Depending on the context, shots are either a launching pad into a night of inebriated excess or a full-throttle descent into dark oblivion. Moderation isn’t really part of the equation (because where’s the fun in that?), so the only questions become how high will you fly or how low can you sink. Victory or vomit.

On the first single from his upcoming III EP, local beatsmith AyOh, aka Alec Owen, attempts to capture the giddy exuberance of pounding shots with your friends and the feeling of celebratory elation that resonates throughout the experience. Over a funky patchwork of euphoric horns, chopped up soul vocals, and an old school boom bap beat, AyOh keeps the mood upbeat and jovial; you can almost hear the house party chatter and clinking of glasses in the background. It’s a swaggering cut that comes and goes in a jaunty 1:17 — just long enough to ensnare you in its festive clutches before the track cuts out abruptly and an elegiac piano drifts in, casting a dark cloud over the proceedings.

The video, directed by Jason Linder of Highdeas Productions, doesn’t bother with subtleties. It dives right into its subject with shot after shot of Owen and a few of his closest friends throwing down, well, shot after shot. The spirit is more revelatory than debaucherous, an amusing tribute to good times and the heedlessness of youth.

III is set to drop on June 11.

More Info
Bandcamp: ayyohh.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @AyOhBeats
SoundCloud: @awomusic