Westside Bounce: AFAMoo’s “New York, New York” And “Surf”
Kobe-based producer AFAMoo has been sharing house tracks that sound like a layer dust sits on top of them for a year now (lo-fi house, if that works better for you), and a handful of them are quite nice. But his latest two releases feel like particular breakthroughs, partially because they find a groove all their own and rise above simple sonic trendiness. “Surf” offers up disco shine that glides ahead, coming across surprisingly clear (and downright sunny) for an artist who often preferred faded sounds in the past. Check the congas, in particular, adding a tropical vibe that never overwhelms. Get it here, or listen below.
Longer but just as good is “New York, New York.” At over eight minutes long, it goes through a lot of phases — starting with a bouncing beat quickly revealing a delicate piano line giving the song its emotional core, that then gets toughened up a bit via a sample shout-out to the titular city. While I’m not one to glorify songs about New York — if there’s one place in the world that needs less attention, it’s there — the simplicity and catchiness of “New York, New York” really charms. Get it here, or listen below.
