It's only so often we get to watch an artist come from humble SoundCloud remixing roots to establishing their own label and purpose. For as long as we have followed Michael Brun, it's been clear that his mission is not only music, but giving back and staying close to his community. Always the proprietor of his native Haitian culture throughout his production, his label Kid Coconut, and the other artists he supports, Brun has remained independent, lovable and outspoken all at the same time. It's probably because his cause and his music are so great – we heard them all in his BBC Radio 1 Guest Mix, his Haitian Spotify playlist, and his latest tracks, "Summer Dreams," "Jupiter," and "U."
This week, Brun is back with another release, and it's a special collaboration benefiting special causes. Entitled "Gaya," or "Healing," the single is the most overt mixing of Haitian racine music with his knowledge of dance music. Working with the Haitian collective Lakou Mizik and vocalist J Perry, "Gaya" is where bass meets the Islands. And, to top it off, all sales of the track will go to support Artists for Peace and Justice and Haiti's Artists Institute. You can buy the track here.
It's easy to speak generally about artists who come into their own, but Michael Brun has evolved into a mature, admirable artist who stands for more than just his music. Emerging among other producers – Tom Swoon, Pierce Fulton, Thomas Gold and others who have pulled back in a post-dance/mainstream world – and maintaining a brand of his own is certainly a feat when other artists fight to maintain a little time in the spotlight.
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