cutty keep things nocturnal and off kilter on “Shadows In the Street”

cutty's self-released new single “Shadows In the Street” is out now.

From a.s.o. and Erika de Casier to Headaches and james k, there’s a new generation of artists bringing trip hop back into the conversation, while twisting its smoky, downtempo foundations into something that feels very much of the present, whether it’s super laidback or ready for the clubs. Hull duo cutty fit nicely into that wave with their own self described trip pop, a playful mix of 90s trip hop, electronic music, funk and leftfield pop. The project brings together singer and artist Amy Precious and multi instrumentalist and producer Kev La Kat, who first met at local bar Dive HU5, where Amy was working and Kev was DJing. What started with Amy asking Kev to help produce music for an art exhibition soon turned into a proper musical partnership, fuelled by a shared love of Björk, Beck and stranger electronic sounds.

Their new single, “Shadows In the Street”, adds something even more playful to the mix. There is something instantly familiar in its nocturnal groove, but the duo keep shifting things around enough to stop it from settling too comfortably. At one point, a melodic phrase even seems to interpolate Crystal Waters’ house classic “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”, a small detail that adds another unexpected layer to the track. The edgy production also reminds us of another rising electronic act, moonvine, with the same kind of slightly wonky, hard to pin down energy. “Shadows In the Street” should appear on cutty’s upcoming Pump Funk EP.

Jennifer Venier

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