Capitol Hill Block Party | Capitol Hill, Seattle | July 24-26, 2015
By Emery Desper. Photos by Rafael Ochoa and courtesy of Alex Crick / SMI (where noted).
Tag: the physics
SHOW REVIEW: The Physics Wish You Were Here Album Release Party – Neumos, 5.29.15
The Physics Wish You Were Here Album Release Party (w/Brothers From Another, Otieno Terry, Malice & Mario Sweet, & DJ Beeba | Neumos | May 29, 2015
Words by Emery Desper. Photos by Shakir Rodriguez.
ALBUM REVIEW: Wish You Were Here – The Physics
Town favorite the Physics dropped a new EP today. Wish You Were Here is an exercise in refined, grown-man B.I. with the type of fully-formed music production values we’ve come to expect from the trio. I wrote a review of the album for City Arts magazine which you can read here.
Check out three of the EP’s six tracks below, purchase the whole damn thing at this location, and get yourself to the album release party tonight at Neumos.
AUDIO: “Sleeping Alone” – The Physics (feat. Dave B)
The Physics are gearing up for the release of their new EP, Wish You Were Here, set to drop May 29. Catch them performing at Food & Sh*t’s special pop-up dinner at Pot in Los Angeles this Sunday, 5/24. Cop tickets to the WYWH album release party at Neumos on 5/29. And peep the latest drop from the album, “Sleeping Alone” (featuring Dave B), which rides and slides along like Jodeci circa 1993.
VIDEO: “About You” – The Physics (dir. by 96)
The Physics dropped the excellent one-off “About You” back in early March and followed-up the audio yesterday with an equally sterling music video directed by the 96 collective. In the clip, Thig refines low-key stunting which has become so vital to his public persona, Justo enjoys a sandwich and elicits a chorus of “Awwws” when he’s shown holding his baby daughter, and a grip of local kids sing the word “Love” which adds even greater warmth to a song that already immediately connects to the heart. Singer Camila Recchio brings it all home with her affecting chorus. The Physics remain Seattle’s most sophisticated and effortlessly cool hip-hop groups — scratch that, musical groups — doing work.
AUDIO: “About You” – The Physics (feat. Camila Recchio)
Other than Shabazz Palaces, The Physics are making the richest, boldest hip-hop music in the Town. “About You” is a one-off masterpiece: a pastiche of rhythmic, melodic layers entwined by Thig Nat’s fast rap reflections. A stunner.
NEW MUSIC: “Try You” – Malice Sweet (prod. by Jake One)
Malice Sweet — normally heard singing alongside real-life partner Mario Sweet as contributing vocalists to The Physics — goes for dolo here for the first time over a smooth Jake One track.
NEW MUSIC: School Daze – Dave B & Justo
School Daze is the new collaborative project between young Seattle upstart Dave B and the quickly-approaching-venerable-producer-status Justo (of The Physics). Its nine tracks blend breezily together thanks to Just’s boom-bap meets new school soul production and Dave’s effortless observant charm. School Daze is one of the most worthy 206 releases of the year and it’s available for free, dammit. Preview three of the EPs songs below and click Dave’s flashing head above to get it via Dropbox.
VIDEO: “Play It Off” – The Physics (dir. by Stephan Gray)
The Physics’ Digital Wildlife was 206UP’s top Seattle hip hop album of 2013, and the slick “Play It Off” was one of the major reasons why. Now, director Stephan Gray has blessed the track with an equally lubricious video. Thig Nat (and his stunning co-star) look like the major players from a Michael Mann film.
THE SIX: Featuring Malice & Mario Sweet
Photo courtesy of the artists’ Facebook page.
THE SIX is a regular interview feature on 206UP.COM with a simple format: One member of the local hip hop community and six questions. For past editions click here.
The Physics had the best Seattle hip hop album of 2013 — by this website’s estimation, anyway — with Digital Wildlife. And that record wouldn’t have come together as well as it did without the musical talents of the group’s two vocalists: real-life couple Malice (given name: Crystal) and Mario Sweet. Their R&B harmonies with The Physics generally act as subtle but vital backdrops to the crew’s deep hip hop roots, and the natural chemistry they share with rappers Thig Nat and Monk Wordsmith, and producer/rapper Justo, makes for the most appealing collaborations in Seattle rap.
Malice and Mario stepped out on their own with 2011’s Happy 2 Year, a celebration of both their love for music and second wedding anniversary. H2Y was followed in July of 2013 by Enjoy Like Love, an upbeat collection of original songs unapologetically inspired by R&B/soul from the ’80s and ’90s, as well as pop culture touchstones from those decades. For those of us born in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Enjoy Like Love feels like an audio love letter written just for us.
Malice and Mario jumped on THE SIX to answer questions about their backgrounds in music, what it’s like performing and touring as The Physics, and what their musical futures might hold.
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