★★★★★
Cuthead has provided the weird and wonderful Uncanny Valley with some of its best material: his 2010 ‘Sinner’ is the series’ trump card so far, and the solid ‘Brother’ and ‘Slenda Daddy’ further cemented the former hip hope artist’s house credentials.
Everlasting Sunday sees the Dresden producer lay down some charming hip hop and house jams that are distinctly inoffensive; downbeat and playful – but by no means earth-shattering. But it is exactly this unassuming gleam that makes this dusty LP such a treat.
There’s a cheekiness to the sampling and progression within each track, bringing new meaning to the cut n paste aesthetic of hip hop – within seconds, tracks shifts from a languid boom-bap beat to quirky instrumentation and then a sudden whacky, choppy sample, and back again. There are rickety beats interwoven with twinkling electronic synths (‘Maputo Jam’), rubbery basslines and guitars (‘Nautic’), dreamy keys and smouldering strings (‘Minerals’). A highlight, ‘Deep Shadows’ is a woozy hip hopper which melds a swirling soul sample with a sluggish beat and dub-electro bass pulses.
It’s a zany ride, but manages to steer well clear of inanity, and despite all its incongruous elements maintains a laid-back affability across its nine brief tracks.
Everlasting Sunday doesn’t have the out-and-out joviality of, say, Damiano von Erckert’s recent two LPs, which placed a greater emphasis on in-your-face hooks. Cuthead instead opts for the intrinsic soul found in fuzzy synths and lumbering – often meandering – instrumentals.
[Grab a free download of the title track here]
Uncanny Valley | October | Format: digital, vinyl
