Forget super, ignore incredible, it's all about fantastic....
Since returning from a touring stint in the U.S of A supporting the likes of The XX and Warpaint Manchester based producer Fantastic Mr. Fox is back with the follow up to his Sketches EP; Evelyn.
His latest offering kicks off with the title track Evelyn which steps into Joy Orbison/James Blake territory with its bass driven click clack rhythm and processed vocal, but as soon as the intro gives way the beat breaks into a beautifully crafted leftfield Hip-Hop stomp.
Next on the agenda is Fool Me, with the first 20 seconds sounding like a slow jam version of Katy Perry’s Hot n Cold. FMF switches it up a gear with rising and falling synth stabs combined with intricate bass drum and hand clap patterns.
Mr Fox continues with the garage/Hip-Hop style of Over; utilising sampled and processed vocals to make his beats sound more like conventional songs.
“I wanted vocals to be more prominent, I was trying to find acapellas with richness to them.”
From listening to this EP it seems to me FMF has concentrated heavily on the percussive rhythms he has used, basing his hybrid Hip-Hop/Dance style around his intricate drum sounds and rhythms.
The finale of the EP Sepia Song steps up the BPM again with what sounds to me like Mr. Fox’s sped up take on UK Funky. Using chopped up vocals, 16 bit synth lines and a pounding kick drum. Sepia Song may be short and sweet but is suitable for testing out any sound system daring enough to take it on.
In a world obsessed with pigeon holing artists and genres I find it hard to describe Fantastic Mr. Fox’s sound, similar to many of the other emerging artists around at the moment. Where some producers fail Evelyn succeeds to sound like the efforts of a young talented producer carving out his own individual sound within a new and developing music scene with incredible results.
Evelyn is available now on Black Acre Records. You can also listen to the title track below:
Fantastic Mr Fox - Evelyn by FBi Radio
