Heard It Here First

Since bursting from the bayou, Boogie T has been a name worth watching with his innovative twist on bass and dubstep music by spinning in essences of Southern soul, funk, and reggae. Truly putting the dub in dubstep, the Louisiana native has seemingly rotated collaborators as often as genre influences with frequent releases alongside big names in bass such as GRiZ, Ganja White Night, and Subtronics.

While the carousel of supporting cast has been the norm for his solo preoccupations, the rising DJ has settled in with his electro-reggae trio BOOGIE T.RIO. Backed by multi-instrumentalists Frank ‘Animal Drums’ Castro and Andriu ‘Yano’ Yanovski on percussion and keys, respectively, the group has made a quick name for themselves since exploding onto the scene at Electric Forest in 2018.

In the subsequent year-plus, the trio has released three diverse but undeniably stylized EPs while backing up artists such as GRiZ, Big Gigantic, and San Holo. They have appeared on high profile festival bills like Shambhala and Lost Lands, and their live recognition was cemented with a headlining tour in 2019.

The fourth EP titled Remedies is a scattershot blend of influences leaving a little bit for fans of all musics without leaning too hard in any direction. Electronic purists will find favor in the lead track “Nobody Else” with a hypnotically bouncy percussive feel laced with heavy doses of synth-bass.

“Dear Weed Man” is a brassy tune that comfortably embraces the stereotypes of the reggae genre in both lyrics and sound. Following is the astro-biblical ballad “Disco Moses” whose goofiness tries, and ultimately fails, to distract from the infectious groove and impressive instrumentals – after all, “thou shall not party in vain.”

“Free,” the final track of the record, condenses all of these ideals into a song exuding soul from every microsecond of its run. Sounding like the backtrack to a ’90s stoner rap jam, the tune synthesizes the vibes of its predecessors into a hauntingly uplifting piece that floats alone in genre subspace – free from the expectations of its influences and entirely unique to that end.

The release of Remedies came on the heels the Riddim & Blues Tour beginning last night in Urbana, IL; however, the tour was unfortunately cancelled in the wake of current public health crises. The group released this statement via Boogie T’s social media:

pic.twitter.com/sS5K0fo6io

— Boogie T (@boogietmusic) March 13, 2020

We here at Heard It Here First urge everyone to stay healthy and safe in the meantime. So cuddle up and keep warm with the irresistible sounds of BOOGIE T.RIO, and, as always, let us know what you think in the comments!