I mean…why shouldn’t this exist? Why not!?
So Ryuichi Sakamoto has teamed up with two rappers and a guy who mostly plays Indian instruments to create a new song. Given the current clout Sakamoto has in all musical circles, this is kind of a surprising choice. But then again…it is Sakamoto, so it also feels kind of fitting that he’s collabing with this motley crew. For whatever reason, it also results in an interesting number, one willing to let the edges blur in the pursuit of something wonky. Compare “Energy Flo” to the number the trio minus Sakamoto put out earlier this year. That one is a bit more straightforward, and way more referential to what it is doing and trying to crack jokes about it at the same time (rappers over something that sounds vaguely Indian…bad news guys, Madlib already did this!). Maybe because a Yellow Magic Orchestra guy is hovering over this, the trio get a lot more adventerous on “Energy Flo,” letting words hover and piano notes just kind of zone out. I feel like Sakamoto gave them permission to get weird, and they showed what was possible once given the green light. Listen above.