R3ll - Directions

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  • The new label from Brick Bandits is a huge deal. The New Jersey DJs and producers, who have toiled to make Jersey club popular, have never had an organized outlet quite like it—and it comes 15 years after the crew was founded. In a world of free mixtapes, SoundCloud downloads and bootleg edits, the label should properly document the group. For its first release, R3ll, one of Brick Bandits' most prominent DJs, turns in a great primer on what makes Jersey club so infectious, while gently pushing at the genre's boundaries. R3ll's name has mostly been attached to edits and remixes, but the five tracks on Directions have the lush feel of someone who's been producing originals for years. "Ponanay," the only track without a guest appearance, is a soaring anthem where shuddering synths rocket into lift-off before it all crashes back down into that familiar stuttering pattern. The rip-roaring speed of "Ponanay" has more in common with footwork, moving beyond the R&B and rap edits usually associated with Jersey club. Some artists recently started a party and collective called #THREAD that's focused on incorporating different sounds into Jersey club, a musical openness that also defines Directions. Part of this comes from the EP's collaborations. Both the Riddim Commission-assisted "Hit Me" and the Sinden team-up "Packing Light" skate through sections of smooth 4/4 before lunging into the Jersey stutter. On "Booty Go," with TR!CK$, fluttering synth passages trade off with boomier bits. This feel returns for the Fluke Nukes collab "Skylines," where Think breaks support soft R&B chords for a Jersey club banger dressed in satin. Directions is a powerful debut for the Brick Bandits that shows R3ll and friends are at the top of their game, and that, in the face of growing international hype, the Jersey club scene is healthier—and more adventurous—than ever.
  • Tracklist
      01. Booty Go feat. Tr!ck$ 02. Skylines feat. Fluke Nukes 03. Packing Light feat. Sinden & Purpurr Purple 04. Ponanay 05. Hit Me feat. Riddim Commission
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