unknown wav x takeyouthere - so far

This is what Neil Armstrong would’ve been blasting on the way to the moon, if he was really into Janet Jackson. Both adopting similar styles and influences, unknown wav and takeyouthere linked up on this one for a soulful trip into the cosmos, caked in low-end and dulcet vocal tones. Presenting a series of buttery rnb loops straight from from the y2k era, I kinda love how unashamedly distorted this tape sounds, bass blasting through your speakers at such a volume it would’ve made my old Toyota Corolla explode. A tape like this is all in the experience and absolutely hits when you’re in the kind of mood to hear something blownout and in-your-face, but equally nostalgic. They really let the samples speak for themselves and if you search beyond the bass and heaving kick drums you’ll find some beautifully melodic moments on here - like the syrupy vocals and artificial strings on ‘full circle’, or the percussive dings and ascending vocal lines dancing around each other on ‘drifting.’ The whole thing ends up feeling like a slightly cursed old rnb CD, scratched up so it keeps looping in on itself where you somehow find songs within the songs. It’s a punchy and powerful effort from two like-minded artists in a very similar creative space; striking a balance between feeling grounded and cosmic, proudly wearing its influences on its sleeve.

KEY BEAT: essentially - the distortion hits just right on this tune, crunchy kicks blasting through the strings and textured percussion, sticky vocal lines glued to every loop. Every time I hear “I caaaaaan’t stooop” it gets more and more stuck in my head.