Chris Daly never uses ‘ciao.’
From Prince to Adele to Zooey Deschanel portraying a Bergen channeling Lionel Ritchie, artists have long struggled to address the myriad mysteries contained in the simple, “Hello.” Is it merely a greeting? A lingering question? A desperate plea? Add Friends of Friends DJ/producer Lorenzo BITW to the list of lexiconic explorers looking to break things down for the masses with his latest EP, the appropriately named for this article, Hello! EP.
The Italian maestro has succeeded where so many other have failed before. With his eponymous single he’s applied underground sensibilities to an otherwise radio-friendly excursion. LB supplies a bouncy beat to aid his enlisted Ghanaian fire spitter. By his very nature, Nawtyboi Tattoo was the ideal companion for this poppy afrobeat excursion, providing perfect patois pick-ups over auto-tuned overtures.
The B-side, “Rio Grande,” is more for the aforementioned club kids, all slinkily programmed drum machines and keys intended to keep your ass on the dance floor. The Mr. Mitch remix of “Hello” takes the original, adds a revamped and rubbery bass line, and moves it from grooving to groovy territory, a nice play by the UK grime artist. This is the jam you’re looking for from the other side regardless of your opinions on hungry children. Trust me.
