EP REVIEW: Thai Thai - TELEVISED SUICIDE

Thai Thai's TELEVISED SUICIDE is a haunting experience that showcases moody production and clever lyrics to create a gripping, intense journey through trauma and loss. 

 

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As always, before reading this review, take thirteen minutes to go stream the EP! The links to the project on all platforms can be found through Thai Thai's Linktree page, which I have linked here.

 

WHEN THAI THAI SHOWED UP in my Instagram messages to suggest I look at his most recent release, TELEVISED SUICIDE, I was immediately struck by the title and album art in a way I haven't been in a long time. I'm no art critic, and visual art definitely is not my area of expertise, but I swear I knew on some level after looking at the artwork that this project would encapsulate a really interesting vibe. After listening to the EP, I think it's safe to say I was right. This EP delivers a large-scale experience that belies its short runtime of just five tracks and thirteen minutes, and is probably one of my favorite projects I've reviewed since this blog began.

 

This EP marks Thai Thai's sophomore project; its predecessor, the five-track PIECE OF MIND, was released to the public in April. Despite only having two EP-sized notches on his belt to this point, Thai Thai, also known as Mathias, presents a remarkably fleshed-out and well-realized sound on this project; it's evident that he has a clear vision of who he wants to be as an artist and the kind of sound he wants to explore. TELEVISED SUICIDE seamlessly alternates between an apathetic, depressive stupor and barely-repressed anger & aggression over instrumentals that similarly oscillate between melancholy R&B-sampling conscious rap and heavy, distorted trap metal. Thai Thai raps about everything from the peaks & valleys of his artistic journey to watching loved ones fall victim to drug use, making use of his incisive wit and brutal vulnerability to create an EP that is equal parts artistic showcase and coping mechanism. The end result is thoroughly gripping and extreme, and makes an excellent showcase for Thai Thai's abilities as an artist.

A woozy, muffled flute sample opens the EP on the first track, "LIFE OR DEATH". Soon enough, a heavy synth bass enters under shuffling 12/8 percussion. Thai Thai delivers a meditative and thoughtful first verse dealing with mortality and death through a detached, disaffected delivery before rapidly switching to an aggressive, raw, shouting delivery as the beat modulates upwards in key; the result ends up feeling like a stylistic cross between Scarlxrd and J Cole. The track rather successfully communicates the dichotomy between melancholy and aggression that often comes hand in hand with loss, and sets up the EP to deliver a thought-provoking, tortured hip hop experience.

A jazzy, retro-flavored conscious rap instrumental anchored in sweet harp chords lays a foundation for Thai Thai’s distorted, confident vocals in the first verse on "KILL 4 MY SPOT". Between this track and the opener, Thai Thai demonstrates a real penchant for crafting simple yet effective and catchy flows that provide a solid base on which he builds slick wordplay and compelling storytelling. His voice bears a real similarity to Kendrick Lamar on this track, and the meditative atmosphere feels very much like something that might have stepped off of Mr. Morale. We get an R&B-style sung hook based in an austere earworm of a melody; the lyrics cut deep here ("Prayed to the Lord for forgiveness/Promised shit would be different/He looked real deep in my eyes and said 'You lying, admit it'") and the introspective message of this track is a solidly memorable one. The mixing sounds very professional here; every element occupies its own space and nothing feels like it’s clashing with anything else. The extended harp breakdown at the end of the track is also very nice. I really love this track and I think it makes for an excellent cross-section of what makes this EP so great: economical, moody production anchored by raw lyrics and a vocal performance that visibly aches like an open wound.

On the following "PERC 30", we get an instrumental that is significantly more trap-flavored. The huge, distorted, sliding bass patterns and massive, clanging snare point to trap metal influences. Thai Thai also showcases his technical prowess on this track, as his  flows are realized with laser-like precision. He seamlessly transitions from steady triplets to rapid eighth and sixteenth-note subdivided rhythms with ease. He also employs some off-kilter vocal inflections here, dipping and soaring in a pseudo-melodic way that reminds me of Baby Keem. On the second verse, he breaks into a screaming headbanger of a verse that features his raw delivery and creative bars ("Death what I insist, if y'all persist let's make it simplistic/My opps cease to exist, check off that list, now you a statistic") front and center. My only real complaint with this track is that I wish it was longer. Its time in the spotlight is short, coming in at just under two minutes, and I feel like it really could have used another verse. Either way, though, this is still a real banger of a track that communicates an impressive amount of energy in a tight package.

Sampled vocal harmonies and retro R&B guitar form the instrumental to "WHAT DO I KNOW?". The resultant chill, introspective vibe reminds me of something Lauryn Hill might have done. Thai Thai finds himself in his bag on this track, as he spits spiteful bars addressed to an unfaithful former lover. The two features, lez and Xavier Top Floor, are both utilized really nicely and add a lot to this track. lez’s vocals in particular are really nice; she brings a smoky timbre that reminds me a bit of R&B singers like Janine and Victoria Monét, and her insane harmony layers on the song’s bridge really elevate the track. Xavier's second verse is dripping in effortless swagger, and he floats over the beat with ease. This is another track that I feel could have used another verse from Thai Thai to really bring it home, but nonetheless, there's a lot to love here.

The final track, "TELEVISED SUICIDE", opens with a sampled children’s choir and a reverb-heavy Japanese-language narration. Soon, those elements drop out in favor of a menacing low horn line and subtle, soulful bass guitar as Thai Thai spits haunting verses dealing with the effects of drug abuse. Thai Thai's abilities as a storyteller really shine here, as he articulates the deep regret and screaming sadness of loss with a painful degree of detail. His flows here are economical and simple, but on a track this emotionally heavy, it's clear that he feels no need to show off his technical ability when this track is really about his lyrics and storytelling first and foremost. A beautiful saxophone solo closes out the track alongside a narration from Thai Thai, in which he bids farewell, to life and to the listener both. I can't imagine myself putting on this track for casual listening very often, but only because it's so heavy and heartwrenching that I can't handle too many listens, which I take to mean that this track utterly and totally succeeded in what it set out to do. Thai Thai fires on all cylinders as he weaves a gripping, desolate tale of a story that features all of his strengths as a lyricist at their fullest.

The end result of TELEVISED SUICIDE is a body of work that feels thoroughly professional-grade. You could have told me this was a major label release and I wouldn't have batted an eye; it's truly that good. The mixing and mastering work is excellent here, and the technical prowess that went into this project is clearly evident considering the level of polish on the final product—which I feel speaks to the strength of Thai Thai's creative vision and his own view of the sonic territory he sees himself exploring. On the creative side of things, Thai Thai proves to be a capable producer and a remarkably talented lyricist. I don't know how much remains to be said that I haven't said already; his lyrics consistently cut right through the context of each song and lay bare the very real and human emotional aftereffects of trauma and loss. As a rapper, every performance he turns in suits the song, and he always sounds completely at home over each and every beat. I guess my only real complaint is that I wish that there were more verses and more tracks, but that really just translates to an admission that the record did its job so well that I can't help but want more. In short, this EP was absolutely gripping and I only hope that Thai Thai continues to capture and expand upon the magic he achieved here on his future projects.

Personal enjoyment score: 9.5 out of 10

Standout tracks: All five tracks are excellent and deserve a listen.

ALBUM REVIEW: Kai Banda - Nori

Kai Banda's Nori showcases interesting ideas in a bite-sized package that places jazzy production front and center.

Reviewed by Ash

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before reading this review, please support Kai Banda by streaming the album. The project can be streamed on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and Soundcloud.

I WILL BE THE FIRST to admit I did not discover Kai Banda organically. Instead, I happened upon a Collegium announcement from Isabel highlighting some of Kai's recent releases. (See?? This is proof that Collegium announcements and NYU Brightspace ARE good for exposure! Try it out; you just might get a review written about your music.) The NYU MTech Music Reviews blog was but an unrealized idea I'd been lightly toying with at that point in time, but once I started writing my first reviews, I came back to Kai's music and figured I'd take a crack at reviewing it for real.

Released alongside Album 4, a titanic project that carries 51 tracks and two hours of runtime, the 17-minute Nori appears like somewhat of a small fry in comparison. However, it was for this exact reason that I chose to enter the world of Kai Banda through Nori first. I hoped it would offer an enticing glimpse into Kai's universe and give me, a new listener unfamiliar with his music, a solid sense for what I could expect from the rest of his discography, and in that sense, Nori definitely made for an interesting listen. I'd be hard-pressed to categorize the sound of this album; the LP is simply categorized as "alternative" on Apple Music, which I felt didn't do nearly enough justice to the consistently jazzy, mellow, and austere soundscape that imbues this record from start to finish. While Kai gives us plenty of vocal performances, his voice is almost like garnish, and the instrumentals are almost always the spotlight of the LP. Though this record is short, composed mainly of tracks under two minutes in length, it marks its brief runtime with a musically creative, diverse selection of musical ideas; straddling the line between songs and demos, these tracks read like little windows into Kai's creative process, showcasing a promising collision of production chops and musical feel.

The opening track, "Just Got Back From Boba", opens with warm Rhodes keyboards under halftime R&B drums and soft, whispery, layered vocals. Soon enough, we break into a synth solo, led by a funky analog lead part that solidifies this track's retro leanings. A rich, expressive piano part enters soon afterwards. Everything is performed with a precise yet skittery & staccato feel that showcases Kai's impressive skill as an instrumental performer with an instinctive understanding of funk and complex rhythm. The mixing on the track sometimes results in the vocals becoming slightly buried, but the mellow vibe and well-constructed, human-touch-laden instrumental is undeniably the track's greatest strength.

"Halloween" opens with an endearing, DIY-sounding acapella demo that sees Kai working out the verses of the song. Soon after, electronic, punchy 808 drums enter, followed by retro '80s FM pianos, sweeping pads, and warm analog synth chords that perform a progression that repeatedly modulates back and forth between minor and major in interesting ways. More overt trap-style hi-hats enter in the next section, which are de-quantized and nudged just enough off the grid to preserve the organic and human feel of the instrumental. Kai's vocals are soft and understated, never fighting for the spotlight, which works well for the track's mellow yet catchy chorus.

A wubby, sliding synth bass and warm pads introduce us to "Dominoes", soon followed by funky house drums. Kai delivers spoken rap verses with a quiet swagger and vocal delivery that reminds me of Madonna's "Vogue", solidifying this track's '90s house vibe. The subsequent "Know Where" completely switches up the vibe, though, as jazzy pianos and intricate vocal harmonies come together over muted, reverb-heavy drums. At just one minute long, this track really left me wanting more.

Kai Banda puts on a public performance behind the keys in the above photo.

"Closer to You" features a huge snare amongst a sparse drum groove, rounded analog synth fifths, and a massive synth bass that solidifies this track's edgy rendering of retro synthwave. This is another shorter track that in my own personal opinion feels like it's missing a strong chorus to really bring it home, but as a short musical idea, it makes for a cool listen.

"Sneak Out" has no vocals, being a purely instrumental endeavor, and features one of the most interesting melodies on the entire record, along with an insane chord progression I couldn't wrap my head around at all. Ominous, slightly dissonant repeating pad chords play slowly in the background while a plucky lead synth plays an off-kilter melody. High electric piano chimes and a crazy, sliding, reverbed bass further add to this track's slightly demented horror aesthetic. The ambiguously tonal, dark yet chill atmosphere makes for an interesting experience that showcases Kai's talent as an instrumentalist and musician with a great sense for writing complex chords and melodies.

"In My Own Way" carries funky piano chords over a pseudo-disco drum rhythm, resulting in a sound akin to a jazzier Donna Summer. Kai's vocals are particularly well-suited for this vibe; not overly corrected, his vocals are left with a lot of room for microtonal nuances and moments of human expression, and the harmonies are great. In contrast, "Going Through" employs a slanted, off-kilter drum pattern with exotic, extended electric piano chords, creating a distinctly jazzy vibe under doubled vocals, almost like a jazz fusion with '90s boom bap. The fully instrumental "PLD" marks a total vibe switch, as we get distinctly modern-sounding, cavernous synth chords under shimmering, downtempo trap drums to create an atmosphere of swirling psychedelia. This is a track I really wish was longer. Kai's fleeting foray into trap music brings his jazzy chords and interesting sound selection and maps it over a totally different style in a way that I thought was intriguing and extremely well-executed. Some strong rap verses over a beat this good would almost surely make for a powerhouse of a track.

The album ends with "LT", wherein piano opens the song on a pleasant, shifting jazz progression. Sparse, slightly noisy '90s R&B drums and a high lead synth give this track almost a G-funk, Dr. Dre-esque aesthetic. I found myself itching for Kai to bust out another rap verse, but no such luck; he is more than content to let the instrumentals have the limelight.

 Overall, as a short collection of songs, Nori is an attractive and exciting look at a talented and savvy producer doing what he does best. Kai manages to communicate a wealth of instrumental ideas and inspired production in a tight, 17-minute package that left me itching for more. The R&B and jazz sensibilities at the root of Kai's production continually manifest themselves throughout the record, I feel that this decision was a really good one. The first two tracks feel like the album's only "full" songs in the conventional sense, but that's not a detraction from the rest of the record. My biggest complaint with the album is merely that a lot of these one to two-minute songs are so good and so promising that I wish they were longer, more structured, and fully decked out with verses, choruses, bridges, solos… but ultimately, that's not what this album is about. Perhaps the concurrent Album 4 will scratch the itch for more Kai Banda, and Nori is an exciting preview into what awaits deeper in his musical catalogue.

 Personal enjoyment score: 7.5 out of 10 

Standout tracks: "Halloween", "Dominoes", "In My Own Way", "PLD", "LT"