Sharp collaboration between Swedish producer Cussed Splint (Patrik Nord) and Southwest Florida-based emcee Nick Genre. A half-time roller that’s clearly the product of a producer steeped in drum and bass aesthetic, it nonetheless manages not to succumb to the genre’s tropes at all. There’s no drop, never a full release—-it’s all tense precision and careful automation, entirely in service of Nick Genre’s refreshingly good rap. As a middle-aged guy from New York, whose first teenage love was “real hip hop” (insert whatever shorthand is needed here to indicate I know this is and always was a goofy term), I find myself harder and harder to please when it comes to rap–a cliche if there ever was one. But I’m genuinely enjoying everything about the vocals here–Nick Genre’s timbre and delivery are appropriately gruff and precise. Lyrically, he manages that elusive feat of covering somewhat vulnerable subject matter without ever getting remotely sappy; he paints a picture without resorting to a series of similes. And it works particularly well in the context of Nord’s production aesthetic. This is out for streaming all over, and you can grab it on bandcamp, but Nord was also kind enough to let me post the mp3 here.

Cussed Splint – “Here We Come” ft. Nick Genre (mp3)

Second up, two new tracks from Tiny Little Ghost (Vanni Casagrande), an Italian artist I covered a few weeks ago.. The first is a haunting semi-ambient piece that begins as reference to Barber’s timelessly mournful Adagio for Strings (from his Opus 11), under a veil of bird chips–ultimately building into a brief release of ecstatic bass and synth wail. The second continues Casagrande’s penchant for cinematic arrangement and sepulchral aesthetic, but this time with a second movement marked by sludgy, steppy drums and mutated wobble. No bandcamp for these, unfortunately, but Casagrande was generous enough to let me share the mp3s with you here, if you’re not the streaming type.

Tiny Little Ghost – “A Memory to Follow” (mp3)
Tiny Little Ghost – “It Moves” (mp3)

Last but not least tonight, two chilling tracks from Brooklyn-based Kodomo (real name Chris Child). These are both from Child’s upcoming album, Sisu, and each threads the needle between pensive 2-step and minimalist euphoric electronica. “Light Rain” features disembodied vocals from vocalist tawnylawns saying something I can’t quite make out (box of pills, twisted wrist, I know the color of…). Even as nonsequiturs, when supported by a tightly restrained triangle wave bassline and sparse percussion, the words manage to nonetheless communicate a sense of apathy, dissociation, and resignation. It’s fitting energy for the current historical moment–and has that soul-soothing effect that only mournful music quite does. The second track Childs sent over, the album’s title track, is similarly emotive, but more hopeful and forward-looking; maybe an antidote for the detachment of the former. Sisu is out Febrary 10th for streaming all over, and also on bandcamp; Childs was also nice enough to let me share with you the mp3s here.

Kodomo – “Light Rain” (mp3)
Kodomo – “Sisu” (mp3)