Photay reveals new singles ahead of album launch

Photay unveils two brand new singles from his forthcoming album – ‘Onism’ due for release on the 11th of August.

‘The Everday Push’ is a sublime piece of music. The groove will get you moving, but the textures might well stop you in your tracks. The stuttering beat beeps like a phone that’s been knocked off its hook; the electronic bass puts an especially heavyweight spin on the 808’s typical gut-punch, while subtle electronic sound design lends a glistening, high-tech touch. The melody comes from the balafon, a West African mallet instrument that sounds part xylophone, part screen door. Put together, those contrasting elements make for an electrifying range of timbres—and a striking sense of cognitive dissonance, wherein a centuries-old percussion instrument catapults ’80s funk deep into the future.


The rhythm is familiar: slow, deliciously syncopated, and with a slinky cadence that’s not too far off from the kind of thing that Floating Points did on his early records. But when have we ever heard classic boogie dressed up in sounds like these?Pitchfork

The second of these singles is the delightful ‘Aura’ – an exquisite piece of modern R&B that features glittering synth work and dreamy vocals from Photay himself.

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As well as his own sizable offerings, Photay has been bestowed the honour of remixing Jordan Rakei’s ‘Sorceress’. Released on Ninja Tune on the 29th of June, it maintains the soulful integrity of the original but deftly repurposes it as a stealthy dancefloor killer. Jordan’s angelic harmonies swim through a breakbeat shuffle and a rumbling 80s-style wet bass for the ultimate groove. As the track breaks down, a xylophone-style chorus rings out alongside what reminds us of a west African highlife-style guitar riff. No matter where you place the sounds, this is guaranteed to light up dance-floors all summer.