ISSUE #39
Eutopia
by Massive Attack
Legendary UK trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have emerged from lockdown to share with us an audiovisual EP containing dire warnings and calls to action. The Eutopia EP combines original production by Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja (aka 3D, aka my suspect #1 for the true identity of Banksy) and writing by Mark Donne, a UK filmmaker and journalist, with hypnotic, dystopian generative visuals by German AI/visual artist Mario Klingeman. These dark sensory pastiches are then laid as the backdrop for short speeches by experts on the climate crisis, tax havens and income insecurity, creating a series of short trip-hop TED talks that stimulate the mind as well as the eye and ear.
This sort of multi-pronged approach to art and activism is nothing new for Massive Attack, but comes at a crucial time when our world faces kaleidoscopic threat and stands more divided than ever in our lifetime. Whether you’re here for the music, the art or the wisdom, these three videos are must-watches for any citizen of the world today.
Finals Days (Bonobo Remix)
by Michael Kiwanuka
From UK singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and longtime Bump favorite Bonobo comes a starkly energetic remix of a haunting track that decries the environmental crisis and humanity’s waning time to act. The son of Ugandan refugees, Kiwanuka has captured the public ear since 2011 with his soulful voice and wide range of influences, touching on indie, R&B, rock and folk. This rising star collaborated with Tom Misch on the 2019 hit Money and has gained our respect and attention by attracting multiple electronic reworks and remixes, peculiar pairings with his more acoustic sound, but all successes nonetheless. The Final Days remix is a clear example of the draw this artist has for fans and other musicians alike, and we hope to hear much more like this in the future.
Look Easy
by Kaytranada (feat. Lucky Daye)
Hidden amongst a maze of mirrors on a twilit dance floor, R&B singer Lucky Daye croons through smoke and silvery moonlight on the latest single from Canadian producer extraordinaire KAYTRANADA. Known for the intuitive musicality and buttery-velvet-smooth production of his beats, KAYTRANADA has been on fire the last couple of years with full length releases 99.9% and BUBBA, both albums on constant repeat in the Bump household. Look Easy swells and retreats like a vast ocean or a beating heart locked in tidal swings, mesmeric arpeggios fluttering around the edges of a warm, dark core that slowly revolves around Daye’s yearning voice. This track is KAYTRANADA at his best - catchy, minimal and deeply soulful - the cherry on top is a beautiful guest vocal we’ve never heard before. We’re making our way over to Lucky Daye’s discography, and we hope to see you there.
Proof
by Galcher Lustwerk
One of our favorite Ghostly International artists, Galcher Lustwerk, has released the follow up to 2019's Information in the form of his latest EP, Proof. This EP is an assemblage of different sounds. The EP's title track, Proof, makes our quarantined selves yearn for a the comfort and warmth of the dance floor. I Had To Slow It Down projects a hazy skyline at night that dances on the line between sobriety and complete intoxication. The New York-based artist demonstrates his ability to command not only your body's physical movements, but also the intangible, abstract movements of your mind.
Tautology II
by El Ten Eleven
The LA-based loop gods known as El Ten Eleven have released their second of three albums from their Tautology trilogy. Where the kinetic, frenetic, metal-inspired riffs of Tautology I represented the bright-eyed naïveté of adolescence, Tautology II represents the challenges and uncertainties of adulthood.
From their Instagram:
" Tautology II represents some of the facets of middle age: love, questions of determinism, sacrifice, the joy and loneliness of being a night owl and the physical challenges of aging. It's hopeful yet anxious, head nodding yet introspective, bright but with darkness creeping in."
Tautology II is out now with III releasing in September, 2020.
Purchase Tautology II here.
Stream it here.
