Tuesday 10 July 2012

Major Lazer - Get Free


Nowadays, producers are becoming just as celebrated as pop stars themselves.  Listening to chart music without hearing some sort of signature sample, riff or sound effect is an increasing rarity.  On the rise is Diplo (aka Thomas Pentz), an American producer who has collaborated with the likes of M.I.A, Beyonce and Usher - his most well known track is probably 2010's Pon De Floor sampled in Beyonce's Run The World.

But Pon De Floor was part of his side project 'Major Lazer' with DJ/Producer Switch. After Switch left the partnership in late 2011, Diplo has been busy producing new music alone under the Major Lazer name and Get Free is the first release.

As with Major Lazer's previous output, Get Free is a reggae-dancehall fusion. Slow reggae beats and funk guitars are heavily processed and layered with club synths, punctuated by the occasional baritone sax. The production is slick and intricate (as you'd expect), pulsing rhythmically beneath Amber Coffman's catchy vocal. It's a near perfect, laidback summer jam, proving that electronic dancehall production doesn't have to be all whomping basslines, hand-clap beats and euphoric riffs. Finally, creative producers are receiving the credit they deserve - even if Diplo does hide behind two monikers and a cartoon Mr T lookalike.

4/5

Listen: Get Free is available now.