About a month ago, I ran into an email submission from a New York City collective, thebaremax. Almost immediately, I was intrigued, as they had seemed to be able to fuse nostalgia with contemporary sounds, which is no small feat. One of the members, Bert Knox, caught my attention in particular with his silky smooth cadences and dense lyrical ability. Looking to keep the hot streak going, Bert releases an engaging 3-song EP, Wavebaby.
Featuring appearances from fellow thebaremax members lamuse and yeahCALEB scattered throughout, the vibe that the group introduced on their breakout project, Pulp continues to shine. Utilizing mellow loops, thumping bass kicks and minimal melodies, Wavebaby is a dense lyrical affair that finds Bert really showcasing his potential as a completely rounded solo artist. On the EP’s outro, “Twenty Sixteen,” he ditches any and all guest features as producers, Lui and O Capitalista provide a brilliantly arranged track that allows for him to completely spazz. If there are any plans for another Bert Knox solo project in the near future, let’s just hope the whole thing is produced by those two.
Take a listen to the EP below and get familiar with New York’s newest export.
