Bleep

The last few months haven’t exactly been plain-sailing for beat producer Nosaj Thing (aka Jason Chung). Alongside his entire touring entourage, his gear was stolen in Houston. As well as taking all the equipment necessary for his live show, the thieves also took his backup hard drive containing unreleased beats, unfinished recording sessions and early blueprints for new material. Fortunately for fans, Fated was already wrapped up and we can now revel in the masterful experimentalism of his follow-up to 2013’s Home. With starring guest turns from Chance The Rapper on the subdued introspectiveness of Cold Stares and a cloudy vocal on standout track Don’t Mind Me from Sacramento vocalist Whoarei, this is Nosaj’s finest hour to date. The songs are short, almost like brief peepholes in to his cosmos as a producer. Mixing the sounds of West Coast hip hop with syrupy electronica creating a hybridised product that showcases his adeptness and versatility as an artist. From the bare-bones stillness of Watch to the frantic polyrhythmic sounds of 2K at the end, Fated is a masterclass in careful composition and truly gorgeous production. It’s an album that cements Chung’s status among the lineage of Californian producers to create sounds that are brand new. Having provided beats for the likes of Kendrick, Kid Cudi and of course Chance, this LP shows that the Nosaj thing experience can be just as effective on its own terms.