Bathed in warm tones, crisp drum rolls and jazzy touches, Fricky’s Häntextra brings together some of my favourite elements of D&B and shakes them, gently.
The spacious, jazz elements recall LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Records, but here they are blended with the sunny vibes of Movement and the soulful space of Defunked. All of which to say, this skews intelligent, emotive and sophisticated, but still makes me want to dance in the sunshine or in sweaty rooms with low ceilings.
Tricky is artist, producer and designer Erik Friman. Having grown up in Sweden, he got exposed to hardcore bands, DIY music and rap. Friman formed a rap duo with his childhood friend Broder John, before eventually branching out to more exploratory, melodic and atmospheric sounds.
Häntextra is taken from the forthcoming album Horizon Inn. Rather than focusing on D&B or rap, the album takes a wide-angle lens to 90s and 00s music, encompassing sounds as diverse as indie pop, and trip hop. The music is in truth a collaboration, by Fricky, but together with collaborators Joel Kiviaho, Magnus Larsson and Simon Lundgren. Describing the sound, Friman says:
“This is the closest I get to the sound that only exists in my dreams. The inspiration is taken from drum and bass, trip-hop, acid and old school hiphop. The world can undeniably feel escapist, but at the same time, I can't remember ever being as present in the music as I was during this process.”