Listen: Star Slinger - Sketchy EP

What only seems like weeks ago, I was wandering into Sydney’s revered Outsidein festival in the late afternoon. As it happened, none other than Darren Williams (Star Slinger) was in the midst of hurling a barrage of cheerful sound on the courtyard stage. His edit of Swim Good x Merival’s Since You Asked, still rings clear in the ears. 

Now 4 months on, the man out of Manchester returns with new originals on his Sketchy EP. Releasing the tracks on the day of Bowie’s death he writes “ I realise it’s the day David Bowie died at 69 :( RIP DB. Well to be honest this just confirms life is too short and artistry can stop at any minute. So I tip my hat to the fearless man that was David Bowie, and here is a new piece of work I was a little bit nervous about releasing. Life is too short”. Well said I’d say.

The EP opens with I’m Like, a bouncy, synth driven piece with 808’s in the lead role. I’m unsure who’s on the vocal but Slinger bends their tone, giving it that digital drown, almost as though they’re singing underwater. An energetic and suitable opener. Track two, Sketchy Boys In The Back Of The Bus doesn’t really do it for me…a little lackluster but it’d certainly go down a treat at a party that’s gone on far too long. This one screams United Kingdom.

The third installment, an instrumental titled Alpha Leaf, is yeah you guessed it…sketchy. A jolting beat construction, littered with distorted synth hits and keys sections I reckon Chrome Sparks would be a huge fan of. Williams will definitely call on this track in future sets as a lead-in/teaser of sorts to spur on his audience.

To cap it all off we have Rainy Day, a tune the casts back to work that Star Slinger released over 2 years ago on his IV EP. At only 1:26, this snippet is all feels - characterised by tranquil vocal samples, inattentive drum claps and melodic keys this is simply a well designed ‘head nodder’. Listen in and you’ll know exactly what I’m on about.

Stream and download for free if you wish, some of the better blissful electronica going around.

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