Matthew McQueen’s Leaving Records is quickly becoming one of the most diverse labels going. His own music swings from hip-hop to ambient, and McQueen has found common ground between those dueling interests, releasing a stream of disparate records ranging from the new age of Laraaji, SunPath, and his own Matthewdavid moniker to unclassifiable records by Guy Blakeslee, Seiho, and Deantoni Parks and a steady stream of off-kilter hip-hop in the mode of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint. Luz, from L.A. producer Devonwho, is the latest Leaving release to continue the trend, drawing on R&B, funk, and hip-hop.
Devonwho (born Devon Fox) is part of the Klipmode collective that includes friends and Leaving labelmates Mndsgn, Knxwledge, and Suzi Analogue, and their vision for hip-hop shares both influences and an ideological point of view, celebrating the synth-driven nostalgia of the early ’80s. Luz is situated in a wobbly aesthetic of Zapp-style synths, with a blunted haze hanging on top of everything.
At its best, Luz presents Devonwho as a fresh new voice, with a handful of standout tracks that argue that even today there’s still gold to be found in the g-funk swamps. The moody “Trueandyou” has a pulsing, emotive synth and a stuttering hi-hat beat, and “Andthentherewas” comes off like a lazy brother of “Still D.R.E.,” featuring a similarly plinky melody. Both tracks recognize the value of melody over squelch, and Devonwho drapes a lovely overlay of synths to complete the picture. “Alphaloop,” “Trio,” and “Anti-ragequit” mine a similar vein, with the latter sounding like it could have been the anthem to a different, more Dazed and Confused version of Stranger Things.
| A1 | Orangehues |
| A2 | Cruisecontrol |
| A3 | Alphaloop |
| A4 | Purple |
| A5 | Medicina |
| A6 | Bread |
| B1 | Trueandyou |
| B2 | Lyon |
| B3 | Recurringtheme |
| B4 | Goodgreat |
| B5 | Andthentherewas |
| B6 | Trio |
| B7 | Anti-Ragequit |
