Thinking back to the days of Kool Keith’s instrumental ventures as well as those of King Brit and folks of that ilk, I’m loving the fact that we don’t have to look very far to find young artists who are holding up the mantle of creating exciting new beats for the musical landscape. One such artist is American composer/beatmaker Blondci, particularly with his new track “Aqua.”
Beginning the song, the pads sound quite new-age in their approach, but the bassline tempers it with a neo-soul vibe that becomes irresistible. Fans of acid-jazz will feel extremely at home with the groove-centered jam that is “Aqua.” The listener is also gifted with a horn fanfare towards the end, which is just the ear-candy we all need from time to time. Overall, it’s a laid-back work, back in my day we would have called this “chill out,” and I’m a little embarrassed that I’m not sure what the kids are calling these genres currently.
“Aqua” does bring to mind, however; that prior to the “lo-fi” revolution of popular YouTube playlists, we weren’t too used to hearing instrumental tracks; I’m thankful that has changed and a piece like this can stand on its own without someone saying “hey, when are the vocals gonna start?”
Blondci’s Instagram account is also worth a visit, as we get a window into his production techniques via Ableton Live as well as some of his multi-instrumental talents. He’s quite adept at acoustic/electric guitar, bass, and keys – I think the fact that he’s such an outstanding musician is a clue into why his music sounds, well, so musical.