It’s 2am. The night sky’s calming silence hangs above you while the previous day’s heat lingers in the air. Even though you’re tired you can’t sleep, the open dark sky reflects the vast emptiness that occupies your mind. Needing to fill that void you hit play on your iPod and let the glitchy electronic beats and mellow piano notes wash over you. Stress, anxiety, they don’t mean shit when you have the hypnotic vibes of Van Gogh playing. Milwaukee Banks you’ve done it again!
The Milwaukee Banks and Andrei Eremin team up is undeniable gold and pure synth driven hip-hop bliss.
The duo behind Milwaukee Banks, Dyl Thomas and Edo AKA Adrian Rafter have been slowly making a name for themselves on the Aussie music scene with their sweet electronic jams and impressive vocal flow. After finding success with last year’s Rose Water EP the duo have been hard at work tweaking their craft and are set to release a new double A-side, the first of those tracks is the collaborative effort Van Gogh produced by wonder producer Andrei Eremin whose work you would have heard on Chet Faker and Oscar Key Sung.
Van Gogh is a gem of a hip-hop slow jam that very clearly wears its influences not only on the sleeve but the entire shirt. When that chorus kicks in it is almost as if a time warp has opened to take you back to the late 90s hip-hop scene. The track is mash up of styles of differing hip-hop and electronic styles that compliment each other very well, creating a captivating fusion of music which demonstrate what ecstasy (the feeling) would sound like. The gentle piano parts set the laid back tone and play well off the wiry synths that dart all over the song, the two juxtaposing elements marrying well together to give Van Gogh a balanced and versatile sound.
The key to this track however lie in the lyrics, the delivery of the rhymes is undeniably smooth as he tells a tale of trying in vain to make a connection with someone who isn’t really there and confronting the vastness of the world around him. Lyrics like “Van Gogh man, I don’t hear nothin” paints the irony of not being able to communicate with others cleverly, and the reference to the titular painter is appropriately referenced in more subtle ways with references to space and the stars. “There’s always a party in my dreamscape” and “Paint a picture so you can see, the galaxy all eyes on me” are lyrics that make it clear what Van Gogh is all about; the slow climb to the top and having the integrity not to falter on the journey there.
This will no doubt be the first of many times we’ll hear a lush collaboration between the Milwaukee Banks and Andrei Eremin, the two parties bringing their respective styles to the table to create a truly harmonious and enjoyable listening experience. Milwaukee Banks are playing shows around the country as we speak, so check out the dates below and get down to a show near you!
Thursday, November 27 – Laundry Bar, Melbourne (supporting Rome Fortune)
Sunday, December 7 – Semplesize Block Party at Howler, Melbourne with Banoffee & House Of Laurence
Sunday, March 8 – Golden Plains Festival, VIC
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