If you're not familiar with Kilter, then you should brush up on your knowledge about up-and-coming Australian producers, because not only is this guy a talented artist, but it's almost guaranteed that his best days are ahead of him. Case in point is his six-track EP titled Shades that just came out, and it's got everything in it that one might need to fill up an empty dance floor, or jump-start a lackluster house party. The music is blatantly tropical, and each track is tinted with layers of bright sound and airy beats—all making Shades the sonic equivalent of a mojito or floral print Hawaiian shirt. Without question, tropical music has earned popularity with listeners, and it's actually starting to coalesce into its own full-fledged genre. However, this also means that the independent music market has become saturated with producers looking to make their mark on the leading edge of the sonic trend, and, with that being the case, we've had to be a lot more picky about what we cover in this particular corner of music, because it's no longer enough to ride the coattails of novelty—the music has to be innovative, and, above all, extremely well-made. Shades ticks all the right boxes for us, and there are two songs in particular that really standout as examples of Kilter's devotion to innovation and attention to detail. The first one, is "Coward", featuring Ngaiire, and the second is "All You Want", featuring Ev Jones. "Coward" is not only tropical in nature, but there is actually a great beat worked in it as well, and it's definitely not the type of repetitive house music that normally gets the attention when producers are working with these sounds. Ngaiire, too, has a deeply rich voice that adds a bit of vintage soul to the mix, and the unlikely collision between these two worlds works extremely well. Second up is "All You Want". Again, the feature really brings this one home, and Ev Jones has a vocal aesthetic that would be just as at home on a straight-up R&B track as it would on this single. To reflect this, Kilter has toned down the production work a bit, and the extra muted low tones he adds in to give it a fuller sound rounds out the package perfectly. Kilter is off to a great start with Shades, and it's got everything we want from the budding talent with a sound signatures like his. His ability to keep his tropical electronic in line with intrigue in innovation is truly admirable, and his ability to reach out—and successfully integrate in—featured vocalists really speaks to his ability to craft a wholly engaging sound. There's no doubt a bright future ahead for the Aussie, and we look forward to what works he shares from this point. Purchase Shades now on iTunes.
Kilter