ListenUp
A ‘perfect’ duet from Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis to a disco-meets-afrobeat track by the legendary Cerrone in this week’s music
Tyler, The Creator feat. Kali Uchis + Austin Feinstein: Perfect
From Tyler, the Creator’s 2015 album Cherry Bomb, the second half of “Fucking Young / Perfect” comes to life in a new music video, directed by his alter-ego Wolf Haley. While Tyler, the Creator sings about a potential love who’s six years younger and therefore too “Fucking Young,” Kali Uchis takes the reins in the duet “Perfect” and chides the boy for being scared. Mirroring the two sides of the story, the music video splits the screen between Kali Uchis and Tyler, the Creator—who’s covered in real butterflies. High school senior Austin Feinstein (of LA band Slow Hollows) strums guitar on the boys’ side, too.
A$AP Twelvyy: “L.Y.B.B. (Resolution)”
There’s a line most artists in the musical world hope to cross: that dense, obstacle-laden space between being broke but having doors open and attention start to pour in. That’s what A$AP Twelvyy tackles with his day-in-the-life video for “L.Y.B.B. (Resolution),” co-directed by former CH Editorial Director of Video Greg Stefano. From waking in the Bronx’s Caste Hill neighborhood to throwing dice and dollars in epic form, the visuals are celebratory but honest. There are plenty of A$AP Mob cameos in the video, but it’s the mariachi band, the contortionists, the halal truck and the precision of Twelvyy’s lyricism that makes it most worthwhile.
Cerrone feat. Tony Allen: 2nd Chance
French disco producer Marc Cerrone tore up the club floors in the ’70s and ’80s with synth-driven, intoxicating dance tracks (like “Supernature”) that held a mysterious freshness and distinguished them from the Eurodance releases of that time. (Cerrone also stuck out thanks to some very erotic album covers.) He’s back, enticing a new generation of partygoers all the while exploring new musical frontiers with Afro, an EP made in collaboration with Cameroonian jazz saxophonist Manu Dibango and Nigerian drummer Tony Allen (drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band Africa 70). Allen features on the track “2nd Chance,” a surprisingly sexy, funky jam that feels more contemporary than nostalgic, and musically well-suited to the short attention spans of today.
Ezra Furman: Ordinary Life
Musician Ezra Furman reunites with London-based animator and filmmaker Joseph Brett on his new “Ordinary Life” music video. Brett also helmed the energizing stop-motion video for Furman’s “Restless Year” (where the singer-songwriter glides all over San Francisco), but with this new stop-motion project, a miniature bedroom set becomes the focus. As a tiny bed soars into space, Furman persuades listeners, through relatable lyrics, that when the quotidian becomes daunting one must break free by thinking anew. Furman’s album Perpetual Motion People is out now from Bella Union Records.
Translational Drifts: Moogfest Volume 2
Drumming up anticipation for its upcoming May date, Moogfest releases Translational Drifts: Moogfest Vol 2—an unusual remix EP. The first volume saw five contemporary acts like Dan Deacon, YACHT and Moses Sumney covering electronic music pioneers like Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno and Devo. For Vol 2, Moogfest brought in Afrikan Sciences, The Haxan Cloak, Karen Gwyer to remix these previous tracks by their peers; plus Taz Arnold covers Kraftwerk—then Nosaj Thing reinterprets it again. This gathering and exchange between artists—building upon a larger, continuous conversation on creativity—gets to the heart of Moogfest’s uniqueness. After a hiatus last year, the three-day music, arts and technology festival has moved locations from Asheville to Durham for 2016.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
