King Mono Bump in the Night Album Cover Art Square
King Mono continue to gain speed on their trip toward full-on "genre killer" status. The production duo of Jeremy Wilms and Little Shalimar have just dropped a wickedly fun new single, "Transducer," which features rapid-fire handclaps and 16-bit synthesizer tones seemingly ripped from the underwater levels of Super Mario Bros (you know the ones).
If you hear a steady, satisfying beat behind all the arcade-style instruments of "Transducer," it likely emanates from Shalimar and Wilms's experience playing in the fiery Brooklyn afrobeat group Antibalas. A torrent of ride cymbals marks each chorus, and as the King Mono boys steadily pile vocal harmonies on top of one another the song grows like Mario in the presence of a giant mushroom. "‘Transducer’ is a lightspeed boogie number containing both a science lesson and a cautionary tale about monogamy,” the group noted in a press release accompanying the track.
"Transducer" might be new to many listeners, but chances are you're familiar with King Mono's handiwork--Shalimar contributed numerous productions on both of Run The Jewels's brilliant records. The first proper King Mono album, Bump in the Night is set to drop on March 31st via Tummy Touch Music, and earlier this week Okayplayer showcased a brand new mixtape that puts the group's wickedly tasteful sensibilities on display. Stream their new track here and try as hard as you can to sit still through the whole thing. It won't be easy.
[h/t CoS]
