XLII – Neon High EP (Out May 21st on Civil Music!)(Preview)
Neon High’ is a futuristic take on hip-hop and club sounds. It focuses on the half/double time tempos around 80/160BPM and 70/140BPM. Flipping from hip-hop swagger to dancefloor bounce ‘Neon High’ is a blend of ‘up to no good’ beats, 808s, global melodies and gangsta leads and, as you would expect from someone who has just produced 2 x DMC world champion DJ Kentaro’s forthcoming album for Ninja Tune, the EP is sonically exceptional.
On ‘Dilated’ XLII’s vocoded vocals ask “Are you high?” “Your pupil’s dilated, are you high? Don’t hide your face, show me your eyes.” “No Cure” has a ghettotech feel, it’s the imagined evolution of juke produced with a hip-hop palette. ‘Thro-Yo!’ is a club workout, rattling high hats, pulsing rhythms and heavyweight 808 kicks. “Rasclap” is dangerous, it combines a trouble making funk lead, a ragga beat and dancehall vocal samples. The package includes a tough grimey remix from Philly’s Starkey and some slowfast footwork flux ex Various Productions main man and Ghost Poet engineer EAN.
Tracklist:
A1 – Dilated
A2 – No Cure
B1 – Thro-yo!
B2 – Rasclap
+Digital only:
5. Thro-yo! (Starkey Remix)
6. No Cure (Ean Remix)
XLII (pronounced slee) is a respected figure on Tokyo’s electronic underground. ‘Neon High’ is his first extended player outside Japan. He is touring Europe throughout May and June.
