Austin Millz, of non-other than the famous Harlem, New York has put in work “taking uptown swagger to stages around the world”, and channelled “that unruly energy in the studio on original tracks” with the likes of Brenmar, D.R.A.M, The Diplomats and Wale.
Austin’s EP, Cyclone, came out today (February 17) on Fool’s Gold. Tracks “Cyclone” (featuring Tunji Ige) and “New Ting” (featuring Ye Ali) have both been released for streaming. The EP “takes those speaker-bursting vibes to a new level, melding hip-hop bonafides with electronic inspirations as only a club champion can”.
“There’s personal relationships you only forge out in the mix. A lot of Fool’s Gold releases exist because I literally bumped into someone,” says label co-founder, Nick Catchdubs.
“A-Trak and I first got into Austin’s music from hearing him at parties and seeing him on flyers right in our backyard. He keeps evolving as a producer, and the time was right to do a proper release. These songs would be cool on their own, but their roots in a real musical community and club culture are what make them special”.
Title track and opener, “Cyclone”, featuring Tunji Ige, blares in with thick, atmospheric synth. There’s a tad of autotune, nothing too brash. The raps are spat with sizeable venom, the backdrop building to sizeable crescendo, almost house music style. The bass whizzes deep and intermittent. The songs rings out for the fadeout.
Then there’s “New Ting”, featuring Ye Ali, which has, daresay, a West Coast flavour. That signature synth line, wavy like hot summer California days, weaves over the top. The track’s sultry and sensual, the clap of the drum mixing with rumbling bass making it an emphatic earworm. The closing minute heralds a stark change, almost foreboding. “Had to let you know…” rings out the track, as if to say something but be cut off mid-sentence.
Closer, “Touch”, featuring Sessi, has booming bass drum and is positively sensual with that female touch. “Yearnin’ for your love/Yearnin’ for your touch” encapsulates the overall sentiment. A change comes in closing moments, mischievous and emboldened.
Emphatic, again, the word with that booming bass drum. Does said change, with the reprisal of that bass drum, indicate going from anticipating touch, to actually experiencing the physical throes of passion? She sounds very Ariana Grande.
Highlights are “New Ting” and “Touch”. The former’s evocative of the summer laidback Californian days. The track’s an emphatic earworm. Of specific merit is the curiosity of the line that sees the track out, “Had to let you know…”. The way this fades out for the track’s end, echoing and cavernous, is as if to plunge to your metaphorical death, what you’re in the middle of saying cut off by the realities of life.
The latter, like the rhythmic aspects of the previous, inspires the use of the word emphatic. This is good, linking one to the other. Of specific merit is how aforementioned change, with the reprisal of that bass drum, indicates going from anticipating touch, to actually experiencing the physical throes of passion. Seemingly, anyway. On top of that, Ariana Grande comparisons can only be good.
Austin Millz has put forward a variety of talent on this EP to give listeners a well-rounded snippet of what to expect on a full release. There seems to have been, in only three tracks, some sort of effort to present voices both male and female, and that, too, adds to a diverse variety. Austin Millz’ Cyclone EP can be purchased, here.
Also visit his Twitter, Instagram and BandsInTown pages to keep tabs on Austin Millz.
Words by Andrew Watson
