From the homeland of the Ozarks, Arkansas-based producer Brady Cagle, by the moniker Flintwick, has come out swinging with his newest EP release, Slingshot. Flintwick is no stranger to breaking boundaries through music, experimenting with different genre-blends, and finding fresh ways to create sound. Tune in as Flintwick digs deep and releases his Slingshot!
The title perfectly exemplifies how Flintwick has nailed his craft of creating tantalizingly unpredictable songs, while remaining colorful and interesting. Slingshot showcases how sound can start as rubbery and elastic, before snapping into snarling heavy basslines.
The first track on this EP is titled “Planted.” It earned its title by the thought of face-planting straight into a wall of sound without any expectation of what happens next. Flintwick delivers exactly that. The beginning instantly demands attention, building the tension of a slingshot with crunchy bass tones that neuro fans will delight in. The notes almost begin to speak to each other as “quacky” lead synths create a call-and-response. Unpredictable and almost chaotic, Flintwick seamlessly layers all of the present sound design with a commanding first track.
Second, we have the title track, “Slingshot.” This is a wonderful blend of neuro-funk and glitch-hop, wasting no time with a prompt buildup. The listener can almost anticipate the tension of a slingshot being pulled back in the first portion, before being propelled into growling synths and popping notes throughout the song. Every hit falls perfectly into place before slinging the focus to an unexpected, but greatly welcomed, funky organ wailing long notes. The groove accompanies great horns that can only be described as a hi-fidelity adaptation of “Memphis-phonk,” a genre characterized by 808’s, cowbells, and steady bass lines.
Next up is “Wombat,” a neuro-hop heater. It cleverly opens with a Nas sample, “Grey Goose and a whole lotta hydro.” This track is a bold melding of crunchy and melty, marrying the two styles effortlessly. This track has an attitude, almost feeling as though it’s mouthing off with its basslines and squeaky synths. It begins with a wide walk before flipping midway to a tighter crunch. It grinds forward with popping elements in the back before cooling into a cruising-altitude second drop.
“Cattywampus,” the fourth track, makes itself known by winding up a tape of distorted vocals accompanied by bouncy and funky synths. It winds in a rubbery spiral, easily making it dancefloor-ready. This track is a great callback to previous phonk-inspired sounds on the EP. Psychedelic textures decorate the soundscape as the listener cruises along slippery and grinding sounds. The bubbling notes in the tail-end of the song are an extremely fun vehicle to ride the heavy, winding bass into. Trip-hop fans will easily sink into this track.
The closing chapter of the EP, titled “Cute Loris,” starts with serene and lush sounds accompanied by bird calls. It twinkles its way to a buildup before winding into a textured bass switch-up. Snarling notes tear through this mix, truly creating a jungle in the ears of the listener. Like a mechanical animal, the pitch-bent percussion crawls through the song on the prowl. The energy mutates back into its beginning serenity, ending the EP on a delightful outro. It feels like nature meeting machinery – organic, distorted, alive.
“Named after the classic tension/release device – the slingshot. I wanted every sound to feel rubbery, alive, and elastic- then snap forward to snarly, blunt, and chunky low-end design. I feel like bass music can be so serious, so I wanted to take some serious basses and glue them together with whacky percussion, mouthy synths, and playful composition.” – Flintwick
Slingshot is a five-piece collection of some of the most exuberant and punchy songs we’ve heard in a while. Driven and unique, each track propels the EP forward with massive speed and weight. It has a delectable balance of tension and release, keeping the feel of the EP perfectly danceable and heavy-hitting. The amount of character and color in each song truly makes this collection feel alive and fluid, while remaining grounded in bass. We heavily anticipate launching into what Flintwick creates next!
Listen to the Slingshot EP by Fintwick below!
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