Not long ago we first covered the THECLECTIK and his catchy as hell single, “I Found You”, and now he’s back with a full offering with Analog Heart In A Digital World. While that single doesn’t find it’s way onto this project, the songs that do make it here have that same unexpected and refreshing quality as that song. If I didn’t know that he hailed from Bend, Oregon, I might have guessed that he was from the Bay as much of the sounds here play in that same easily identifiable soundscape of Bay hip-hop. But, the experimenting and variety of styles he shows in just 6 songs is definitely a creation of his own and I like that each track gave you something different and unexpected, while still remaining cohesive and connected as a whole. You may get straight boom bap on one song, folk or rock guitar on another, and electronic synths on yet another. It’s a mad mix of hip-hop fusion that may sound crazy on paper, but it works in execution; and the project’s to the point lyrics about navigating society in an ever more disconnected world make for one of the more intriguing listens of the year so far.
Have you heard Analog heat In A Digital World? What’d you think about it? Has THECLECTIK made it onto your radars as the next act to follow? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the project.