Sweatson Klank Downbeat | Electronica | Leftfield 2 Items

From its opening notes ‘You, Me, Temporary’ announces itself as music from the soul reaching for the soul. The album recounts a modern day love story through the musical eyes of its protagonist, Sweatson Klank. It’s a story of love in the fast lane that touches on the good – innocence, romance, lust, sex – and the bad – drugs, debauchery, loss of self, despair – before closing with the peaceful beauty that comes with total acceptance of what is. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ is Sweatson Klank’s third full-length album in 10 years, and it shows just how extensive the Los Angeles native’s artistic growth has been. The music tight ropes between electronic, hip hop and futuristic R&B, sidestepping obvious boxes while finding its own effortlessly. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ transcends genres, balancing the vulnerable and sensual with the rough and jagged. The album has an emotive and sometimes pressing quality, in direct opposition to today’s disposable music mania. The hypnotic interplay of chords, melodies and rhythms draws you in and is equally effective in headphones as it is on the dancefloor. The warmth of analogue equipment flirts with expert sampling and chops that evoke the playful soul of ‘90s R&B and the heartfelt angst of classic hip hop while remaining forward thinking.

A wide cast of vocal guests help recount the different tales and stages of this story: Vikter Duplaix, Ango, Selfsays, Doc Illingsworth, Deniro Farrar, Anna Wise of Sonny Moon and Pat Parra. Upbeat and energetic songs sit next to hypnotic ballads, the sort most conducive to ‘baby making’ you might even say. The music is often elating, sexy and at times dreamy but also progresses to show melancholy and despondency in the sincerest way. Sometimes playful, sometimes serious the vocal tracks add a human dimension to the story that ‘You, Me, Temporary’ tells, completing its message and taking the album to that proverbial next level.

With this third album Sweatson Klank puts aside self-indulgence for simple honesty and the maturity that only comes with being a seasoned artist. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ tells a timeless story in a compelling way, and while its title hints at the trials and tribulations behind relationships, the overt concept lies in the impermanence of everything around us.

With over ten years’ experience in the music game, including three full length albums and a slew of EPs, Sweatson Klank – formerly known as Take – is one of L.A’s longest standing producers working at the periphery of hip hop and electronic music, a man who had a direct hand in shaping L.A’s beat scene in the 00s through the Sketchbook night alongside Kutmah. Whether or not you’ve heard his music before you’ll n have felt the impact of his work. After a two-year hiatus Sweatson Klank returns with the Elevate Me EP on Project Mooncircle, five tracks that further cement him as one of the nicest and most articulate producers in the game today. Elevate Me is both a departure from Sweatson’s previous output and a continuation of what has made him a unique voice in L.A’s thriving instrumental hip hop and electronic scene.

From the opener Always You the bar is set high with music that could only come from someone with musical savoir faire born of experience and hard work. The music is intricate and playful, the rhythms are hard to resist and the melodies perfectly match the uplifting mood, qualities that are carried throughout the EP.

Own almost feels like a band is playing yet it’s all coming from one man’s mind. The track references both Sweatson’s hip hop lineage and a deep understanding of the emotional potentials of electronic dance music. The tempo might surprise you at first but once you let the music take you in you’ll be pressing play again in no time.

I Can’t Explain is an ode to Sweatson’s love of hip hop, of the beat. The crunchy breaks will make your head nod before you’ve even realised it while the melodies and samples evoke images of sunny, lazy L.A days.

All of these ideas are further explored on My Love Is Here where certain tropes of popular dance music are put to use in a way that is rarely heard today. Instead of being the all-consuming focus of the song, the bass is used to reinforce the rhythmic foundations and combined with a beautifully emotive vocal sample that can seem jarring at first yet makes perfect sense. There is a subtlety to the music that really shines through on repeated listens.

In Between closes proceedings, winding things down with a smoother mood that’s still full of musical intricacies. Combining melancholic vocal samples with uplifting melodies and intricate rhythms, Sweatson manages to push through emotions that seem to burst out of the music, rendering any discussion of genre or style irrelevant.

Elevate Me is genuine, honest music born of emotions and offered to the listener with no disguise. It’s subtle and beautiful and it lets Sweatson Klank’s experience shine through in a way that will no doubt appeal to both old and new listeners. Jump aboard and let yourself be taken on a ride.

12" EP clear vinyl - Limited edition