Genre: beats, hip-hop, chlorophyll, fungi

Texas-based producer making music in the well-worn vein of downtempo, hip-hop inflected, electronica. BUT, for me, Botany is a cut above the rest. Lovely, intuitive melodies and inventive beats keep his albums from growing stale. It’s also exciting to see him move into somewhat different territory here, with well-integrated guest stars offering a new dimension. Highly recommended, and make sure to check out his debut album “Lava Diviner” as well.

Favorites: 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 10, 12. FCC: 9

Others: Flying Lotus, Teebs, Hanz

1. (1:27) Sungblood - Lo-fi feel, chiming notes. Woozy pitch-bent goodness. Great lead-in to next track.
2. (3:06) *** Raw Light Overture - Big thumping beat. Brilliant vocal sample manipulation. Layered, transfixing. Dancing in an underwater garden.
3. (2:32) ** Au Revoir ft. Milo - Laughing sample. Groovy, downtempo beat à la Brainfeeder. Some interesting delay on the vocals. The production + the rapping reminds me a little of Earl Sweatshirt’s most recent album.
4. (2:41) Birthjays - Opens with what sounds almost like a clip from some 50’s tv show. Aimless synth exploration.
5. (2:41) Glow Up ft. Matthewdavid - Folktronica feel like Bibio with some nice twee vocals from Matthewdavid. Like walking in a park with your best friend.
6. (2:22) ** Jotu - Harder edged, excellent clattering percussion. Shamanistic electronica. Great repeating synth riff.
7. (1:25) All is Rite - Pretty dull ambient track…a little disappointing.
8. (6:13) ** Bad CGI - Soulful vocal sample. Pulsing, almost techno groove. A cool new look for Botany. Danceable and emotive. Really comes into its own in the middle section. We leave the underwater garden village and head into a sunlit clearing. Mystical, beatless outro.
9. (3:12) No Translator ft. Milo - FCC “f*ck”. Twinkling keys. More stream-of-conscious wordplay from Milo.
10. (3:46) ** You might Be an Eye - Dream-pop electronica…gooey and spacious. Simple thumping rhythm.
11. (4:05) ** A-Word/Dim - Toys with a sample from a vintage record. Lo-fi and exquisite. Reminiscent of the Caretaker but in a much lighter, airier mood. Fascinating listen.
12. (6:30) ** Monthiversary ft. RYAT - Gurgling backdrop. Ambient feel topped off with heavenly fem. vocals. Gorgeous, Julianna Barwick-esque track.