Swedish producer Baba Stiltz has joined the storied British independent label XL Recordings with a smooth new four-track EP which showcases his playful brand of electronic that crosses boundaries and fuses genres like R&B and jazz.
Properly titled Showtime, it’s not hard to equate what follows as Stiltz’s most outright step into the spotlight. An EP brimming with pop proclivities and smooth production prowess, Stiltz describes Showtime in a press release as really just a collection of songs he’s recorded over the past couple of years. “They all represent things I’ve been going through, just day to day stuff; traveling, djing, meeting people, being alone a lot, falling in love, parties, hang overs etc,” he goes on to say.
“‘Showtime’ as a title just means it’s showtime. Before every gig, every day of travel. Always somewhere. Pressure, stress, excitement. Gig-economy self-loathing and megalomania.”
To hear Showtime in its totality is no daunting task. Just 11 minutes in total, the EP’s an easy listen. Stiltz isn’t aiming to be austere, and yet his smooth tendencies are exceptional. Take the EP’s title track, a stream-of-consciousness jazzy slow jam, for example.” “I’m a DJ with a good soul,” he half sings, almost begging listeners to ask themselves, is this guy for real? “Treat you good, girl/ Try to make it work,” he continues. “Make it work girl/ Cause I make things work,” oh this guy’s kidding. “Got Bags Fulla Money/ So much money/You Neva Seen This Much Money,” he goes on. “LOL on your whole life,” he sings near the end, perhaps at himself, but more than likely, at no one in particular.
Baba Stiltz isn’t taking himself too seriously, and what comes is both danceable and catchy. It’s an EP equally as fitting for an afternoon drive, as it is the wee hours of the morning, and the dance world needs more of that versatile I-don’t-take-myself-too-seriously attitude, now, more than ever. Judging by Showtime, Stiltz will have many more acts to follow.
Source: dancingastronaut.com
