“Complicated Trip,” the new single by Bronx hip-hop icon KOOL KEITH backed by Nashville powerviolence duo THETAN, is streaming exclusively at BrooklynVegan, the only place the track can be streamed online ahead of this Saturday when the single is issued through THETAN‘s own Anti-Corporate Music Inc. as an official Record Store Day vinyl release.
THETAN offers of their perspective of the experience, “The approach we took to the music would seem to be a complete deviation from our sound to anyone familiar with our albums. But in all actuality, we have always tried to sneak in some experimental, weird ideas. For a couple years we had even planned to do an entire album of dark psychedelic stuff, but that just never materialized. With this project, we approached it in a similar way to how we had talked about doing that album, albeit in a less abstract, more structured way.”
KOOL KEITH declares, “If ‘Complicated Trip’ was a movie it would be a film short of National Lampoon’s Vacation, Caddy Shack, and The 3 Stooges.”
BrooklynVegan writes of the track, “THETAN slow it down compared to the stuff on their recent album Abysmal, and they provide KEITH a head-nodding dose of heavy psych that works just fine as a hip-hop beat. There’s a little classic turntablism in the mix too.”
Stream “Complicated Trip” exclusively at BrooklynVegan RIGHT HERE.
On “Complicated Trip,” THETAN‘s drummer Chad L’Plattenier and bassist/vocalist Dan Emery create the groove-heavy backing track as the legendary KOOL KEITH lays down his surrealistic nonstop lyrical attack. The record was meticulously crafted and mastered by Emery at his Black Matter Mastering (Buzzov*en, Dwarves, Krieg) with tons of special perks. In addition to the title cut, the 12″ also bears an instrumental version of the track – both songs are pressed on the A-side of the LP as parallel grooves, where the listener has a 50/50 shot of hitting one track or the other when the stylus is dropped onto the wax. A bonus third track also appears over a playable etching on the A-side, as well as a zoetrope style etching on the record’s edge, and an etching hidden under the center label. The intense cover art for the single and equally insanely detailed B-side etching was drawn by Caroline Harrison.
The “Complicated Trip” single will see release as a Record Store Day Exclusive this Saturday, April 13th. Support your local indie record shop and pick it up. Also, find an exclusive shirt for the single at Anti-Corporate Music HERE.
The “Complicated Trip” single will be followed by an extensive fully collaborative LP between THETAN and KOOL KEITH. Watch for additional details to follow in the months ahead.
The single lands as fires still rage in the wake of THETAN‘s crushing new Abysmal LP. Released in February, Abysmal is available on animated-etched LP and all digital platforms via Anti-Corporate Music. Find preorders at the label webshop HERE and at Bandcamp HERE.
KOOL KEITH Live:
4/19/2019 Rocks Off Boat Cruise @ East 23rd Skyport Marina – New York, NY [tickets]
4/20/2019 Ophelia’s – Denver, CO w/ Ultramagnetic MCs
6/06/2019 Fine Line Cafe – Minneapolis, MN
6/07/2019 Club David – Sioux Falls, SD
8/01/2019 The Promontory – Chicago, IL
8/02/2019 The Hifi – Indianapolis, IN
THETAN Live:
4/21/2019 The Boro – Murfreesboro, TN @ Boro Fondo Fest
8/31/2019 Drkmttr – Nashville, TN
10/19/2019 Drkmttr – Nashville, TN @ Paranoid Fest
https://www.facebook.com/officialkoolkeith
https://twitter.com/UltraMan7000
http://facebook.com/welcometowhinecountry
https://thetan.bandcamp.com
http://anticorporatemusic.com
http://facebook.com/anticorpmusic