New Music: Obey City – Waterbed feat. Anthony Flammia

Waterbed is a major luxe new snowballer from standout young Brooklyn producer Sam Obey, aka Obey City (pronounced ‘oh-bee’), that’s landed just in time for Valentine’s Day. It’s an instantly commanding track, partly due to the hugely emotive, R&B/pop vocals of Yonkers-based singer songwriter Anthony Flammia, who nails both downstated sexy verses ("You got your face down, ass up, a body that a n&*ga can't pass up") and big, swelling choruses. Flammia's crooning is laid atop of a rollicking, suspenseful build from Obey, and some dramatic drums... with an electric guitar interlude even sneaking in towards the end.

Waterbed’s a number from Obey’s forthcoming EP, Merlot Sounds. Joining Flammia on vocal duties on the forthcoming EP will be Oakland vocalist 1OAK, and Erick Arc Elliott (a.k.a. Erick the Architect, from Flatbush Zombies). Merlot Sounds is expected next week on Glasgow powerhouse and Warp-partner LuckyMe, whose music Advent Calendar http://thisisluckyme.com/advent/ was basically all we listened to in December. As part of the Calendar, Obey City did a super-cool, jazzy remix of R & B singer Kelela’s Send Me Out, that you can also listen to below. Kelela’s set to lend her vocals to a track on Merlot Sounds too – a very exciting prospect!

Before releasing his dark and groove-laden debut EP, Champagne Sounds, in 2013, Obey City was making hip hop beats for rappers. Today, he juggles his own productions with work running his own collective Astro Nautico. Pre-order the Merlot Sounds EP in digital and/or vinyl format here, and stream Waterbed below, along with Obey City’s Kelela remix. 

Follow Obey City: SOUNDCLOUD / TWITTER