Few artists manage the impossible juggle: keeping underground critics happy while producing something that will elevate them to the chart-worshipping masses. Like James Blake and Magnetic Man, SBTRKT is a genius amongst few with the ability, whether intended or not, to enter that discussion between me, you, and your dad over Sunday roast.

Making his name remixing the likes of M.I.A., Basement Jaxx, and Modeselektor, SBTRKT has held back on the name dropping for his full blown debut, rather enlisting, aside from Yukimi Nagano, a breed of new vocalists that provide the rum to his punch. The end product? One of the most exciting debuts this side of the moon.

SBTRKT is a work of art. Glistening with wonderful vocal colours and painted with beautiful influential strokes of two-step, dubstep, UK funky, golden RnB, and Detroit house, it seemingly flirts with pop know-how too. An intelligent potion of tasty but complex beats, squeaks, bleeps and wobbles for modern times.

The bubbling ‘Right Thing To Do’ featuring the gentle mourns of Jessie Ware is a real favourite. The underground base-whopper ‘Wildfire’ with Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon is nothing to mess with. Electro-pop treat ‘Pharoahs’ is dominated by the infectious vocals of Roses Gabor; also tip top.

But it’s his distinctive relationship with vocalist and producer Sampha that is most hair-tingling. The release is laced with their synergy—Sampha’s heart melting and weathered, swoon of a croon stirring huge emotion in the listener to SBTRKT’s abstract nerdish trickery. Tearful ‘Hold On’ will paralyse your limbs, while ‘Something Goes Right’ will have you dancing bare foot on the table.

Many stuck-in-the-mud critics might feel this is to much of a shift from his previous more bass-heavy EP—or that neither was brave enough. ‘Ready Set Loop’ and ‘Hide or Seek’ is their obvious antidote. In reality this is a natural progression for a producer set for the big time.

words Ali Raymond

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SBTKT website
Young Turks