It seems that Chicago emcee and producer collective 2008ighties are gearing up for a strong showing this year. With Julian Malone set to drop his project, Diff. Rent, at the start of next month and Calez prepping his upcoming mixtape, Ceito, for a release later on in the year, the two major leaders of the group are steering the boat towards the promised land.
While Malone has a collection of singles and loose tracks, Calez has only begun to shed light on his new full length and sound. This week, he liberated the second single from his tape, "Positive Energy", showcasing his continued growth.
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Aside from the keyboard outro, recorded by R.A. Foster, Calez carried the production duties on this track. Uniquely smooth and comforting, the sample-based beat comes across as soulful, thanks to a prominent funky bassline. However, the string samples seem to have been stretched through a VHS player, adding an interesting electronic sonic quality to the overall sound. This strange mix of nostalgic and forward thinking is vocalized in his lyrics, which are concerned with progressing against all odds. Even though he has had to face situations and see things that no one should have to, he remains positive that his dreams will come to fruition and urges listeners to do the same.
"Positive Energy" is a intriguing track, one that oozes in based philosophy, but that's never a bad thing. If you want to hear more of his music, you can head down to his soundcloud, where he has a number of older tracks. Stay on the lookout for his next project and everything that the 2008ighties have planned.
