Chris Daly is as real as it gets
When whatever passes as music journalism in about a decade compiles the inevitable “best of” list for the sub-sub-genre of music I personally refer to as “after-afterhours-party-beats,” the First Light comp from the Manchester-based Expansions Collective and San Fran’s Mellow Orange is bound to take the number one slot. These tracks marry a jazz mentality with the quieter side of hip-hop and electronica. This music is not about destroying sub-woofers, but it still manages to keep heads nodding in appreciation. Featuring such names as Maximoe, submerse and DistantStarr, the album is a who’s who of downtempo artists creating beats that are headphone-ready to soundtrack the quieter moments of one’s life, from riding the El to work to pondering life’s greatest mysteries, like will the new De La joint be as good as one would hope or where did I leave my pants last night?
The 23-track album also features the “return” of the criminally underrated Mecca:83, whose earlier “retirement” decision clearly has been rethought. If you’re into narcotic beats, there’s nothing here that won’t move you. There are some stand-out tracks, however, such as Mecca’s flutestramental jam featuring Kan Sano, Emanative & Aisha Mars called “Open.” Dutchy’s “This Could Be Us” demonstrates that boom-bap drums can pair perfectly with silky horns. “El Mar” by Hir-O, “Make You Bounce” by UDNA and “Luv U More” by QSTN all prove that the musical children of trip-hop are alive and well. First Light finds it groove from the get-go and never loses its way. Don’t let that fool you into thinking there’s anything repetitive here, either, unless you consider high quality a bad thing.
