CRATE Pulls of the Week

You don't arrive at a record like “Shape The Future” without a few decades of musical history under your belt. Takuya Nakamura's collaboration with Greentea Peng is a masterclass in jazzy drum and bass, but calling it that almost feels like we're underselling the education behind it. Nakamura has spent nearly 35 years moving between jazz, jungle, electronic music and seemingly every interesting place where those worlds collide. You can hear that experience in the production. The breaks are intricate, the low end is enormous, the trumpet knows exactly when to make itself heard, and Greentea Peng brings a soulful, almost meditative presence to lyrics about collective responsibility, borrowed time and the future we're building together. There's something particularly fitting about her declaring that we reap what we sow over a production so deeply informed by everything that came before it. If this is what shaping the future sounds like, I'm more than happy to bring my past along for the ride.

Motivation is the psychological and biological force that initiates, directs, and sustains goal-directed human behavior. It's also the title of Ossie and Miraa May's collaboration, and a force it is. The London producer reaches back toward the foundations of Chicago house, giving us the kind of early-'90s dance floor that makes you wish you'd been invited to the party thirty years ago. The piano is deliciously restless, the bassline has somewhere important to be, and Miraa May's vocals arrive in perfectly measured doses, scattered throughout like little rewards for staying on the dance floor. There are snippets, repetitions, scat singing, and just enough personality in every corner to make the whole thing feel wonderfully alive. It's a production that understands the difference between keeping a groove going and keeping it interesting. As for the psychological and biological forces at work here, further research may be necessary. Preferably with a very good sound system.

“Shoulder Lean” is both the title of TroyBoi and Fabian Mazur's collaboration and a fairly reasonable description of what happens when the bass hits. Whether you're following instructions or simply trying to remain upright is entirely up to you. The production is unapologetically heavy, with enough low-end pressure to restyle your hair without the courtesy of an appointment. When the vocal announces, “I pull up to the scene and they already know,” there's an impressive amount of confidence behind that statement. And if they didn't know before, they're going to have a difficult time forgetting. TroyBoi and Fabian Mazur aren't here to hold your hand. The rhythm demands movement, the bass demands structural reinforcement, and your shoulders are going to participate whether you've given them permission or not. We recommend comfortable shoes and keeping your chiropractor on speed dial.

GRANT's “C'mon Caroline” deserves a stage, a lighting designer, and perhaps a very dramatic curtain. The throwback drum and bass patterns come racing out of the wings, while atmospheric layers and expressive vocals give the whole production the grandeur of a theatrical overture. And what an unusual little script we're working with. Caroline is being encouraged, challenged, and reassured, with references to springtime, sonnets, and a strawberry making an appearance because apparently we're doing poetry between breakbeats. The vocals are especially impressive in how they accommodate both sides of the production, floating beautifully above the melodies one moment and keeping pace with the restless percussion the next. GRANT has a wonderful sense of pacing, introducing new textures and letting the arrangement develop as though each section has been waiting for its cue. By the time the final notes arrive, we're ready to stand, applaud, and throw a few flowers toward the stage. Caroline, we hope you enjoyed the show.

A/S/L's “Can I Smoke In Here?” might be the least intimidating addition to CRATE in quite some time. If this week's selections were actual people arriving at a party, this one would walk straight up to you, arms open, ready for a hug. It's a hugger. And while some of its playlist companions are busy testing the structural integrity of the building, A/S/L is operating at a considerably more relaxed frequency. There's a lovely sense of freedom in the production, with an understated groove and just enough eccentricity to keep things interesting. A/S/L has apparently spent years circulating music among a relatively small circle of LA tastemakers through his PAZ label, which makes discovering him feel like being let in on a particularly well-kept secret. As for the question in the title, we'll leave that to the host. Good taste, however, has never respected designated sections.