Dea Juris has a voice like satin with a vintage sheen. As the crooner behind Brooklyn two-piece Eda Wolf, her dreamy pitch pulls us into a haze of softly-rolling R&B with a groovy electronic undercurrent (courtesy of Emiliano Flowerman, the other half of this dynamic duo). Their latest track, “Rough Terrain,” has a nostalgic glint, a familiar melody that pours from the speakers like a long-forgotten memory.
"Rough Terrain" is easy listening at it’s finest, which isn’t to say it’s a simple track. Far from it. Shimmering percussion forms its foundation, as Juris’ voice teeters between a reflective, velvet tone and soaring, full-bodied notes. “I’ve done it all again,” she sings, one of the song’s repeated phrases, “Found myself in rough terrain again.” She takes her time over these words, punctuating each syllable so it hovers for a moment, emboldened.
And still, despite its tone of resignation, the track features a surprisingly sunny disposition. “Fill it up fully / Fill it up closely / Why don’t you ever pour it over? / Spill it like flowers / Spill it on concrete,” Juris sings, and it’s as if were wading through an afternoon reverie in which everything works out swimmingly. There’s a nonchalance and warmth to "Rough Terrain" that’s absolutely addictive.
For such an international hub of arts and culture, it's amazing how small the music community in NYC can be. Or at least it was amazing how small it felt as I covered Brooklyn locals TUTU at Cameo Gallery last Friday. The energy of the room was warm and welcoming, less like you were at a venue and more like you'd wandered into an intimate house concert.
Watching these kinds of communities form around great artists is one of my favorite things about living here. It was an excellent show with great ambiance, great people, and great performances from three acts that, when you get down to it, haven't really released any music yet.
Ian Chang
Okay, well, the whole "haven't released any music" thing isn't totally true. The first act of the night was a solo drum set by Ian Chang, who's the current drummer for Son Lux and a member of Landlady and Body Language. To give you some idea of the wonder he produced for us at Cameo, we present the following video:
Precise, melodic, virtuosic, smart, and innovative. His style is almost like a manicured stream-of-consciousness, making you feel like you have a direct line to his innermost thoughts. His rhythms seem to come out of nowhere, his articulations appear like magic, and while we love the work he's done with the various projects he's in, we can say wholeheartedly that we would love to hear more of what he can create on his own.
Eda Wolf
The next act were Brooklyn locals (and friends of the blog) Eda Wolf, whose track "Wild" premiered here not too long ago. We were fortunate enough to catch them on the night they introduced their live video projections.
Eda Wolf have only released two tracks so far, so seeing them live was a great way to hear some more of that wonderful music they've been working on. We're excited to say that it only gets better. They've developed a new, almost dark mix of electronic R&B that references jazz almost as much as it does pop.
The best part is that from what we've heard, the duo is definitely not afraid of experimentation. They juxtapose the familiar with the foreign, and always wear their hearts on their sleeves. It makes for a great combination.
TUTU
Last, but certainly not least, was the incredible TUTU. We first saw these guys last year when they opened for Rafiq Bhatia at the (sadly) now-defunct BK venue Glasslands, which we're pretty sure was their debut performance. We remember being amazed by their musicianship at that first show, and almost a year later they've only gotten better. TUTU has yet to release any recordings, but did put together this lovely video that will give you a sense of their style:
My favorite part about TUTU is the heavy jazz influence. It's not necessarily apparent in the songwriting or composition, but simply in how the group plays together. Each member's virtuosic abilities, combined with the comfort and trust they seem to have in each another, makes for a sound that feels both structured and improvised at the same time. As an audience member, it keeps you on your toes.
Hopefully they took that creativity with them into the studio. If their upcoming EP Anita comes anywhere close to their live performance, we should all be counting down the days until its release.
It's pretty amazing what you can accomplish as a duo these days. Brooklyn's Eda Wolf, consisting of singer Dea Juris and producer/instrumentalist Emiliano Flowerman, have utilized their vocal and electronic toolkits to build R&B tracks that are far more robust than two people have any right to make. And somehow, at the same time, they manage to keep things simple.
On their new single, "Wild," this dichotomy is on full display. Flowerman's understated beat forms a perfect backdrop for Juris' powerful, emotive vocals, creating an air of subtle hesitation. The lyrics are an admonition, perhaps a desperate one: "Rip out the roots / Find a new ground / Reach for a soil / That will grow you anew." True to form, though, any reticence is shattered by an explosive payoff at the end.
Debut EP from Brooklyn-based duo Eda Wolf
Vocals & Lyrics: Dea Juris
Production: Emiliano Flowerman
Trumpet on track 2: Linton Smith
Bass on tracks 3 & 4: Alex Pyle
Mixing: Emiliano Flowerman & Gerard Marcus
Mastering: Conrad Magabo
Eda Wolf's debut EP, Slow Speed, is coming soon. In the meantime, bask in the groove of their first two tracks and watch the future of electronic R&B as it unfolds.
