with an infectious drum beat, topped off with some nifty synths (yea I said nifty, what is your point?) that make you feel like you're traveling into another dimension. That feeling is only enhanced once the spaced out vocals of Admiral Grey enter the equation. Granted the lyrics are nothing special on this track, but they're not meant to be (at least I assume not) this piece is all about creating the right atmosphere and her voice works perfectly with the music created by Tev95 to really transport the listener from where they are into this inter dimensional void of tripped out sound.
Picture a rocket ship taking off mixed with a great funk clap and add laser beam like synths, you now have the beat for "Work." Then add in the almost nonchalant chant of "Work" by Admiral Grey before she enters into the chorus that will not leave your head "Why you got to make me work for you, you got me working so hard for you, honey, I gotta work so hard for you." I am searching for how to describe her voice and all I can come up with is a mix between Courtney Love, Lady Gaga, and Robert Smith, it has an airy, unamused, yet tortured feel.
When listening to "Me To You" I automatically think of "Revolution No. 9" but more out there and more layered, both vocally and instrumentally. Admiral Grey's voice almost melds together with the music created by Tev95 to create a sonic pop experience that you have to hear, her voice fading from the background to the foreground throughout never letting you really grab a hold of it, its almost disorienting but in that wonderful why that electronic based music, when done correctly, has a tendency to do to the listener.
"Today I rode my bike down the street, down the street, and I rode it to this beat, to this beat, to this beat, I had somebody to meet, had to meet, had to meet, so I peddled with my feet, with my feet, to this beat" these are the beginning words to "Tap The Dub." You might be thinking, damn those are some repetitive, almost elementary lyrics, and you would be correct, but the reason they work is the instrumental being played underneath it. Tev95's beat is a laid back, chill drums and bass line, topped off with some incredible conga (I think) work and more synths that make it one of the catchiest beats you will hear anywhere, while still remaining rather far away from what a "normal" person would create, it is more of the time traveling sound this EP has displayed previously.
What pleases me most about this EP is the fact that both Tev95 and Admiral Grey stepped out of their comfort zone to create a piece of art. So often artists are afraid to try anything that is unfamiliar to them, I always find it refreshing when one takes a chance, sometimes they work sometimes they don't, luckily "Deluxe EP" works, and works very well. The vocals and instrumentals work together to form one cohesive piece of music that blends together so well yet stands apart. While I listened to this piece because I enjoy Tev95's previous work, I end up leaving a fan of both Tev95 and Admiral Grey and hope to hear more from both of them in the future.
Stream and download the EP here
No comments:
Post a Comment