Released in honor of the eponymous, late Soundcloud alien god, Xenu is not the product of a bygone past but rather a time capsule for the future. The majority of the songs fall below the 2 minute mark and the whole project is over in under 15. It’s a feat then, while catering to our diminished attention span, just how moving it can be.
TTC’s habit of censoring himself once he’s hit a flow — i’m on that — i got some — i don’t need — cause i’m fine — on bite sized bangers like Damaged and Notice Me gives the songs’ meanings a nebulous, timeless vibe. On any track he could be mourning a lost love or fallen brother or maybe just change itself. It doesn’t matter, he seems to be saying — the emotions stay the same. And even through his detached, icy delivery, they remain front and center throughout Xenu, never more prevalent than at its peak, Pretending I Don’t Miss You, a lofi bedroom bop, clearly of the quarantine era, but with the enduring, bone deep qualities of a song you’re sure you’ve heard before, although only 200 listeners can boast of doing so.
A top shelf collection of glitch hop world beats that sound like a malevolent AI approximating the discography of God, or at least, the Alchemist — which any fan of the underground knows amounts to the same thing. This is drag racing Lambos down the Mediterranean coast with corrupt Croatian politicians music, plain, simple.
GARÇON – BYEXOXO / ACTUALIZATION / HEARTBEAT
The soundtrack to many a euphoric dissociation of mine, I’d be remiss not to share these criminally understreamed gems by the Dreamcaster of the DMV, GARÇON. Each composition (“beat” doesn’t do them justice) is ripe for a Frank Ocean feature, but for now, Culture HOR is the best we can do. Share this. Change that.
Recorded on Apple ear pods in (you guessed it) a hotel, Yung Neanderthal proves once again you don’t need an extravagant studio setup to make an immaculate dream pop banger.