If you’ve never taken a dip in the ecstatic waters of Deku’s 2014 LP, Escapism, I highly suggest suiting up and diving in. Although the Atlanta producer (real name Brett Andrew) is probably better known for his work in Waking Astronomer, the experimental collaborative he formed in 2013 with Afua Richardson and Alexa Lima, Deku has been assembling luminous soundscapes out of handcrafted loops, samples, live instrumentation, field recordings and more since the start of the decade—and Escapism, with its vast array of lush textures and seductively gorgeous beats, stands currently as his magnum opus.
On Jan. 26, however, Deku will attempt to set a new standard of ethereal excellence when he unveils Golden Being, his first solo project in nearly four years. This morning we’re excited to bring you the premiere of the album’s first single, “Lately,” and it’s every bit the sleek, radiant, future-forward vessel we hoped it would be.
Fans who have kept up with Andrew as a live performer will almost certainly recognize the track; grooves this insistent and expressive are difficult to forget, much less resist. Still, hearing it in recorded form offers its own revelations: The way the sumptuous synths billow and pulse against skittering tropical percussion is spellbinding, as is the manner in which the thick, pulsing bass line bobs and weaves its way through the diaphanous vocals. It’s such a whirl of glorious, shapeshifting sound, but Deku’s steady sculpting keeps things feeling compact and seamless. There are deviations, of course (the sudden surge of horns on the comedown is particularly satisfying), but it’s that central loop, so lush and effusive, that links to Deku’s past while simultaneously pointing towards his evolution.
“I think ‘Lately’ represents a lot of what I’ve been working on since my last solo release,” Andrew explains. “It still feels similar to my previous solo work, but has some of the pop sensibilities I gathered while working with Waking Astronomer as well. I chose it as the single because it’s the first thing I’ve released that I personally sang on. That was a big barrier for me to break, and I’d say I’m still pushing through it. I was really unsure about this song for a long while, but some prodding from Saude (my live drummer) and it’s reception in live settings really reinforced that it needed to be the single for this record.”
Listen below.
Golden Being is out digitally on Jan. 26 via VLSC Records. A physical release will follow sometime in March.
More Info
Bandcamp: deku.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @iamdeku
SoundCloud: @iamdeku
Twitter: @iamdeku