Review: Kaytranada injects 100% into his 99.9% debut
99.9% has been an album I’ve been clamouring for since first hearing Kaytranada’s remix of Disclosure’s January back in 2013 when the duo ascended into pop heaven. From then on, his releases were sporadic nods on Soundcloud and the occasional “feature” credit.
A somewhat elusive man on social media, Kaytranada’s production credits include Katy B, The Internet, Freddy Gibbs, and his remix credentials are too long to list here. His influences shine through with funky bass inspirations and fat rich, sounding synths coupled with clean drums and shuffles solely designed to give your hips a mind of their own.
99.9% is Kaytranada presenting himself at his peak (the man is only 23) and a peak that feels destined to last for years and years to come. It’s also proof positive that his sound works almost universally with those he collaborates with.
The man has a mountain of original work, but Kaytra always found a distinctive style and delivered MVP performances throughout his remix work. His crunchy kicks and drum breaks always oozed a clean style with inspirations of light and happiness. Rarely — since his arrival on the scene, at least — has Kaytra found himself showcasing something that wasn’t funky, sparkly, or head-nodding.
With collaborations from R&B king, Craig David, the pink bubblegum-pop vocals of AlunaGeorge, and even a spot from fellow RnB star, Phonte, of The Foreign Exchange, it’s easy to see that Kaytranada has recruited immensely well for his debut, and the pay off is something that explodes with confidence, warmth and style.
“Got It Good” has Craig David and Kaytra working hand-in-hand to deliver a soft R&B and soul-driven number that is underlined by a signature rumbling, scratchy bass. David’s vocals are cushioned by heavily spaced-out, reverbed keys and whirs. It’s something that is built almost exclusively for someone like David, who sounds like he absolutely relishes the opportunity.
Phonte’s vocals lend that further soul-laden drive on the early evening themed “One Too Many”. A track that features a pointy bass as Phonte’s distinctive vocals play around a swung set of drums all the while. The track feels designed as the perfect compliment to your Grey Goose antics before you hit the town. Like Craig David, Phonte’s vocal’s are extremely soft (he’s a rapper turned singer) on this one and Kaytranada accommodates for that with hip-shaking percussion and a panning, decayed synth.
In a nod to one of the beat titans, J Dilla, “Despite the Weather” is a short and sweet number that jangles percussion about in the background, giving the beats a breath for a split second, all while introducing washy-sounding keys that evolve into some lush strings before closing out on some spoken word about listening to the man himself.
Kaytra’s bouncy bass is served up on a silver platter throughout the album. More present on his pairing up with Anderson Paak on “Glowed Up”, a track that initially echoes the trap sound that was clamping down on the hip-hop and electronic scenes (and still is, to an extent on a few hip-hop and RnB records) while dropping has car-busting bass that bounces and then stretches. The track almost reverses the energy for the last two minutes with a quick switch to a crafty and crisp, new drum break while a withheld and misty Anderson Paak whispers underneath the bass.
Even after hearing the star-studded vocals weaved through the album, Kaytra finds the time to school us on the wildly funky Breakdance Lesson No.1; an instrumental exercise in which the man shows off his drum programming creativity with a wobbly, breakbeat-rich number that also serves up warm, golden and glowing funk licks.
Recently, I’ve been watching Project Runway and seeing all the flashing lights and colour on the catwalk. The eclecticism of all the dresses and garments made me instantly think of how terrifically this entire album would fit in at a runway show. There are hints of neo-soul, easy rhythms, hip-hop and poppy influences and there’s always a sense of colour and creativity present.
The question that’s cooked from this is: if this is Kaytranada’s first release, where does he go next? A hard question to answer, but it might be best for you to get on the runway because, by the sounds of this, he’s only just starting to take off.
