The talent of this guy is instantly recognizable and the fact that I am even advocating for people to attend this show is borderline ridiculous. There should be no reason anyone that can attend this show would not. Gramatik, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is most generally a hip-hop beat (not TRAP) and glitch-hop producer who propelled into the spotlight over a year ago with his debut release on Pretty Lights‘ label Beats and Pieces Vol. 1. That LP introduced Pretty Lights fans to a sound that was all at once familiar and unique, the latter especially heard in the influence from different musical time periods (blues, jazz) and cultures (“The Drink is Called Rakija”). What few people knew then and many still don’t is Gramatik’s long history producing music, for free, which dated back years, spanned several LP’s and is still all available through his SoundCloud.
Listening to Gramatik’s progression, it’s clear he’s reinvented himself several times as a musician, but never for the worse. Since collaborating with PLM, he released his #digitalfreedom EP, which showcased a much harder sound from the Slovenian producer that his increasingly mainstream audience ate up, propelling him onto festival lineups around the country and, most recently, into an ongoing collaboration with fellow glitch/electro/funk/soul producer Griz in the form of Grizmatik. His latest release, “Bluestep”, is part of Gramatik’s exploration into the blues and is said to be a main theme for his upcoming album The Age of Reason, set to be released on his own label later this spring . His passion for experimentation is also exemplified by his electric live sets, featuring live guitar accompaniment.
Gramatik will be supported by rising trap producer heRobust and one of my favorite indie/electro groups Cherub this Thursday, May 2nd at Royale. Tickets are available through Bowery’s website for a very cool $15 in advance. Better see you all there.