Chinese Whispers presents the tracks you might have missed because you actually have shit to do.
Sussex-whizz kid Mura Masa (real name Alex Crossan) unquestionably belongs to the new glut of precocious young producers that have emerged in a post-Soundcloud world. At 18, it almost seems unfair that he’s blessed with such talent, pitting precise, crisp beats against silky floating vocals to create tunes you can’t help but return to. In a recent interview with Pigeons and Planes, Mura Masa discussed his eastern influences (his chosen moniker is that of a 15th century Japanese swordsmith), commenting that:
“I think eastern music is very modern and honest. The instruments are simple and just kind of organic, and nobody was really pairing that with the context of hip hop or beatmaking, so I wanted to bring that to the fore really… I think also the increased pairing of of anime and hip hop culture is the absolute coolest thing in the world. It’s definitely a conscious influence for me. Who doesn’t love Cartoons and Cereal by Kendrick, right?”
This line of thinking manifests itself most clearly on cuts like Lotus Eater, but it’s the infectious melody of ..Girl that will likely attract the majority of listeners to Mura Masa’s particular brand of music. However, it’s also worth checking out latest offerings i got u and his excellent remixes of Brooke Fraser’s ‘King And Queens‘ and Flosstradamus’ ‘Mosh Pit’, the latter being where the aim of mixing disparate influences is realized most fully. Let’s hope this young swordsmith can ascend to master samurai.
Mura Masa’s debut album, Soundtrack to A Death, is out in early 2015. Follow him on Twitter: @mura_masa_