Local review: •kordlhan – •Steez

•kordlhan
•Steez

Self-Released
Street: 04.07
•Kordlhan  = Flying Lotus + Yung Lean

Hailing from our very own Salty City is the aesthetically pleasing hip-hop by production artist •kordlhan. His most recent release, •steez, brings a unique and untapped sound that I have yet to hear from any other producer in the area. This album offers a mixed bag of sounds and influences to each track, ranging from hip-hop (“•pharaoh :: •tokyo”) to jazz (“•heart [as in feelings]”), all while maintaining the aesthetic feel of a vaporwave album. Accompanying the diverse sounds of each track is a changing mood. It starts with a darker trap beat and then flows into a calm track by following a more chillstep vibe. What I love about •steez is that typically, when it comes to instrumentally heavy albums, I often find myself asking, “How would these beats sound when accompanied by lyrics?” •steez stands apart from the rest by offering not only amazing instrumental beats, but by also having a few tracks that include lyrics (“Moodswings,” “Luxurii”). I have trouble picking just one a track to highlight when it comes to an album with such diverse tracks as this. Must-listen-to songs, though, would be “•going,” with its calming beat and soothing looped and edited vocals, and “•heart [as in feelings],” with its jazz-heavy samples that are reminiscent of Flying Lotus. After listening to this album multiple times and truly getting to take in everything it had to offer, I’m excited to find a local album with so much range that can showcase an artist’s talent in multiple modes of production. If you are a fan of spacey and atmospheric beats or just can’t get enough of songs that sound like they should be featured on [Adult Swim], I’d highly recommend •steez and the rest of •kordlhan’s discography from his Bandcamp at kordlhan.bandcamp.com. –Connor Brady