Musical prodigies mykel online and Maki Adams have combined their distinctive talents and formed new duo memorex, and their groundbreaking debut self-titled album released three days ago. Be Thankful.
Maki Adams and mykel online, surely you’ve heard of them. If you’ve been paying any attention at all lately, you would recognize these two names and know that they are among the most exciting and innovative artists operating in Los Angeles right now. And surprise, they’ve joined forces to create supergroup memorex. And another surprise, they released their 13-track self-titled album this past Monday. Luckily, Pookie is super hot and super cool and attended their rooftop album listening party a few nights ago. Since then, I’ve taken the time to soak up this phenomenal record, and I’ve got the rundown for you.
Miami-native mykel online and Maki Adams, hailing from Scandinavia, have melded together the best pieces of their individual artistries to create memorex, a newly-formed duo and album that is truly remarkable. Maki and mykel, each esteemed musical tastemakers with a reputation for pushing the art forward, are paving their way and creating a new genre while they do it. The record is a beautiful coalescence of electronic music, nods to UK production trends, and elements of hip hop, all taken with an alternative approach. The album was almost entirely produced by the creatively enlightened duo, with help from some friends like pnkblnkt and Abner Dennis, two more names you’d find on a roster of burgeoning underground LA talent. One of my immediate favorite tracks on the album, titled “glass”, which was co-produced by Maki, mykel, and pnkblnkt, peaks my ear with robotic synth melodies that dance around the production, then instantly hooks me with an infectious bit-crushed drum beat. The details in the textures of their respective vocals are so complementary to each other, this partnership is easily one of the greatest collabs of the year. Another gem on this record is “Care”, which features Pookie favorite Ayleen Valentine and her signature tender, soul-touching vocal. The lyrics tell the story of someone who is grieving, losing a loved one only months ago, and struggling to accept life in a new normal. “alright ?” has an angstier feel, utilizing a gritty bass and an amplified vocal for some added distortion to convey their feelings of frustration. The production is especially refreshing on this song, largely due to how it evolves over the course of it’s 2 minute runtime. The bridge/outro section is my favorite, where memorex chooses a scaled-down drum arrangement, and brings in reverbed electric guitars to appropriately shred the ending. Maki Adams and mykel online may have unexpectedly given the people of Los Angeles the greatest collab of 2022, and I can only wait to see where memorex will go from here. Do yourself some good and check out memorex and their debut self-titled album for yourself.
08/04/2022
memorex
Pookie Los Angeles
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