Starting from feelings of alienation on “These Days” and onto the joyous discovery of “Online Dating” from the safety of his own laptop screen, the highs and lows come colored with clever wordplay and ingenious sampling. “Narcoticos” employs one such sample of a Latin music classic then segways into a Jersey club influenced “All Out,” both songs commenting on the marijuana culture of young millennials. “Timewitit” is somewhat of a three movement intermission piece that playfully shifts styles in each segment. By the end of the project the listener finds the artist exploring full digital territory through the uses of 8 bit synths and vocoders, signaling his rejection of the feelings of love and romance. Although ending on a seemingly low note, there’s surprises in store at the end that shine a beam of hope on the narrative. (Thread Imprint, New Jersey)
Thread Imprint, the brand new record label from New Jersey natives Nadus and Gonzalo Silva, dropped their first official release on Valentine’s Day.
Although the name thread has been synonymous with jersey club, both Nadus and Gonzalo Silva –formally known as DJ Reck– have managed to duck the stigma of the club producer with diverse sounds in the realms of footwork, house and dem bow infused music.
It’s clear that they’re on a mission to prove that the sound of jersey club is not entirely defined by the prevalent triplet kicks and bed squeaks; which makes this first release their fledgling imprint by sticking to that agenda and making total sense, while being unexpected at the same time.
For those expecting a jersey club record, or a club record in general, this is not either. Kush The Great’s stunningly intimate and deeply personal love letter, Digital Romance is something different altogether. It feels more like Odd Future than Brick Bandits.
Mostly produced by Kush The Great himself — with additional production from Bowtye, Starfucker, Tizhimself, Diversa and Ezrakh — this insular and personal LP is a true headphone masterpiece, dripping with the loneliness of nights spent with a glowing screen and keyboard. The album flows together with a thoughtful cohesiveness. The sounds of dial tones and humming modems remind us that this is as closely related to a love letter to the internet, as it is to any girl. A few notable tracks include Digislut, Timewitit and iHatelove. This is a true and relatable soundtrack for those of us yearning for love “IRL” and spending long nights “URL,” finding traces of connection in the vast loneliness.
-Dan Fisher