Bleep

Following work on a multitude of collaborative projects with the likes of JPEGMAFIA, Kali Uchis, Dean Blunt as well as his fabled work with Frank Ocean - Vegyn's latest EP is further testament to his unique talent. In tarot reading, the tower card — which depicts a tall structure set ablaze by a bolt of lightning — is associated with change and upheaval. The ambiguous portent adorns the cover of Vegyn’s Like A Good Old Friend, which should allow for some clues as to how the EP sounds in comparison to his 2019 LP, Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds. Then again, the producer has a storied history of collaborating with modern music’s boldest innovators, so it’s safe to say that the unpredictable is just part of Vegyn’s MO.

True enough, the EP begins by eschewing electronically-charged rap with a slow-rise of grainy VHS tape atmospherics, as London artist Jeshi delivers monotone bars over the flow. Just when you think you’ve got this song pegged, a rapid tempo acceleration turns the atmosphere into a low-slung groove. More surprises surface with the title track, a tasty techno cut which features a very un-techno instrument: a pedal steel. In addition to his bait-and-switches, the likes of ‘B4 The Computer Crash’ and ‘Mushroom Abolitionist’ deliver on the unbeatable dancefloor front, showing that Vegyn knows his way around a beat.

A producer with the grit and know-how to deliver above and beyond expectations, the saga of Vegyn continues to amaze.